One more census rant...

[SandrA9810]

They were sent out, what 2-3 months ago?? And they've been sending out census workers for the past month??

My aunt has down right refused to fill out the form. And well yesterday afternoon while she was at work, a census worker came, and I filled it out for her. I knew she was not going to fill it out on her own. And she feels like it doesn't matter now that she's moving to a new city.

Seriously... what is the big deal??? it's a few questions. I hope nothing else comes in the mail, cause I had to put that I filled the info out on the back of the form. And I don't want to hear her wrath (I didn't tell her I filled it out, just that the lady showed up).

Ohh and she doesn't care that it's a federal law to fill it out.

 

[disney1990]

In our area alone, our local census office has over 89,000 homes that have not returned their census forms. When you think that the city/county receives money for every completed census form -- the amounts vary -- and I am not sure why. However, in the example below, this county receives $2,000 per person counted in the census. You can imagine how much money is lost when 89,000 people do NOT return their forms.

http://www.willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2010/05/19/news/news01.txt

 

[auntie]

I think people are just disgusted and distrustful of government and elected officials in general (of any party) and simply don't care about the census. I think a good many people figure the money received isn't going to go toward them in any personal way, and will only be wasted by public officials.
I'm not saying it's right.., but I understand the sentiment.

 

[KristaTX]

Uh oh, SandrA9810 .

"auntie" found this thread

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I think people are just disgusted and distrustful of government and elected officials in general (of any party) and simply don't care about the census. I think a good many people figure the money received isn't going to go toward them in any personal way, and will only be wasted by public officials.
I'm not saying it's right.., but I understand the sentiment.

I agree with this statement. My husband did not want me to fill it out, but I did anyway, and now I kind of regret it. Especially the part about race. We have a hispanic last name, but I said that we are all (we have an 11 year old DD) "white." My DH's parents were born in Cuba. I wish I would have put hispanic for my DH and my DD (or left that part blank). I am being told by friends that it was dumb on my part, due to possible minority benefits for school for DD, and for the business my DH owns. Anyone have an opinion about this?

Also, little vent from me...had a census worker in my yard a few days ago...quizzing me about my neighbor, very persistant. I just said I don't know anything about them. Also, I was at my friend's house while she was at her mother's funeral...I was helping prep the house for the wake being held immediately after the funeral. A census worker knocked on the door and I told him i didn't live there and explained the situation You could tell he thought I was lying...then started quizzing me on the occupants of the house...again, I told him I did not know.

Anyway, OP, not sure you should have done that to your aunt. I guess she won't find out, though.

 

[MickeySP]

I never got a census form and have not seen any workers in my area at all .

 

[Ceila]

Although from what I've read it's legal, I think it's completely unethical for census workers to ask people's neighbors about them.

 

[MommyPoppins]

Also, little vent from me...had a census worker in my yard a few days ago...quizzing me about my neighbor, very persistant. I just said I don't know anything about them. Also, I was at my friend's house while she was at her mother's funeral...I was helping prep the house for the wake being held immediately after the funeral. A census worker knocked on the door and I told him i didn't live there and explained the situation You could tell he thought I was lying...then started quizzing me on the occupants of the house...again, I told him I did not know.

.

This happened to me too a couple days ago. It's a vacant house. The owners live in Miami and come like once a month to cut the grass. It's not even on my street. lol. She asked for my phone number and I told her no.

Well the yesterday I got a call from the census. WTH? I didn't even put my phone number on my census form. So they got it themselves. Ticked me off. I don't appreciate being bothered on behalf of my "neighbors". They are NOT my responsibility.

 

[PrincessBree]

I have yet to receive a census I guess I could call, but i haven't. I know that there has been a census worker at my house as they left a note on my door. I am by myself most of the time and live in the boonies, so even if a census worker came to my house, they wouldn't be coming in or getting any answers as I am not letting a stranger in my house when I am by myself and no I am not a paranoid person.

 

[Purseval]

Seriously... what is the big deal??? it's a few questions. I hope nothing else comes in the mail, cause I had to put that I filled the info out on the back of the form. And I don't want to hear her wrath (I didn't tell her I filled it out, just that the lady showed up).

Ohh and she doesn't care that it's a federal law to fill it out.

So she didn't want to fill it out for her own reasons. You decided to do it anyway and now you won't own up to it except in an anonymous forum. You must really be proud of yourself

 

[ZephyrHawk]

"Enumeration shall be made . . . within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct." ~ US CONST, Art I, Sec 2.

Forget federal law. Your Constitution provides you with all the rights we associate with freedom. The only thing it asks of you is that you answer a few simple questions once every ten years. It's sad that so many people feel they can't be bothered.

 

[yoopermom]

I'm still recovering from this section of census work (we were one of the first in the nation to finish, go us), and I'm going to ask you all to have a little patience with the proxy questions mentioned above. In our area, a huge amount of homes are either summer places or hunting camps. Census workers are not allowed to decide that, though, they HAVE to find a proxy (usually a neighbor) to confirm it. I also have to ask that person for contact information so quality control can make sure I just didn't make up all the information myself . I know it's annoying, but you don't have to help, just don't holler or threaten them, please. Thanks!

Terri

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Forget federal law. Your Constitution provides you with all the rights we associate with freedom. The only thing it asks of you is that you answer a few simple questions once every ten years. It's sad that so many people feel they can't be bothered.

PERFECTION!

 

[auntie]

Certainly everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not gonna get all judgemental about someone who didn't want to send it back in, or answer it. That's their prerogative. Just as it was OP's aunt's choice. While personally, I feel that even though OP didn't agree with her aunt, it really wasn't her choice to make. Her aunt is an adult, and if she didn't want to send it in..whatever her reasons..whether the OP agreed with them or not, it was her aunts call to make.
If her aunt voted by mail, and she knew her aunt was going to vote for someone she didn't endorse...would it be okay for her to just mail it back with what she thought was a better choice. I don't see a difference.
Again, I'm not endorsing that her aunt not fill out the census..just that it was her decision to make.

 

[snapppyd]

They were sent out, what 2-3 months ago?? And they've been sending out census workers for the past month??

My aunt has down right refused to fill out the form. And well yesterday afternoon while she was at work, a census worker came, and I filled it out for her. I knew she was not going to fill it out on her own. And she feels like it doesn't matter now that she's moving to a new city.

Seriously... what is the big deal??? it's a few questions. I hope nothing else comes in the mail, cause I had to put that I filled the info out on the back of the form. And I don't want to hear her wrath (I didn't tell her I filled it out, just that the lady showed up).

Ohh and she doesn't care that it's a federal law to fill it out.

Oh no you didn't! I really think you overstepped your bounds here. It is not up to you to decide for your aunt, and then not even tell her the truth. If you don't want to hear her wrath you should have minded your own business. I would be furious if someone did this to me.

 

[PghLybrt]

Bottom line, it cost ALL of us money for those not filling them out. It takes less than 5 minutes. I would have filled my Aunts out too.

 

[SandrA9810]

part of her issue with the census, is it doesn't have a spot for american caucasion (sp??)... She is not a non-hispanic white. I told her, all she had to do was fill out what she wanted and write it below. Before the census even came out, the news was talking about how that is some of the changes were made. Like the older black community identified themselves one way, while the younger identified another way. So they put both responces on the census. Same way with married gays, they filled out their own response, because they didn't identify with anything on the form.

Trust me... These boards know a lot more about me than my aunt, and i'd prefer it that way. Trust me i should probably have half a tongue with how much i bite it around here.

 

[Abbie]

Bottom line, it cost ALL of us money for those not filling them out. It takes less than 5 minutes. I would have filled my Aunts out too.

You know, it's costing us all a lot of money either way! I received and filled out my census the same day I got it. Should be done, right? Nope. Several weeks later I get a phone call left on my machine to call them. I was concerned something was wrong with the form (and I did NOT want someone showing up at the door!) so I called. It was a 10 minute phone call asking all the same questions again, only even stupider ones this time. "On April 1st, was (DH) in jail? Was (DH) in a nursing home? Was (DH) in the hospital?" and on and on. Then she repeated each inane question with each family member. And that was just part of it, the rest was re:who actually was living in the house on April 1st.

It was very frustrating. Why spend so much doing the same thing twice?? She acknowledged that they did receive my form, they were just reviewing. I gritted my teeth and was very polite because the poor girl was just reading from a very scripted form, but it was inane and wasteful of taxpayer money for sure!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Forget federal law. Your Constitution provides you with all the rights we associate with freedom. The only thing it asks of you is that you answer a few simple questions once every ten years. It's sad that so many people feel they can't be bothered.

Thank you for providing that. I am embarrassed to say I did not even know that was in there!

Although...I am inclined to say that I will start honoring every part of the constitution only when our government does!!!

 

[sbell111]

I agree with this statement. My husband did not want me to fill it out, but I did anyway, and now I kind of regret it. Especially the part about race. We have a hispanic last name, but I said that we are all (we have an 11 year old DD) "white." My DH's parents were born in Cuba. I wish I would have put hispanic for my DH and my DD (or left that part blank). I am being told by friends that it was dumb on my part, due to possible minority benefits for school for DD, and for the business my DH owns. Anyone have an opinion about this?

You are supposed to enter teh race that you self-identify with. You did that. All is good.

part of her issue with the census, is it doesn't have a spot for american caucasion (sp??)... She is not a non-hispanic white. I told her, all she had to do was fill out what she wanted and write it below. ...

I'm not sure that you are familiar with the form. Here is the relevent questions:

If she is of hispanic, latino, of spanish origin, she marks the appropraite box in question eight. Otherwise, she marks the 'no' box for this question.

If she considers herself 'white', she marks the appropraite box in question nine. If she believes that 'American caucasian' is some other race than 'white' and that this race is not listed on the form, she is free to mark the 'some other race' box and pencil that in.