Is Dallas Main Post office about to close?
Categories: Business, Dallas, Featured, Justice/Law Enforcement
Written By: Shawn Williams
Late Friday afternoon I received a letter that supposedly went out from the American Postal Workers Union. This letter was on American Postal Workers Union letterhead, and signed by President Larry Crawford and Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer D. Fulbright. I was not able to call and very this information at (214)631-3162. But here is the first 2/3 of the letter.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at Mountain View College, the U S Postal Service held a Public Forum regarding the closing of the Main Post Office. There was only one problem, the public wasn’t there. They (the USPS) said they notified you. They said they sent out notices and posted the meeting time and place, but you chose not to come, because you just don’t care. Funny, the Mayor and the City Council didn’t know, until we notified them. The media didn’t know until we told them, so we can only deduce from all that you now know because we are telling you. We need you to SAVE OUR LOCAL POSTAL SERVICE.
The Postal Service’s plan to shift mail processing operations from the Dallas Main Post Office at 401 D/FW Turnpike to 951 Bethel RD in Coppell, TX possess a serious threat to prompt and reliable mail service for the Dallas area.
What does this mean for the citizens of Dallas? Despite USPS assurance to the contrary, mail service will suffer. Mail will be collected earlier in the day and will arrive later, maybe even after dark. And we could experience delays of several days in the time it takes to send and receive our mail Checks and medications may not reach their destination when they are needed: credit ratings could suffer because of late bill payments, and birthday cards and gifts could arrive late. Everyone doesn’t use email or the internet. Once again the southern sector of our city will suffer if the citizens are not heard from. What a shame for the 5th. largest city in the United States to lose it’s identity by losing it’s postmark.
The letter goes on to ask citizens to “ring the phones of your Mayor, your Representatives and your Postmaster.” They list several politicians and for people to call and say that the Postal Service is accepting public correspondence if postmarked by July 16th. Because of the names in the email string I’m pretty sure this is real. It may be out there somewhere else but I haven’t seen it yet. I’ll try to verify this on Monday.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
This one is hard to believe . With all the buisness, bulk mail etc from the Central Buisness District how could this be? Next you will tell me GM is bankrupt . In short stranger things have came to pass.At the end of the day , Shawn I agree we must preserve the main Post Office in Dallas. Thanks for keeping us up on this .
July 11th, 2009 at 9:31 am
The community needs to speak up about this. Dallas is suppose to be a major city in the united states, how could it not have the main post office. Keep us updated.
July 12th, 2009 at 9:50 am
This makes sense, yes. At first blush. But let’s look at this as we are doing re: the very nature of newspapers, etc. In other words, a fresh look at the changing times and how business is done and news dispersed and money is exchanged and bills paid, etc.
First: regarding the main post office on I-30~~~I noticed yesterday that the exit one takes to the post office….the Sylvan exit….still exists but immediately after it is the new SYLVAN exit. Making me wonder what’s going on.
Truth is, ‘mail’ as we knew it is becoming obsolete no less than standard newspapers in an era when paying bills online is a snap and far more timely, etc. I have a drawer full of stamps and I scarcely ever mail anything unless it’s a card, a gift. Why would I mail payments on bills and have those payments posted whenever someone at the other end happens to do it vs. instantly doing so online yourself and avoiding any chance for late payments? I have a box of checks and whereas 10 years ago I would use a box a year, I now write maybe 6 checks a year. Generally paying someone for contract work. That’s it.
Using the mails as we once did is like writing a check in a checkout line instead of using a debit card. Time consuming, wasteful, archaic. So if we’re going to save the main post office, we need to find other uses to make the postal system competitive in shipping. Because envelopes with stamps….and checks….are doomed to become relics of the last century.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:46 am
This is NOT news. A neighbor of ours who works at this facility was told a year ago that the facility was slated for closing. Rawlings is correct: in some ways, our postal system is SO last century and needs to adapt and change.
The arguments about medications and gifts arriving late are red herrings. The real issue is the huge drop in the amount of “bulk” mail that the facility handles.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Shawn, please keep us posted. In my line of business, it is impertative to have at least one post office open late in the evenings in order to meet deadlines.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I-30 is a perfect spot for the post office - it’s easy off - easy on, not only for the postal trucks but for the consumer as well. And we really don’t need any more delays in the delivery of important documents such as bills, medicines, and time dated materials. Let’s please keep this office open if at all possible. What can “we” (the public) do to help this situation?