‘Not properly managed:’ GA senator tours metro Atlanta USPS distribution center linked to delays – WSB-TV Channel 2

Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes I met with the senator Thursday afternoon to find out what he discovered while touring the Palmetto facility.

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After the visit, Ossoff had harsh words, saying he learned the biggest problem at the heart of mail delays was incompetent management.

“This was not properly planned, this was not properly managed. There was no one in charge and the results were devastating for Georgia,” Ossoff said.

The senator said he is now opening an investigation into how the facility was allowed to open when the planning was poor from the start.

Ossoff also tried to install local news cameras inside the Palmetto facility during the tour as he spoke to local USPS leaders, but the agency would not let the cameras in or let anyone record the senator’s visit.

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Channel 2 Action News asked him if he had any real idea of ​​what was going on inside the facility.

“When a member of Congress visits a facility, it is always safe to assume that your arrival has been prepared,” Ossoff said.

He said that inside he had not seen anything that could explain the massive mail delays, but he said that mismanagement was the problem and that he would continue to exert maximum pressure on the Minister of USPS Posts Louis DeJoy to fix what’s broken.

Ossoff said it’s important to address issues, such as in cases impacting postal deliveries of medications and other business needs of residents.

A solution is needed “so that Georgia’s seniors are not left without a prescription.” So that small businesses in Georgia are not unable to get supplies,” Ossoff said.

Channel 2 Action News spoke to Dianne Simmons, 80, who said she sent a certified letter to South Carolina over a dispute with Medicare.

“It took 13 days to get there,” Simmons told Fernandes. “I could have driven it in four hours.”

Ossoff said he will continue to push for updates to help Georgians like Simmons.

“The consequences of the USPS failing here are about health and the ability of families to provide for themselves,” Ossoff said.

People have asked why no one fired DeJoy, but it’s not as simple as you might think. President Joe Biden can’t fire him and Congress can’t get rid of him. The only people who can fire him are USPS board members.

In response to the senator’s visit to Palmetto and questions from Channel 2 Action NewsUSPS sent the following response on how they handle delays and necessary corrections.

“Local and headquarters postal leaders were pleased to provide a tour of the Palmetto Regional Processing and Distribution Center facilities this afternoon to Senator Jon Ossoff, at his request. A visit was initially proposed several months ago when the Postmaster General met with the senator to brief him on investments being made in the Atlanta area to overcome years of underperformance and a chaotic local network of facilities and of inefficient transport which had been able to evolve. over decades, reactively, but not logically or strategically.

Senator Ossoff was briefed again today on the modernization and logical mail flow for which the Palmetto facility was created. He was informed of the substantial improvements in processing and delivery performance that were achieved following a disappointing implementation experience. Unfortunately, the senator did not have time to also tour the other facilities that power the Palmetto plant, such as the sorting and delivery center, established in February, as the first in the country to distribute mail to the help from postal service electric vehicles.

Since the first week of March, our service performance scores in the region have shown steady improvement. Notably, first-class composite performance improved by almost 30%. Although we are not entirely satisfied with current levels, this positive trend indicates that the challenges we faced in March are being actively addressed.

The agency also sent a longer letter to members of Georgia’s congressional delegation in late April, which was forwarded to Channel 2 Action News with their statement, saying it shows “significant steps” taken to improve timely mail delivery.

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