Expand / Collapse search
☰

Mail delays continue across Chicago area, Rep. Casten pushing for change

By
Published  January 31, 2022 9:26pm CST
Norridge
FOX 32 Chicago

Chicago area residents continue to see mail delays

The new year has seen many of the same old problems when it comes to mail delays for Chicago area residents.

NORRIDGE, Ill. - The new year has seen many of the same old problems when it comes to mail delays for Chicago area residents.

This week, some Illinois lawmakers will up their demand for action.

Norridge is one suburb that's had ongoing problems with its service.

"Two days a week we'll get mail sometimes, but not more often than that," said Elizabeth Becker.

Becker said she and her neighbors in this northwest suburb are missing some important envelopes.

"Last week, I got bills that were due in two days. And some of my neighbors have it worse because they're self-employed," said Becker.

Illinois Congressman Sean Casten says the blame for this continuing issue is not with letter carriers, but with their boss – Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

"Half of all the calls we've received so far this year have been about postal delays," said Casten.

This week, Casten plans to lead a letter from members of the Illinois delegation to push the Senate to confirm President Biden’s Postal Board of Governors nominations. That's the board DeJoy answers to.

"Essentially the Senate is creating the structure where you have this really, really important organization, you have a person who is not doing very well at it, and that person is entirely unsupervised," said Casten.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

Casten is also pushing a bill to change how the United States Postal Service is required to fund its pensions. He also criticizes the move last fall when the USPS lengthened its standard delivery time from three days to five.

"So it looks like their numbers are better but only an idiot within the postal service would say that’s an actual improvement," said Casten.

Adding pressure to the postal service right now, it's in charge of delivering millions of free at home COVID tests from the government.

In addition, Becker worries about getting her tax forms on time.

"We can't miss them. We're supposed to have them by the end of January. I don't think so," said Becker.

Because after two years of delivery delays, her faith in the postal service is shattered.