I just completed my census form. It took lss than 5 minutes. I really

[napi21]

can't imagin why in the world anyone would have any objection to filling it out! They only ask for your name, address, age as of April, 2010, race, and if you own your house free & clear or have a mtg, rent,etc. and what kind of a residence it is (single family, mobile, apt. The only other info they ask is age, DOB, & race of any other people in your home.

You listen to some of the RWers, and you'd thik they wanted your finger prints & a blood sample! Maybe it's actually a good think that the Righties feel this way. If they're undercounted, they'llk be under represented too!

[joeybee12]

1. I really can't imagine some people think Sarah palin has a brain...

...but they do...people are really, really stupid apparently.

[napi21]

2. Well, the ones I've heard it from were Sarah Palin & Michelle Bachman!

And of course I also hear the Rightie radio blabbers are saying don't fill it out as well.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Sarah Palin's scheduled to speak in Michele Bachmann's district...

That ought to be worth the price of admission... :eyes: :dunce: :dunce:

[rurallib]

6. Them look like purty tuff questions for Sarry and 'Chelle

[louis-t]

8. That's called conspiracy.

Trying to convince citizenry to disobey the law. Tsk tsk. thuggies. Bachmann should step down.

[tammywammy]

20. People in Bachman's district shouldn't fill it out

I encourage them to stand up for their rights against government intrusiveness and don't fill out the census.

The fact that if Minnesota loses a congressional district due to lack of people filling out their census, and that district is most likely Bachman's has absolutely nothing to do with this whatsoever. :evilgrin:

[roguevalley]

29. they used to have a zillion questions including if you had indoor plumbing.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. That's what's going to happen in Michele Bachmann's district...

If her constituents follow her instructions and don't fill out the Census form, she'll be out of a job... :think:

[Change Happens]

4. Mine arrived today :)

[gleaner]

7. I have never understood why ..

but for some reason conservatives have always resisted participating in the census. I think it is a tinfoil hat issue for them. I agree with you. If they don't want to cooperate and they are under represented as a result, it won't make me too sad to see it.

[dragonlady]

9. They should see what the census used to ask

I've looked at many census forms, especially from 1900 to 1930, in pursuit of information for the family tree. In various years the census included (n addition to this year's information):
your rent payment or the worth of your house, whether you own a radio, how long you've been married, how many children the woman has given birth to and how many are still living, where you, your father and mother were born, when you came to the United States and what is your citizenship status, what language is spoken in the home, whether you can read and write, whether children were in school in the past year, whether you are blind or deaf, whether you are a veteran and of what war, and what your occupation is and whether or not you are unemployed. And all this was filled out by the census taker, so you couldn't just write it up in the privacy of your home.

[napi21]

14. I seemto remember many more questions in previous uears too.

I'm 66 yo and I think 20-30 years ago, they used to ask your annual household income, how long you've lived there and things like that.

[kimmerspixelated]

10. Agreed. It was simple. It's going back into the mail tomorrow!

I hope everyone just gets a grip and fills it out. However, I do think it was a waste to have sent a letter first announcing it in the mail.(Wasteful paper!)But, maybe there was another reason that escapes me now.

[4lbs]

11. I did mine in 3 minutes.

Wow, 3 minutes.

About the same amount of time it takes to heat a bowl of soup in the microwave.

[donco6]

12. It took longer to open the envelope.

Piece of cake.

[lefthandedlefty]

13. Why do people act like the census is a new thing?

We have been doing it every ten years for what the past two hundred years or so.What is the big deal?

[ThoughtCriminal]

27. They didn't mind the questions

until we had a non-white President.

[misanthrope]

28. Because now there's a black man in the White House...

...and he's not holding a tray.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. My objection is to the purposed the census is used for.

Our tax dollars are used to do the census.
But the information from the census is sold to private businesses, like Ancestry.com.
The same way our personal information on our driver's licenses is sold, so others can make money on it.
THAT is my objection.
I don't care about the government having an up to date file on me, they have that in spades from information from voting, insurance, motor vehicles, etc.
I do care that what I pay taxes for is sold for other people to make a profit.

[LiberalFighter]

16. It may be sold to Ancestry.com but they don't get their hands on it

until 72 years after the year it was completed. That means that the 2010 Census won't be around until 2082.

Compiled data without names and addresses is available shortly after it is completed. It is only available in the aggregated form from census tract on up. And available online for anyone to use. No cost.

The purpose of the Census is to count the number of residents in this country so that each state has the appropriate number of representatives. That is a Constitutional requirement. In addition, it helps allocate funding that is sent to all the states.

Do you expect that the Census will be done at no cost?

They don't have all that information about everyone from voting, insurance, motor vehicles, etc. Because not everyone is registered to vote, has insurance, owns a motor vehicle, etc.

[oldhippie]

22. Granted, they need to count the people ......

"The purpose of the Census is to count the number of residents in this country so that each state has the appropriate number of representatives. That is a Constitutional requirement."

So, if the Constitutional authority for the government to conduct the census is for the apportionment of representatives in the House of Representatives, why do they need to know my race? Do we get a different number based on race? Do some races only count as partial persons? No? Then why is it a question?

Same with the question as to whether I own or rent where I live. Do "landowners" get more or less representation now? If the purpose is to determine the population so as to apportion representation, why do they need to know whether someone rents or buys?

You can give any number of reasons why the government might "want" to know these things, but they have absolutely NOTHING to do with the purpose, and constitutional authority, for conducting the census.

[LiberalFighter]

23. It appears that you will challenge anything that I provide on the issue of the Census.

If you are really serious then contact the local Census office to get your answers.

[oldhippie]

26. I probably would not challenge your answer ........

.... to my question as to why the government needs to know my race in order to apportion representatives in the Congress, if it made any sense. Or why it needs to know whether I own or rent my house. How could I challenge your answers? I'd be happy to hear them.

[iris27]

19. Ancestry.com is the main reason I have no objection to the census.

Having old census information available in one online, easily searchable format has been unbelievably beneficial as I work on filling in my family history. I have these records now saved as images on my hard drive. I can't even imagine the amount of red tape I'd have to go through to access this info otherwise. My main thought as I was filling out our 2010 census was that someday perhaps it will help a grandniece or nephew doing the same work.

[tammywammy]

21. If I'm still alive I'll be 101 before they can sell this information.

I'm okay with that.

[LiberalFighter]

25. I'll be 128... maybe I'll be lucky and in good health. ha!

I don't recall this much stink from people complaining about privacy with the Census in previous years.

[tallahasseedem]

17. I just finished mine!

It took me less than 5 minutes.

If Michelle Bachmann doesn't want to be counted and receive funds for her district, then I'll take it for mine.

[dmr]

18. Mine's already in the mail.

Wonder how many will ignore it.

[bigwillq]

24. Got mine too!! All filled out!

:bounce:

[louis-t]

30. Teabaggers know that scammers come out around census time.

I find it hard to believe they came up with this themselves, but the scuttlebut in the whacko wing is that "Obama's gunna" send out people after the census to "git more personal info from you, how much do you make, how much insurance do you have, etc." Warning on CNN this morning about scammers: "Do not give out info to anyone that does not have proper census dept. ID and do not give out SS #." Any reports of this scam will be blamed on, you guessed it, Obama.