Chamber Urges USPS to Keep Mail Center, Project Local Jobs
The closure USPS facilities across the country, like the San Bernardino Processing and Distribution Center, would eliminate jobs and increase delays in local postage.
The Chamber advised Congress and the United States Postal Service to keep the San Bernardino Mail Processing and Distribution Center in Redlands open amidst a series potential closures announced by the postal service in late 2011. More than 750 positions at the center employ residents across Inland Southern California and the closure of the center would result in mail from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties traveling to Los Angeles, Orange, or San Diego Counties before proceeding to their intended destinations.
With an increasing focus on tightening government budgets, the Chamber understands the need to modernize the postal system in a world of electronic communication. However, the decisions of where and how to make these reductions should be weighed against the potential economic impacts of eliminating jobs in the service as well as the effect of time delays that rerouting the distribution will have on each facility’s service area.
Among the list of endangered facilities, noticeably absent were four locations in Los Angeles and two locations in Santa Ana and Anaheim that are only 18 miles apart. If the San Bernardino Center were shuttered, mail from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties would conceivably be directed to Los Angeles, Orange County or San Diego, even if the final destination is back in Inland Southern California.
As Sharon Tyrrell of Capree Escrow, Inc. notes, the impact of this redirect would immediately impact local businesses, “We are seeing a slowdown in our mail now, with some packages taking six business days to arrive in a fairly local area. Using overnight services causes the cost for me and my clients to rise, but in many cases we have no choice.” Especially, in particular industries, advances in technology do not alleviate the situation as original signature documents are still required and cannot be done via e-sign.
In response to several legislative requests, the U.S. Postal Service agreed to delay the closing or consolidation of any mail processing facility until May 15, 2012, after opportunities for public input.
Riverside Chamber 
I absolutely concur with the Chamber’s perspective on this issue. The idea of losing jobs in any community is devastating during these fragile economic times. However, the negative impact is exponentially greater when a closure of this type is in the epicenter of our nation’s economic crisis. Closing the San Bernardino Center may actually increase the USPS’s operation, as they will no doubt have greater shipping and distribution costs handling the enormous amount postal activity from processing centers away from our immediate area. Not to mention the financial costs related to the layoffs, early retirement, and unemployment insurance. When the economy turns, the housing market will be one of the most vital aspects of our recovery in the Inland Empire. Escrow and mortgage companies still rely on physical documents – and the timing of their delivery is critical to meeting realtors, buyers, and financiers deadlines. Time is money in this industry. And, of course, that is just one example. I encourage the USPS to re-evaluate their decision of potentially closing this vital asset to the Inland Empire.
Feel free to reach me at ron@ronwoodburyconsulting.com or (951) 505-2299 if you wish to discuss my perspective further.