The Census: 2010

I finally filled in my census form and sent it in. I have to say, it was quite painless; I don't know why I waited so long.

One thing I find briefly amusing is that apparently many right-wing birthers, tea-partiers, and other wingnuts are rebelling and not sending in the form. I want to enjoy thinking about how all these nuts are shooting themselves in the feet, reducing their federal aid and congressional representation; but then I realize that, since the Census Bureau can't use statistical methods to improve the count, they are required to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to send canvassers out to try and correct the undercount. (For every one percentage point increase in the national participation rate by mail, taxpayers can help the Census Bureau save about $85 million in operational costs.) These guys spend so much energy decrying wasteful government spending, and then force the government to spend all this money to overcome their petulance.

Come on guys, just fill out the damn form!