Can I tell you how sick I am of hearing about the Census? Every time I see another commercial or get another letter in the mail, it makes me NOT want to sent it back EVEN MORE!
First, we see how many stupid commercials about taking a picture of everyone in America, “the snapshot of America” leading up to the Super Bowl? Then some $2.5- $3 million for a 30 second Super Bowl spot. Then MORE commercials explaining that “in mid-March you should receive the 2010 census” and “we can’t move forward, until you mail it back.” Blah blah blah… So almost mid-March I receive a letter in the mail with the 2010 Census logo on it. Surely it’s the all-important census, right? WRONG! No! It’s a letter telling me that in a couple weeks I’m going to receive the 2010 Census and it’s important that I fill it out and send it back as soon as possible. Finally, mid-March, and WAY TOO MANY commercials later I received the much anticipated 2010 US Census in the mail. It took all of 10 minutes to tell them how old the three people in my household are, that we only live here, and that we are not of Hispanic descent. I’m still tired of the commercials, and annoyed that SO MUCH MONEY seems to have been WASTED on this census. A day or so ago, we got a postcard in the mail reading something to the effect of “by now you should have received your 2010 Census….”
OH! MY! WORD! SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!?
GP are you with me?
We had a very similar conversation in our house. It seems very wasteful all of the mailings and commercials.... sheesh!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until I started tracing our ancestry until I found out how important the census is. I was able to find my mother's father's father in NC from the 1890 census. I can see the house he live at, what he did for a living and were his father came from.
ReplyDeleteThe census is good for the future but excellent for looking into the past.
As for the mailings I do agree it was kinda over kill but its waaaaaaaaaaay cheaper then sending someone door to door.
I have to agree with Crystal. While it is annoying to receive all of the stuff in the mail, it is far cheaper than the people they are going to have to hire to go door to door if people don't send it back. Also, they had to advertise over and over when the census was coming because people use this as an opportunity to scam, and tons of false census mailings were sent out asking for people's personal info, and people would actually FILL THEM OUT! So they have to do everything they can to make sure that people know what exactly the census will ask and not to give any more info than is required.
ReplyDeleteIt's really important especially this go around that north Florida gets an accurate read on how many people are living here. We get federal funding based on the state's population, and then the state divides then money up. South Florida is already going to get waaay more than their share because of all of the Haiti refugees.
Sorry for the sermon. I just happened to be very interested in the hows and whys of the census.
PLEASE SEND IT BACK, ERIN!!
Yeah, I'm with you sister. How much more money and they spend to annoy the crap out of people?!?! You know what would have been great. Mailing me the census, and that's it. If people don't answer it they are going to send someone out to as you to do it anyway. Too much crap for this census thing in my opinion. Commercials, and letters and warnings, Oh my!
ReplyDelete