Making the Census More Efficient

COMMENTS

• Their biggest expense by far is the people who do not fill out the form. Their studies showed that the people most likely to use an online form are the people who are already sending back the paper form. Moving online wouldn't help in the "undercount."

  Jon Desenberg Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 2:29 PM

• Maybe a better question would be why are there 10 questions? More if you are "selected".

  The U.S. Constitution only allows for the Government to count the people, and that only once every 10 years. Now we have an on-going, annual event (in one form or another) with far too many questions and way too much money wasted.

  There has been no change to the Constitution, so why is this invasion of privacy allowed or tolerated? Oh, wait. I know. Because the Government needs the data to spread the wealth. Great concept.

  Bud Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 2:34 PM

• What online??? Look we are the Census Dept and our regulations date back to 1780 no waaaay are we changing

  dan ketter Posted Wednesday, March 10, 2010 4:00 PM

• Oh great! Do you propose the government provide computers and internet connections for every household?

  dee Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:48 AM

• How about a waste with the Census bureau sending out letters to tell the addressee to fill out the census when it arrives - next week. Why not send the letter with the census form itself and save postage and paper?

  G. Campos Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 8:20 AM

• I agree wholeheartedly. Furthermore, they've wasted who knows how many millions of dollars sending us a letter stating that the census would be coming. I guess someone needs to try to keep the USPS afloat.

  nathan wolfson Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:16 AM

• Does the census think it will also include the approximately 8 million illegal's in this country, I think not. Why don't they just use the tax returns, oh, the illegal's don't file. Online forms, the illegals and poor do not have computers. I do not know what percentage of people the census hopes to identify, but I know it will not be that high where it will have an impact on our government.

  Ken Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 10:09 AM

• Census is just going through the motions we all know that after 9/11 and having privacy laws changed that the Feds know who when where and why. And I do agree with the post why send a letter that states a letter is coming? That is so typical of the government I didnt hear the great republicans bash the dems or did we hear the dems bash the reps so I guess they both must be in bed on this deal. You have no privacy anymore your bank account your phone calls just about anything you do using technology is tracked by the government. So they really know who the legal citizens are in this country. And if you are not a citizen and have not taken the oath of this nation then why would the taxpayers care? I too am curious as to why the government would need so much information about us what do they do with that data? How will any of this help put Americans back to work? How will this stop illegal immigration? How will this help feed our families? ect ect ect....

  LC Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 1:13 PM

• Another big waste was sending out a letter, in 6 languages,announcing the census was coming in 10 days or so. Are we proping up the failed postoffice? It was a total waste.

  George Marchant Posted Thursday, March 11, 2010 1:15 PM

• OK you're so smart - give the details! Tell me how you are going to design a Web-based census that: 1) ensures privacy (privacy conspiracy theorists - bite me - we take your privacy very seriously, not even IRS or ICE see what we collect - yes I work for Census, but not Decennial); 2) is accurate - how do we know the person claiming to be Mary Jones @ 123 Some St., Any State, USA really is Mary Jones?; & 3) complete - that we counted EVERYONE (or at least as many as the way we do it now) and immigrant haters - bite me too - the law doesn't restrict the census to counting citizens.

  So Alyssa - tell me - right here - how you intend to accomplish this and do it as well as we do it now. Put up or shutup!

  m Posted Friday, March 12, 2010 7:12 PM

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