[Durham INC] Postmaster Mike King

Wed Nov 9 20:50:46 EST 2011

I'd sure  like to see those. And since no damage can be done, why not try 
to send it to  the listserv and CC me? I'll be quick to confirm if it's the 
same misleading  letter we fought in the past.

Bill Anderson

In a message dated 11/9/2011 7:33:36 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
andrew.sugg at duke.edu writes:

Can the INC listserv accept attachments?  I have the letters from  USPS now 
and will share them with whomever tomorrow. If the listserv won't  accept 
attachments, I will email to anyone individually.  

Myers 

On Nov 9, 2011, at 4:36 PM, "_TheOcean1 at aol.com_ (mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com) 
" <_TheOcean1 at aol.com_ (mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com) > wrote:

At one  time, David Fields was the direct supervisor of our Postmasters, 
not sure if  that is still the case. But if our Postmaster is indeed unwilling 
to meet  with the neighborhoods, I would find that extremely disturbing and 
worth of  contacting whoever is next up the ladder.

What  other city in North Carolina can a postmaster meet with so many  
neighborhoods in a single meeting? 

Bill  Anderson

In a message dated 11/9/2011 4:27:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
_bulldurhamnc at yahoo.com_ (mailto:bulldurhamnc at yahoo.com)   writes:

I find this whole situation troubling and Postmaster  King's evident 
indifference, disturbing.  The East Durham  neighborhood listserv has had frequent 
complaints of incompetent  service in East Durham, e.g., people who have 
lived at an address  for years suddenly having their mail returned to senders 
with a  notice that no such person lives at the address. Whenever one person 
 complains, invariably three or four more chime in with recent  accounts of 
horrible service.  I think that Postmaster King  would be well-advised to 
make sure that his carriers are actually  performing their duties competently 
before he worries about the  placement of mailboxes.    

As INC president, I'm certainly willing to lead a delegation to  meet with 
him if he is unwilling to come to one of our meetings.  I would suggest that 
our President-emeritus and attorney, Tom  Miller, also be included, along 
with City Councilman Mike Woodard,  and Tracy Lovett, Congressman David 
Price's Durham liaison.  I  would also want to include people like Bill and Myers 
who appear to  be particularly well-versed in these issues.

I am open to anyone else attending as well.

John Martin
President, Durham InterNeighborhood Council 

--- On  Wed, 11/9/11, _TheOcean1 at aol.com_ (mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com)  
<_TheOcean1 at aol.com_ (mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com) >  wrote:

From:  _TheOcean1 at aol.com_ (mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com)  <_TheOcean1 at aol.com_ 
(mailto:TheOcean1 at aol.com) >
Subject:  Re: [Durham INC] Postmaster Mike King
To: _andrew.sugg at duke.edu_ (mailto:andrew.sugg at duke.edu) , 
_inc-list at rtpnet.org_ (mailto:inc-list at rtpnet.org) 
Cc:  _mike.e.king at usps.gov_ (mailto:mike.e.king at usps.gov) 
Date:  Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 12:06 PM

Hard to call it  a relationship, Myers, but I just got off the phone with 
Mr King  (who is CCed) and will gladly forward his reply to this message  
back to the INC listserv.

Just FYI, when  the 2005-2006 issue came up, I was passing the INC gavel to 
Mike  Woodard, so we have always had two past presidents visiting with  
each new post master... and there have been a  few.
It's my  understanding from our long ago meeting with Postmaster Chris  
Tinkham, that Postmaster Patrick Harkin was demoted over the  issue, and Mr 
Tinkham was quite willing to work with the  neighborhoods. He even committing 
to pay residents who had  been forced to put up rural mailboxes in "porch 
delivered"  neighborhoods.
That's why Mike  Woodard and I have met with all the incoming  Postmasters, 
including Dominic Camasso when he replaced  Tinkham, and we did so again 
when Mike King took the  helm.

Unlike all  the previous Postmasters, Mr King just told me that the  USPS 
has the right to independently decide  to change the mode of delivery. So I 
asked if he was available to  meet with the InterNeighborhood Council at our 
Nov meeting, and he  instantly said he wasn't available. So I asked if he 
would be  available to meet the 4th Tues in Jan 2012, and he said he  wouldn't 
commit to an appointment that far out, and we'd need  to check with him 
after the first.

He  explained his unusual response by telling me that his family was  more 
important than any neighborhood, and he has a handicapped  daughter who's 
needs come first. (media is welcome to quote me as  to that being virtually 
verbatim) 

While I  applaud Mr King's dedication to his family, I think a greater  
dedication to the neighborhoods is in order, as that is the job  that is 
putting food on the table for his family. Meanwhile,  Myers, I would encourage you 
to bring those letters and those news  articles to every INC meeting until 
we can secure a guest  appearance with Mr King.

Hopefully  we'll eventually arrive at a win/win solution as we did with Mr  
Tinkham so long ago. One last suggestion for Mr King, check your  own 
postal manual (which is generally not available to the public,  but we were able 
to secure a copy of the appropriate pages). Six  years ago, and perhaps it 
has changed in the meantime, it stated  that placing a rural mailbox in a 
porch delivered neighborhood  causes the carrier to walk a zig zag route that 
is not efficient.  

The member  neighborhoods of InterNeighborhood Council look forward to your 
 reply, and to meeting you in person, at your earliest convenience.  

Bill Anderson
Past President INC
PS: If those  letters are exactly the same as the letters six years ago, 
they  will be cleverly worded to "trick", not "require", the postal  customer 
to change their mode of delivery. And that change in mode  of delivery 
becomes permanent after 30 or 90 days, I can't recall  which. There are still a 
few mailboxes in Northgate Park which  look utterly ridiculous. 
I can't speak to  whether the postal manuals have changed in the past half 
dozen  years, but I rather doubt Durham's neighborhoods have reversed how  
they feel about this unconscionable  practice. 

In a message dated 11/9/2011 10:22:00 A.M. Eastern Standard  Time, 
_andrew.sugg at duke.edu_ (mailto:andrew.sugg at duke.edu)   writes:

Does anyone here (Bill, how about  you?) have a relationship with the 
acting and now permanent  postmaster for Durham, Mike King?  The ever deceptive  
practice of “we are going to withhold your mail until you erect  a rural 
mailbox and return to send” even though postal  regulations don’t allow this, 
is back in full swing in my  neighborhood.  I have a copy of two letters 
from the post  office where this threat is made.  This is for a new  neighbor 
of mine on Echo Road, in Long Meadow.  I still  have copies of the 2005 & 
2006 Herald Sun articles outlining  this practice, and how USPS was going to 
back off, as they  didn’t have this authority.  If anyone has a current  
relationship with the postmaster, please let me know.  I  really want to help 
this homeowner.   

Thanks, 

Myers Sugg 

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