Montana’s U.S. delegation had somewhat differing responses to the news that the U.S. Postal Service will close three Montana mail-processing facilities, while sparing Missoula’s and continuing to study whether to close Kalispell’s.
While Sen. Jon Tester said he was “disappointed by any move to weaken standards for the Postal Service,” he emphasized his role in saving the Missoula processing center and said the “victory” was a “reminder that public input goes a long way in making responsible decisions that are right for Montana.”
Congressman Denny Rehberg was less upbeat: “It looks like the Postal Service worked really hard to find excuses to close these facilities instead of working to find a way to keep them open. I can’t help but think the folks who made these decisions have probably never been to Montana in the middle of the winter when driving between places like Missoula and Helena is harder than it looks on a map.”
And Sen. Max Baucus spoke in more general terms: “I’ve fought hard to come up with a solution to save Montana’s post offices and guard against consolidations that could impact service. While the Postal Service clearly must address its fiscal problems, it’s important that Montanans are not asked to unfairly shoulder the burden.”
The Postal Service announced Thursday that mail-processing centers in Helena, Butte and Wolf Point will close.