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Federal Market Intelligence for Small Business |
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USPS mail delays risingReports of growing delays of U.S. mail in recent weeks are alarming small business owners who rely on U.S. mail for delivering goods and receiving payments, supplies and documents. Officials in Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin, among others, have reported stacks of mail sitting in post offices and substantial numbers of mailings arriving days or even a week or more late at their destinations without explanation. Many small business contractors are regular users of the nation’s official postal service, which generally is less expensive than private delivery services. The mail has been especially critical during the pandemic for contractors who are teleworking at remote locations. The USPS delays are happening within weeks after the new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy took office in June. He quickly instituted a major reorganization and cost-cutting measures. DeJoy displaced two top executives and shifted 23 managers into new positions. He also elminated overtime for postal carriers, which has resulted in mail being delivered late in many communities. DeJoy has told news outlets the changes are for efficiency. At the same time, there are concerns about apparent political motivations. The USPS sent letters in July to 46 states and Washington D.C. stating that mail-in ballots may be delivered too late to be counted, unless mail-in deadlines in those states are adjusted. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-VA, who heads a House committee overseeing the Post Office, has asked the USPS Inspector General to review DeJoy’s actions, including halting overtime and allowing mail to go undelivered, despite evidence of USPS workforce shortages during the pandemic. Democrats, who lead the House, included $25 billion in emergency funding requested by the USPS Board of Governors, along with $3.5 billion to prepare for the mail-in voting in the upcoming presidential election in November, in their proposed coronavirus stimulus package currently under negotiation. The goal was to assist in allowing more voters to vote by mail due to the voters’ fears of voting in person during the pandemic. Trump, in an interview with Fox Business on Aug. 13, alleged that the Post Office funding would lead to widespread election fraud. “They (Democrats) want $3.5 billion for something that will turn out to be fraudulent. That's election money, basically," Trump said. “They need that money in order to make the Post Office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.” Trump has been making claims about widespread voting fraud without evidence for at least four years. People who review voting data say there has not been any widespread fraud. DeJoy is a major GOP donor and Trump supporter. He donated more than $440,000 to Trump’s campaign and inauguration and the Republican National Committee in 2016. Meanwhile, small business owners are reporting sluggish deliveries of needed supplies and documents:
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Washington Insider:
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