Editor:
I am writing to protest the proposed relocation of the Santa Monica post office from 1248 Fifth St. to 1653 Seventh St. I urge you to see that this does not happen. Keep the Fifth Street post office open!
Although a meeting on the proposed relocation was held on July 19, it was an insult to citizens who attended to learn that regardless of their comments the proposed relocation is expected to take place.
The facility on Fifth Street is centrally located in Downtown Santa Monica, walkable from neighborhood shops and restaurants, the Third Street Promenade, and the twice-a-week Arizona Avenue Farmers' Market.
The proposed move to the unsafe, unreachable-by-bus location of Seventh Street and Olympic Boulevard would present a hardship to other senior citizens like me who don't own cars. Up until now we have applauded our local government's efforts to keep more cars off Santa Monica's already overcrowded streets.
Postal service was sufficiently important to our founding fathers for them to have it included in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The purpose of the Postal Service is service, not profits.
Anyone visiting the current facility at 1248 Fifth St. can attest to the fact that it is fulfilling its mandate to provide service, by looking at the long lines of people waiting to be served. In fact, we learned at the July 19 meeting this facility does, in fact, generate a profit.
Rhoda Newman
Santa Monica
