[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11200-S11201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       POSTAL SERVICE IN GEORGIA

 Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, as we complete the 
appropriations process for fiscal year 1997, I would like to take this 
opportunity to make my colleagues aware of the unacceptable manner in 
which the Postal Service has operated in a matter involving an address 
change request in my home State of Georgia.
  Mr. President, for 25 years, residents of an area informally known as 
Centerville, GA, located in Gwinnett County, have been trying to work 
with the Postal Service for a facility that is closer to their homes, 
and an address that reflects the location in which they live. Although 
these Georgians reside in Gwinnett County, their address is dictated by 
the Postal Service is Lithonia, GA--a town that is approximately 15 
miles away, and is located in a different county.
  Not only are those citizens having problems with their mail delivery, 
such as stolen and misdelivered mail, their address designations has 
created great confusion in dealing with everyday household issues such 
as emergency service, insurance, property taxes, sales taxes and parcel 
delivery. Even small matters, such as ordering a take-out pizza, often 
result in unnecessary confusion and inconvenience when giving 
addresses. In addition, a round trip

[[Page S11201]]

to the post office to pick up certified mail or parcels is more than a 
30 minute round trip for these people--metro-Atlanta traffic 
notwithstanding.
  Instead of recognizing the problems that the Postal Service's address 
designation was causing for these residents and trying to work out a 
mutually agreeable solution, the Postal Service has treated the 
requests of these residents in a manner unbecoming of an agency of the 
United States, and has acted in complete disregard for principle. In 
the name of efficient delivery of mail, the Postal Service has 
steadfastly refused the repeated requests of these residents to move 
their routes to a facility in Snellvile, GA, which is located less than 
3 miles from their homes. Postal Service representatives have even gone 
as far as to attack the motives of the residents requesting this 
change.
  Mr. President, to give you an idea of the overwhelming community 
commitment to a change of address, approximately 5,000 Gwinnett County 
residents have been assigned a Lithonia address by the Postal Service, 
and my office received a petition from 4,024 of these residents 
requesting an address change.
  When this matter first came to my attention, our office in 
conjunction with Congressman John  Linder made several inquiries to the 
Postal Service, and at each point received conflicting responses. As we 
delved further into the matter, we learned that the Postal Service had 
not been completely open and honest in its responses.

  Postal representatives have also refused to honor an offer to set up 
temporary postal facilities if a location could be found rent-free for 
2 years. There appears to be some confusion among postal 
representatives on the exact details of the offer.
  We understand and appreciate the Postal Service's mission of timely 
and efficient delivery of our mail, but this does not override the fact 
that the Postal Service is an agency of the U.S. Government and is 
subject to abide by the principles of government by the people and for 
the people as is outlined in our Constitution.
  After almost a year of negotiations, the Postal Service has now made 
an offer to the residents to change the last line of their address to 
Annistown, GA, and to provide them with a new Zip Code. However, the 
Zip Code change has yet to be approved. Although this does not solve 
the problem of the proximity of a postal facility, it will help them in 
dealing with the difficulties that their address was creating. I 
therefore urge the swift approval of this Zip Code change by the Postal 
Service.
  At a town meeting held to discuss the proposal, the Postal Service 
refused to officially attend to answer questions that the community had 
about the proposed change. However, after the meeting, we learned that 
Postal Service employees secretly attended the meeting and took notes.
  Mr. President, it is my opinion that this type of behavior is 
completely inappropriate for the employees of an agency of the U.S. 
Government. The Postal Service had every opportunity to make its 
argument in a public forum, and chose not to do so.
  This is the second entanglement I have had with the Postal Service 
where I have found their behavior to be an abomination to the citizens 
of our country. If the Postal Service continues to operate in such a 
manner, we must consider the need for further congressional 
oversight.

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