The census & Content of character

[green1]

I know it's been a while and I am leary of posting a curmudgeonly topic for my first return post, but I couldn't hold this in.

I filled out our census form last night and I am slightly annoyed by the form.

First: In the intructions it states that you are not to include, in your household, people in the military or living at college. Yet in the individual family members section, there is a line, I think the last line, that asks "Does this person live someplace else?" Yes or No and then there are lines for reasons, two of which are "Military Service" & "Living at College". So which is it?

Second: I am sick and tired of the ethnic questions on these forms. There are five or more choices for asian rim countries and latin american countries, but only 1 for european countries. Why? Will the county get more money for a certain heritage than another? 2 koreans are worth x and 2 japanese are worth y? Whatever happened to judging others by "the content of their character not the color of their skin". If this country truly wants to become colorblind than these types of questions need to stop appearing on official forms. What real purpose do they serve other then to put deliniations in place?

I checked "other" for everyone in my household and wrote in "American".

Just a small rant.

[backstreets77]

Constitutionaly all you have to do is write how many people live in your house. Id have to look up what article that is i forget off hand. But it basically states that every ten years that there will be a numeric count of the people. And far as im concerned numeric means how many people live in my house. The goverment has no buisness with any other questions. Im sure as hell not telling them how much I make and if my house in owned rented or mortgaged.

Sorry ill get off my soap box.

[JollyMon66]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

[backstreets77]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

Dont forget the comercials that were suppose to be witty with those B-list actors. What a waste of money that was too. November cant come fast enough. Both sides of the aisle needs cleaned out and we need to reboot this country and get our proiorities straight.

[ScarletB]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

My reaction exactly.

As a mortgage lender I have to ask those ethnicity questions every day of my life so I don't even notice it anymore.

[JollyMon66]

I

I checked "other" for everyone in my household and wrote in "American".


Just a small rant.

That's funny - kinda of like the times I wrote "YES" on forms that asking about sex...(meaning male or female). I've also been know to give 555-1212 for my phone number. Usually the teenagers at the counter don't get it which makes it even funnier.

[backstreets77]

I

I checked "other" for everyone in my household and wrote in "American".


Just a small rant.

That's funny - kinda of like the times I wrote "YES" on forms that asking about sex...(meaning male or female). I've also been know to give 555-1212 for my phone number. Usually the teenagers at the counter don't get it which makes it even funnier.

Oooohhh I like the phone number gag i may have to borrow that.

[green1]

I

I checked "other" for everyone in my household and wrote in "American".


Just a small rant.

That's funny - kinda of like the times I wrote "YES" on forms that asking about sex...(meaning male or female). I've also been know to give 555-1212 for my phone number. Usually the teenagers at the counter don't get it which makes it even funnier.

Oooohhh I like the phone number gag i may have to borrow that.

I've been known to put down 867-5309

[chippewa]

Stephen Colbert's take on the 2010 census from last night

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colber ... ensus-2010

"I value my privacy....I've said it on my TV show, my Twitter feed, my Facebook page, my web colonoscopy cam...."

[ph4ever]

I haven't even seen our census form however I don't understand how I can tell them how many people were living at my home on April 1, 2010 or how many additional people were living at my home that I did not include in my answer to question 1. It's not freaking April 1 yet.

[SharkOnLand]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

You'll get another letter in a week or so reminding you to fill out the census and send it back as well.

[citcat]

They really just want to count the people who live in the house. That's all. If you don't send in the form, someone will come to your door and ask you personally. It's just a count of people. The forms that went out when I worked for the microfilming center in Indiana in 1970 had about 12 pages and asked all kinds of personal questions. What a pain and an invasion of privacy. You don't have to answer anything but how many people live there. They hire people to go out and knock on doors if they don't get a form back from an address, which costs us taxpayers more money. I suppose they can ask your neighbors and get an estimate.................I don't know what they do in that case.

[backstreets77]

They really just want to count the people who live in the house. That's all. If you don't send in the form, someone will come to your door and ask you personally. It's just a count of people. The forms that went out when I worked for the microfilming center in Indiana in 1970 had about 12 pages and asked all kinds of personal questions. What a pain and an invasion of privacy. You don't have to answer anything but how many people live there. They hire people to go out and knock on doors if they don't get a form back from an address, which costs us taxpayers more money. I suppose they can ask your neighbors and get an estimate.................I don't know what they do in that case.

Wow microfilm. We had i guess a version of that in school called micro fische. Now taht im older and the internet is a staple I look back and think that was like the first internet. youd go to the library and look for magazine articles all over the world and print it out.

[citcat]

heh heh...the good old days. The microfilming machines we worked on were about as big as a car. I can still hear them in my sleep. Good money, though. real good money (for a kid in college).

[MrTwain]

True story... A few years ago, MrsTwain was writing a check and they asked her for her employer's information and her occupation before they would accept the check. Annoyed by this, she proudly told them that she was a stripper and that she worked at Baby Dolls. I hate it when they ask for all that information just to write a check. In truth, she's a stay-at-home mom.

[Skibo]

I'll be having an ACORN employee knocking on my door attempting to get the form completed as expected. My race is American too. I'll be Pennsylvanian when they show up if they want me to be more specific. There was a time that one of the races only counted for a fraction of a whole person so I understand why race (actually color) was important then, but now since we are all counted as whole people (even the illegals) race doesn't matter.

[chippewa]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

My reaction exactly.

As a mortgage lender I have to ask those ethnicity questions every day of my life so I don't even notice it anymore.

That's one of the reasons the race question is on the form. From the census website:

Uses of the Data
Information from this question is used to:
•Assess home mortgage lending patterns of financial institutions to meet the credit needs of minorities.
•Meet legislative redistricting requirements.
•Monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act by local jurisdictions.
•Assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks.

[backstreets77]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

My reaction exactly.

As a mortgage lender I have to ask those ethnicity questions every day of my life so I don't even notice it anymore.

That's one of the reasons the race question is on the form. From the census website:

Uses of the Data
Information from this question is used to:
•Assess home mortgage lending patterns of financial institutions to meet the credit needs of minorities.
•Meet legislative redistricting requirements.
•Monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act by local jurisdictions.
•Assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks.

Race shouldnt have anything to do with any of that.
1 - You either qualify for a home mortgage on your ability to get and maintain credit. It doesnt matter if your black, white and purple if you cant get credit you cant get it. As someone whos credit score is probably in the gutter I wouldnt be irritaed if I couldnt get a loan. I know I had debt that im digging out of. I would lend me money either.

2 - Redistricting requirements- again this should have nothing to do with race. this has to do with population. So another B.S. excuse by the goverment for information.

3 - I actually have no idea what that one means

4 Assess racial disparities with health and enviromental risks. Whats that have to do with a numeric count of the people of this country.

What a joke.

[backstreets77]

I'll be having an ACORN employee knocking on my door attempting to get the form completed as expected. My race is American too. I'll be Pennsylvanian when they show up if they want me to be more specific. There was a time that one of the races only counted for a fraction of a whole person so I understand why race (actually color) was important then, but now since we are all counted as whole people (even the illegals) race doesn't matter.

ACORN what ACORN they no longer exist right. Oh wait some of them are just rebranding themselves a new name. Ill be Pennsylvanian with you too.

[SharkOnLand]

Personally, I'm more annoyed that the government spent tax dollars on a letter we received about 10 days ago telling us to look for the up coming census mailing. GUESS WHAT Congress - those who aren't going to send the census form back aren't going to read that letter either......that's my vent for the day.

My reaction exactly.

As a mortgage lender I have to ask those ethnicity questions every day of my life so I don't even notice it anymore.

That's one of the reasons the race question is on the form. From the census website:

Uses of the Data
Information from this question is used to:
•Assess home mortgage lending patterns of financial institutions to meet the credit needs of minorities.
•Meet legislative redistricting requirements.
•Monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act by local jurisdictions.
•Assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks.

Race shouldnt have anything to do with any of that.
1 - You either qualify for a home mortgage on your ability to get and maintain credit. It doesnt matter if your black, white and purple if you cant get credit you cant get it. As someone whos credit score is probably in the gutter I wouldnt be irritaed if I couldnt get a loan. I know I had debt that im digging out of. I would lend me money either.

2 - Redistricting requirements- again this should have nothing to do with race. this has to do with population. So another B.S. excuse by the goverment for information.

3 - I actually have no idea what that one means

4 Assess racial disparities with health and enviromental risks. Whats that have to do with a numeric count of the people of this country.

What a joke.

Race shouldn't have to do with any of that, but unfortunately, in this day and age, it still does.