LETTERS: BUSINESS COMPLAINS ABOUT MAIL DELIVERY

To the editor:

This is a letter I sent to the Cape Girardeau postmaster:

I am writing this second letter to inform you the postal service here in Cape is the worst I have ever experienced. I'm 35 years old and have lived in Kentucky, Illinois, South Carolina, Oklahoma, California, Florida and Missouri. Some have been city routes, some rural, but 723 William Street in Cape is by far the worst. I have lived here three years this coming February and have had the same problems.

First, our mail (outgoing) can sit in our mailbox and may or may not be picked up. When I called to complain, I was told the carrier only had to stop if we were receiving mail. The taxes I pay are for postal services (plural -- that would imply picking up and delivering). Obviously, we aren't the only ones with this problem, and no one at the post office knows the correct answer either. If it is indeed in their contract, please enclose a copy of said contract in your reply to me, you may also want to provide the newspaper with a copy.

Secondly, we have our mail delivered by neighbors, other businesses and people we have never met. We also get mail that is not ours. This is a particular problem for us since we operate a business. Many of the items are accounts receivables, which contain checks from our customers. We have been working with your route supervisor, but the problem still occurs. Our solution has been to get a post office box and have our receivables sent there. This is an unnecessary expense of $44 a year I feel we shouldn't have to pay. Our tax dollars are already paying to have our personal and remainder of our business mail misdelivered to our home. Factor in the time, going to the main post office and back to the office each day to process the mail. My time bills out at $80 an hour. Then my gas and wear on my vehicle. As you can see this has been a costly solution.

I let the counter person at the post office know my feelings and the reason for getting the box. She was not surprised. "You're on a flunky route," she said. She also informed me to speak directly to you or write you a letter. I left you a note and a business card in your door on Dec. 14, 1999. You have yet to contact me. Last year I sent you a letter about this same problem. That too went unanswered. I have had countless conversations with your route supervisor, yet we are still on a "flunky route." I can't help but wonder why my route was chosen for the flunkies. Could it be location? My tax money isn't any different than any one else's in the city. Perhaps someone on our route offended someone. I don't know. I do know the mayor's route wasn't chosen for a "flunky route," nor, I'll bet, any other prominent citizens. I have a suggestion: Why don't you let us have a permanent carrier and you make your route the "flunky route"? We have dealt with it for three years. I want it fixed.

You're getting this letter because I spoke to the No. 2 man in charge on Friday. He really wasn't interested in doing anything about it. I could hear it in his voice. But he said he'd take care of it. Saturday we again got someone else's mail. Please keep in mind that term came from an employee of your post office. They know there is a problem. You obviously know it and are ignoring it, and obviously so does everyone else. Please fix the problem from the top down.

ANTHONY KOLB, Owner

A&J Service

Cape Girardeau