Update 2 (The blog that won't die):Today I received another Census form in the mail, along with the letter at left. My first thought upon seeing the form is that my original response was lost in the mail. After reading the letter, however, I see that they are sending out a second census form just in case you missed the first one. And the advance letter. And the reminder postcard.
Ironically, the letter says it is important that you respond only once to the census. How many people will read the letter, and how many will just fill out the form a second time and mail it, like I almost did?
Update 1 (3/22/10):Today I received my post-census postcard. That's right, after joking about whether they would be sending us something to tell us that they sent us something, they did it! Bureaucracy at its best. I can't wait for government run healthcare to kick in. LOL.
Btw, I filled out the census form and returned it on the day that I received it.
Original post (3/8/10):
I got the letter that the Census sends you to tell you that they are going to send you the Census. Mom got one, too. I assume that every household in the United States gets one.I wonder what it costs to mail everyone notice that you are going to mail them something? A million dollars? Two million? Who knows? Who cares? It's only government money, and that's free, right?
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
Yep, got it too.
ReplyDeleteYes, we did too. Did notice all the different languages on it.
ReplyDeleteGot mine here in my hand....gezzz
ReplyDeleteGot mine too. It's sitting on the counter unopened...for now.
ReplyDeleteI was very disappointed that one of the languages wasn't Danish.
ReplyDeleteYep, got it. My reaction was about the same...wondering why they didn't just email the form already!
ReplyDeleteWe got the letter too, and my reaction was exactly the same as yours. I showed it to my husband and we both agreed that it was a huge waste of money. The government just can't use common sense and control their spending, can they?
ReplyDeleteGot two letters today. First was the same as everyone else. The second was from the Director of the Census for the Midwest, explaining that they were not getting any answers to calls and home visits for that lovely 310 question survey they sent me. They sent a postage paid reply envelope with a form stating when I will be home to answer their questions. I will be writing a nice letter detailing how and why I will not give them any answers other than the 10 allowed under the Constitution Section 2 Article 1, and sending it in the envelope they provided me.
ReplyDeleteQue Tim the Shrubber.......
ReplyDeleteI'll be calling you later to tell you I'm calling you later....
ReplyDeleteStu, I love the principles. Don't mess too much with the government. We need you around here.
FUNNY Orb's. That actually was my first thought also. I thought it was the census, I was VERY surprised to see it was a STUPED PRE-census letter.
ReplyDeleteUh-oh, Stu, be careful around Uncle Sam. You poke one hole in the bureaucracy, and something is liable to pop up in another one elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI got mine yesterday...
ReplyDeleteI received two more letters Friday. One was the census, which I promptly filled out and mailed back. The second was another letter asking about the 310 question ACS. I threw that one out. I then got three phone calls, which went to voice mail, and another knock at my door with a letter taped to the screen door saying he will be back tonight. Well tonight I tell this guy to leave me alone and get off my property, and that I filled out my Article II responsibility and sent it in already. So this makes six letters, multiple phone calls and three home visits for information they are not entitled to receive.
ReplyDeletehaven't got my postcard yet...boo-hoo...I did mail my form back promptly....
ReplyDeleteUnlike the nightmare that Stu received, I didn't think the regular census was that big of a deal, other than that dancing around concerning race. How many different races, or ethnic groups, or whatever, are there now?
ReplyDeleteI got my postcard today...
ReplyDeleteSPEND SPEND SPEND!
Out of money...we'll just print more!
"I wonder what it costs to mail everyone notice that you are going to mail them something?"
ReplyDeleteA bunch, but it will probably save money in the long run.
Sending advance letters is a commmon pracitice in marketing/public opinion reserach because it greatly increases the response rate when the actual survey (or in this case, census questionnaire) arrives later. Following up on unanswered questionnaires is usually expensive, so the increase in the initial response rate usually off sets the cost of sending the letters.
I was lucky. I got TWO postcards. EXACT duplicates?
ReplyDeleteTim the Shrubber said...
ReplyDelete"Sending advance letters is a commmon pracitice in marketing/public opinion reserach because it greatly increases the response rate when the actual survey (or in this case, census questionnaire) arrives later."
I Googled "survey advance letters" and cannot find corroborating information. In fact, most of what I found suggests that advance letters do not impact survey results, but a lot of those surveys were done by phone.
Well, well, well...got my card today!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGot my card too, it also sits on my counter... on top the unopened census letter.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they are going to send a follow up card for the follow up card?
ReplyDeleteI want my thanky card for filling out the survey and returning it!
ReplyDeleteMe, too...I rec'd the short questionnaire, so it took all of 15seconds to complete!
ReplyDeleteGood grief!
Orbs -
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I do not have much left of the literature I collected on survey research during they ten years I worked in that area. I gave most of it away to my collegues since I knew I would not be going back to that dying industry. I wish I still had access to JStor, then I could get you articles on the from journals such as Public Opinion Quarterly.
Still, this was not an uncommon practice. I know specifically the BLS and CDC have done this with quite a bit of success.
Here is a report from a test conducted by the BLS in 1994...
http://www.bls.gov/osmr/pdf/st950020.pdf
A key finding...
"A statistically significant result was found for the combined use of advance letters and reminder/thank you letters, increasing the response rate by about 16.6 (plus or minus 14.5) percentage points when compared to the control group that received neither contact."
Hmmm...advance letters and follow-up letters...that sounds just like what the Census Bureau if doing with the Census mailing.
Thank you for the information.
ReplyDeleteStill, the Census differs from other surveys in that it carries the force of federal law. Advance letters or not, I do not reply to surveys, in the mail, online, or by telephone (especially). However, I filled out my census form and mailed it within a day. I consider it part of my civic duty, and I think many other people do, too.
You're probably right, though, that advance letters and reminders boost response from those who are otherwise disinclined to participate. Unfortunately, there is no way to target just that group with a mailing. I also suspect that that group is growing.
Maybe we could send out a pre-census census to see which people respond. They then would not receive the advance letters or reminders, but just the regular census forms themselves, thereby saving the taxpayers tons of money.
ReplyDeleteHow's that for government thinking?
Just when you think the madness can't get any crazier..... OMG!
ReplyDeleteTim brought up a good point...it is common practice in private surveys as well. I was a Neilsen house a couple of years ago. They first called to see if I would do it, then they sent the postcard reminding me I would be receiving the diary, then they sent the diary, then they sent a car reminding me to send in the diary...didn't get quite to this level, but it was a lot.
ReplyDeleteScary thing is, if you look at the response rate, it seems many people need still MORE reminders!
I'm tempted to send in my second one filled out for all 12 available residents. I'll claim that the other 11 are undocumented workers who are afraid to come out of the alien closet for fear of retribution. Then I'll apply for some grants.
ReplyDeleteI'm also thinking that I should send in the census form a second time because I'm twice as important as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteFinally (who put a bee in my bonnet?), if I get just one more reminder for the 2000 Census, I may send in my form for that one.
ReplyDeleteNow, that's a plan, Orbs! LOL.
ReplyDeleteWell, I had a census person show up, and I politely told her that I did send my 2010 census,as I am required to due under article 2, but that I would not send in my ACS. She asked why. I told her because it was none of the governments business what time I leave for work and who rides with me, among 300 other things. She then states that "Well, thats how we find out who is on he roads at what times". I then told her that as a local government official, she is mistaken because the county and the state collect traffic data for all major roads and the info is available for the asking, so I would appreciate Io if you didn't blow any more smoke. She then stated that I have to fill it our because it's the law. My response was that I knew that the Census dept had no enforcement powers and all enforcement would have to come from the justice department and she should do what she had to do. She said she would be in touch and went to her car where she stayed for five minutes on her laptop. Two days later I got a fed ex overnight from the CB telling me again how I had to fill out the ACS, blah blah blah. I have had two more calls, but no more home visits.
ReplyDeleteWow, Stu. I wonder how far they'll pursue it? Please keep us informed.
ReplyDelete