LYNN — Congressman Seth Moulton and former Lynn Mayor Thomas P. Costin Jr., who served as postmaster in Lynn for more than three decades, led a rally against proposed cuts to the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday afternoon.
Held in front of the Thomas P. Costin Post Office on Willow Street and attended by about 30 people, the demonstration was dubbed a “rally to save the post office” by Moulton’s office.
Those opposed to the proposed postal service cuts, including elected officials who spoke at Tuesday’s rally, assert that they threaten the integrity of this fall’s election, where mail-in voting is expected to be the choice for many amid the pandemic.
“There is nothing more fundamental in a democracy than the right to vote,” said Moulton, noting that right extends to ensuring that mail-in and absentee ballots are counted. “We are here to preserve the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy.”
In his remarks, Moulton blamed President Donald Trump, whom he referred to as a “fascist president,” for the Postal Service woes. Last Thursday, Trump vowed to withhold USPS funding to restrict Americans’ ability to vote by mail during the pandemic, according to a Washington Post report.
Hours later, the Post reported photos began circulating online of postal service workers in urban areas loading trucks with mailboxes. According to Moulton, his constituents have sent him pictures of the postal service removing mailboxes in Gloucester and WGBH reported Monday that postal sorting machines in Boston had been removed.
“The fundamental value that every vote in America gets counted is what our letter carriers work every day to uphold,” said Moulton.
Lynn’s demonstration is just one of many facets of the public outcry from lawmakers, attorneys general and civil rights groups across the country that prompted the president’s new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, to announce Tuesday that he was halting some operational changes to mail delivery until after the November election.
DeJoy said Tuesday that he would suspend several of his initiatives — including the mailbox removal that prompted the public outcry — until after the election “to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail.”
“The United States people need the postal service,” said Costin, who served as the city’s youngest mayor and volunteered to help his friend John F. Kennedy run for Senate and the Presidency. “Without the postal service, we wouldn’t have the country we have today.”
Costin, 94, led voter registration efforts for Kennedy’s Senate reelection in 1958, and according to an Item report, he turned down a job offer from Kennedy after he won the presidency to stay in Lynn. In 1961, Costin became postmaster in Lynn, a position he held until 1992.
The Lynn post office was officially dedicated to Costin in May 2019, a year after Moulton introduced legislation for the name change.
The city’s current mayor, Thomas M. McGee, called the administration’s attempts to withhold postal service funding to try to “disenfranchise millions of Americans” an “unprecedented action.
“During this pandemic, the attempts to attack our post office and the rights of people to vote is unacceptable,” said McGee.
State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said it was “disheartening” to see the president attack citizens’ right to vote and the country’s postal service workers.
“We will continue to fight against this president as he continues to attack our democracy,” said Crighton.
State Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn) echoed previous speakers, adding that since taking office, the president has done everything he can to undermine every agency that makes the country’s democracy work.
Gordon and Carolyn Corzine, a married couple from Marblehead, said they were compelled to make the trip to Lynn to support the post office.
“I think we have to preserve our election at all costs,” said Carolyn, 81, while holding a sign that read, ‘Donald, hands off my mail.’ “If people need to vote by mail, we need to make it possible.”
Not everyone was happy with the theme of Tuesday’s demonstration.
John Paul Moran, a Republican candidate for Moulton’s Congressional seat, said he is in favor of saving the post office, but placed the blame for postal service troubles on the Democrats.
Moran, who attempted to shout over the day’s speakers during the demonstration, said he is against the legislation, signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker last month, that allows for mail-in voting for all registered voters in Massachusetts this election season.
“They’re putting all of our vote at risk,” said Moran.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
