Ok, I'm a fan of the Census, because I'm addicted to Genealogy and I use Census records in my research quite heavily.

That said, you won't believe what I witnessed this weekend.

I own a small business and part of my business is located on a remote island with the only transportation being by ferry. There are no cars on this island, only golf carts. Ferry tickets are $16 round trip per person. Parking is $5 per car load. Golf carts rent for $65 a day.

The Census Bureau sent over 75 people on Saturday and 55 on Sunday to this remote island by ferry. Each of them drove their own cars, I saw it with my own eyes. They got a discount on the ferry tickets (only having to pay $10 each), but not on parking. They had to rent 32 golf carts. This is for a remote island WITH ONLY 220 full time residents. I absolutely, positively could not believe it. Worse, they came to one of the houses I was working on. They told me that if there was no answer and they couldn't get information from someone like me, they had to come back SIX TIMES before they could confirm that no one lived there.

I was absolutely speechless.

No surprise here. I hope that everyone who posted to complain about all the taxpayer dollars wasted on this forum called or wrote the Census Bureau and let them know about it.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Is your concern the number of workers?

I have seen where some workers are going to have to hire dog sleds, snow mobiles, small airplanes etc to get to all households. Transportation costs are figured in to the budget for remote places.

The Census has an approved budget. Have they exceeded it and requested more funds?

I believe the point trying to be made here isn't about going over budget. I believe the budget could have been less as the number of workers the OP talked about was over the top as were the expenses they encountered.

I'm sorry, but I think sometimes it's good to step back and not defend something that's indefensible.

Budget or not, it is a terrible waste of taxpayer money.

There is nothing wrong with *not* spending every penny you've been permission to spend, especially in times like these.

I am just happy to start my part time job with them this coming week. I really need the money and this will definitely help out my household.

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-Kristi

Just because they have the money to spend doesn't mean they have to spend it, not talking about just the census, but about all govenrment agencies (I know usually it's a use or lose it kind of thing), but right now our local agencies are struggling to survive. Like our schools, and state governments, even our prison system here in Oklahoma.

Our local schools here in Oklahoma are laying teachers off for next year, some this year have already gone to 4 day weeks to save money on hourly wages for cafeteria workers, bus drivers, janetorial staff, etc. also helps save on electricity and other utilities. One school district has gone so far as to not hire subs unless at least 3 teachers (in a school) are sick other school staff have to sub first unless there are 3 out sick then they can call a sub.

Our DHS, Department of Human Services, my oldest is a Food Stamp Worker (state job) are going on manatory 1 day a week unpaid furlough starting in July. So DHS will only be open Monday-Thursday, closed Friday, still expected to do the same amount of work though, but will take over a $200 month pay cut. This is to last for 1 year, which at that time they will decide if it is to be permanent or not. They were told some jobs will be eliminated and some will be offered packages to quit, if you are offered a package to quit you better take it, because chances are if you don't you will then be rifted later on with no package.

Department of Mental Health. Hubby is a drug/alchol and gambling addiction counselor for the state. Pretty sure is job is not in jeopardary as he is the only gambling addiction counselor for the state in SW Oklahoma, but that doesn't mean his department won't have the furloughs that DHS is doing, so we are waiting and wondering? Just being prepared. There have already been many layoffs state wide as far as drug & alcohol programs and counselors being laid off, but not at his facility.

Department of Corrections; They have cut guards, cut prison programs to train prisoners job skills, like welding and that type thing, all those programs and their teachers have been cut.

Sorry to go so off topic!

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It's been fascinating watching the New Jersey fuss between the teachers union and the governor. I saw an interview with him today and think it's pretty clear that the teachers need to be the ones to budge.

I just got back from the grocery store, got home, unpacked my bags inside there was a CENSUS 2010 flyer on one side, return your census form as soon as possible, on the other side, apply now and a listing of job offers. I wonder how much they paid to have these distributed?

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Wow, seems like a great waste of tax payers money!!!

I guess they are creating jobs

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Stuff For Guys

And WHY they are being distributed heavily in some areas and not at all in others...

That would be interesting to know? I live in a rural area, I wonder if they are having trouble getting people to turn in their forms or finding people to work? I personally know people that have not even received forms, because we have ours hand delivered to our homes, as we do not have home delivered mail, we have PO boxes. The lady who owns the pharmacy says they haven't received one and said there is no way anyone would be able to find their house, unless it was someone from around here who knew where they lived, then they would be greeted by 6 dogs. She was going to call and ask about getting a form. So they haven't even gotten forms to everyone yet.

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Because of historically low turn out in those areas.

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"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox." ~David Frum

Are they targeting blue-type low turnout citizen, or red-types, or both?

OMG, I went to a Child Support Workshop today (oldest DD is owed $49,000 in support, she just gave me power of attorney to handle it because I have alot of free time for the summer) anyway they had booths set up and the Census had a booth set up, they were giving away water bottles, flashlights, pens, flyswatters, and change purses, I got all of those things, they also had some other stuff I didn't get like fans, koozies, pencils, luggage tags and a few other things. I can't believe as tax payers we are paying for all this stuff.

As far "targeting" as our state, Oklahoma, most people here are registered Democrats because in order to vote in most primaries here you have to be Democrat. However, most of the state voted for McCain in the last election. I don't know if we have a low response for the census.

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Penny, that is very interesting.

I currently live in a very red state and have seen none of what you are seeing.

I am originally from a very red rural county in Oklahoma and my relatives there aren't reporting what you are seeing in your rural blue OK county.

This is very interesting. Based on this tread there HAS to be some sort of commie, socialist, liberal plot. I must say how very wise of the blues to ignore the very reds! It's just brilliant!

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"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox." ~David Frum

Maybe we don't have a good response? I don't know. I live in Comanche County, which is in SW Oklahoma. We are heavily military and native american in this area, not sure if that would make a difference?

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So far nobody has responded to my question - one I first asked in the other thread.

Right after Obama took office last year, he brought the census in under White House oversight. Previously, the Bureau of the Census had acted as an independent agency.

Allowing a position that is held by a political arm to be in charge of the census is, IMHO, a very bad idea, regardless of which party is in power.

Census data is used to federal money. It is also used to draw the lines for congressional districts.

Ever hear of gerrymandering?

If the number of blue respondents rises, money will be diverted to their areas. They will also likely gain seats in the house when boundaries shift.

C'mon. Can you look me straight in the face and tell me that if Bush had come into office a year ago and said, "My office will now oversee the census!" and suddenly heavy advertising to 'be sure and respond!!!!' was being done in Nebraska but not Michigan, you wouldn't find it suspect?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123423384887066377.html

The thing is the "blues" are really "reds". Alot of the registered Dems are really Republican in mindset and vote Republican in the longrun, an Oklahoma Dem is not the same as a Dem from other places, alot of them are only registered as Dems so they can vote in the primaries. It's kind of confusing unless you live here. All I know is the people of Oklahoma are not happy with President Obama at all, and I personally only know one person living here (of the people I know) in my state that voted for him.

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Such great under-the-radar methods. Flooding (by one anecdotal report) a small, North Carolina island (County was 70% McCain in "08) and planning to go house to house to all residences with PO boxes. Ohh.. Ahhh.. such a conspiracy ........... buwahahahahaha

Such blind trust from the blue sheep.


Baaaaaaaa! Baaaaaaaa!

President Obama did not bring census oversight under the White House. The Bureau of the Census has been part of the Department of Commerce since the early 1900's. Check the news about a week after the article you linked. Basically President Obama nominated republican Senator Gregg as Secretary of Commerce in an effort to be bipartisan. The democrats were in a uproar and President Obama made a statement along the lines of don't worry I'll keep an eye on him, which outraged the Republicans so much that they said he was putting the White House in charge of the Census. President Obama made it clear he had no such plans. The Republican Senator withdrew his nomination. President Obama nominated Governor Gary Locke (Dem). The hoop-la died out, nothing changed regarding oversight of the census.

You could say this whole thing and all the misinformation that still is around today would have never happened if President Obama would have never tried to reach out to the other side, I don't know why he keeps trying.

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"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox." ~David Frum

Such paranoia from the red sheep

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"Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox." ~David Frum

You make him sound so noble. Bipartisan? Baaaaa.

Gregg inserted himself into the process and pursued the position. After interviews in which he assured Obama that he would go along with his agenda, the Latino community put up a stink and suddenly Robert Gibbs is explaining that it had become clear that Gregg could not adequately support the President's agenda, therefore they were going to part ways.

Um, IMHO there should have been NO agenda. It's supposed to be a non-partisan activity!

You guys just don't get it. It's simply a matter of fiscal irresponsibility the waste of OUR hard earned tax dollars. That what everyone is complaining about.
I just heard on the news that even though everyone who has a PO Box is required to mail in a Census form that they pick up at their local store reps will be making a visit to all those homes just to verify. Why waste money processing forms AND paying a visit? Why not just pay a visit and skip paying all those people to process those forms?
It comes down to the federal government mismanaging money. And it doesn't matter if it's Bush or Obama; the Democrats or the Republicans. It comes down to the fact that no matter who is in office or which party has the majority rule the fact of the matter is that the federal government wastes money over and over and screws things up and does thing in an illogical, irresponsible manner.
It's been said over and over in my lifetime ever since I was a young child: if a private business operated like a federal agency it would go broke and have to close down in a very short time. However the feds seem to think they have an unlimited supply of incoming money but that is OUR money and someone needs to be ultimately responsible for it before we go bankrupt as a country.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I totally agree. It isn't that they advertised about the census, it is that they chose the most expensive airtime to buy to air it. Visiting the island isn't bad, but why send so many on the ferry at one time, why not make them carpool. Why even do the freebies at all. People are either going to do the census or not -- the freebie isn't going to make people more willing to fill out the form.

I went to the sporting goods store on Friday to pick up something for DD's softball game and they had the same flyers that the grocery store was handing out. This was 25 miles away in the next town. They weren't putting them in everyone's bags though like the grocery store was, they just had them stacked on their counter, you could take one as you checked out if you wanted.

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I think I found out why our area is being canvassed so heavily. Our representative said our local area only has a 70% return rate for the census, because: 1. towns under a certain population don't get forms delivered to them 2. people here aren't filling them out because they don't want the government to know their business.

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Good for them!

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.