It's been many days since my last posting. Blame it on "Census Daze." I'm working with the Census 2010 in a variety of ways and am learning lots and lots about the census.
I've shared some about it on this blog. Details of the census are protected by a lifetime privacy agreement I committed to when becoming a census employee.
Here I can say that the No Response Follow-Up phase of the census (the most traditional phase with people with questionnaires showing up at a home) is a 24/7 operation. "Door-knocking" is usually from 8AM to 8PM and the rest is processing of the information gathered by the enumerators ("door knockers", census takers).
I've met lots of people from all walks of life, ethnic groups, and education levels both in the ranks of census workers and at the homes whose doors I have knocked on.
The process is rooted in the U.S. Constitution--where the job of Enumerator is listed along with President and Vice-President. Congress was involved in accepting the questions being asked by the census.
I'm bringing to bear many of the business skills I use in my consulting and teaching practice in the day-to-day-operations of my work with the Census and, while it is a temporary job with a modest pay scale, the work is helping me pay my bills while the work I do helps the government have the information to make informed decisions about how to distribute tax monies for the next ten years.
All in all it's very good experience. Sometimes my hours are strange and I haven't had the extra energy for this blog for a while. More later.
Back to Census Daze.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Census 2010--Revisited--Negative Impact from Not Completing a Questionnaire
Households who do not complete a Census 2010 Questionnaire--either on their own or with the aid of an enumerator (census taker) cost their state approximately $19,400 in revenues for roads, education, etc. Hispanic families who do not complete a questionnaire will not be counted in terms of providing adequate education resources for Spanish-speaking students and families. This year's questionnaire focuses especially on the Hispanic heritage of respondents, asking from which areas did the people come in the Spanish-speaking world.
This information, especially tied to individuals, is confidential and will not be shared for 72 years. Some individuals may choose to respond to the questionnaire without providing full names. That's fine for the census.
Identifying personal information will be stripped from the data to be compiled for statistical purposes. Those statistics influence lots of funding decisions regarding the distribution of federal taxes as well as representation in the House of Representatives.
Not completing a questionnaire can have a significant negative impact on all of these areas. Work with enumerators to complete your questionnaire.
This information, especially tied to individuals, is confidential and will not be shared for 72 years. Some individuals may choose to respond to the questionnaire without providing full names. That's fine for the census.
Identifying personal information will be stripped from the data to be compiled for statistical purposes. Those statistics influence lots of funding decisions regarding the distribution of federal taxes as well as representation in the House of Representatives.
Not completing a questionnaire can have a significant negative impact on all of these areas. Work with enumerators to complete your questionnaire.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
How to Help a Census 2010 Enumerator
Enumerators started knocking on doors on Saturday, May 1, 2010, in the No Response Follow-Up (NRFU) phase of Census 2010. Their job is to help households get their information to the Census Bureau so that their information can be added to the statistics needed to meet the requirements established by the U.S. Constitution.
Personal data collected during the census is stripped from the data added to the statistics and held confidential for 72 years. Information released to the Census Bureau is not shared with any other governmental agencies.
Households who have completed one of the questionnaires mailed to them by the Census Bureau and who have not mailed them yet can hand them to the enumerator when he or she calls. That will speed the process and reduce the time the enumerator needs to take with the family.
The Census Bureau does not have names of people living at residences. Questionnaires were mailed to "residents." People who do not want to share their names can share other information and their names will not be collected. If you are a neighbor and know that a house near you was vacant on April 1, 2010 (Census Day), please tell the enumerator in your neighborhood so that time will not be lost waiting for someone to respond from an empty house.
In some neighborhoods, 80% of the residents have responded by mail. This probably means that the balance of households are either vacant or did not understand English. (The questions are available in 18 languages.)
After an in-person visit to each home that needs a questionnaire follow-up, telephone interviews work to gather the information required. While visits to homes to collect the information are budgeted to cost $57 dollars, that is much more than the enumerators make. Enumerators are required to visit homes in person at least three times. The quicker the enumerator can gather the information or determine that the house is vacant, the lower the cost of the in-person enumeration.
If a home needs a language other than English, they can tell the enumerator who will make a note on the questionnaire and someone will follow-up with the appropriate language. If someone in the household (especially 15 or above) is available to translate, that works, too.
Remember, each completed questionnaire generates about $19,400 in federal funds for highways, schools, etc. within a state as well ad contributing to the number of representatives for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Personal data collected during the census is stripped from the data added to the statistics and held confidential for 72 years. Information released to the Census Bureau is not shared with any other governmental agencies.
Households who have completed one of the questionnaires mailed to them by the Census Bureau and who have not mailed them yet can hand them to the enumerator when he or she calls. That will speed the process and reduce the time the enumerator needs to take with the family.
The Census Bureau does not have names of people living at residences. Questionnaires were mailed to "residents." People who do not want to share their names can share other information and their names will not be collected. If you are a neighbor and know that a house near you was vacant on April 1, 2010 (Census Day), please tell the enumerator in your neighborhood so that time will not be lost waiting for someone to respond from an empty house.
In some neighborhoods, 80% of the residents have responded by mail. This probably means that the balance of households are either vacant or did not understand English. (The questions are available in 18 languages.)
After an in-person visit to each home that needs a questionnaire follow-up, telephone interviews work to gather the information required. While visits to homes to collect the information are budgeted to cost $57 dollars, that is much more than the enumerators make. Enumerators are required to visit homes in person at least three times. The quicker the enumerator can gather the information or determine that the house is vacant, the lower the cost of the in-person enumeration.
If a home needs a language other than English, they can tell the enumerator who will make a note on the questionnaire and someone will follow-up with the appropriate language. If someone in the household (especially 15 or above) is available to translate, that works, too.
Remember, each completed questionnaire generates about $19,400 in federal funds for highways, schools, etc. within a state as well ad contributing to the number of representatives for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Elder Abuse--Similar to Day Care Abuse of Young Children
My 95-year-old mother may have been the victim of a type of elder abuse where she lives. She reported that a person came into her room and said, "You're old enough. Why don't you die?" Mom felt threatened and kept replaying the one-sided conversation over and over in her mind.
She called for help and, by the time people arrived to help, there was no evidence that anyone had been involved in abuse. Because Mom does have short-term memory problems, it is easy for someone to record the incident as "senile dementia" or "confusion."
While Mom can get confused and forget things, especially when she's tired, she has reported similar incidents to me at least three or four times over the last few months. She does react by becoming nervous and upset.
When this happens in day care for young children, parents often set-up a hidden camera and microphone to see what's really going on. That will probably be my next step in finding out what's happening to Mom.
She called for help and, by the time people arrived to help, there was no evidence that anyone had been involved in abuse. Because Mom does have short-term memory problems, it is easy for someone to record the incident as "senile dementia" or "confusion."
While Mom can get confused and forget things, especially when she's tired, she has reported similar incidents to me at least three or four times over the last few months. She does react by becoming nervous and upset.
When this happens in day care for young children, parents often set-up a hidden camera and microphone to see what's really going on. That will probably be my next step in finding out what's happening to Mom.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Avatar movie, Amazon.com, Audible.com
Amazon.com and Audible.com offer access to latest books and movies, for example, the Avatar
movie. In publishing, I need to include Amazon on my list of locations to distribute my book.
movie. In publishing, I need to include Amazon on my list of locations to distribute my book.
Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
The explosion of the oil platform leased by British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico and the resultant oil spill of 5,000 barrels of oil per day will soon exceed the environmental damage caused by the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska, March 24, 1989. The recent oil spill is a significant environmental disaster. With the changes taking place on planet Earth, more man-made environmental disasters are one more element we don't need.
President Barack Obama has cleared the way for more access to oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico while, at the same time, authorizing more research into alternative sources of energy. We may have the technology to drill for oil, though not sufficient technology to control unexpected consequences of the process.
The economic impact of the newest oil spill on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas has not even begun to make itself felt. Worst of all, the oil spill continues to grow and to spread.
We need to keep focused on measures we can take to make a smaller, less negative, environmental "footprint" (impact) on our planet. I love the Gulf beaches in Florida and will hate to see them looking like the tar sand beaches in California and Canada.
President Barack Obama has cleared the way for more access to oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico while, at the same time, authorizing more research into alternative sources of energy. We may have the technology to drill for oil, though not sufficient technology to control unexpected consequences of the process.
The economic impact of the newest oil spill on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas has not even begun to make itself felt. Worst of all, the oil spill continues to grow and to spread.
We need to keep focused on measures we can take to make a smaller, less negative, environmental "footprint" (impact) on our planet. I love the Gulf beaches in Florida and will hate to see them looking like the tar sand beaches in California and Canada.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Responding to Census 2010
On Saturday, May 1, 2010 enumerators (census takers) will start visiting households from whom the Census 2010questionnaire has not yet been received by the Census Department.
In the creation of the US Constitution, Congress stated that, beginning in 1790 and every tens years thereafter a Census would be held in the United States. "Enumerators" would count the people living in the USA and representation in the House of Representatives as well as the division of tax monies collected from the states would be based on each 10-year census. The 2010 Census is the 23rd Census conducted in the USA. Each Census will cover items "determined by law." This year part of the focus of the Census is on Hispanic heritage.
In recent ABC 7 Chicago morning news program, an official from the Census Bureau reported that each questionnaire returned to the Census Bureau generates $19,400 in monies for the state--for roads, schools, health facilities, and more.
It cost $.42 to send a questionnaire to a household. For an enumerator to go to the home to conduct or collect the survey, the cost jumps to $57.00 per questionnaire (per visit to the home).
Confidentiality of Census data--United States laws (Title 13) cover information gathered during the Census. The Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau are not allowed to share personal information with any other governmental or nongovernmental department or agency. The Census Bureau summarizes the data into statistical reports after stripping off the personal information originally collected as part of the Census process.
When an enumerator comes to someone's door, it is making an extra effort to be sure that that household's information can be shared for the $19,400 that will be going to the state over the next 10 years. The service is available in 18 languages, though the person coming to the door may be monolingual.
If any questions are asked that a respondent does not want to answer, those can be skipped. It is important to collect as much of the targeted information as accurately as possible.
See previous posts about Census 2010.
In the creation of the US Constitution, Congress stated that, beginning in 1790 and every tens years thereafter a Census would be held in the United States. "Enumerators" would count the people living in the USA and representation in the House of Representatives as well as the division of tax monies collected from the states would be based on each 10-year census. The 2010 Census is the 23rd Census conducted in the USA. Each Census will cover items "determined by law." This year part of the focus of the Census is on Hispanic heritage.
In recent ABC 7 Chicago morning news program, an official from the Census Bureau reported that each questionnaire returned to the Census Bureau generates $19,400 in monies for the state--for roads, schools, health facilities, and more.
It cost $.42 to send a questionnaire to a household. For an enumerator to go to the home to conduct or collect the survey, the cost jumps to $57.00 per questionnaire (per visit to the home).
Confidentiality of Census data--United States laws (Title 13) cover information gathered during the Census. The Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau are not allowed to share personal information with any other governmental or nongovernmental department or agency. The Census Bureau summarizes the data into statistical reports after stripping off the personal information originally collected as part of the Census process.
When an enumerator comes to someone's door, it is making an extra effort to be sure that that household's information can be shared for the $19,400 that will be going to the state over the next 10 years. The service is available in 18 languages, though the person coming to the door may be monolingual.
If any questions are asked that a respondent does not want to answer, those can be skipped. It is important to collect as much of the targeted information as accurately as possible.
See previous posts about Census 2010.
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