Our tax dollars at work

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I got something in the mail from the Federal Gov yesterday. I keep shaking my head. I think it's one of the dumbest things the government has done in a while. Well, this week anyway.

I got a letter telling me that in exactly one week, I would be getting a census form to fill out and send in.

Hello!!!! Did they really need to spend the money and time to tell me it's coming? Couldn't they just send the thing and enclose a letter if needed?

Is this their way of helping bail the post office out by giving them more work?

Do they think I'm going to be waiting by my mail box in eager anticipation waiting for their form?

[Cataholic]

This is SO perplexing to me. About 3 weeks ago, I swear I filled out a US Census form. It came in an official envelope, I thought I had been prewarned to expect it, and I returned it.

NOW I am told that the US Census has not even been mailed out yet? WhatEVER did I fill out and return?

[RedHedd]

Oh yeah, I got one too as did many of my friends. There were rants all over Facebook last night- WTF?

[Lady's Human]

They sent out the mailings to remind people and hopefully get a better return rate on the census forms than they usually get.

Over the last few months they have sent out sample census forms to people at various times, I got one about a year ago in the run up.

I really don't mind the mailings, what I object to is wasting taxpayer money sponsoring a car in a NASCAR race and spending $5 million running an advertisement during the Super Bowl.

[Cataholic]

^^ in the sample ones, do they include a return envelope and all that jazz, too? I swear it was the US Census that I filled out.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Maybe they are sending them to different areas at different times to avoid being swamped with work?

[Lady's Human]

^^ in the sample ones, do they include a return envelope and all that jazz, too? I swear it was the US Census that I filled out.

Yeppers, that they do. Big envelope, barely fits the forms?

Yup I got one of those letters too.. I thought the same thing of what a waste of money & more dead trees for making the paper.. Now what gets me is each town & state will pay at the least $10.40 a Hour & up to $17.00 a Hour for a person to go to the houses that do not send a Census Form in to get them to do it.. Now I guess the goverment pays for that too..

In a rare case of Congress sorta kinda following the Constitution, the census is a requirement. The census sorts out how the Congressional representation is set up. It's a basic function of government.

[lizbud]

^^ in the sample ones, do they include a return envelope and all that jazz, too? I swear it was the US Census that I filled out.

Now that's a scarey thought, not to remember what you filled out.

I didn't get my census form yet, but they are set to show up in the
mail this month.

[cassiesmom]

I can just see this happening in Illinois, too.

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/02/youve-probably.html

[Cataholic]

I got my official US Census. I called the number listed on the form and talked to a very helpful young man. He told me the form that I got before this was the form from the National Neighborhood Census, or something like that. He told me some households are randomly selected, that it is more detailed than the US Census, and that the privacy restrictions are similar. I was relieved to know that some wayward person wasn't utilizing my personal information.

whew!

[lizbud]

I got my official US Census. I called the number listed on the form and talked to a very helpful young man. He told me the form that I got before this was the form from the National Neighborhood Census, or something like that. He told me some households are randomly selected, that it is more detailed than the US Census, and that the privacy restrictions are similar. I was relieved to know that some wayward person wasn't utilizing my personal information.

whew!

I'm glad you found out what it was you filled out. I only got
the regular census form. It was only 10 questions, just 10.Maybe
this year it is the new & improved version.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Today I got a post card from the government telling me to send my census form back in because IT'S DA LAW!!!

Goobers!!! I sent it back the day after I got it. I expect next they will be calling us all up on the phone to bug us about it.

[Grace]

I'm not sending mine back until April 1st - don't care what they say

States on the form the info is supposed to be accurate for April 1st, and how do I know both of us will still be breathing on that date?

So there . . . . .

[lizbud]

Today I got a post card from the government telling me to send my census form back in because IT'S DA LAW!!!

Goobers!!! I sent it back the day after I got it. I expect next they will be calling us all up on the phone to bug us about it.

I got my "it's the law" card today too. I mailed the form back last week.