Census!

Like so many other bloggers, I received the form letter from the census bureau today, telling me I'd be receiving my census in the mail next week. That's in addition to the post card we got a couple weeks ago telling us that it's a census year and please fill it out.

I sent the following to the census bureau and both my senators (Schumer and Gillibrand, both worthless downstate dems):

I understand that the census is a constitutional mandate, every ten years. That's good.

What I fail to understand is why I have already received two separate mailings telling me that I will be getting a census form in the mail. A couple weeks ago, a postcard asking me to make sure I return my census form; and today, a letter telling me that in about a week, my census form will arrive in the mail.

At a time when budgets are strained at every level of government, the fiscal irresponsibility of wasting millions of dollars on unnecessary mailings is mind-blowing. While I'm sure the government gets a great price for printing up a hundred million post cards, or form letters with window envelopes, and pre-sort first class isn't $0.44 apiece, I'd love to know just how much of my tax money has been wasted - because the rough number I'm coming up with is probably on the order of sixty million dollars.

Your response is appreciated.
ZerCool, NY
cc: Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Yeah, I know, it's another piece of email that'll get skimmed and chucked, but if the reps don't hear from us at all, they think they're doing things right. I'd have emailed my representative as well, but the schmuck went and resigned. I think phone calls to both senator's offices will be in order tomorrow, though.