40 percent of USPS's high-speed letter-sorting machines have already been shut-down in Sea-Tac

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Aug 20, 2020, 01:30 PM - Edit history (1)

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by Jasmyne Keimig • Aug 20, 2020 at 8:30 am

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40 percent of USPS's high-speed letter-sorting machines have already been shut-down in the Seattle-Tacoma area: Though Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said further removals would be put on pause until after the election, USPS declined to say whether these machines would be put back into service.

40% of letter-handling machines dismantled in Seattle-Tacoma area
AUG 19, 2020 at 2:30 PM

BY John Ryan

By the time Postmaster General Louis DeJoy halted a raft of changes that might slow down the U.S. mail, the Postal Service had already shut down 40% of the high-speed letter-sorting machines in the Seattle-Tacoma area, KUOW has learned.

Following a national uproar over the removal of postal equipment and reductions of retail service hours and worker overtime, the Trump Administration’s new postmaster general announced Tuesday that he was putting the initiatives on hold until November.

“To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded,” DeJoy said in a statement.

“The Postal Service is ready today to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives this fall,” he said.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of Americans are expected to vote by mail this fall.

RELATED: Mail machines removed from Washington post offices. Workers worry about November ballots

When asked how many machines had already been decommissioned and whether they would be put back in service, Postal Service spokesperson David Partenheimer declined to comment.

If letter-sorting machines remain out of service, it could put a dent in the post office’s ability to quickly deliver both letters and mail-in ballots.

Internal documents from May reveal that the Postal Service was planning to remove 20% of "DBCS" (digital barcode sorter) machines nationwide this summer.

In Washington state, at least 23 DBCS letter-sorting machines had been dismantled by Tuesday at major postal facilities, according to a tally by KUOW:

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[EarlG]

1. WH/DeJoy keep suggesting that these are "cost cutting" measures

Has anybody explained how throwing high-speed letter-sorting machines in the trash is supposed to save money?

[COLGATE4]

2. Not just shut down. Removed and at least in some

cases, destroyed. I doubt they can be replaced, certainly not before the election. Bastards.

[lettucebe]

3. He said he'd stop it, but he did not send any notices to anyone doing it, so ...

The destruction continues. This is unacceptable and criminal. Washington State is entirely vote by mail, not to mention all the other reasons we need the GD post office to run efficiently.