Government sending out duplicate Census Forms

[DearAbby]

Americans Get Mixed Message about census

April 6) -- Mail back your census form and be counted. The Constitution requires it.

Don't participate. Some of the questions on that form are unconstitutional.

People are getting conflicting messages from the government and its critics about this year's national head count. Now, to add to the confusion, millions are getting a duplicate copy of the census form, even if they've already completed their questionnaire.

What should you do?

First, an explanation from the Census Bureau. It announced today that it's mailing second forms to about 40 million homes in areas where response was low in the 2000 census. If you've already sent back your first form, you can ignore the duplicate. If not, the bureau is urging you to respond by the middle of this month so it won't have to send a census taker to your home -- which is much more expensive than gathering the data by mail.

The second mailing could boost participation by seven to 10 percentage points, which would save taxpayers more than $500 million, according to Census Bureau Director Robert Groves.

More
http://www.aolnews.com/the-point/article/americans-get-mixed-messages-about-census/19429003?icid=main

[newfie11]

1. we never got the first one.

maybe this one will show up.

[Orrex]

2. A great idea!

Every mailing that gets returned is one residence that doesn't need to be physically visited by a census enumerator. Even if the second mailing cost a dollar to print and send (which it doesn't, of course) it would still save money over paying a worker to make the trip in person.

[frazzled]

3. We got a second one

But I read it and it said not to fill it out if you'd already sent one in.

[99 Percent Sure]

4. Yes, I received a 2nd form 2 weeks after

returning the first. I called and gave them what for about the waste of money, since they should have not only received the first form, but also scanned the data by that time.

With the economy in dire straits, every dollar needs to be pinched, so I don't subscribe to the cheaper than whatever theory. To me, sending a form weeks after a household has already returned a form reeks of waste and inefficiency. But that's a hallmark of government, isn't it?

[AngryKansasknitter]

5. I also recieved a second one...

So, I figured they didn't get the first one, so, I filled it out and sent it back in...

Nita