We live in an ever-increasing digital age, yet people still depend on mail as an essential means of communication. Unfortunately, failures of the U.S. Postal Service often impact communities across the Midsouth, with anything from delayed Christmas cards and missed wedding invitations, to more costly matters like late bills, payments and bank statements.  

So, imagine asking a room of farmers, “Does anyone have issues with the Post Office?” – and the crowd reacts with smirks and laughter. That was the scene of the board of directors meeting for the Agricultural Council of Arkansas when David Manns posed the question during a legislative update. 

Manns, who serves as deputy chief of staff and district director for U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford (R – Ark.), assured that the congressman is aware of the situation and is supportive of appropriations language to address inadequacies of the United States Postal Service.  

“We are pounding the table to let them know it is a critical issue we need to address,” Manns said. 

Farmers respond to USPS slip-ups 

In Arkansas, most complaints received at Crawford’s office stem from incompetencies at the Memphis sorting facility, for both first-class and priority mail. 

In recent years, complaints have increased, and the timeframe corresponds to USPS consolidation efforts that moved mail distribution away from smaller locations, like Jonesboro. Now that mail goes through Memphis, who knows if, or when, it will end up in the right mailbox. 

Related:Report lost or stolen mail to your congressman

Nathan Reed farms in Hughes, Ark., and serves as the Ag Council president. Reed said, “To me, it is like a third-world country. It is very sad that we cannot use the mail to conduct business. We are having to use FedEx and UPS, because the postal service is so unreliable.” 

Other meeting attendees nodded in agreement. Then, Joe Mencer, who farms at Lake Village, spoke up. He said, “It is creating a lot of issues with billing. When you get a $500,000 to $600,000 bill, and it gets to you after the due date, then you mail the check and it gets to them after the posted date, you get a late fee on half a million dollars.” 

Those fees are steep. Plus, mail recipients must deal with things like service disruptions and dings in credit scores. It is a hefty price to pay simply because you must rely on the mail.  

Manns said the problem can be solved with USPS leadership, and the intent of the appropriations language is to place added pressure on the U.S. Postmaster General to address mounting insufficiencies.  

In the meantime, USPS patrons are encouraged to report issues of lost or stolen mail to their congressman. Manns said, “Every time you have a case, share those examples. We will open a case and document the issues.” 

Increased casework for mail complaints 

Senior Casework Manager Sherrie Mitchell handles federal issues at Crawford’s Jonesboro office. She spoke with Farm Press about casework she receives weekly relating to the USPS. 

Mitchell said, “It is first-class mail and tracked mail. We have problems with both. From January to July of 2024, we have received double to triple the number of complaints compared to this same time last year.” 

Those delays impact individuals, businesses, and municipalities. Mitchell shared horror stories of entire communities not receiving anything from utility bills to other matters like immigration status, passports, and renewals for Medicaid and SNAP programs. 

“The mail affects people’s lives. You’re risking whether that stamp will get your mail there on time,” Mitchell said. 

The best thing you can do is file a complaint through your congressman’s website. Just look for a link labeled, “Help with a Government Agency.” From there, a required privacy release will populate according to your location and issue. 

Mitchell said, “As far as our congressional office, you can contact us anytime, for whatever federal issues you have.” For those in Crawford’s district, you can contact his office at https://crawford.house.gov.

Businesses speak up 

Just up the road, Rep. Frances Cavenaugh represents District 30 in the Arkansas State Legislature. Her territory spans Lawrence, Craighead, and Greene counties, and she often hears rumbles about the USPS. 

Even more, she deals with mail issues from a business standpoint. Cavenaugh is chief financial officer at Cavenaugh Auto Group in Walnut Ridge. She shared how failures of the USPS have impacted the dealership and their customers, with lost vehicle titles and critical paperwork for new purchases.  

As a proactive measure, Cavenaugh tried sending certified mail. Yet, that became cost prohibitive, so they moved to using a USPS Certificate of Mailing for proof. 

Still, she experienced repeated instances of mail not reaching its destination. Cavenaugh said when she addressed the issue with the USPS, she was advised to send mail in larger envelopes so it would not be easily lost. Even larger envelopes did not solve the problem. 

Moreover, Cavenaugh’s concerns heightened when she discovered fraudulent financial activity. Checks intended for vehicle payoffs were not received by the payee. Instead, those checks were stolen and deposited into the accounts of completely different payees. 

“We would receive notice from the customer that we had not paid off their vehicle. We would find the check had cleared the bank, but the lien holder had not received the payment. The checks were for the correct amount, but it was not to the payee we had written on the check. 

“So, someone was stealing our checks, washing the front of them, making them out to individuals, and individuals were then depositing them into checking accounts and taking the money,” Cavenaugh explained. 

Those checks ranged anywhere from $3,000 to over $50,000. Fortunately, the dealership was able to recover most of the money after filing a complaint. Now, Cavenaugh said her office has moved to paying everything they can electronically. However, electronic payments are often limited in rural communities with local vendors.  

“We are at the mercy of the mail, and I am sure if it is happening to us, it is happening to other consumers,” she said.  

Cavenaugh continues to report mail issues to Crawford’s office and encourages her constituents to do the same. “That is the only way Congressman Crawford will know, if his office is contacted,” she said. 

For more information on filing a complaint, see the article, Report lost or stolen mail to your congressman.