I think I remember hearing that there were only 10 questions on this one. Is that correct? Anyone else remember the one asking how many toilets you have (among other things) that I felt was a total invasion of privacy?

I understand the census completely. Why they spend so much money on them is up for debate.
I do genealogy, and I am thankful that my ancestors answered the questions for my benefit.
I really don't think the toilet question is personal, unless they asked how many times you used it a day....now that would be personal!
For some having an indoor bathroom with working facilities may tell a lot about the economic status in an area. I would like to think everyone in this day and age has one, but I know better.
I am thankful for the census.

Trin

In all my 60+ years I've only done ONE census...that was 20 yrs ago. They found out they'd overlooked me, came to my door just as I was getting home from work (not a good time to bug me). The gal said I had to let her in my home, had to let her fill out the form, a couple of more 'had tos'. I'd had enough, told her if she wouldn't leave it for me to fill out/return on my own that I wasn't doing it, and to go ahead and arrest me if she could. Finally she left it with me. Of course, I was 'lucky' and got the one where there were a gazillion VERY nosy questions. Next census came and went and I didn't receive a form either in the mail or in person.

Shirley

I can understand questions like: Do you use public transportation? Do you have children in the public school system? Do you receive public aid of any sort? and possibly your economic status and level of education. These types of questions determine what level of federal funding comes to your area. Not the number of bathrooms you have. If you want the answer to a question to determine the economic status of an area, ask the relevant questions. Just because you have 3 or 4 or 5 bathrooms doesn't mean you don't receive public services.

I got mine a few days ago.

I expected to find a bag of burning poo on my doorstep because the insistent ringing of my doorbell lead me to believe it was a ornery neighborhood kid. Instead I found a heavy duty plastic bag filled with several heavy duty pamplets and a color flyer wanting me to become a census worker. Uh... no thanks. I was looking at those pamplets and I could suddenly understand how the census was costing so much money! There was also a envelope with a questionaire and a prepaid mailing envelope. The survey did not ask me about public transportation (maybe because there is none here?) and it didn't ask about how many toilets I have (although we do have those). The survey I got was brief... just asking very basic info about each person living in our house. Date of birth, sex, age, race.

I agree with Trin. Asking how many bathrooms I have doesn't feel to me like an invasion of privacy any more than asking how many closets I have.

As for the expense, I worked for the Census Bureau 20 years ago administering tests to applicants. They wanted me to drive to Scranton every day (a 50-mile round trip) to hand in my hours. I told them I was unwilling to do that, so they sent a courier service to my house every day. That was only one of many wasteful things I observed.

I worked for the census in Australia about 20 years ago, and I can tell you the reason we hand delivered the forms is because not everyone has a postal address. I was required to drive up every road in my area and ensure that if there was any kind of dwelling that the person in it received a census form. The post office can't do that.

In my whole life...at least, married life, 44 years, I have never received a census form. I wonder if I will get one this year? No one has ever came to my house to ask me about one either...and before I moved out here to the boondocks, I lived "in town"...although a very small town.

One of my first posts to KT about 10 years ago, I stated I had never received a census form. Not that I didn't fill it out...I didn't receive one. You would have thought I was personally responsible for every ill in this country, the way I was jumped on. So, I laugh about it. If I get one this year, I will throw it in the trash...just because of that. If someone comes out here to count me, I will tell them no one lives here. Or maybe I will tell them I am an illegal alien.

I got a flyer in my mail looking for people to work for the census. Not for me, I'm too sick and can't make a committment like that.

Marilyn C: Thanks for the chuckle this morning. I said in my previous post that I've only gotten one. I guess this country doesn't want to acknowledge us as belonging to it. lol

Shirley

One of the counties here are short on workers also--don't understand why because most people in this state are very coperative in helping. Of course some of the people in rural areas really don't like to share information and in many ways I do not blame them.

"I will throw it in the trash". Yeah - that'll fix
"them." Seeing as you seem to think that the
Government is "them".

The Census is used for (among other things) determining
need, etc., for States, Counties, etc. This is based
on population, ages, etc, to determine what educational,
employment,housing needs will have to be met today and in
the future.

Bravo - you have outsmarted "them".

I agree with molly109 - please don't throw away the census forms. They are used for employment, etc (and boy, do we need that!) It's ONLY 10 questions - a woman at a genealogy meeting blathered on for 20 min. or more about how to fill out one when the preview form first came out. IMO, she just wanted to hear her own voice; it will not take 30 min or more to answer 10 questions!!

From a genealogy viewpoint, like trinitytx, I find the old forums very helpful - they've just recently led me to information of grandparents I'd been wondering about for years. Sadly, the 2010 census is a huge joke, IMO, for future researchers. Of course, the way the country is going, 72 years from now when 2010 is released, we won't have a free USA.

Here, it was in the paper/on news about forms being MAILED. I was home yesterday, but apparently at the back of the house as I heard no knock. Form was left for me. No flyers, etc. Just the form. Will fill it out sometime this weekend.

Government thinking at it's best - but at least some are getting some temp employment from it. I applied, scored high on the test, but all they wanted in my area was door to door. Some health problems won't let me do that. But I tried.

>> One of my first posts to KT about 10 years ago, I stated I had never received a census form. Not that I didn't fill it out...I didn't receive one. You would have thought I was personally responsible for every ill in this country, the way I was jumped on. So, I laugh about it. If I get one this year, I will throw it in the trash...just because of that. If someone comes out here to count me, I will tell them no one lives here. Or maybe I will tell them I am an illegal alien. You're mad at the government and will throw the form away (or lie) simply because people at the KT jumped on you ("just because of that")? Huh?

The census is important. I haven't gotten the form or any other contact yet, but it's no skin off my nose, and it's to our benefit, to complete and submit it.

In my 60 years, I've only ever gotten one census form. Makes me wonder how accurate their count is.

have not had a census questionaire yet. i remember one when i was young thou and we got some sort of govt questionaire over a yr ago. it was not a census but a shortened version. it had questions i couldn't even answer about my dh lol.

don't know for sure but i am guessing, based on my scientific knowledge, that the toilet question could be related to 1 or 2 things. first would be load useage on public water treatment plants or lack there of in rural areas and possible need for such. the other, possible data needed would be an estimate of water useage related to toilets, relating to upping standards for ultra efficient models, as i'm sure few have the dual flush models so they are statistically insignificant.

i would be interested to know what they do need the toilet data for thou lol ~ liz

Liz, I think I know the purpose of the toilet question. It was to give at least one more person a job in the govt. lol

Shirley

The load usage would be tied to the number of people using the toilets, not the number of existing toilets. I live alone and have 2 toilets in my home. I can only use one at a time. As to their energy efficiency, the question would be "are your toilets energy efficient?" not how many are there. This question would be better tied to sales of toilets and how many are new construction and how many are retrofitted into older homes. I actually wouldn't mind a question about the efficiency of my toilets, showers and appliances. That at least would be relevant.

I think we posted this warning last year sometime .

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Avoid Being Scammed During Census Taking : eHow.com

For all of you that don't receive a census form, you should call and request one.

I am sorry that so many are offended about the toilet qustion. I am 75 years old, and I remember when on my grand parents farm they still used an outhouse. In Ohio. One farm did not have "indoor plumbing" well into the 1950's the other well into the 60's. We noticed in our travels thru the Yukon and interior Alaska, there were still places that did not have "indoor" running water, or had only been plumbed in recent years.(Jeff King's place, for one) Maybe these are questions that tell us a little bit about the progress of our civilization...since plumbing has been around for many of us for quite some time. Not everyone is attached to city conveniences. Nanny

The census is one of the most important tools the federal gov't uses to determine how to distribute funds to states, cities and counties. Your kid's school is cutting back on extracurricular activities or the number of teachers? Your parents' senior citizens center is closing? Your roads are still congested and full of ruts? Where do you think some of the money to fix those things comes from? The federal gov't needs to have some data--telling your little burg, "Show us why you need more money and for what exactly."

Plan to just trash the form? Then don't complain about any of that stuff.

And one reason the Census Bureau is hand-delivering some of the forms is to increase the odds that you WILL complete it and send it back. When somebody rings your bell and hands you something, psychologically you are less likely to shove it aside.

Officials from states to cities are in the midst of a "get-out-the-census" effort because so many budgets are hurting because of the recession.

Read this article:

Here is a link that might be useful: WashPost

I just got mine today; will complete it and get it back in the mail tomorrow.

I take it back. Just opened the envelope. What I got was the letter telling me to expect it in about a week!

Here's part of what the letter says:

"Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete. accurant census, your community may not receive its fair share".

Just as has been posted above. So - for those of you who are among the group that will throw it in the trash for whatever reason, are you going to fess up to your neighbors when your town doesn't get the funding needed?

We got ours last week completed the form and mailed it. It was hanging on a lock gate to our property. Today there was another Census form, just like the first one on the same gate. There was no mention of toliets on either form.

We just got a letter yesterday to said to be watching for our census in the mail!

Sue

Got mine, today!

just got the pre-letter...i'd love to do one of the longer forms...

anyone remember when they asked how many tv's you had in your house?

I just got the letter telling me I'll be getting the census form. A great example of government waste in my opinion - absolutely no value in receiving a letter telling me I'll be getting it. Just send me one thing - the census.

I got a letter a couple of days ago saying I will be getting the census form. I, too, thought the letter was a waste of money. Just send me the form.

OT but I have another horrible example of similar federal government waste. Apparently some mail was taken from my mailbox a few years back. One day a big envelope of old mail suddenly appeared in my box with no explanation. I called the post office and they said they'd recovered some stolen mail. So I guess they think you're a potential victim of identity theft if mail was stolen. So I got some mail on that - okay. Then I guess they started working on convicting the guy who did it and I started getting "victim updates". Both DH and I receive the same victim updates by mail - so we get two of the exact same mailing every time - sometimes updates every week. I think we have received probably 50 pieces of useless mail - a mailing every time something happens with the judicial process related to prosecuting the perp. I finally found an option to opt out of the updates - and we are still getting them. It is an absolutely ridiculous waste of money. And I won't even get started on the outrageous waste I see in my work - where the federal government is one of our customers. It is insane.

I have no issues with the census, actually I think they should ask more questions. My objection is that college students are counted at their campus - not in their home neighborhood. I always thought that was a little odd.

"a college student who lives in a dormitory, apartment, fraternity or sorority house away from home is considered a resident of the city or town in which he or she lives during the school year. This is true regardless of citizenship or immigration status."

But Mcmann, what kind of resources are they using in their home neighborhood (other than during a few weeks on break) that's important for the feds to be aware of?