AUGUSTA – Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, released the following statement in response to the decision by the U.S. Postal Service to move some of the processing operations from Hampden to the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Scarborough:

 “The decision by the USPS to move some of the mail processing operations from Hampden to Scarborough – more than 100 miles south – is a travesty. It is a shortsighted move that ignores outcries from postal workers, small businesses and communities in northern and central parts of the state. It also makes clear that the folks making this decision either do not understand or do not care to understand Maine.

“The states of both Connecticut and Rhode Island can fit comfortably within the boundaries of Aroostook County. Under the current system, if a business in Fort Kent mails something to a customer in Allagash, that mail has to be routed through Hampden – a 400-mile round trip. What the USPS is suggesting now, is to route that mail through Scarborough – a roughly 640-mile trip. It doesn’t make sense, it’s inefficient and it’s not good for business. 

“At the public comment period, workers, businesses and members of the public expressed concern that the listening session was just for show, the federal government going through the motions, and that the decision had already been made. The announcement made earlier this week does little to ease that concern.”