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

Posted at 7:55 AM, Oct 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-11 07:55:54-04

LANSING, Mich. — 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," she said. "I could have walked there."

Che claims the delays have worsened under DeJoy's leadership.

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

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

Under DeJoy's plan, first class mail would go from taking one to three days to taking as long as five days. Some post offices will shut their doors. Hours will also be reduced 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. And people who rely on the USPS to get vital prescriptions could be impacted by the change.

But the postal service says 61 percent of first-class mail and 93 percent 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 USPS 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."

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 the effort.