US Census Bureau is staging a "Dress Rehearsal" for 2010, and I'm one of the stagehands!

[Whoa_Nelly]

Anyone else get a US Census form to fill out? I did! Maybe I'm considered a terra-ist!

Not even a census year, but apparently, according to the letter that preceded the arrival of the form, stated that this is simply a random choice sampling by address, and not every one is getting one.

I find it strange.
Does the government usually do this random sampling during non-census years?

The census bureau calls it a "dress rehearsal" for the 2010 taking. So why were the certain sites selected (political?), and why me when I'm NOT in San Joaquin County, one of the chosen sites?

http://www.census.gov/2010census/2008_dress_rehearsal/


2008 Dress Rehearsal

The dress rehearsal is a dry run of the upcoming 2010 Census. The dress rehearsal is an unofficial count of residents in the selected dress rehearsal sites.

Who
Residents in both dress rehearsal sites must be counted. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens.

When
The dress rehearsal for the 2010 Census is underway, with follow-up activities finishing in 2009. In May-June of 2007, census workers updated the Census Bureau’s address list.


Where
San Joaquin County (I am NOT in San Joaquin County!), and a nine-county area surrounding Fayetteville, N.C., are the two sites selected by the Census Bureau to participate in the 2008 Census Dress Rehearsal. The nine North Carolina counties include Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond and Scotland.
About the sites… http://www.census.gov/2010census/2008_dress_rehearsal/010020.html

Why
The 2008 Census Dress Rehearsal is the last opportunity for the Census Bureau to study the operations planned for the 2010 Census.

How
The Census Bureau will mail questionnaires to households in the dress rehearsal sites in 2008. Households that were mailed the questionnaire and do not respond will receive a second questionnaire.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Whoa_Nelly!

That sounds kind of interesting...

Go ahead and do it, and let us know what happens...

Did you formerly live in San Joaquin County?

Good luck with it, and let us hear the results!

:hi:

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Hi CP!

Am going to do it...especially since they state that I MUST do it under penalty of law!! :yoiks:

Will fill it out today...

Beauracracy: It's how it's done in the USA! :patriot:

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. and all the info. goes into the that big computer of Gov't tracking

I lie on those things
like a rug....
invent new race combinations, like pink and beige,
put the dog thru 8 years of college
give the cat a job...
and never never never tell them how many bathrooms I have.

Fortunately, we have moved in between each census, so I get to fabricate a whole new life each time.