Tulsa Chamber Fights Post Office Closing

Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce is banding together with local businesses to fight the U.S. Postal Service's proposed closing of a Tulsa facility.

The group held a news conference Monday morning in downtown Tulsa.

They want to encourage citizens to join in a letter writing campaign during a comment period to stop the USPS from closing its mail handling center in Tulsa.  Speakers at the conference say the Tulsa office should be used as an example of efficiency - not closed down.

"This is not a viable option for our growing business community in northeastern Oklahoma," said Dr. Gerard Clancy, president of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and chair of the Tulsa Metro Chamber Board.

"We join with our regional partners and businesses to preserve this important asset for our business communities and area citizens. Together, we want to enhance our region's economy and quality of life, not impede the efficiency of its businesses."

Closing the Tulsa center could cost the region millions, annually, and would endanger hundreds of jobs beyond the positions that would be eliminated by the proposed consolidation of the operation with the Oklahoma City center, according to Chamber President Mike Neal.

"This is not a republican issue, a democrat issue...this is a Tulsa issue," said Representative Eric Proctor, D-Tulsa.

There's more at stake than just the direct job losses. The indirect jobs with direct mail and private processors could be more than 400 people. And the mail delays for first class letters would be 2 to 3 days.

"Every day that checks are in the mail and not received by the City of Tulsa for example, means those days of not being able to deposit money properly and pay the bills and receive interest off the money," said Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett.

It was just a dozen years ago the post office built the massive sorting center that's now slated to close. The new center consolidated smaller centers - and moved mail sorting out of the basement of the old federal building downtown.

Now, faced with a sharp decline in mail volume, the post office is looking at further consolidation, which would mean that all of Tulsa's mail would be sorted in Oklahoma City.

The mayor said it makes Tulsa sound like the backwoods and the Chamber considers it a kick in the shins for a growing economy.

"The Tulsa Metro Chamber will mail a letter today and insist that the US Postal Service keep the Tulsa processing Center open," said Mike Neal, Tulsa Metro Chamber.

12/4/2011 Related Story: U.S. Postal Service Announces Details Of Budget Cut Monday