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As Postal Service Considers Closings, Politicians React

Sen. Blumenthal, Mayor Segarra oppose Closure

By Jeff Cohen

August 12, 2011

The U-S Postal Service is studying whether to close 15 post offices across the state, including three in Hartford. As WNPR’s Jeff Cohen reports, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Mayor Pedro Segarra oppose the move.

Jesse Grant says he’s lived in Hartford for most of his life, and this is his post office at the corner of Albany Avenue and Woodland Street.

GRANT: Yes, its’ an institution, it’s been here a long time. A lot of people use this facility. Remember oftentimes, in this environment, folks don’t have transportation.

COHEN: Not that easy to get to the next post office over?

GRANT: Not at all.

Blumenthal said that this post office in the city's Blue Hills neighborhood does about $400,000 a year in business, rents out nearly three-quarters of its post office boxes, and serves residents and small businesses alike. His office didn't have numbers on how much the post office costs to run.

That said, Blumenthal said he could make a strong case that all of the state’s 15 threatened post offices should stay open.

“Quintessentially, this one should not be closed. There may be a few here and there that should be closed because they don’t have sufficient revenue to justify, or community support. But certainly this isn’t one of them.”

And some in the community seem to agree, like the woman driving her car by the press conference, screaming over Mayor Segarra as he spoke.

“This location serves…Absolutely, she does not want the post office – Yeah! We do not want it closed…The community is outraged, and the community should be outraged."

Just across the parking lot is a privately-owned satellite post office. Both Blumenthal and Segarra say it’s not enough.