The Census Form

[Signe]

So who is actually going to answer all ten (light year!) census questions?  How many are doing it just to avoid having a pesky public servant turn up on their doorstep?

[Venkman]

Out of touch. What are the questions?

Duh, sorry, got over the lazy.

These questions?

The only one I won't answer is telephone number. They don't need it. And we never answer it anyway. If they're important, they'll text us 

[Merusk]

I'll answer 'em all.  I'm not some paranoid black chopper freak. 

[schild]

These questions?

The only one I won't answer is telephone number. They don't need it. And we never answer it anyway. If they're important, they'll text us 

Yea, the government definitely doesn't have a list of phone numbers. No way.

:groan:

[angry.bob]

Out of touch. What are the questions?

Duh, sorry, got over the lazy.

These questions?

The only one I won't answer is telephone number. They don't need it. And we never answer it anyway. If they're important, they'll text us  

If that's all there is to the census, what a fucking complete waste of time, effort, and money. For something that's done once a decade and has some fairly important weight to it, I expect some questions that weren't already answered on my annual income tax forms. Okay, there's two questions that 1040 forms don't cover: #8 "Are you some kind of mexican? what kind of mexican are you?" and #9 "If you're not some kind of mexican, what are you?"

[MahrinSkel]

It's the census, which is just a head-count, everything after question 1 is designed to satisfy *statutory* requirements of funding, that first one is the only one required for the constitutional purpose of the census.  The "Statistical Abstract" will be built by selecting randomly for more in depth questions.

--Dave

[schild]

Out of touch. What are the questions?

Duh, sorry, got over the lazy.

These questions?

The only one I won't answer is telephone number. They don't need it. And we never answer it anyway. If they're important, they'll text us 

If that's all there is to the census, what a fucking complete waste of time, effort, and money. For something that's done once a decade and has some fairly important weight to it, I expect some questions that weren't already answered on my annual income tax forms. Okay, there's two questions that 1040 forms don't cover: #8 "Are you some kind of mexican? what kind of mexican are you?" and #9 "If you're not some kind of mexican, what are you?"

So, you some kind of Mexican?

[Engels]

Seriously, what's up with that? A separate question if you're latino, and if so, which kind? Then a whole other question to determine ethnicity if you're -not- latino?

[Draegan]

Isn't the Hispanic population the fastest growing population in this country?  Makes sense to see where they all are coming from and of what descent. 

[Quinton]

This does strike me as a remarkably limited amount of information to gather, given the expense and infrequency of doing so.

[caladein]

Seriously, what's up with that? A separate question if you're latino, and if so, which kind? Then a whole other question to determine ethnicity if you're -not- latino?

They're asking two different questions.  For example, everyone in my household (i.e. my parents, paternal grandmother, and I) would be "Yes, another..." and write in "Nicaraguan" for question 8 and check off "White" for question 9.

(Yes, there's some Black and Native (Central) American up in my family tree somewhere, but hell if we know where it's at and for the latter none of us "maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment".)

This does strike me as a remarkably limited amount of information to gather, given the expense and infrequency of doing so.

They've moved the socioeconomic information gathering to the American Community Survey.  From the Wikipedia entry, "The American Community Survey (ACS) is a project of the U.S. Census Bureau that replaces the long form in the decennial census. It is an ongoing statistical survey, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly, and thus more current than information obtained by the long form."

[Ingmar]

Seriously, what's up with that? A separate question if you're latino, and if so, which kind? Then a whole other question to determine ethnicity if you're -not- latino?

For census purposes Latino is not a 'race', you can have black Latinos, white Latinos, Native American Latinos, or any combination of the above.

[Sir T]

What about a Black Russian? 

[Bzalthek]

Answer -3 for the first question and hand deliver it so there's no postage mark. 

[Delmania]

As someone with a limited view into the development of the form, the race question is awesome.  No other question on the form has both lobbyists and conspiracy theorists going nuts.

The only one I won't answer is telephone number. They don't need it. And we never answer it anyway. If they're important, they'll text us 

Title 13 is pretty much ironclad. I think the CIA, FBI, NSA, or some other security alphabet soup wanted Census data and a federal court flat out refused.

[Quinton]

The Dept of Commerce appears to be sending letters informing people that they will be sending census forms.  I received one today.  I'm a bit baffled as to what purpose this could possibly serve.  Perhaps we are suffering from an excess of paper and envelopes that must be disposed of somehow?

I am urged to fill my census form out and mail it promptly, to ensure that my community receives its fair share.

I am told "Go to 2010census.gov for help completing your 2010 Census form when it arrives." in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Russian.  I wonder if the language selection varies by state or community?

It is interesting that they told me that I should receive a form in a week, but provide no instructions as to what to do should that not happen.

[Samwise]

Heh, we got an extra census form for our half-finished illegal in-law unit.     I guess that answers the question of whether the previous owners were actually renting it out.

[Viin]

The Dept of Commerce appears to be sending letters informing people that they will be sending census forms.  I received one today.  I'm a bit baffled as to what purpose this could possibly serve.  Perhaps we are suffering from an excess of paper and envelopes that must be disposed of somehow?

That is exactly what I thought when I got mine today.

[Trippy]

This decade's census is "short form"-only cause the long-form questions have been replaced with this:

http://www.prb.org/Articles/2009/acs.aspx

which is done much more frequently.

[Rendakor]

I don't really understand the whole Race and Subrace (Latino y/n) thing either... You're already allowed to check more than one box in question 9, why not just give a write-in box specifically for people who check the Latino box?

[RhyssaFireheart]

The Dept of Commerce appears to be sending letters informing people that they will be sending census forms.  I received one today.  I'm a bit baffled as to what purpose this could possibly serve.  Perhaps we are suffering from an excess of paper and envelopes that must be disposed of somehow?

That is exactly what I thought when I got mine today.

Same.  We got our letter and first thing I thought of was "No wonder this census is costing so much money."

[shiznitz]

  The "Statistical Abstract" will be built by selecting randomly for more in depth questions.

--Dave

This is key. Some of us will have follow-up questionnaires or interviews. They will claim it is for the Census, but it is extra. Feel free to refuse. The 10 basic questions are harmless.

[bhodi]

I got two letters, but each told me not to trust the other.

[01101010]

I don't really understand the whole Race and Subrace (Latino y/n) thing either... You're already allowed to check more than one box in question 9, why not just give a write-in box specifically for people who check the Latino box?

Its actually race vs. ethnicity. Race is skin color, ethnicity is background. Given my education in sociology and psychology, I can argue that both are so problematic as to be unusable, but it won't stop researchers from making their arguments. But knowing people in D.C. that work for Depts in population and demographics, the simplest block of info concerning this issue is race and ethnicity and their simplistic conceptualization of each.

Is for the letter telling you you are getting a census form soon... standard procedure. I recall getting a letter telling me I was getting a stimulus check as well, which I think nationally cost 1/3 of the total of the checks that were written. At least they are pumping money into the US Postal Service, no wait... 

[Sky]

We got our letter and first thing I thought of was "No wonder this census is costing so much money."

+1

[Cyrrex]

We should all send them back letters stating that we will soon be returning out census forms.

[Abagadro]

There are entire books written about the construction of race in the census and other government statistical analysis.  I've unfortunately had to read some of them.

[Righ]

We should all send them back letters stating that we will soon be returning out census forms.

Do you want to be responsible for creating a whole new branch of the census bureau tasked with responding to those letters confirming that your correspondence has been noted and filed? As usual, you'll be footing the bill.

[schild]

The Dept of Commerce appears to be sending letters informing people that they will be sending census forms.  I received one today.  I'm a bit baffled as to what purpose this could possibly serve.  Perhaps we are suffering from an excess of paper and envelopes that must be disposed of somehow?

That is exactly what I thought when I got mine today.

Same.  We got our letter and first thing I thought of was "No wonder this census is costing so much money."

Asked my roommate the same thing since both of his parents are g-men.

Turns out, census takers constantly get killed if you get one of the in-person ones. So they send out letters to warn people that it's routine and BIG BROTHER IS NOT COMING TO TAKE THEIR BABIES AWAY AND GET ALL THEIR SEKRITZ.

Seriously, apparently they get shot and stabbed and shit constantly.

[Signe]

It's because they taste so good, isn't it?

[HaemishM]

Yeah, I got another one of these wasteful letters. Does seem a bit spendy to send out a warning. And after all, aren't we just giving the census worker serial killers something to get their hopes up?

[01101010]

Yeah, I got another one of these wasteful letters. Does seem a bit spendy to send out a warning. And after all, aren't we just giving the census worker serial killers something to get their hopes up?

Well they have to be able to take their vacation days off at the correct time ya know. And they operate like the cable company, coming to the house between 8a and 3p.

[Righ]

Serial killers have unionised hours now?

[Murgos]

Serial killers have unionised hours now?

Local 314 est 1892.

[Slyfeind]

I got a letter in the mail that said "Census" on it, but I heard the Republicans were pretending to be with the government and spamming people with that shit, so I threw it away.

I guess if it's really important, I'll know about it later.