More Census nonsense

[carson]

  I doubt that the situation is that dour. I know the constitution expects you to report, but I wonder how they (Government, can ever prove anything).  I wonder how many dead people are reporting this year... who is going to check.

  It is a shame we are thinking that way...the World has changed for the worse, I am afraid.

  All I know is  that I am not playing any games. The Postal Service could/does lose mail occasionally.

carson FL

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You are too paranoid. Telling them you are being counted elsewhere is not "declining to answer". And in fact, answering in two different venues (double counting) is also illegal. The census bureau can always check their records to determine if you were counted elsewhere or not, so you don't need a receipt for your form when you send it in.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Jeannine...
You can request to be counted if you do not receive a form. There are "Be Counted" centers all over the country for people who think they have been left out.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/bcqac-textview.php

 

[taoshum]

You are too paranoid. Telling them you are being counted elsewhere is not "declining to answer". And in fact, answering in two different venues (double counting) is also illegal. The census bureau can always check their records to determine if you were counted elsewhere or not, so you don't need a receipt for your form when you send it in.

I'm just relaying her words as a census department representative, as accurately as I can.  Maybe that is enough information to make an accurate mental health diagnosis of paranoia, I don't know.  If someone does ask, I'd tell 'em, "I already mailed the form from home."  Oh well.

 

[taoshum]

  I doubt that the situation is that dour. I know the constitution expects you to report, but I wonder how they (Government, can ever prove anything).  I wonder how many dead people are reporting this year... who is going to check.
  It is a shame we are thinking that way...the World has changed for the worse, I am afraid.
  carson FL

Congress too, I guess: 

NEW YORK, March 25 (Reuters) - The office of Representative Anthony Weiner on Thursday received a threatening letter containing an unidentified white powder, his office said.

 

[Ernie Ekberg]

I also received the first note, then the form and the follow-up card. I filled it out in 5 minutes, but put no phone number on it. Pretty cut and dry and they don't need to call me to ask a question.
Ernie-Strasburg, Co

 

[Johncmr]

I find the adds for filling out the forms interesting - "Be sure to fill out the Census so you can get your fair share of the benefits!"  OK like just where does the Constitution say the census was to be used for figuring out how to take by force of arms (the IRS) from one citizen, to "give a fair share ..." to someone else living someplace else?  Roads, military, Air Traffic controllers, Coast Guard - yes, but the school house as is in one of the adds?

Hey, I have an idea!  Let's take back the country this November.  A POX on all of them - throw 'em all out and let God figure it out!!

johncmr

 

[Mc2guy]

I lost interest in the Census when the Census people took out large adds in Spanish in the Arizona Republic urging people to fill out the forms and reminding them that no law enforcement would receive the data to enforce immigration status.

Jeff,

An accurate count of illegals in the U.S. is also critical to effective policy making.  It is hard to pass immigration reform, when no one really knows how many illegals are living the U.S.  To some who live in areas unaffected by it, I find they underestimate it's impact, whereas those of us in area with high levels of illegal populations, know otherwise.

Unfortunately, gerrymandering is a distasteful byproduct from the process, but an inevitable one in our two party cluster____, er, I mean political system.

I am thankful they at least dropped the "invasive" questions that I usually ignore.  Makes it a lot easier when it's just name and number.

 

[Jeannine]

Jeannine...
You can request to be counted if you do not receive a form. There are "Be Counted" centers all over the country for people who think they have been left out.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/bcqac-textview.php

Gary, Thanks for the link.

 

[FrontrangeRVer]

Sent in our form, then received a "reminder" card from the Census....no biggie at all.

We are also on Facebook and use Google and Yahoo search quite frequently. 

 

[Just Lou]

All Census requests and information are sent to an address, NOT to any particular individual.  If you don't answer truthfully, with your main domicile address, you aren't helping anyone.  The data gathered is meant to be of assistance in allocating representation and resources to your State, Community, etc..., NOT to tracking you personally.  I don't understand the paranoia or the "you ain't countin' me, cuz I'm to smart fer ya" attitude.

I'm not defending any decisions our alleged representatives make, but to deny them the data required to make an honest attempt at equal representation, just for the sake of "beating the Census system", is a rather juvenile and self defeating approach.

As an alternative, might I suggest that you all claim to be residents of eastern North Carolina?   

 

[bigskymt]

  Why is it people will put their life history: names, photos, car, school, work, city, etc. on Facebook.
  Buy on line giving CC Numbers, security codes, name & address.
  Bank on line giving SS#, DOB and Access Codes.
  Post on forums giving phone#s, photos, city, Birth Date & name.........travel plans.......when their home is vacant..............if they use dope..............where they hide their guns............
  And then tell the US Government "Nope, I ain't gonna tell you the names or ages of the people living in this house"............"that's too personal"!!

 

[Mc2guy]

^ I just chortled on my afternoon coffee...too funny bigskymt 

 

[brens]

Mailed mine out today, It took me 10 min. from opening it up  to walking it to the mail box DONE .

 

[PancakeBill]

BigSky, you are so right.  This comes up every census I remember.  The other thing is objecting to workers coming to house, well when you mail it right away you drop that possibility by a huge amount.

What I have learned from my interviewing for the census jobs, the better the mail response the less workers they need.  When you consider the hourly rate for sending someone out to collect, the 3 mailings are infinitesmal. Still seems silly when you get them.

 

[codgerbill]

If our government keeps implementing all of their unwanted programs will the Census form have a checkoff box for the cheese that I will qualify for? :

 

[seilerbird]

  Why is it people will put their life history: names, photos, car, school, work, city, etc. on Facebook.
  Buy on line giving CC Numbers, security codes, name & address.
  Bank on line giving SS#, DOB and Access Codes.
  Post on forums giving phone#s, photos, city, Birth Date & name.........travel plans.......when their home is vacant..............if they use dope..............where they hide their guns............
  And then tell the US Government "Nope, I ain't gonna tell you the names or ages of the people living in this house"............"that's too personal"!!

Because my taxes are paying for their stupidity. I see no point to the census. I don't care how many representatives we have in government, they always ignore us. So I ignore them.

 

[ArdraF]

For those of you who object to the Census, here's what I know as a retired reference librarian and literature searcher:  Fill them out!  You have no idea how many ways they are used and by how many people.  They print the Statistical Abstract of the United States based on what you tell them and the tables in it are used by researchers around the world doing work in every conceivable field of interest.  The first time I heard Peter Drucker speak he was bemoaning the fact that planners would have been more adequately prepared for a specific event "if they had just looked at page 11 of the Statistical Abstract of the United States."  Did you know that there is also a business census upon which many volumes of data are based?

As a genealogy researcher I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the 1940 U.S. Census in 2012 because I need information on our families and it's not available anywhere else.

Please, people, you have absolutely no idea how important these Census forms are.  Fill them out and return them ASAP!

ArdraF

 

[judway]

I received the long form a while back asking all kind of financial questions as well as the normal ones. I got a notice saying it was coming and then the census form and then the reminder to fill it out.

Because the form asked some financial questions that I did not immediately have the answers for I was a few days late they next sent me a second census form in case i did not get the first one. I may still have it, I don't remember. My health has been pretty bad for the last 3 months, so memory is shot along with everything else.

I received the second form (the short form) a couple of days ago. So I received both the long and short forms.

Wayne

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

According to the Census Bureau, everybody gets the short form this time. The "long form" used in previous census will be handled through a difference survey. My guess is that Wayne is in the other survey too. Here is the official word:

In 2010, every residence will receive a short form of just 10 questions. More detailed socioeconomic information previously collected through the decennial census will be asked annually of a small percentage of the population through the American Community Survey. To learn more about the American Community Survey, visit www.census.gov/acs.

The difference is academic, I guess, since both surveys require your response and the ACS forms are sent out at the approximate time as the Census short form. Some percentage of people, like Wayne, will get both.