Post off ice change would disrupt people's lives

To the editor,

Seems we often hear that common sense is lacking these days. From my point of view that looks to be the case with the proposal by the USPS to change many Blue Slide Road addresses from Thompson Falls to Trout Creek. Why make a major change when the current situation works very well. Having lived on the Blue Slide for 28 years and having a business on our property most of that time, I am very pleased. The service from the Thompson Falls PO and Carol our carrier is as good as it gets. There is no room for improvement. For several years, I imported items from Norway and sold them over the internet through my website. I shipped hundreds of items to nearly every state in the US and many countries around the world, all with USPS. Not one problem, so when someone criticizes the USPS I am quick to defend the service. I may have to reconsider my support.

The inconvenience caused by this proposed change is tremendous and will cost money and time. Address changes for auto insurance, household insurance, health insurance, Medicare, social security, VA, property tax, bank accounts, checks reprinted, magazine subscriptions, credit cards, driver’s license, organization memberships, voter cards and more. You will have to contact friends and relatives so they can get mail to you. If you have a business, you can add business cards, letterheads, envelopes, website changes, contact information. If your customers contact you by mail, a letter to each one will be necessary. In addition, if you have your business name and address painted on the door of your truck, too bad. Perhaps the bureaucrat that came up with this irrational idea will offer to financially compensate all those affected, but don’t count on it.

Apparently, this has progressed to the point of being seriously considered. The most disturbing thing about that is there was no attempt made to contact those people most impacted by this ridiculous proposal. Bureaucratic scheming behind closed doors, a total lack of common sense, complete absence of transparency all seem to apply here. This is an attempt to get this through before anyone knows what is going on. Obviously, someone has a personal agenda and is willing to disrupt people’s lives and add much stress to further that agenda.

I hope that common sense will prevail and this proposal rejected.

Chad Sivertsen,

Blue Slide Road, Thompson Falls