Allow me to Rant about the Census

The census 2010 is looking for a few good citizens to help with the count and it cannot get them. In the Phoenix area alone, there is a need for 2500 census takers. The head of the area went on TV the other night and begged people to apply, because they cannot get enough applicants.

After going on to the website http://www.uscensus.gov, I can see why. Let's look at the problems as I see them with the application and possibly the entire idea as a whole:

First, the entire application online is 6 pages long. I cannot mail it or email it to them. I have to print it out and hand deliver it to them IN PERSON to the local office. Is the government not green? Can it not handle these functions of email and snail mail? If I work, when will I find time? The offices are not open after 5.

Second, in the part where I have to prove my citizenship....As an American Citizen, I have to offer TWO forms of identification, someone who is a NON American Citizen, has to offer one! It seems strange that Non Americans can count Americans... is it this way in other countries? Can Americans go over and count Lebanese? or how about us going over and counting the North Koreans for them?

Background checks. They are going to do a background check on all applicants. How long will that take? How extensive will it be?

The federal government has a manual for everything, apparently. In the test materials, one of the questions asks, "In what part of the manual would you find the directions for storing pencils, staples and paper clips?" Come on now, people have to have a procedure to store these things?
This is bureaucracy at its best.

It is no wonder that they cannot get anyone to apply. To top it all off, the jobs will only last 5-10 weeks. There are only benefits after you have been with them for two years. Someone's counting on a federal health plan, aren't they?

I understand the need for the census, but does doing it have to be so complicated? The census bureau will train people on how to read a map, count people, etc.

This has to be part of some stimulus package. They even state that it will not be a good job for someone who works full time, or is a student as the hours are different.

Being retired and in need of some beer money, I actually went through and filled out the application. The more I thought about it, though, the more incensed I got by it; especially having to prove my citizenship nine ways to Sunday, while a non-citizen has a lesser road of proof.

I think I will just let them count me, instead of me counting them.

All this reminds me of a story I once read that starts out like this, "In the days of Emperor Augustus, a decree went out that all peoples should be counted....."

It was much simpler then.