Wyomingites are shaking their heads at the latest from U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who is giving himself an “A” grade for his Delivering for America plan, which includes moving most of Wyoming’s mail processing out of state.
DeJoy then covered his ears when Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Georgia, told DeJoy he does not get an “A” from the American people for the plan, which will improve delivery of mail in urban areas at the expense of rural mail delivery.
“You cannot give yourself that grade,” McCormick said during Tuesday’s Oversight of the U.S. Postal Service Committee hearing.
“I just did,” DeJoy interjected.
“You can’t!” McCormick shot back, his voice rising. “You can’t grade your own paper, sir.”
It was then, as McCormick was telling DeJoy that the American people have not given DeJoy’s performance or his Delivering for American Plan an “A” grade that the postmaster general deliberately placed his hands over his ears and told the congressman he wasn’t listening to him.
“I hope you got that on camera,” McCormick said in disbelief. “This is the response that the postmaster just gave Congress when he doesn’t like what he hears. Literally, covered his ears and gave himself the grade of ‘A.’”
All Of Wyoming Is Rural
Most of Wyoming’s mail delivery is rural, so DeJoy has been in the hot seat in the Cowboy State since the Postal Service revealed plans to move all of Wyoming’s large mail-processing centers out of state.
This will leave the entire state with only smaller, local processing units, and put a lot of mail on the road between Wyoming and Denver or Billings.
A number of postal workers went on record at public forums to say the plan will be a disaster for Wyoming, and that rural areas should prepare to wait for the things they rely on, like Social Security checks and medications.
Cowboy State residents, too, panned the plan during public forums and called for its halt.
DeJoy, amid widespread national criticism, announced earlier this year that he’s pausing the rollout of Delivering for America until next year. But he has not actually changed his plans for Wyoming.
‘Arrogance Knows No Bounds’
Ricci Roberts, branch president of the Cheyenne mail handling unit, is among Wyoming residents who have been closely following and speaking out against the Delivering for American plan, warning residents it won’t improve service to rural areas.
“DeJoy’s arrogance knows no bounds,” she told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. “He claims to be a logistics expert, but has zero idea of the geography and challenges that Wyoming faces.”
Roberts said she anticipates that the Cowboy State will be on the front lines, fighting for rural communities that depend on the postal service.
“The 10-year plan absolutely singles out rural communities, and Wyoming is 100% rural under his plan,” she said.
Robert Jacknitsky, Wyoming state representative for the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 321, told Cowboy State Daily he believes what DeJoy has outlined publicly is a best-case scenario that isn’t going to match reality on the ground.
“DeJoy stated that anything beyond the 50-mile radius might add a day to delivery,” Jacknitsky said in an email. “He fails to mention how much will be added for the 100- to 200-mile radius. Consider this, DeJoy is admitting that an additional day may be added to delivery times. Since when does someone who is trying to sell a proposal give full disclosure?
“I believe one day would be a best-case scenario. It would be more likely two or three. All within the (new) five-day standard, of course.”
What About Elections?
DeJoy has doubled down on Delivering For America, saying that mail ballots won’t be unduly delayed by his plans.
But Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray doesn’t buy it. He has been adamant that Wyoming mail, and election ballots in particular, must be processed within the state.
Gray, too, was unimpressed with DeJoy covering his ears and telling lawmakers he’s not listening to his critics.
“This latest outburst from USPS leadership at this week’s hearing was unacceptable and shows their unwillingness to be responsive to the needs of our country,” Gray told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. “And it is reflective of their unacceptable attitude toward policy making, which we’ve unfortunately seen time and time again.”
Gray went on to say that the attempt to move mail processing from Wyoming must be stopped.
“There are so many reasons why it is important for mail to be processed in Wyoming,” he said. “The USPS’s awful proposals for mail processing are detrimental to delivery times and also to the administration of future elections.”
Wyomingites have already experienced DeJoy’s lack of interest when it comes to hearing from his critics earlier this year. Many were shut out from a public forum that didn’t advertise a registration deadline, and those who did make it into the online forum didn’t get many answers.
An ‘F’ From Hageman
Wyoming’s congressional delegation has also been united in opposition to the plan, co-sponsoring legislation in both the U.S. Senate and the House to prohibit the Postal Service from closing, consolidating, or downgrading all of a state’s large processing and distribution centers, or taking steps that will negatively affect the timeliness and efficiency of mail delivery.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, remains strongly opposed to DeJoy’s plan, her office told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
“Louis DeJoy deserves an ‘F’ for failing Wyoming,” Hageman told Cowboy State Daily in an email Thursday. “His disastrous policies under the so-called ‘Delivering for America’ plan are just delivering delays for Wyomingites.”
Hageman also doesn’t buy the idea that outsourcing a majority of Wyoming’s mail processing to Denver and Billings will be more cost-efficient.
“DeJoy is making our mail travel hundreds of extra miles, which anyone who has driven through Wyoming knows is impractical,” she said. “This isn’t modernization — it’s marginalization. The blatant disregard for rural America’s needs shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the essential service the USPS provides to our communities.”
Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
