Maine’s Congressional delegation has reached out to the United States Postal Service (USPS) regarding a payment issue with a contractor serving several of the state’s island communities.
Sen. Susan Collins (R), Sen. Angus King (I), Rep. Jared Golden (D), and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) joined forces to send a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner seeking clarification on the situation.
Reports have been made that the USPS failed to pay the Rockland-based Penobscot Island Air (PIA) more than $349,000 for its mail-delivery services.
Due to this outstanding balance, PIA announced on April 21 that it would be suspending operations in protest. The delegation explained that this move prompted the USPS to pay 25 percent of what was owed, leading PIA to swiftly resume service.
The legislators suggested in a statement shared Friday, however, that questions remain as to whether PIA can expect the remaining balance to be paid in full and in a timely manner.
Click Here to Read the Delegation’s Full Statement
In their letter to the Postmaster General, the delegation noted that payments from USPS account for roughly a fifth of PIA’s annual revenue.
“We are concerned that PIA’s operations will continue to be disrupted without reliable processing of this critical stream of income,” the lawmakers said.
“The USPS cannot afford to jeopardize a dedicated, decades-long partnership, and Maine island residents cannot afford any discontinuation in service, even for a few days,” they said.
At the close of the letter, the delegation outlined six questions to which they are seeking answers, including the current back-balance owed to PIA and a timeline of payments made to PIA over the past three years.
They also asked the USPS to provide an explanation for why payments to PIA were delayed in the first place.
Additionally, the lawmakers are looking for the USPS to specify what steps will be taken to prevent lapses in payment from occurring again.
The delegation has further sought to have the USPS provide a list of all contractors who deliver mail to island communities and reveal if any of them also have outstanding balances owed to them.
Click Here to Read the Delegation’s Full Letter
“It’s been 75 days this year alone that we have dutifully loaded up USPS mail and ferried or flown it out to the islands,” said PIA in a statement last week, according to WMTW.
PIA explained that winter is its slow period, noting that its cash flow would be “bleak” if payments are not made.
A spokesperson for the USPS told WMTW that “the Postal Service does not publicly discuss specifics with [its] business relationships.”
Both Sen. Collins and Rep. Pingree expressed concern over the situation at the time.
Pingree, a resident of one of the affected islands, spoke to the situation during a committee hearing in Washington.
“This is totally unacceptable, and a sad statement on just how degraded the USPS has become,” said Pingree. “These are hardworking people, who get up early every day to make sure the mail is delivered to remote locations—rain or shine — on ferries or small, single-engine planes.”
“Our island communities rely on this service. The mismanagement at the Postal Service has been clear for years,” she said. “And it is impacting many of the communities I represent — these islands are the latest to feel the pain.”
Collins also issued a statement concerning the situation last Tuesday.
“Since hearing from residents on Vinalhaven who are worried about the disruption to their mail service, my office has contacted both the USPS and Penobscot Island Air to gather additional information and urge a quick resolution, as this issue could otherwise jeopardize mail delivery to some of our state’s island communities. USPS officials have responded that they are actively reviewing this problem,” Collins said.
“The Postal Service has a commitment to deliver mail in a timely manner,” she said. “That responsibility is especially important in a state like Maine, where many residents live in rural areas, island communities, and other hard-to-reach locations.”
Get the money back from Democratic fraud
Chellie Pingree is a nasty human being.
The four politicians in this article who got rich off the backs of Mainers and insider trading should foot the bill.
It doesn’t matter where I have lived – Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or Virginia – the USPS service has been unreliable. When I spoke to my local USPS postmaster about a specific problem with my business mail (after a check from a client took 2 months to get to me from two towns away, with two Boston postmarks on it; another check was soaking wet still, after sitting in my PO box for two days, stuck to the inside of the envelope and its ink blurred), he proceeded to tell me “funny” stories about other USPS failures. I pointedly told him that I was not amused.
The USPS = The democRAT Party. The USPS operates solely as a political activist group FOR the democRAT Party. Republicans should dig MUCH deeper into the NALC, which is the USPS’ corrupt leftist union. Why else would the US government pay billions to keep this useless organization afloat ? They are instrumental in democRAT election fraud, that’s why.
I am constantly having to re-send checks for bills because the USPS loses my mail. I get some mail 2 months after it is sent. Maybe the check for the PIA service was in the mail all along, just like my lost mail.
Maine’s Congressional Delegation Reaches Out to USPS Over Back-Balance Owed to Island ContractorI’m going to go all Johnny Carson holding the $349,000 bill up to my Uncle Sam forehead. on this. Then I will go back and read the article in its entirety.Ready?…Here it goes. Do this in your best “The Don” voice you got.
MMM Yup congresscriters, I mean congressfolks. Yup, you expect me, Uncle Sam to fly your mail to you to that island you own, so I can sell a few forever stamps and deliver your “special” packages. Yeah, OK. So here’s the deal. If YOU OWN AN ISLAND, come git your OWN stinking packages. You know with that 63 footer with bow thrusters and stern pillows. Hell, if this were the pony express days, it would cost 349,000 continentals replacing drown horses. Naw, come pick up your own packages, I think Washington could get by without selling those x tree bunch of forever stamps. See Ya at the 4th of July celebration on the Mall.
\ How’d I do?…..
$349,000 is that for a year? Seems kind of pricey to me, but maybe not.