sidegate Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Consider these facts:1. Question 1 on the census form refers, in the past tense, to the state of one's household on April 1, 2010.2. The census forms are due, by mail, on April 1, 2010.Am I the only one not following here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 You're expected to be psychic, donchaknow. Anyway, I'm not turning mine in due to the Japanese-American internment revelations a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 It's all part of a vast government conspiracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Consider these facts:1. Question 1 on the census form refers, in the past tense, to the state of one's household on April 1, 2010.2. The census forms are due, by mail, on April 1, 2010.Am I the only one not following here?I noticed that too, that's I didn't feel it out yet. I didn't know it was due April 1st though, I guess I'll mail it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Do all the forms have space for nine people in the HH, or is that just for the habla espanol zip codes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I think it does. Did the Census worker thing in 2000 and there were times when I had to use multiple forms because I ran out of space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I think it does. Did the Census worker thing in 2000 and there were times when I had to use multiple forms because I ran out of space.I can't answer the OP's question because they haven't trained me on door-to-door household enumeration yet. Right now, I'm counting the homeless. But I would like to ask whether your experience in 2000 was also utterly chaotic and wasteful, with horrible planning and communications?Tonight is the night where we interview/count all the homeless folks living underneath freeways and bridges and in vacant lots and parks, throughout the Third Ward, Fifth Ward, and the East End, from midnight to 7:00 AM. I'm a team leader responsible for a veritable harem of beautiful and highly-motivated chicas, so this is no doubt going to be a fascinating experience.(Paraphrased from training manual: "Be sure to wear comfortable running shoes and loose clothing in case you need to run.") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 ^Have fun tonight! Sounded like something I wanted to do but I didn't have the time to invest I never received a census form in the mail (or any letters) but I read I should wait for the second round... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 I can't answer the OP's question because they haven't trained me on door-to-door household enumeration yet. Right now, I'm counting the homeless. But I would like to ask whether your experience in 2000 was also utterly chaotic and wasteful, with horrible planning and communications?Tonight is the night where we interview/count all the homeless folks living underneath freeways and bridges and in vacant lots and parks, throughout the Third Ward, Fifth Ward, and the East End, from midnight to 7:00 AM. I'm a team leader responsible for a veritable harem of beautiful and highly-motivated chicas, so this is no doubt going to be a fascinating experience.(Paraphrased from training manual: "Be sure to wear comfortable running shoes and loose clothing in case you need to run.")It IS a bit haphazard and a bit chaotic on the ground, but I hardly call it wasteful. Believe it or not, working as a census taker made me appreciate my country even more and probably pushed me from a Liberal stance to a more conservative mindset.I hate to say this, but it sounds like you're going to have quite an experience. Dealing with people is my forte' and that is why I applied then (I wished I could do it this year).You're going to have to adjust your thinking on how to ask certain questions and approach them.Get ready for some heart wrenching stories, though.I was working the gulfton area and came across a group of apartments that were apparently housing refugees from the Serbian war and started telling me stories while filling out forms. One child (10?) walked up to me and asked why I was doing what I was doing. After giving my response, more than a few (By this time, the apt filled up with about 20 neighbors) of them started crying because and said, "THAT is why America is great! EVERY PERSON MATTERS! "He then proceeded to tell me how the child is one of the few male survivors of a village. He saw his uncles, father, and cousins grouped together and shot. He was small enough that he hid under the bodies for a few hours while he heard more shooting around him. It was when it turned dark that he and a few others ran into the woods for a few weeks until they were able to make it to other relatives' homes. It turned out every member of the 3 surrounding apartments had basically the same story of close calls. They figured they were the last remnants of a family that numbered close to 100. Including parents, grand parents, great-grand parents, and countless of kids.Sorry for my rambling, but those few weeks were eye opening and is why I am so adamant about "affordable" housing and why I take such conservative views on some and liberal on others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasepies Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 First, I get a letter letting me know I'm gonna get the census. Second, I get the census. Third, I just got a postcard to let me know that I should have gotten my census. Then I get a card asking if I want a job helping with the census. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Do all the forms have space for nine people in the HH, or is that just for the habla espanol zip codes?We had the same spaces in our census form...but of course that's for all the welfare moms in our neighborhood who only have kids for the increased welfare checks.[/sarcasm] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashman Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 Consider these facts:1. Question 1 on the census form refers, in the past tense, to the state of one's household on April 1, 2010.2. The census forms are due, by mail, on April 1, 2010.Am I the only one not following here?Probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arivechi Posted March 30, 2010 Share Posted March 30, 2010 You can track state, city and even specific neighborhood participation ratesHereLooks like we're behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 First, I get a letter letting me know I'm gonna get the census. Second, I get the census. Third, I just got a postcard to let me know that I should have gotten my census. Then I get a card asking if I want a job helping with the census. No postcard here but did get the 'letter', then the census, then another 'letter' saying the form was on it's way but to ignore the letter if I'd already mailed the form back to them. How much have they spent on all those 'letters' and does it really do any good? Maybe some folks need those prompts but I would think that most folks don't.Strange thing in my neighborhood, one resident posted on our local group that her completed census form had been stolen from her mailbox BEFORE the carrier picked up.Why on earth would someone steal a completed form? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 No postcard here but did get the 'letter', then the census, then another 'letter' saying the form was on it's way but to ignore the letter if I'd already mailed the form back to them. How much have they spent on all those 'letters' and does it really do any good? Maybe some folks need those prompts but I would think that most folks don't.Have you read the responses above yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I had fun with the ethnicity question. My wife is hispanic, and being from Victoria her family members are decendents of the original "DeLeon Colony". I checked her off as Hispanic but wrote in "Native Texan". I am anglo but my ancestors are from South Texas, and were part of the original "DeWitts Colony". I too checked off Hispanic and also wrote in "Native Texan".I figure that since both of our ancestors were once Mexican citizens, it entitles us to be hispanic if we choose to, although this is probably not the "type" of hispanics that they were wanting to count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Probably.So which part do you get? The mindbending chronology? The tortuous syntax? Or the sanity-defying logic? Or all three? I stand in awe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 It IS a bit haphazard and a bit chaotic on the ground, but I hardly call it wasteful. Believe it or not, working as a census taker made me appreciate my country even more and probably pushed me from a Liberal stance to a more conservative mindset.I hate to say this, but it sounds like you're going to have quite an experience. Dealing with people is my forte' and that is why I applied then (I wished I could do it this year).You're going to have to adjust your thinking on how to ask certain questions and approach them.Get ready for some heart wrenching stories, though.I can't say anything about where I've been or when (it's a secret), but as a general observation it is interesting to note that given as large of a population of Hispanics as we have in Houston, I've encountered very few that are homeless or that are receiving any kinds of support services catering to the homeless populations. I'd imagine that larger, stronger families more effectively internalize the burden where it's an issue. And the homeless Hispanics that I have encountered have been bilingual and have not required the Spanish version of the form, which would seem to indicate that they're at least partially acculturated. For as much talk as there is about illegal immigrants being a burden on our society, it sure doesn't figure from where I'm standing.Another thing I've noticed is indifference to the Census by a fair proportion of homeless black males, but I won't speculate on the underlying causes of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little frau Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Have you read the responses above yours?Yes, matter of fact, I have. Have you?I responded to the ONE post here about getting the (what I consider unnecessary) initial and follow-up letters. I did not get a follow-up POSTCARD.There has been enough media attention given the subject that it just seems redundant to also spend tax money on letters telling us to expect the census form, then another letter reminding us again that it's coming and by the way, if you've mailed it already, thanks and don't answer again.At the risk of being redundant myself, I'll say again that most folks probably didn't need the extra correspondence or 'prompts'.It just seems like a big waste of money to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Yes, matter of fact, I have. Have you?I responded to the ONE post here about getting the (what I consider unnecessary) initial and follow-up letters. I did not get a follow-up POSTCARD.There has been enough media attention given the subject that it just seems redundant to also spend tax money on letters telling us to expect the census form, then another letter reminding us again that it's coming and by the way, if you've mailed it already, thanks and don't answer again.At the risk of being redundant myself, I'll say again that most folks probably didn't need the extra correspondence or 'prompts'.It just seems like a big waste of money to me.It seems like you're incorrect. The reminder letters save about $85 million in taxpayer money by increasing the response rate. The Census Bureau estimates the cost of getting a response in person at $56 vs. $0.42 to mail a reminder letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 It seems like you're incorrect. The reminder letters save about $85 million in taxpayer money by increasing the response rate. The Census Bureau estimates the cost of getting a response in person at $56 vs. $0.42 to mail a reminder letter.I will validate that. As someone who is also concerned about government waste (even though I benefit from it), I can assure you that you do NOT want someone getting paid nearly $20 per hour to have to knock on your door multiple times to establish contact with your forgetful neighbor in order to interview them. That is of course not including the administrative overhead associated with the operations.Little post cards on inexpensive paper and bulk mailed at extraordinarily high volume probably cost well under $0.42 each. If anything, they should send out another volley or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I filled out mine and have been on all my family members to send in theirs as well. Census figures are used for all sorts of things that matter. Hell, I was tempted to lie and fill out some made up roommates to bump Houston's numbers up. Lord knows we could use the extra funds around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Just finished mine and sent in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 I got the card that said I would receive my Census Form, then I got the form, and then, the one about jobs.Today, I got another Census Form. Do I fill out another one? This one says "YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW". I don't recall the original one stating that.I also, was going to hold it until April 1st; it is poorly worded. I went ahead a mailed it when I heard on the news that responses were slow. Well, duh! Does anyone proof-read anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porTENT Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 What's with all the phony census look alike mail of recent, it's like an old fashioned phishing bonanza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted April 1, 2010 Author Share Posted April 1, 2010 Yeah, mine's mailed too FWIW....very curious document it was too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arisegundo Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 What's with all the phony census look alike mail of recent, it's like an old fashioned phishing bonanza.Wow, people are sending out fake censuses? Ballsy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 people are also posing as census workers and going door to door, trying to get bank/ssn info. My link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 It doesn't actually say that people are in that story, it just warns people to be on the lookout for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted April 1, 2010 Share Posted April 1, 2010 yeah, i know. but it has happened in the past, couldn't find the article on it though. either way, point is that there are a lot of scammers out there and people should have their guard up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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