The USA Census

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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,807
    edited March 2010
    Um...actually, the census is pretty much fully automated. Lockheed Martin did the automation back in 2000. Unless there is a problem with the form, the only time human hands or eyes touches your document is to feed it into scanners. If the system spits it out with a problem, then they go over it manually.

    All data is churned into a database and complex algorithms are run against it to generate more statistics than you can shake a stick at. The data is used for all kinds of stuff from redefiniing Congressional districts to doing demographic maps. It doesn't define how tax dollars are spent but it is used to view pertinent info on where certain dollars and programs should go. Like Boca Raton doesn't necessarily need to have an expanded elementary school if the demographics show that 60%+ of the population is 55 and over with no children living at home. It can mean the difference between a state of the art school being constructed in a town that doesn't want or need it and that same school being constructed in a neighboring town that both wants and needs it. The kids that do live in Boca Raton can get bused to the new school in the next town over. The demographic info provided by the Census makes it much easier to see that picture than to waste time and money by the local government taking it's own census and surveys.

    Also, states and local government can get access to the Census information to do things like determine police force strength, fire department strength, their own representative situations in local governments, etc,... They also use the info to apply for additional federal funding from programs that help minorities or provide incentives for education or even provide funding from Medicaid/Medicare programs for senior citizen centers and such. That kind of stuff changes in 10 years and if a town needs some cash for a senior citizen center because the once average age of the population was 45 and is now 55, they can use the demographics to lobby for extra cash and deservedly so. Maybe the grade school needs new text books and 10 years ago they didn't qualify for much Federal aid. But a large Asian population has boomed in the area and now they qualify for additional aid for minority students that they can levy to get those textbooks.

    It all matters, whether you think your paranoid conspiracy theories are true and real or not, it all matters. And honestly, there is nothing on the Census form that can be used to assume an identity. At least nothing that you can't find in a phone book or in other public records. So where ever those thoughts are coming from, I'm not sure. The long form probably has more info but it's no different than filling out a "product registration form" from a new piece of electronics.

    And yes, I was working at Lockheed when the Census work was done. I wasn't on the main project but my business unit did build sensor systems for the scanning computers. Same thing for the Post Office when Lockheed upgrade their systems.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,952
    edited March 2010
    Didn't someone just run a story on how that automated system is now junk due to software problems? Another gazillion taxpayer bucks down the drain.
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,067
    edited March 2010
    bobman1235 wrote: »
    Any information you're going to give them already EXISTS on a database on a network. PERIOD.

    Absolutely true. My point is that it doesn't matter what database, it's not TOTALLY safe as the OP is stating if it is on a network.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited March 2010
    i'm filling out my 2010 census form right now as I read this thread and how paranoid some people are.
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,067
    edited March 2010
    If an integrated amp counts as one person, does a preamp/power amp combo count as one or two people? What about speakers? I just want to make sure that my systems get their fair share of government dollars for the next 10 years. :D
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    danger boy wrote:
    i'm filling out my 2010 census form right now as I read this thread and how paranoid some people are.

    I did mine yesterday in about 2 minutes for the three of us in this household. Already mailed back. It's NO BIG DEAL :rolleyes:
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited March 2010
    done.. yeah only takes a few minutes..

    plus it says. this census date only becomes public after 72 years. by that time.. we'll all be 6ft under ;)
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  • Disc Jockey
    Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
    edited March 2010
    danger boy wrote: »
    done.. yeah only takes a few minutes..

    plus it says. this census date only becomes public after 72 years. by that time.. we'll all be 6ft under ;)

    Speak for yourself, I won't have been thawed out yet. :p
    "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
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  • Motzart
    Motzart Posts: 1,075
    edited March 2010
    Does the census account for all the illegals here from Mexico?

    About the problems with health care......
    Don't seem to be any problem giving a illegal heath care for the baby they came over the boarder to have.
    Kid becomes a instant US citizen!

    Come on Obama WAKE UP!!

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  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited March 2010
    shack wrote: »
    I did mine yesterday in about 2 minutes for the three of us in this household. Already mailed back. It's NO BIG DEAL :rolleyes:

    Estimated cost to run the census : 14.5 billion dollars..

    That's a big God damn deal to me. Taking 30 seconds to fill out a piece of paper with my name on it? Not a big deal. 14.5 billion dollars spent gathering information that is already readily available? A big deal, no matter how many thousands of words Jstas wants to write telling us all its automated, it still ain't cheap.

    OH, and that's almost 3x what it cost in 2000. Inflation is bad, but it ain't 3x in 10 years bad. So what did all that automation get us?

    Source : census.gov
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
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  • 4406bbl
    4406bbl Posts: 194
    edited March 2010
    My ghetto house got a form in spanish, my suburban house got one in english only, and was half the size. I wisn I had taken a picture of both before I filed them out, as none of my friends believe me. Anyone know how many various forms there are?
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  • Polk addict
    Polk addict Posts: 558
    edited March 2010
    I beleive that is the cost throughout those two years... So 2001 to 2013...
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    bobman1235 wrote: »
    Estimated cost to run the census : 14.5 billion dollars..

    That's a big God damn deal to me. Taking 30 seconds to fill out a piece of paper with my name on it? Not a big deal. 14.5 billion dollars spent gathering information that is already readily available?

    Then I assume you know the cost of taking all the data that is supposedly available and putting it in a useable database equal to the census process.

    It's not like someone just pushes a button and there it is. There would be considerable cost and time and effort to do so. In fact...given the complexity of the task, the cost could be similar to the census and may or may not be as relilable and or usable.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited March 2010
    Polk addict wrote: »
    I beleive that is the cost throughout those two years... So 2001 to 2013...

    2003 to 2013 actually.

    The cost from 1993 to 2003 was less than 5 billion. Again, a third.

    And no, of course I don't know the cost of compiling a bunch of data, but if we were to endeavor to do such a thing, I believe we could do it in a way that in FUTURE census years it coudl be like "pushing a button." It would never happen, because someone would have to basically design themselves out of a job, but that doesn't mean we should all just accept the fact that the only way to do this is to do it the same way it was done in 1800.

    Nor should be accept that it costs 3x as much this time around as last time.
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  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited March 2010
    All I really have to say about this thread is - Hillbilly, you're a good man for not getting defensive when other people crapped on your thread!

    My form was filled out and back in the mail in 30 seconds. No complaints here.

    My mom did a stint as a census door-knocker in 1990. I remember riding around with her to the different places she had to visit. No way it'd be safe enough to do that now! I was only 4...
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  • shepx2
    shepx2 Posts: 646
    edited March 2010
    xcapri79 wrote: »
    a teleprompter.

    lol!!!
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  • m1aman
    m1aman Posts: 143
    edited March 2010
    No big deal? That proves their indoctrination is working. Very small steps at a time.

    Lets walk into this concrete chamber, see, it's no big deal. Poooooof!
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    m1aman wrote: »
    No big deal? That proves their indoctrination is working. Very small steps at a time.

    Lets walk into this concrete chamber, see, it's no big deal. Poooooof!

    I see...the census which has been taken since 1790 (2010 is the 23rd) and is required by the constitution is the equivalent of the Holocaust...

    What an idiot :rolleyes:.

    Don't worry Patrick...no more...he's on the IL.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • m1aman
    m1aman Posts: 143
    edited March 2010
    shack wrote: »
    I see...the census which has been taken since 1790 (2010 is the 23rd) and is required by the constitution is the equivalent of the Holocaust...

    What an idiot :rolleyes:.

    Don't worry Patrick...no more...he's on the IL.

    It was an example of government indoctrination you person you. Flew right over you head didn't it.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited March 2010
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/announcement.php?f=2

    You had me at teleprompter.

    Cheers,
    Russ
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