Census Advertising
Obviously, it's been controversial, and Census officials ended up trying to explain their strategy again on CNBC. As someone who wasn't old enough to participate in the previous Census independently, I've been fairly impressed by the Census's bread-and-butter outreach. When I came home last week, there was a flyer stuck on my door explaining the Census and privacy issues. And a letter from Robert Groves, telling me that my form will be arriving in a week and asking me to please send it back, came in the mail last night. I certainly was thinking more about the Census generally because of the television ads (which I really do think are quite witty), but now it's on my calendar as a specific task for next week.
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Government Executive Editor in Chief Tom Shoop, along with other editors and staff correspondents, take a fresh look at news affecting the management and operations of the federal bureaucracy.
My notice came in 10 languages, just pitiful that english is no longer spoken
dan ketter Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 1:00 PMI got a similar letter stating that the census form would be sent to me next week. So my questions is: A letter to tell me about another letter - how many taxpayer dollars were wasted on this?
Paper, time, printing costs, mailing costs, etc. This is fraud, waste, and abuse.
I want my money back please
taxpayer Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 8:26 AMI concur about the wasting of tax dollars on preparing & sending that form letter, I too received.
Perhaps we will get a thank you note as well, after we send in the form.
Another taxpayer Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11:59 AMAbout 80% of the American people no longer trust the government. It doesn't help that the upcoming census will ask for financial info among other private details. The census workers are also equipped with GPS units to record the exact location of the entrance to each property they visit.
Government employees must drive to each home which wasn't accounted for in the mailing campaign. The people who don't mail back their data are considered the troublemakers.
A surprising number of people believe that the census data will be used in "unconventional" ways over the next couple of years. Unconventional in the Nazi Germany sense. The public's suspicion is a part of the reason the government is spending so much money on Census 2010 billboards, TV ads, mailings, etc.
Whether you're a "conspiracy nut" or not, I think it's clear to most people that there's a ton of immorality and dishonesty in the federal government and corporate America these days. The politicians don't even care any more. They've essentially decided to ignore the people.
Bill F Posted Friday, March 12, 2010 4:08 AM