Groups of people with whom I disagree (so many, many groups…) should not hand in their census forms. That way they will be under-represented in official figures and basically count less. And do you really want to be in the government’s database when the black helicopters come?
Just kidding. Only two days left, hand in your census forms! Even people I don’t like.
Given who usually objects to these things, I’d prefer they be made to pay the $57 personally. They don’t like government handouts, after all.
$57 to send someone to a house to fill out a 2 page form?
I’m an advocate for constitutionally limited government and adamantly opposed to socialism & government welfare of any form. About 98% of what our congress passes is not covered under its enumerated powers and is therefore unconstitutional.
Having said that … the census IS constitutional, so I happily filled it out & sent it back in. Although … I did fill in my race as “AMERICAN”.
Jones, here’s a view into why it might cost $57 per house:
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2010/04/07/true_confessions_from_americas_census_workers
Sean I wish you were my uncle sometimes.
Ooh, ChH, bad move! Don’t you know that the first people who will be rounded up and put in the concentration camps are the true “Americans”?
I should note that I am an occasionally entertaining but fundamentally erratic uncle. Probably comes as no surprise.
Meh. We’ll just lock you in the attic during your erratic moments. ‘s tradition.
I think that Juan Alvarez may have unintentionally inserted some malicious text over at your From Eternity to Here Book Club chapter 14
Having worked for the Census as a canvaser (verifying addresses) and as an enumerator (counting homeless people and people in nursing homes), I see the whole process as inherently inefficient and, I suspect, rather inaccurate. A concerted effort needs to be made to revamp the Census methodology. If that requires an amendment to the Constitution then so be it. But the amount of money spent on this process (which, btw, I really really needed the money myself) is insane.
BTW, the official Census Day is April 1, 2010 – the form asks where you lived on that day. The April 16 date is just the date to forestall a Census taker visit.
Sean, I enjoyed reading the interview with the NYT.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/science/20conv.html
Thanks!
-Arun