How STUPID is STUPID?

[Dragonfighter]

I had a friend who answered "three" to the number of toilets. He then commented, "one working, two in back yard".

[tacticool]

Now I fully understand your points about an invasion of privacy but in 100 years when you great great grandchildren are searching for you then this census will be one way of finding you and your relationship to them.

What if I don't want my great great grandchildren to know about me?

[ninemm]

Actually, it's pretty short

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/i ... e-form.php

[sjfcontrol]

Actually, it's pretty short

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/i ... e-form.php

Hmm, not only short, but the questions seem logically connected to accurately performing a count (except the race question).
Phone number makes me nervous -- I really don't want them phoning me.
Age AND Date of Birth?? What, they can't perform simple arithmetic?

I understand there is a "long form" -- is that available online somewhere?

[KD5NRH]

Phone number makes me nervous -- I really don't want them phoning me.

More to the point, what if that's the question they can't understand the answer to?

[sjfcontrol]

If they can mail me the form, they can mail me any questions they may have.

[OldSchool]

I have mixed feelings in this argument. We're both pretty private people (for personal and professional reasons).

My recollection (caution -- old memory at work) is that the "pre-letters" started coming out a long time ago, for census forms that were to be filled out and mailed back -- except people hadn't been sending them back because they somehow "didn't receive the form" and "forgot about it." So, they needed to try to "remind" folks that something was coming. The "waste" in pre-letters was hopefully offset by avoiding the "waste" in forms that were mailed but never received back.

It's important data. While we can definitively say how many CHL holders live in Texas, we can only infer as to how many women are in the workforce (since the IRS cannot legally release that information, and even that might not be accurate for various reasons); or how many legal citizens live in the country. Unfortunately, much (most?) of our legislation is nowadays based on statistics regarding characteristics of society, and the press is full of it (pun intended). We make real choices based on these data.

Statisticians will be the first to say that the statistical error is inversely tied to the sample size, and the Census is the only way they can increase the sample size to something meaningful (in itself an argument -- how accurate is good enough?).

So, the choice exists: Either stop legislating based on statistics (such as how many are pro-RKBA?), or make the statistics as meaningful as possible. As with most things, it's not a convenient choice.

Edit: Clarifying "error is directly related" to "error is inversely tied".

[gtrman66]

I just read the long form (thanks for posting). Where do I send my $100? Might as well get it taken care of now.

[sjfcontrol]

I just read the long form (thanks for posting). Where do I send my $100? Might as well get it taken care of now.

Where did you find the long form? -- Thanks!

Edit: Well, according to this -- http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _they.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; -- There is NO long form for 2010.

[gtrman66]

Take a look at the 2000 Census Long Form: http://www.grpundit.com/wp-content/uplo ... s-long.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry, that was the 2000 form when I mentioned "long" form.

[sjfcontrol]

OK -- I didn't look at that before -- but WOW! Did ANYBODY agree to answer all that, uh, "junk"? Glad there (apparently) isn't a long form this year!

[RPB]

We got a letter yesterday from the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT of COMMERCE telling us that we're fixin' to get a letter from the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT of COMMERCE concerning the 2010 census.
How much do these letters cost? No wonder the U.S. is teeterin' on bankruptcy! I say fire all 545 of 'em, abolish Civil Service and let's start over. Good grief!
Best,
Greg

Glad I saw this thread, it's almost time for me to draft and mail my annual letter to the IRS telling them to watch for my tax return in April. Thanks for the reminder.

I'll go ahead and calendar to write DPS a letter in a few years to expect my CHL renewal when it expires too.