Why Is There So Much Mail From the Census?

[DancingBear]

That is my thought as well. I think secretly they are sending so much mail as a way of subsidizing the post office without having to justify it to us.

Are you serious?

The letters reportedly cost $57 million to mail.

But officials at the U.S. Census Bureau said they ultimately save the taxpayer money. According to the bureau's Twitter page, data shows that sending out the reminder letter increases the response 6-12 percent on the actual census form.

Increasing the mail-back response by even one percent saves $85 million, according to the bureau. That's because it only costs $0.44 for a person to mail back the form, whereas it costs an average of $56 for a worker to get a response in-person.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/conten...inder-letter-cost/MjPnXmm95kOJlV2fwcVA9Q.cspx

 

[DancingBear]

The people who don't answer the census are the ones who will ignore the reminders anyways.

They're not after folks that refuse to respond, they're after folks that could use a reminder.

Surely that's not a stretch, don't you get reminders all the time by e-mail and such about things? PTA activities, your kid's upcoming soccer game, that Cub Scout den meeting?

 

[bicker]

My only complaint was that they didn't have it available to do online.

For very much the same reason that they don't let you vote online yet.

Everything else now days is done online-

No, not everything.

why can't this be done online as well? I believe more people would do it if there were an online option.

I also suspect that if they allowed submissions online, there would be a mess of lawsuits in response. Too many people are simply still to paranoid.

OR, instead of visiting a persons home, why can't they simply call them?

Everyone has a home (as defined by the government -- not everyone has a telephone.

 

[Mr Nice Guy]

There is so much census mail because "They" have "Your" money.
Well, used to be yours.

 

[FireDancer]

Are you serious?

No, I'm not serious. I forgot to use my sarcasm tags.

 

[disney1990]

$22.75 in the Boston area.

Wow, I am feeling underpaid now.

DH & I start training tomorrow for the next phase of the Census. We will be visiting prisons, homeless shelters, dormitories, etc.

 

[yoopermom]

Lucky you getting chosen for Group Quarters! I was just told we won't be back to work until the end of April for chasing down all of you non-answerers. (And we only make $11.50 by the way...)

Terri

 

[georgina]

We got a postcard saying they hadnt gotten our Census back yet. Really, because it usually takes a couple days. I got the Census on friday, mailed on saturday. Then today, get the postcard?

The post card was a general reminder to everyone. Mine didn't say they hadn't received my census, it said - if you have already sent it back, thanks; if you haven't, send it in! (to paraphrase)

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Why couldn't they put a website and code on the first mailing so that I could fill it out online and not need the form mailed, the second reminder mailed, mailing back the form, scanning and OCRing the form I sent back?

 

[redlight]

Why couldn't they put a website and code on the first mailing so that I could fill it out online and not need the form mailed, the second reminder mailed, mailing back the form, scanning and OCRing the form I sent back?

That's a good suggestion, and might work for the 2020 census.

 

[dislaney]

Why couldn't they put a website and code on the first mailing so that I could fill it out online and not need the form mailed, the second reminder mailed, mailing back the form, scanning and OCRing the form I sent back?

Wouldn't that be too efficient?

It would be nice if they could do something like that though.

 

[jlmarr]

Just curious - we have a possible change of status as of the nominal census date of April 1st so I'm holding off until we're pretty sure what's going to happen. Please tell me they aren't going to send someone out before then. I'd hate to burden the system like that.

 

[LoraJ]

We haven't received a thing!

I know my neighbor has because I was collecting his mail while he was out of the country. I wonder why we haven't gotten anything?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, it makes sense...they are saving money by sending out reminders on paper instead of sending out people! 40cents is a heck of a lot less than $20-$30 an hour!

My only complaint was that they didn't have it available to do online. Everything else now days is done online- why can't this be done online as well? I believe more people would do it if there were an online option. I have friends who rarely even check their mail- it's a p.o. box and they need to go to the post office to get it- they go once a week (or sometimes less) because of the hassle to drive there and pick it up only to find that it's all junk mail anyways.

OR, instead of visiting a persons home, why can't they simply call them? My grandpa threw his away when it came, because he didn't understand what it was. He HATES junk mail and if he doesn't recognize the sender as his one and only credit card company/it's his statement or if the sender is not a personal friend/relative of his- he throws it away. Not saying that's right- but he's stubborn and he has MS and doesn't take the time to read things. I know MANY other elderly people do the same thing!

In both cases - the greater potential for fraud.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why couldn't they put a website and code on the first mailing so that I could fill it out online and not need the form mailed, the second reminder mailed, mailing back the form, scanning and OCRing the form I sent back?

A surprising number of people, for a variety of reasons, don't have computers. To go elsewhere (e.g. library) would be more inconvenient than completing and returning a mailed form.

 

[FireDancer]

A surprising number of people, for a variety of reasons, don't have computers. To go elsewhere (e.g. library) would be more inconvenient than completing and returning a mailed form.

I don't think people should be forced to do the census online but if it is an option it would save a lot of money. People who register to do the census online would not need any mailings.

It is like online billing or online bank statements. If it is opt-in people can choose to do it online or on paper. Those that do it online would not need reminders mailed to them, they would get email.

 

[WeCantWait]

More wasteful spending. All of the television advertising is driving me nuts as well.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

When are we supposed to mail these back by?
Also, I have received to (our complex can go by 2 different addresses)
So I filled one out and on the other I attached a post it saying
Please refer to the form addressed to (our address here) as we received 2 forms. Should I include any other info?

 

[bicker]

The post card was a general reminder to everyone. Mine didn't say they hadn't received my census, it said - if you have already sent it back, thanks; if you haven't, send it in! (to paraphrase)

That's what I believe my postcard said as well. It was a general reminder; not something in response to not having received the form back yet.

 

[bicker]

I don't think people should be forced to do the census online but if it is an option it would save a lot of money.

However, it costs more to maintain two options than one, especially when the second option is within a scope rife with fraud and abuse.

It is like online billing or online bank statements.

Don't get me started on how much the banks spend (and charge us for, through various means) to fight fraud and/or pay the costs of fraud.