U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) recently joined two of his Republican Ohio colleagues in expressing “continued concern” regarding delayed mail delivery in northern Ohio and requested information on what steps the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is taking to rectify the problem.
“Unfortunately, the poor service performance Ohioans were subject to in 2020 has continued into 2021,” wrote Rep. Latta and his colleagues U.S. Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-OH) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) in a July 8 letter sent to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “Northern Ohio is now the second slowest postal district in the country according to data provided by the USPS Office of the Inspector General.”
“By joining with my other Ohio colleagues on this letter, it is my hope that the Postal Service will get their act together and finally make the necessary changes that will produce tangible service improvements for our constituents,” Rep. Latta said in a statement.
The congressman pointed out that his constituents for years have experienced significant delays receiving their mail. “I have been working to pressure the Postal Service to improve their performance and services,” said Rep. Latta. “Unfortunately, the Postal Service has failed time and time again to address these problems. The situation has worsened so much so that I have also called on the Postal Service to shift mail processing responsibilities from Detroit, Michigan back to Toledo, Ohio.”
Rep. Latta and his colleagues requested specific information from DeJoy on the reasons for the worsening delays and options on how to remedy it, according to their letter.
“Delayed mail impacts the ability of our constituents to pay bills on time, collect government assistance, and receive monthly pensions,” they wrote. “As members of Congress from northern Ohio, we have a duty to our constituents to ensure the USPS is performing to the best of its ability, and the continued failure of the USPS to make necessary improvements must be addressed.”