DENNIS A. CARDOZA: “shortly into my tenure as a Member of Congress in 2003 the General Services Administration, the GSA, notified me that my…”

“shortly into my tenure as a Member of Congress in 2003 the General Services Administration, the GSA, notified me that my office space at the Bell Station in Merced, California, which I shared with the post office and the IRS would no longer be available for lease. My office was in an historic building, and, most importantly, I was conveniently located downtown for my constituents. Despite my vigorous protests, I was literally kicked out of the Federal building. If that wasn't enough of a slap in the face to my constituents and myself, 2 years later the GSA declared the Bell Station post office to be surplus property. The GSA closed the post office with no rhyme or reason and started to dispose of it, with no community input and no plan to replace our post office. The GSA's handling of this situation was deplorable. The GSA turned a deaf ear to my constituents and ignored the needs of a local community. In my 4 years in Congress, nothing has elicited as many phone calls and letters and editorials to my local paper than the GSA's handling of post office closure in my hometown. The GSA's blatant disregard for a community's needs hasn't only occurred in my district. This has been repeated with reckless abandon in districts across the country. Make no mistake about it. This can happen to any Member of this Congress, and every community across America is at risk.”