# Perusing my Census Form **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695 "2010-03-16T20:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/81 "2010-03-18T14:20:38Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > **kayaker** , think of Census participation as a graduated range. There are people who love the Census and would fill out a dozen forms if asked. They’re also good about encouraging their family and friends to participate and have helped with PR efforts. There are people who hate the Census and who will happily chase the enumerator off with a shotgun. Those are the black and white ends of the range. The Census is concerned with the ones in the middle: The people who have no reasons not to cooperate, but may forget to send it back, or who think they’re supposed to wait for a visit from an enumerator (This is actually quite common for the elderly; they’re used to that and don’t understand why it’s on a paper form that they mail back.), or what have you. The letter that went out last week was a gentle reminder to expect the form and to fill it out and send it back. That’s all it was. I understand what you are saying (and appreciate your saying it), I’m just not comfortable accepting without documentation (“proof”) that the effect of the mailing would be significant enough to justify the expense. You could reach close to 100% compliance by offering a substantial cash payment in exchange for a completed form. However, while 100% compliance is a laudable goal, I don’t think anyone is considering paying people to reach it. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/82 "2010-03-18T14:43:29Z")
Based on my experience I’ll guess that the people who seem to take pride in gumming up simple government programs like the Census, and perhaps insulting the government workers doing their duty tend to be **the very same people** as those who denounce government “waste” and the “hostility” or incompetence of government employees. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/83 "2010-03-18T16:01:57Z")
I was actually excited to get my census form. The last census was when I was 13, so this is like an “adult milestone” for me. I was disappointed that it was so short. Crazy to think that by the next census I will probably have kids. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/84 "2010-03-18T17:20:53Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I was actually excited to get my census form. The last census was when I was 13, so this is like an “adult milestone” for me. I was disappointed that it was so short. > > Crazy to think that by the next census I will probably have kids. This makes me think about the different stages of life I’ve been in at the times of the censuses: 1970: I was a third grader. 1980: I was a high school senior 1990: I was in graduate school living with housemates 2000: I was a single man living alone 2010: I am a married man with a child ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/85 "2010-03-18T23:46:31Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I understand what you are saying (and appreciate your saying it), I’m just not comfortable accepting without documentation (“proof”) that the effect of the mailing would be significant enough to justify the expense. > > You could reach close to 100% compliance by offering a substantial cash payment in exchange for a completed form. However, while 100% compliance is a laudable goal, I don’t think anyone is considering paying people to reach it. Pre-contact letters are common practice in marketing and health research, as are post-contact reminders. The only cites for efficacy that I could provide are behind pay walls or hard copy, but if you google a bit you’ll find that they are certainly prevalent. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/86 "2010-03-19T05:51:42Z")
Haven’t gotten ours yet. But in reading what other have written, kind of sorry it is so lame. Wish they would be more thorough and ask more questions - don’t mind telling them we are two Gay guys and be counted as such, although I guess they could surmise that by our ages and gender, but still. Didn’t realize they had gotten rid of the long form for some households. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/87 "2010-03-19T16:03:57Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > do temporary census workers get paid by the hour or the address? Hourly, but they are fired very easily if they are not doing enough work. I must have fired 3 out of the 15 I was given. It is a highly temporary position, to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/88 "2010-03-19T16:09:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > nutballs with guns. You talking 'bout me again? 😃 We just received the senseless. I am only going to write in the number of people living here. That’s it. If they don’t like it they’re welcome to come and arrest me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/89 "2010-03-19T16:12:02Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Haven’t gotten ours yet. > But in reading what other have written, kind of sorry it is so lame. > Wish they would be more thorough and ask more questions - don’t mind telling them we are two Gay guys and be counted as such, although I guess they could surmise that by our ages and gender, but still. > > Didn’t realize they had gotten rid of the long form for some households. They will surmise it when they see your genders and the fact that the relationship of the second person to the first is “unmarried partner” or “wife or husband” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/90 "2010-03-19T16:16:16Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > We just received the senseless. Mailed mine back today, but I called it the sensuous, on accounta how I licked the flap.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/91 "2010-03-19T16:43:17Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Hourly, but they are fired very easily if they are not doing enough work. I must have fired 3 out of the 15 I was given. > > It is a highly temporary position, to say the least. Back when I was working on it last year we had several people on my crew fired for “cheating” (basically, too many short cuts instead of doing the work as told to do it), only one that I know of for being insufficiently productive. Yes, you are expected to hump - you do have to earn that wage. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > You talking 'bout me again? 😃 Only if you answer my knock with a shotgun. I tell ya, after reading some of these census threads I’m seriously considering kevlar attire and bringing my crossbow. > [@](#): > > We just received the senseless. I am only going to write in the number of people living here. That’s it. If they don’t like it they’re welcome to come and arrest me. Hey, I’d much rather be interviewing daffy but affable senior citizens than bothering you. I’m hoping that they’ll accept “number of people” as being sufficient enough to not require follow up with the, um, unhappy about the census crowd. ---
**Author:** ![This\_Just\_In\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/92 "2010-03-19T19:46:46Z")
I personally cannot understand the aggression some people feel towards a census. If the government really wanted to know about you - they have other means. Why would you only want to tell them how many people live at your home and nothing else? America, where some people insist at gunpoint on being a number - not a name. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/93 "2010-03-21T02:42:01Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > You talking 'bout me again? 😃 > > We just received the senseless. I am only going to write in the number of people living here. That’s it. If they don’t like it they’re welcome to come and arrest me. Yeah, way to show them. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/94 "2010-03-21T03:50:33Z")
> [@This\_Just\_In\_2](#): > > I personally cannot understand the aggression some people feel towards a census. If the government really wanted to know about you - they have other means. Why would you only want to tell them how many people live at your home and nothing else? If they already know about me, why do they have to ask? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695/95 "2010-03-21T04:25:06Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > If they already know about me, why do they have to ask? To know where you live more precisely. To know where to spend federal dollars and what not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perusing-my-census-form/532695.md?page=4)