Sends Joint Letter To Postmaster General
Washington, D.C. – Alaska’s Congressional Delegation sent the attached letter to Postmaster General Potter yesterday to express their concern with the pending rate increases and their effect on the Alaska bypass mail system.
“Rural Alaskans are being hit very hard by the economic downturn we have faced this past year,” said Rep. Young. “Receiving basic goods is not the same in the villages of Alaska as it is in most areas of the Lower 48. People that live in these areas are having a hard enough time making ends meet and these price increases will only make things more difficult. I ask the Postmaster General to please give this situation careful consideration before making his final decision.”
“While I recognize the Postal Service lost a significant amount of revenue last year, bypass mail is the lifeblood of rural Alaska,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said. “It moves most of the consumable goods and has stabilized the cost of living in rural Alaska. We must find a way to keep the costs down while still providing the same level of service. I am committed to working with the Postal Service, shippers and the communities to find ways to save money and gain efficiencies without making the cost of living in rural Alaska even higher.”
“I have heard from individuals and communities across Alaska who are worried about the potential impacts of this postal increase. On top of the already record-high prices they are paying for basics like food and fuel, this increase will just be too much,” Sen. Begich said. “It would be devastating to many rural communities that rely on bypass mail. We need to find a way to lower the cost and keep bypass mail viable.”
