2010 Census questions

[DSM351]

Did you get your 2010 Census form yet?

How many questions are you answering?

There is a darker shaded blue box at the beginning where you put the number in the household; do you suppose that is the only legally required field?


P.S. Have you seen the advertising campaign: "Please fill out the census form so your community can get their pork!!?”

[tcrist]

The only thing that I fill out on the Census is that item. The rest of it I put NOYB. That is the way I have always done it and will continue to do it.

I got a letter in the mail yesterday stating that they were going to send out the Census letter. I wonder what it cost them to deliver that pre Census letter to every household in the USA?

[Silverback51]

Originally Posted by tcrist

The only thing that I fill out on the Census is that item. The rest of it I put NOYB. That is the way I have always done it and will continue to do it.

I got a letter in the mail yesterday stating that they were going to send out the Census letter. I wonder what it cost them to deliver that pre Census letter to every household in the USA?

From what I heard it's a little over 41 million.

[Tommy]

I used to work in a job where we used census data to help our community compete with other communities for limited government funds (or pork as some might call it). Typically, state governments don't have enough money to give every community all the financial assistance they want, so they establish grant programs instead. Here's a hypothetical example.

Let's say there are fifty towns that need expensive upgrades to their sewage systems and they have asked their state government for a total of $500 milliion to do the work. The state legislature wants to help, but can only provide $50 million. So, the state puts the money in a grant program for sewage system upgrades and stipulates that the towns have to compete for the money. The money will go to the towns with 1) the greatest documented need, 2) the poorest residents, 3) the greatest local contribution to paying for the project, etc. This assures that the grant money will go where it is needed most and where it can leverage local funds to produce the most results. It's not a perfect system because the towns that play the grant game best will get the most money. But it is a reasonable way to distribute limited funds when lots of towns want them.

Having accurate census data helps assure that these funds are distributed in the fairest way. IMHO, people who don't answer all the questions are potentially hurting their own communities.

[sllib]

If you want to screw around with the census folks send them a letter to tell them that your census form is on the way.
Bill Stradtner

[Jamo]

Started off as apolitical, but it's morphing...not waiting for the inevitable.