August 16, 2011

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore have challenged the U.S. Postal Service over a list that targets five central city offices for closure in a far-ranging downsizing.

The Mid City, Parklawn, Teutonia, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Hampton post offices are among 41 in Wisconsin to be assessed, and 3,700 nationwide. To cut costs, the financially troubled postal service plans to shutter more than 10% of its retail locations. Barrett objected to the potential action in a letter sent Tuesday to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. Moore, a Milwaukee Democrat, sent a similar letter earlier in the month.

The five locations in Milwaukee are the only postal locations being reviewed in southeastern Wisconsin, and their closure would harm the thousands of low-income and African-American residents that use them, Barrett said. His office estimated that 162,648 residents would lose access to a post office if the five locations closed.

“It just struck us as odd that within the seven-county region, the five all slated for closure were in the heart of the city, where the population is predominantly African-American,” Barrett said.