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2010 Census

Started 2 years ago by GenHillOne
Latest reply from JoB

GenHillOne
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Am I the only one who had a "that's it?!" reaction when filling it out? Seems like a lot of time and money spent - multiple mailings, media blitz, actual processing - to get my name, age, and race. Really? Once every 10 years, all that effort, and there isn't any other helpful data that could be collected? huh.

Posted 2 years ago #
JanS
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I thought the same thing...I saw multiple pages, and then realized that all that other stuff was about the peeps who live in my head. I live alone...a coupla questions and done !!

Posted 2 years ago #
HelperMonkey
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same here. I was all prepared to sit down and fill out a lot of info. I was really surprised at how very basic it was.

Posted 2 years ago #
GenHillOne
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I can see the argument for not making it too lengthy in order to get more returns (though isn't there a threat of penalty if you don't send it it?), but I guess I figured that if it was going to help our area get services, they'd ask for more information.

Posted 2 years ago #
metrognome
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first, the census is required by the constitution:
"The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of 10 years, in such manner as they shall by Law direct."
-- Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States

Second, as I recall, there used to be a short form and a long form but I could find no discussion of this on the 2010 Census website:
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php

Third, some people actually believe that the Obama administration will use census info to decide who will be sent to the secret concentration camps being built at abandoned military bases with money hidden in the bailout bill. You think they would have been smart enough to require people to fill it out on-line so that bots could infect computers and allow the government to monitor all activity using the webcams on personal computers. I am kidding about the second sentence; I wish I was kidding about the first sentence...

Posted 2 years ago #
DOC
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Hey, I'm just glad that people are actually completing the cencus and sending it in! That helps out the community greatly and for every person that mails it, it saves something like $90. On a high note, the census no longer contains the question, "How many slaves do you own?".

Posted 2 years ago #
dawsonct
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That, despite the Holy Bible of Gods Own Word SAYS I can own slaves, as long as they are from a different nation.
--
Gotta go. My kids are misbehaving and I have to stone them to death.

Posted 2 years ago #
GenHillOne
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Maybe they should have included instructions for tinfoil hats.

Posted 2 years ago #
dawsonct
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I would think you would need to print the instructions for THAT on the outside of the envelope; those type wouldn't open an envelope from the "government" you know, no telling WHAT would be inside! They have thought-control drugs, you know!! DON'T EVEN TOUCH THAT THING!!! AACHH!

Posted 2 years ago #
metrognome
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About 25 years ago, I bought a house in what is now Shoreline in an area developed as a 'property association' by Bill and Bertha Boeing in the 30's (it's in the triangular area south of 155th and west of Aurora and the Interurban Rail right of way that is now a running trail.) The association still exists (as far as I know) primarily to maintain the 2 private parks.
Anyway, when we closed on the house, we had to sign association covenants that restricted the number of non-white persons (i.e. servants) allowed in each home and the hours they could be there (had to leave by sunset, as I recall.) When I objected, I was told that those sections were contravened by state law and could not be enforced and it would be too much trouble for the assn to change them. As it is impossible to find a wheelchair-accessible single family home, we decided to go ahead. I still have those covenants somewhere ...

Posted 2 years ago #
voodoo
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I agree that it was a little anticlimactic. What I found most amusing is that they mailed me a letter telling me to expect a form in the mail a week later.

Posted 2 years ago #
GenHillOne
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ha! metrognome, in the 70s I lived at the "head" of the Interurban Trail. But when I walked the mile to my school bus stop (barefoot and in the snow), it didn't have a cool name. I was just walking under a bunch of power lines - maybe that's when the tinfoil hats should have come into play.

Posted 2 years ago #
dawsonct
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Your U.S. Secretary of Commerce, some guy named Gary, Larry, Jerry Lock/Loch/Locke, said that for a relatively small expenditure (the price of a stamp. Put it on a post card next time), the reminder increased the rate of return by 6-12%, which saves $85 million for every 1% increase in mail-in responses.
The other night in TDS he explained it all in his usual clear, monotonal, almost utterly humorless fashion we all know and recognize:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-18-2010/gary-locke-pt--2

Posted 2 years ago #
DOC
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WOOOO for The Daily Show!

Posted 2 years ago #
metrognome
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okay, y'all need to work on your conspiracy theories. First, aluminum foil is SOOOOO 50's. Second, the evil Obama census plan was outed on the Colbert Report: DON'T LICK THE ENVELOPE!!!!!

OMG -- it's toooo late --- I should have noticed the Kool Aid flavor (actually, it was Funny Face Choo Choo Cherry flavor) --- I am falling down the rabbit hole --- is that Johnny Depp???

Posted 2 years ago #
odroku
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Here's what I can't figure out:

I read the census form and realize the questions are asking about who lives in the house on a certain date in the future. Hence, I put it away thinking I should technically wait until that date arrives before I actually complete it, banish the thought anything should happen that would change those numbers.

Today I get a little reminder postcard giving me the 'it's the law' business.

Kinda irks me a bit. Did not one person of influence in the Census Bureau read the information they send out and think, "Well, if we're asking people to answer questions about April 1, maybe we should wait until at least April 2 to start pestering people for their answers."

Posted 2 years ago #
dhg
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odroku: Just use the time machine app on your iphone. Problem solved.

Posted 2 years ago #
miws
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The only thing that threw me off a bit, was where in the instructions and/or on the TV ads, they said it would take ten minutes to complete.

I filled out the first page, and guess I wasn't really paying attention to how many pages were actually there. Turn the page, and then realizing there were several pages, thought "Ten minutes? Yeah right!" until I realized those pages were for each additional (if any) persons in the household.

Mike

Posted 2 years ago #
datamuse
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metrognome, if licking an envelope gets me Johnny Depp, I'll lick as many envelopes as it takes.

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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now where did i put that thing...
i guess it's later if they are sending out nasty notes:(

Posted 2 years ago #
HMC Rich
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I must admit, this was pretty boring. When tracing my ancestors, the older census records had more information.

My British wife said the UK census was so much more detailed. They would ask questions like, how many windows are in the household.

Guess I have ten more years to fill out another. I hope I am around.

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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HMCRich..
they used to ask at least some of us more interesting questions not so many years back..

Posted 2 years ago #
odroku
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dhg: I opted instead to use the Hot Tub Time Machine. Worked like a charm!

Posted 2 years ago #
JimmyG
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We get the personal census worker visit to our front door every 10 years as we don't have US mail delivery to our house.
Seems a waste that Uncle Sam hasn't been able to figure that out after all this time.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smitty
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Isn't the purpose of the census to get a head count? It should take about 10 seconds.

Posted 2 years ago #
WSdreamer
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unless you have a lot of kids. glad to hear people are filling them out!

Posted 2 years ago #
Sue
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So first I get a card telling me that I will be getting the census. Then I get the actual census (which I mailed back the next morning). Then I got a letter reminding me that it's a law that I must return the census (that I already returned). Then yesterday I opened a fortune cookie and on the back of my fortune it says "Put down your chopsticks and get involved in Census 2010!" (wish I was joking) They're getting a bit crazy with this census, don't ya think?

Posted 2 years ago #
alki_2008
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Is there anyone that has NOT received the reminder postcard? I believe they're sending the reminders to everybody. They're not keeping track of who did or didn't send back the census form to determine who gets the postcard. That's why the postcard has that line about 'if you've already sent your census, then disregard this reminder' (or something similar to that effect).

The reminder postcard so soon after the census was in-home helps to ensure people think about the census form that they should've received...ie, before they throw it out.

Posted 2 years ago #
JanS
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Alki_2008....I totally understand that, but, geez, how many trees were destroyed for something that essentially got thrown out. In Seattle, hopefully, we all recycled, but there are some places in the good ol' US of A that really don't pay attention to recycling. It all just seems like a waste of paper (I don't mean the census form itself - we need to do that)...the letter a week before - "It's coming, it's coming", and then a postcard, too. Will there be more, I wonder....sigh...

and those that aren't gonna pay attention and return it weren't going to no matter what, probably. They will get a visit, I'm guessing.

Posted 2 years ago #
alki_2008
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JanS - I'm assuming the idea is that the cost of sending the postcards is less than the cost of sending workers out to make home visits later. Besides the monetary cost, there's also the gas exhaust (if we want to think of costs in a "green" sense).

I'm just glad they used postcards, instead of enveloped letters...postcards have less postage cost and are completely recyclable.

There are plenty of studies in the marketing realm that discuss the efficacy of using postcard reminders. Presumably, such studies were the impetus for the pre- and post- reminders that we all received. Of course, statistics can say anything. :-p

Posted 2 years ago #
dawsonct
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Please refer to post #13 for an explanation for the reminder mailings.
Or watch this:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-18-2010/gary-locke-pt--2

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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i think the person who thought up stuffing fortune cookies should get a creativity bonus:)

Posted 2 years ago #
Sue
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JoB, plus it's one way to determine how stale the fortune cookies are - if I'm still getting 2010 census fortunes in, say, 2012. :)

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
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Sue..
LOL.. if it glows in the dark.. don't eat it ;-0

Posted 2 years ago #