It's Census Time....we all know there was talk of letting ACORN do a good portion of the Census, until they were discredited...I thought things might be better without them in the mixture. Hah! On Monday I got a nasty note from the Census Bureau informing me that I should have received a form by now and that filling it out is mandatory. Better send that puppy back and send it right now or else!
There are penalties under the law if I fail to do so.
Except...except...we haven't got one yet. So I called the handy-dandy "helpful" phone number on the nasty little card. You had to say what you wanted to each voice mail situation...two choices...both of them wrong every time. Neither of them was EVER what I wanted. I never did get a live person....never got an answer as to what to do. I gave up...much aggravated.
Alan called the number back and found out (after expending much more patience than I have) that all the forms haven't been sent out yet.
The nasty letters are in the mail, just not the Census forms. Even if you used the option to request a Census form because you didn't get one, you couldn't request one. Part and parcel of the incredible ineptitude that this government has shown....I worked in the last Census as a Census taker. It was pretty awful so I quit after a few weeks. I just couldn't deal with them wanting one thing one day, then the next day changing it all around...the rules were all engraved in stone except when they changed them..... If you didn't mind putting up with a lot of BS you could be a Census worker....I mind so I soon wasn't.
I have read and heard about all kinds of glitches in this year's version of the nationwide head count. I suppose receiving the threatening card before the form is minor in the grand scheme of things but...
And here is a timely little story in the local paper about how hard they are trying to count certain segments of the populace.....
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Hey, we got the same card yesterday... thing is we filled out and sent it back already.
Sheesh! What's really odd is we didn't get one in the mail, and so a nice little worker dropped one off, and then we got one in the mail?! At least the postal system is getting some work out of the deal... but does the government pay other government businesses?
So you get a pre-census letter, the census form, and a post-census nasty note? The government must be trying to boost USPS' bottom line--or at least provide work for those in the postal union.
"...how hard they are trying to count certain segments of the populace....."
Aaah, but only "certain segments" not all. If you don't fit into one of their preordained ethnic minority groups I bet there's not that great a push.
Si. Muy Importante.
The incredibly stupid, puzzling, and expensive public service announcements gave me a clue about what was to follow.
I am so for a change in government...throw them all out, every last one of them and start over. The news couldn't do any worse and it just may (JUST MAY) get better.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
I got the card yesterday and have not received the forms yet either. I was going to call the number but I'm glad you did it for me :) I thought it was a bit of overkill with the pre-letter and then the post-card....plus all the money they are spending on commercials... I agree with DayPhoto - throw every last one of them out and let's start over. Maybe it's time for a Jeffersonian overthrow!!!
We got the pre-form notice, the form, and the nasty card. But...I haven't filled it out yet. The form reads "How many people were living in your house April 1?" It is not yet April 1, so how can I answer that question honestly. I don't plan to take in boarders, but I might, or one of my kids and their families might move back home (fat chance). You never know. So I don't plan to fill it in and send it back until April 1, 2010 as indicated on the form.
Cheese..can't anyone read anymore???? Mom
Yeah. We got our nasty little card today.
My hubby worked hard and walked in the door dragging. When he found that card in his stack of mail - he was p.o.'d.
When we get to the blank that asks for your race . . . we're mighty tempted to enter the word "American".
Sara, You would have to have your head down a woodchuck hole not to know that the census is on, but they seem to have no fear about spending lotsa money reminding us.
Joated, I was so aggravated by the whole affair..and still am, of course
Jeffro, no me gusta the way they are going about it for sure, but I don't think they care. lol
Jan, they are plumb aggravating
LInda, it would be hard for it to get worse so we might as well take the chance and do it.
Flo, I agree with you both!
Mom, good for you! I have heard that from someone else too...I don't remember who...that you had to count your family as of the 1st...April Fools Day, did you notice? Love you!!!!
Cathy, can you do that? It is really a great idea and we should all do it!
Can we put "American" in the race blank?
It's not an original idea with me. I can't remember what blog I saw it in.
I doubt that we'll do it, but sheesh! what are they going to do - throw us in jail?
If they came after us we could just say our old eyes misread and thought it asked for our nationality ;-)
UPDATE:
I just found this: So it could involve a fine :-(
[Begin Quoted Material]
"Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that you may get a visit or call from the Census Bureau if you do not fill out your census forms completely, and there may even be a fine ($100 according to the World Net Daily article US Incensed Over Census and verified by the About.com article Census Answers Are Required by Law) if you refuse to fill it out. If you choose to join this protest, I want you to do so knowing the possible annoyances and consequences. On the other hand, remember that our revolutionary mothers and fathers gambled and often gave up all they had (including their lives) in the defense of freedom, so you have to ask yourself if the small annoyance of a Census Bureau visit and/or a $100 fine is really all that much of a sacrifice?
If Census Bureau employees do come to your door, hand them a copy of this treatise!
* * * * *
Update: By the way, I was neither visited nor fined by the Census Bureau regarding my lack of answers on the 2000 Census."
[End of Quoted Material]
TC - I found the above at:
http://www.sodabob.com/Constitution/Census.asp#conclusion
The modern Census-- another unconstitutional power grab by the control freaks. All the Constitution requires is for us to give our name, age, family members, and occupation. THAT'S IT. Anything more is "illegal." But they make us the criminals.
Abuses and usurpations... hmmmm
Cathy, I really like the idea of filling in the blank with American...probably won't do it because the fine would buy a lot of groceries, but dang, it is so perfect. And after all, it is what we are. It is what most immigrants aspire to be. The rightness of it....
Mrs. M, you are so right. My mom does a lot of genealogy. The old census records come in handy. they list who, how many, what they did...mostly farmers...and that is all
Absolutely ridiculous! I filled ours out two weeks after we received it and sent it back; luckily we didn't receive any rude letters. Have you seen the commercials, about how important that everyone be counted? Well, the questions asked about others who spend "most of the time" under your roof, but Cassidy spends half of the time, as we have joint custody. Half, certainly, is not most. How well can everyone be counted anyway?
Kristen, haven't seen the commercials, but I have heard about them. I probably shouldn't let it get to me, but the government is so bad at things that private folks absolutely must do well.
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