The USPS Needs to Expand Services as UPS Retreats from Rural America
My guest commentary in the Kansas City Star
I’m pleased to report that the venerable Kansas City Star, one of America’s great newspapers, published an opinion column of mine this morning titled, As UPS pulls back from rural America, businesses need the US Postal Service even more. Above is a screenshot of the online version. It’s also in print today.
I published an early version here at Deep Midwest in January. The KC Star opinion piece has been tightened up and contains new information, and I am more than pleased that the KC Star is publishing it, as there has been, to my knowledge, no other reporting on the significance of the UPS retreat from rural America. The KC Star will get the issue the attention it deserves.
The impact of closing over 200 UPS service centers came to my attention when my friend and flower farmer, Meredith Nunnikhoven, of rural Oskaloosa, Iowa, brought it to my attention.
From Meredith and other sources, I learned that these closures are devastating to rural businesses across America and will continue to be. If UPS doesn’t continue to serve, the USPS will have to step up and provide the services rural people need—which they don’t currently do.
I’m not going to say more because you can find the story here at the Kansas City Star. I’ve worked with the paper for seven or eight years now, and I’m always impressed by their excellent coverage in all aspects of reporting and opinion writing at the national and regional levels. If any news source does better at covering rural America than the Kansas City Star and the associated 29 McClatchy papers, I’d like to know about them.
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I’m also pleased to share that of the hundreds if not thousands of columns, news stories, scientific articles, and books I have written over the years, Derek Donovan with the Kansas City Star is one of the best editors I’ve ever had.
You can find the column here.
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Republicans like to crow about how much they support rural America, but then when it's time to put up or shut up, they shut up. The United States Postal Service is a public service. Republicans are letting Trump tear it down. Thanks for doing this important reporting Bob. And especially for breaking it down and calling us to action.
Bob, thanks for bringing this back to our attention. I remember well reading the piece in January. Mahaska County overwhelmingly voted for Trump (8,207 to 2,577). We have a huge messaging problem to solve.
Keep up the good work.