Census form

[redcliffsw]

My 1-question census form
-Walter Williams

The Census Bureau estimates that the life-cycle cost of the 2010 Census will be from $13.7 billion to $14.5 billion, making it the costliest census in the nation's history. Suppose you suggest to a congressman that given our budget crisis, we could save some money by dispensing with the 2010 census. I guarantee you that he'll say something along the lines that the Constitution mandates a decennial counting of the American people, and he would be absolutely right. Article I, Section 2 of our constitution reads: "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 ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."

What purpose did the Constitution's framers have in mind ordering an enumeration or count of the American people every 10 years? The purpose of the head count is to apportion the number of seats in the House of Representatives and derived from that, along with two senators from each state, the number of electors to the Electoral College.

The Census Bureau tells us that this year, it will use a shorter questionnaire, consisting of only 10 questions. From what I see, only one of them serves the constitutional purpose of enumeration – namely, "How many people were living or staying at this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2010?" The Census Bureau's shorter questionnaire claim is deceptive at best.

All our founders' inspiring, biblical quotes in one place – a must-have for your library: "America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations"

The American Community Survey, long form, that used to be sent to 1 in 6 households during the decennial count, is now being sent to many people every year. Here's a brief sample of its questions, and I want someone to tell me which question serves the constitutional function of apportioning the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives: Does this house, apartment, or mobile home have hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, a bathtub or shower, a sink with a faucet, a refrigerator, a stove? Last month, what was the cost of electricity for this house, apartment, or mobile home? How many times has this person been married?

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http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=125279

[Warph]

My 1-question census form
-Walter Williams

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=125279

United States Code, Title 13 (Census), Chapter 7 (Offenses and Penalties), SubChapter II,(paraphrased)

If you're over 18 and refuse to answer all or part of the Census, you can be fined up to $100.

If you give false answers, you're subject to a fine of up to $500.

If you offer suggestions or information with the "intent to cause inaccurate enumeration of population," you are subject to a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in prison, or both.

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Right on Dr. Williams...  Brilliant and on target as usual.  I plan to answer only one question no matter if I get the "short" form or the long.  "How many people are in my home"?  I recommend that all people who feel as I do that government intrusion into our lives must be stopped.  "They can shoot us but they can't eat us!"....  If enough people give only the information that OUR Constitution mandates, maybe they will get the message.  But I doubt it!

Here's a thought..... $100 "Federal Reserve Note" 'FINE' is worth it.  If that is the worse they can do, I will answer only what I want.

[Teresa]

This was written on Feb 5th

The Super-Sized Census Boondoggle
by Michelle Malkin

If only the federal government were as responsible with our money as Pepsi is with theirs. The soda giant has been in the Super Bowl ad business for more than two decades. But this year, Pepsi determined it was economically unwise to pay $3 million for a 30-second spot. So, who's foolish enough to pay for Super Bowl gold-plated airtime? You and me and Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Census Bureau will squander $2.5 million on a half-minute Super Bowl ad starring D-list celebrity Ed Begley, Jr., plus two pre-game blurbs and 12-second "vignettes" featuring Super Bowl anchor James Brown. It's a drop in the Census boondoggle bucket (otherwise known as the tax-subsidized National Democrat Future Voter Outreach Drive). The Obama White House has allocated a total of $340 million on an "unprecedented" promotional blitz for the 2010 Census. That's on top of $1 billion in stimulus money siphoned off for increased Census "public outreach" and staffing. In all, the Census will triple its total budget from 2000 to $15 billion.

Ads pimping the Census have already appeared during the Golden Globe awards and will broadcast during the Daytona 500 and NCAA Final Four championships. Some $80 million will be poured into multi-lingual ads in 28 languages from Arabic to Yiddish. Racial and ethnic groups have been squabbling over their share of the pie.

The U.S. census is a decennial census mandated by our constitution. Should Americans know about it? Sure. Should the p.r. budget become a bottomless slush fund in recessionary times? Surely not.

Yet, no matter how you translate it, the Census commercials to date have been an Ishtar-style flop. Global ad agency Draftfcb, based in (Obama's hometown) Chicago and New York, nabbed a $200 million, four-year contract to oversee the Census Bureau's direct marketing, online, and offline general market media strategies. The agency hired comedian Christopher Guest to produce "viral" spots. One of the supposedly "humor-driven" videos produced by Guest and commissioned by Draftfcb was uploaded to YouTube a few weeks ago. It has racked up a measly 6,880 views.

"For a once-a-decade project involving every living American, that's a pretty crummy return on investment," jeered AdFreak.com's David Griner. "The video seems to be hampered by the same problem that plagues all campaigns meant to 'go viral.—i.e., it's simply not that funny...[T]he joke is a chuckler at best, and dragged out to three minutes, that chuckle gets spread pretty thin." According to independent Census watchdog Stephen Morse, the feds conducted a total of 115 focus groups in 37 markets across the country before settling on the dud of an ad.

That's a hell of a lot of focus-grouping to get people to pay a little extra attention to government head-count questionnaires that will be coming straight to their mailboxes, anyway.

Taxpayers are also footing the bill for the Mother of all Government Junkets – a three-month, $15 million road trip by lucky-ducky Census Bureau flacks traveling in 13 buses and cargo vans with trailers. They'll be partying in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and at parades across the country. In case you were wondering about the anticipated Census Road Show carbon footprint, it's an estimated 223 metric tons.

But not to worry: The eco-racketeers of an Al Gore-endorsed carbon offset firm called "Carbonfund.org" have become official government "partners" with the Census to offset all the vehicle emissions – and surf off the free publicity to garner more shady business.

As if overpriced TV ads, online videos no one watches, and indulgent, cross-country caravans weren't enough, the Census Bureau is also enlisting 56 million schoolchildren to pester their parents and act as junior government enumerators. Educrats are spending several billions more on math and social studies lessons peddling the Census. Overzealous Census partners such as the National Association of Latino Elected Officials have distributed recruitment propaganda urging constituents to participate because "Joseph and Mary participated in the Census." Goodness knows what kind of fear-mongering curricula the kids are being served in the name of counting heads – and shaping the electoral landscape.

"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," President Obama lectured us. "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas." Coincidentally, the Census Road Tour junketeers just wrapped up a visit in Vegas. Next stop? You guessed it: The Super Bowl in Miami.

Taxpayers should start crying foul.

Also, for those not on top of it, this "round" of census is the "short form" questionnaire sent to everybody.  Over the next 10 years you will be getting a long form, more intrusive questionnaire.   They just aren't doing it all in one year.   That way the basically are talking a "sample" every year and can track certain trends.

I don't know about anyone else, but with spending out of control like it is and with the economy and unemployment like they are, I'm angry that they spent 2.5 million of tax payer money to run an ad about the 2010 Census during the Superbowl

[Wilma]

I have my census form, but I have a problem.  They want to know how many people are living at this address on April 1, 2010.  Then in the insert they want it filled out and returned TODAY.  How am I supposed to know how many people will be living here by April 1, 2010.  If at all possible, there will still be only one person living here by that time.  But what if one of my children need a home between now and then?  What if they have no other residence?

Do I mail this back as soon as possible or wait until April 1 just in case someone moves in with me? (Teresa, I need that "tongue in cheek" smiley face.)

[frawin]

One of the Tulsa TV stations had an expose' about the 44 pages ( 28 page survey and 16 pages of instructions) American Community Survey ( Census Forms) that some people are receiving.

[Wilma]

I have another question and this one is serious.  You all that live in Howard know that we were delivered census forms by hanging them on our door knobs.  One was hung on the door of the little red house that I use for storage.  You Howardites know where that is.  The address on the form was  S. Walnut, no house number.  Now do I have to return this or not?  Should I write on it that this is not a residence and mail it back, or should I just dispose of it?  If I throw it away they aren't going to know that no one lives there, they might just think that it is one of these protestors and come looking for the owner of the property.  Any ideas?  It won't cost me anything to mail it back.

[Warph]

Filling out the 2010 census form could save a resident from incurring a $100 fine, Wilma.

The U.S. Constitution mandates that every person in the country must be counted every 10 years.

Should someone not fill it out, two things can happen:

One, a census worker will visit a person's home and help him or her fill out the form.

Two, the federal government can fine a person up to $100 for not participating in the census.

But wait, don't despair, there is a number Three.... what is bad about this is, the house is red and stands out like a sore thumb.  They probably remember hanging that form on the doorknob of the RED HOUSE.  Now, you could throw the thing away (destroying government property) or say something like, "I saw JarHead take it," and wait to see if they come after you.  But not to worry, if caught, I'm sure Teresa would bail you out.  As slow as the federal court cases are going these days, you probably won't have to go to court for a few years.... and when you do, ask for a jury trial as your chances of beating it is much better.  Of course, you could try for a plea, but that's like admitting to the crime and should get you 5 years and a $10,000 dollar fine.  Hope this helps.

[srkruzich]

talk about waste, what about the hand deliveries their doing.  paying folks 12 bucks a hour to go hand a census form that can be mailed for what 30 something cents in bulk?  seems to me that the govt is wasting a ton of money by paying two people to deliver 1 census form to each door. (two folks delivered mine).

[jprxmkt]

I was wondering, if someone is pregnant and is expecting anytime, how do they fill it out?  And no, I'm not, just wondering?

[Diane Amberg]

Only live people already born at the time the census is filled out count. Same is if someone is going to die very soon. If they are still alive on census day, they count.