I live at the end of a gravel road you know. One day last week, I was coming home and there was a late model Chevy truck headed towards my place. Now, we don’t get many folks coming down the road, especially Okies so, I was pretty curious. Turns out, it was a guy delivering the census form.
Now, a couple of weeks before, I was traveling and listening to some radio call-in show where the host and the callers were yakking about how the census was going to have personal questions, the bureau was compiling personal data and that was unconstitutional and there should be protest etc. So, I was kind of curious about that too.
Anyway, I filled the thing out this morning. Big black letters on the envelope say…
YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW
Pretty ominous and serious, no? Ironically, the first question is; How many people were living in your household as of April 1, 2010?
Since it’s only March, I could say anything and it wouldn’t hold up in a court of LAW.
On the personal data, they want your name, phone number (in case they have a question about your answers…hunh!!??) and race.
A little creepy and intrusive but, I’m pretty transparent. I give my name and number to strangers all the time. I’m not trying to be evasive about being a white guy. No big deal.
But, there are a few more things I’m curious about…like…
Why do they send some guy from Oklahoma and pay mileage when there are drummers I know, right here in Stone County, that have taken the test and applied for that very job?
…and…
Why is tax payer $ being spent on sponsoring a stock car?
From the Census Bureau…
The U.S. Census Bureau today officially announced an agreement with Roush Fenway Racing to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 16 Ford Fusion driven by Greg Biffle for three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
The agreement will see the No. 16 carry a special 2010 Census paint job in Sprint Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 7; Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 21; and Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 28. To increase awareness and encourage participation among hard-to-count populations living in rural parts of the country in the upcoming 2010 Census, the three-race sponsorship schedule lines up with key census mail-out and mail-back dates.
Oh yeah, those pesky backwoods rural folks and the old “increase awareness” scam.
Which, brings up another curiosity. At the bureau site, I learned that on the last census, 72% of the population responded.
If they didn’t count everybody then, how do they know that?
well, Jack,
all I’m telling them is how many lives at my address and nothing more,
it really isn’t any of their business, and has nothing to do with counting heads,
Jeanie
Might have to send my wife to this post. She works for the Census and knows some of that. From what I hear from her, here are three metrics in the hiring process: do you live in the area (defined low) where you’re gonna count (if you’re one of those people)? what did you get on the test? Did you apply for Selective Service? If 1 and 3 are true, they’ll go with the one with the highest score.
.-= Sans Direction´s last blog ..Weisenborn into the Future =-.
“I’d rather have a free bottle in front of me than a prefrontal lobotomy.” ~ Tom Waits
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Sponsorships. Why is my money being spent on a diversion that is entirely made up of cars continually turning left? It’s hard to tell from the photo but I see 3-M there. I’m sure Quaker State or some other oil company has spent some money there. Hell, Nascar uniforms are billboards. People say the gubmint should operate more like a business. Here is an example of the “people” getting what they asked for. We already have the Tostitos supreme court, the Unical House of Reps, and the Verizon/Prudential Senate. Census advertising in Nascar is a natural extention of the thesis.
To help raise awareness amongst hillbillies…rednecks love NASCAR.
I would rather pay less for a roll of scotch tape than have 3M underwrite a waste of time with the profits they make off that roll of tape. I propose a total boycott of all advertizers. Go Milwaukee’s Best!!!!!!!!