I know I've already blogged today, but seriously!! We just received a letter from the Census Bureau informing us that we would be receiving our census survey next week and to please fill it out and return it promptly. Really. If you believe the 1995 projection that there would be 115 million households in the United States by this year, then think about that. 115 million pieces of paper. 115 million envelopes with plastic windows. For starters, imagine that pile of paper. Then think about the ink. Now, imagine all the energy and resources it took simply to produce that quantity of mail. Next, think about how much that mail weighs. Then think about it being trucked all over the country by the postal service and delivered to each household. How much gasoline do you think it took to get each envelope to each household? At least at my house the paper has been shredded and added to the compost bin, but I would wager that a vast majority of American households don't even recycle, let alone compost.
Someone explain to me how this mailing by the U.S. Department of Commerce/Economics and Statistics Administration/U.S. Census Bureau is anything less than a monumental waste of resources. Especially since its only purpose it to let you know that you'll be getting another mailing in about a week...
I am livid.
9 comments:
glad to know i wasn't the only one PO'd about it.
That is so stupid, but in addition to resource waste, how much money was wasted sending a stupid reminder? Why did they even make commercials if they were just going to remind us with wasted tax dollars and depleted resources? Ugh.
I'm livid too sis.
PB
livid? oh, sis...
no, I agree, this country can be so stupid.
Just saying the same thing to the hubby. So wasteful.
I had the EXACT same reaction when I opened it. You're sending me a piece of mail to tell me that you'll be sending me a piece of mail?!?!
RIDICULOUS! (and other non-family-friendly words)
i thought the exact same thought! incredible!
I haven't gotten ours yet, but I will be equally pissed.
I remember when they sent us a letter to tell us that they would be sending refund checks next week(this was a few years ago) and I felt EXACTLY the same way. What a waste! Just send the damn check. We get it!
Okay, legitimate, HOWEVER, to play devil's advocate, they're campaigning extra hard this year because participation has been significantly falling every decade since the 40s, and it costs the taxpayers WAAAAAYYY more money NOT to have accurate census information driving budget decisions than it cost them to send that reminder. It really is important that everyone do it, and do it on time, because if you don't? They'll send it again. And again. Then they'll send they're minions knocking on your door. As many as six times. And all that resending and driving around trying to hunt you down is a much bigger waste of resources than the one little pre-reminder.
I'm not saying that reminder is necessarily terribly effective, but there is a good reason behind it.
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