Removal of Goleta Post Office box questioned amid national attention
GOLETA, Calif. - The drive-up drop box outside the Goleta Post Office on Patterson Ave. was removed recently. Residents started to notice the missing Post Office box over the weekend.
It comes as USPS has been placed in the middle of a political tug-of-war over the election and mail-in ballots. President Donald Trump facing off with democrats over funding the Postal Service. Democrats accusing the President and Post Master General of trying to silence millions of voters.
So was this local mailbox removed because of a directive to make vote-by-mail more difficult in November? We don't know yet.
All we know is, the box was there one day, gone the next. But we may not see anymore mailboxes being removed. The United States Postal Service sent us this statement after our story aired.
“Given the recent customer concerns the Postal Service will postpone removing boxes for a period of 90 days while we evaluate our customers concerns. ”
Meiko S. Patton, United States Postal Service
One postal worker telling NewsChannel they've been told it was removed due to theft and vandalism. People targeting the box and either stealing from it or damaging mail placed inside.
Congressman Salud Carbajal doesn't seem to think this removal was a coincidence. And is taking aim at the Trump Administration in a statement.
“The USPS is one of our oldest and most cherished institutions, we cannot let it go bankrupt or let politically motivated changes disenfranchise voters. I have advocated for full funding for the USPS and voted for the Heroes Act, which includes $25 billion in funding to support the USPS. The Trump Administration’s illegal move will not stand, and I will continue to stand up to any attempt to undermine our Postal Service. I am closely monitoring the removal of popular mail boxes in our community and am following up with USPS to get more information.”
Rep. Salud Carbajal, (D) California
In the place where the mailbox once stood, a resident has now placed flowers and a note, making a political statement and urging postal workers to "Please Speak Up."
