The US Postal Service (USPS) listened to complaints from Maryland politicians and now those same politicians are upset because the USPS evidently bought into their argument.  Rather than keep the Easton processing plant open, it appears that mail for Maryland’s Eastern Shore will be going to the Hares Corner facility in New Castle, DE.

Let’s face it.  Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) didn’t want the Easton facility to close – at any cost.  However, they (and a host of other Maryland politicians) couldn’t be so brazen as to say – “Don’t close Easton, we want that piece of pork to stay”.  Instead, they argued that Eastern Shore businesses and consumers would suffer because heavy Bay Bridge traffic (or an occasional shut down) would delay mail if the work of the Easton plant was moved to Baltimore.

At the same time, the Hares Corner plant was also on the chopping block.  Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) didn’t want that plant closed any more than Cardin and Mikulski wanted Easton shuttered.  The USPS is now looking at closing Easton and moving Eastern Shore mail sorting to Hares Corner.  No potential Bay Bridge problems there.

Now Mikulski and Cardin are screaming murder again; claiming that certain rules weren’t followed.  Here’s the bottom line – no Maryland politician wants to see those juicy, high paying, union jobs moving to Delaware.  Who can blame them.

Does anyone on the Maryland Shore want to see those jobs leave?  Of course not.  Unfortunately, the USPS simply can’t raise rates at will.  They have too much competition in the digital age.  They are saddled with union contracts that make them a high cost producer.  Whether deserved or not, the Postal Service’s reputation for poor customer service is legend.  They have to cut costs somewhere.

Perhaps pols like Cardin and Mikulski need to be careful what they wish for.