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Michigan AG joins fight against USPS plan that would increase prices, slow down delivery times

Posted at 5:46 AM, Oct 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-11 06:06:17-04

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is joining others in a multi-state complaint, asking for transparency from the Postmaster General.

Louis DeJoy's 10-year plan isn't sitting well with many. It slows down deliveries, increases prices and calls for some offices to close.

It's dubbed the "Delivering for America" plan but a former USPS worker in metro Detroit is speaking out against it.

Shari Dubois spent more than 40 years delivering mail around metro Detroit, but said she's concerned about the changes at the postal service.

"I mailed an anniversary card in West Bloomfield to go to Novi and it took six days. I could have walked there," she said.

Che claims the delays have worsened under the leadership of DeJoy.

"I think he wants to make money. It's not about that. The post office is put in place to get a letter from point a to point b," she said.

DeJoy said the agency is in a "death spiral." At the end of 2020, it was $188 billion in death. The annual revenue is a fraction of that at $73 billion.

No matter how you crunch the numbers, they don't add up.

Under the plan, First Class mail would go from 1-3 days to as much as 5 days.

Post offices will shut their doors and close locations. Hours will also be impacted in low-traffic areas, which will also slow down delivery.

Utility bills, credit card statements and many more important pieces of parcel could be delayed, too.

But those who rely on the USPS to get vital prescriptions could be impacted by the change. The postal service says 61% of first-class mail and 93% of periodicals will be unaffected.

Nessel has now joined a coalition that includes attorneys general from California, Pennsylvania and New York, demanding a review of the plan.

"They didn't go through the formal process or comply with the law. It's already happening," Nessel said.

Their complaint is heading to the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent federal agency providing transparency & accountability.

In a statement response, a spokesperson said, "the recent complaint filed by a group of attorneys general has no legal or factual merit, and the postal service intends to move to dismiss it pursuant to the rules of the postal regulatory commission. The postal service has and will continue to follow all statutory and regulatory requirements as we move forward on implementing our strategic plan to restore service excellence and financial sustainability."

We reached out to the postal services a few weeks ago to discuss these changes. They declined an interview.

The complaint is also asking for a process that allows public comment on the 10 year plan. Right now, roughly 20 AGs are engaged in this effort.