The proposed cutbacks to the United States Postal Service would hit rural Pennsylvania, including rural Chester County, the hardest, writes Jason Nark for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The USPS, which has not made a profit in the last 13 years, has been an affordable option for many people living in rural areas that are out of the way of private mail carriers.
Rural letter carriers – like Tim Viola of the Chester Springs Post Office – do not wear uniforms and use their own vehicles on their routes. Many have considered them the backbone of America for decades.
However, the service has lately come under fire by the Trump Administration. The latest budget request released in February contained proposed pay cuts for postal workers and more partnerships with private shippers.
As a result, those who need the USPS the most would be affected the most.
“We have a lot of people who are disabled, who can’t get out and move, but still want to live in a rural setting,” said Christopher Neal, a rural letter carrier. “I physically hand the package to that person. No private company is going to do that. That’s what we call the last mile.”
Read more about the U.S. Postal Service in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.
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