By Mary O’KEEFE

A show of support for the United States Postal Service continued last Thursday with local residents holding signs reading “We Must Protect our USPS” and “Honk for the Post Office” in front of the USPS office at Honolulu and La Crescenta avenues.

The USPS has been receiving support from people across the country after the hiring of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and comments from President Donald Trump voicing his concerns about the agency’s ability to handle an anticipated increase of vote-by-mail ballots this November.

After DeJoy’s appointment mailboxes were removed from local neighborhoods and mail sorting machines were dismantled across the country. Although in testimony before the U.S. Senate DeJoy committed to delivering ballots and election mail on time, there are many who do not trust him to do so, especially since a statement released by USPS and DeJoy did not make a clear commitment to replace or repair the items taken from the postal service, only “that the mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes will remain where they are,” according to a USPS statement.

“He was so rude,” said Maggie O’Rourke, a USPS demonstrator, of DeJoy’s manner during his testimony.

She and others at the post office shared their disappointment in DeJoy’s attitude toward many of the senators who were questioning him.

Madeline Dow was another demonstrator. She has organized a local get-out-the-vote postcard program and felt it was important to show her support to the USPS and to mail carriers.

It is not just the mail-in ballots that she and O’Rourke were concerned about but also how the slowdown of mail has affected delivery across the country, including those who are waiting for medication and Social Security checks.

Dow has been waiting for a delivery that has been stuck in a Kansas City office for two weeks.

  “This is not a hoax,” Dow said. “It is dangerous.”

But beyond the national implication this has become a very local demonstration with those holding up signs not just in support of the USPS (the institution) but also for their personal mail carriers and postal workers, some of whom they have known for years.

“There is a worker at this post office named Kevin that we have known [forever],” Dow said.

During the demonstration many cars honked support as they drove by, and an employee from a local business brought out water for those holding signs.

Dow said of all the things that have been going on in local politics the need for this type of demonstration has been a surprise.

“I never dreamed that I would have to demonstrate to [protect the USPS],” she said.

Her actions, and those of other supporters, did not go unnoticed by postal employees.

“We really appreciate [the supporters] and their appreciation of the post office,” said Kevin Marcus, postal employee of the Verdugo City location.

  Mary Okeefe