Ways to help avoid the closing of the MIT Branch Post Office

The US Postal Service has put the MIT Post Office (in the basement of W20) on a list of roughly 400 branches that they are considering closing. They plan to make their final decisions on or around October 2, and despite that our post office operates at a profit of over $200,000 per year, it looks as if this PO is not going to be removed from the list unless the MIT community demonstrates just how many people would be negatively impacted by its loss.

Austin Chu (eefi) and Mitch Berger (mitchb) are coordinating an effort to save our post office. If you or your student group use it, here's how you and your group members can help:

• Let your student group know about the serious and immediate danger that the post office is in. Have the individual members of your group spend a few minutes by the end of this weekend (9/20) writing a personalized letter (it is important that we not all send a form letter) explaining why it is important to you, your group, and MIT that the MIT post office not be closed. Address the letters to:

         Congressman Michael E. Capuano
         1414 Longworth House Office Building
         Washington, DC 20515
         (202) 225-5111
  

  Your letter should be sure to include your MIT mailing address so that his staff knows you live in his constituency, and sign the letter. If sent by postal mail, it may not be seen by him in time to make a difference. Instead, if you drop it off in the folder outside the UA Office (W20-401) by the end of this weekend (9/20), it will be scanned, printed, and hand-delivered to the Congressman's office early next week. If it's easier for you, you can send a scan of a letter to Austin and Mitch (asa-post-office at mit.edu) instead.
• Write a similar letter (perhaps with the same content) to:

         Senator John Kerry
         218 Russell Bldg.
         Second Floor
         Washington D.C. 20510
         (202) 224-2742
  

  We will get these letters to DC next week as well, likely by fax.
• Call the phone numbers above for the Congressman and Senator and ask to talk with them about saving the MIT Post Office.
• Fill out the survey being conducted by the USPS about the closure of our branch. Mail it to Postmaster Dennis Tarmey at the address on the survey in time to arrive by next Friday.
• Read the appeal by the American Postal Workers Union and sign their petition online.

Feel free to send e-mail to asa-post-office with any questions.