(Courtesy photo/Albert Villegas)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
HARLINGEN, TEXAS —Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-McAllen) hosted a town hall meeting for his constituents here at the cultural arts center last week to discuss proposed U.S. Postal Service (USPS) privatization plans introduced by President Trump.
Gonzalez, 57, who has represented the 34th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke about House Resolution 70, expressing that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the USPS remain an independent establishment of the federal government and not be subject to privatization.
Gonzalez also spoke about a possible lawsuit if the USPS becomes part of the Commerce Department.
“This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It’s an American issue,” Gonzalez said. “And there is support to fight this from both sides of the aisle.”
But, according to former USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who resigned this week, the postal service had lost almost $90 billion, and was projected to lose another $200 billion over the next 10 years.
He presented an oral statement before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability in December 2024.
“Over 31,000 facilities were in shockingly horrible condition with over $20 billion in deferred maintenance and were ill-equipped for modern-day tasks,” he said. “More explicitly, over 57 percent of our 31,000 post offices did not cover the costs of the people that worked at them, and 76 percent of our 235,000 delivery routes lost money.”
More than 70 people, including some from San Benito, Rio Hondo, and Los Fresnos, attended Gonzalez’s one hour town hall that ended in a shouting match about the Jan. 6, 2011 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
It had been announced that the town hall topic would be about the postal system, but Congressman Gonzalez allowed other subject matters to be introduced. Nearly 20 questions were fielded with topics varying from Elon Musk’s role in the Trump Administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, strong versus perceived weak Republican leadership within Texas and the nation, $850 billion Continuing Resolution appropriation legislation, and veteran benefits.
Two attendees, both postal workers from Harlingen and Weslaco, inquired about the postal service.
They are part of a USPS workforce that employs 640,000 across the country. And now that Postmaster DeJoy resigned, the topic of privatization is even more of a hot button issue.
Appointing the USPS’s 76th Postmaster General is relegated to its Board of Governors, an independent establishment of the Executive Branch. According to news reports, it has retained a consulting firm to conduct a search for a Postmaster General and CEO.
Dorothy Earley, of Rio Hondo, didn’t present any questions during the event, but in an interview with the San Benito News said she fears what postal service privatization will do in the U.S. now that the topic has gained momentum in Canada.
“Cost has gone way up, and service has fallen way down for my daughter who lives in Toronto,” Earley said. “Instead of having her mail delivered to her home, she has to walk several blocks to get it. There’s no door-to-door service.”
Early said her daughter recently received a package that was mailed in 2023.
“I came to the town hall because I’m very much against the privatization of the postal service,” Early said.
Ada Trevino, of Los Fresnos, had not been to a town hall meeting since she was a little girl, attending events like this with her mother.
Trevino said despite how chaotic the event ended, it’s “healthy” to hear varied opinions on matters so voters know what direction to go once educated on topics.
“This was a pro-Democratic gathering, and if we go bipartisan, we’re not going to last very long on issues,” Trevino said. “We need to work on issues for the people, and it concerns me that Republican congressmen have fear because their opinions are different than the President’s.”
Early said she is also “bothered by the fear element.”
“Calling up an elected official like the President is doing to make them afraid is totally different,” Early said.
Olga H. Montes, who was raised in San Benito, and is now a City of Combes commissioner, said town hall meetings are an effective way to listen to elected leaders.
“We don’t always agree on topics. That was obvious today, but it shows that we care about our community, our country,” Montes said.
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