Stellar Jay with a Peanut
What a beautiful day in Twain Harte. It’s 77° out, the birds are singing and I would be perfectly happy, if I didn’t have to be on the look-out for the census takers.
I wouldn’t want their job for all the tea in England, especially the census workers, stuck working in these parts. Let’s face it the job has to be a nightmare. Many of the “houses” up this way are rustic cabins that have people coming and going for most of the year.
Those of us who do live here, can’t receive mail at their homes — a post office box is essential. So, all the census forms that were delivered to our homes, were all returned to sender, which means the foot soldiers have their work cut out for them.
Add to an already impossible situation, the fact that many who live in the area really do value their privacy and refuse to submit to yet another government intrusion and you’ve got an recipe for miscalculation and lots of errors.
This will be my fourth census and I don’t ever recall speaking to so many people, who are so opposed to a census as they are with the 2010 Census. Many of the individuals I spoke with, simply threw them in the trash.
Our family doesn’t mind being counted – we’ve always provided the number of people in our home, which we feel is important for redistricting purposed. As for the rest of the “required” data — it’s simply more government intrusion into our privacy.
Oh and just for the record. An individual can be fined $5,000 for refusing to participate in the census. However, if you partially complete the form and return it, the fine is only $100. I think that’s more than fair. I would rather pay a $100 fine than give up our privacy. The note left on our door assured us that the data would be kept confidential (under penalty of law). What a crock.
Historically, census data has been used for many nefarious reasons. Don’t buy the lie. Our government sells snake oil in the desert too.
So, be on the look-out for nosy little census takers. The census taker who showed up at our door, walked all the way around our house — and me without a gun. Darn! I’m not sure what he was hoping to find but we provided all the information we intend to provide.
Have you received a census form? What did you do with it?
Twain Harte, CA