Census, Part I

In 2009, with nothing better to do, I found an application for the decennial census online.

Now, it is fraught with controversy, some consider it to be the U.S. Government taking control, of peering up your sphincter with a microscope.

In case you were wondering, in case you think your representatives pulled it out of their collective asses or thin air, the very words for the law come directly from The Constitution of the United States:

From Article I, Section II:

"The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting 

of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten 

Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."

You may not like the questions asked, you may question the questions, you may not like the microscope... but it is in "such Manner as they shall by Law direct."

On a lark, I filled out the application, I got a job, and it became a lesson in civics for me.

When I was a kid in 1980, my mom did the job, I think she did what we called "ADCAN" in 2009 (Address Canvassing) in which it is verified that yes, there is a house there, and yes, this is the mailing address.  Don't shoot me please, I'm just doing a job. Thankyewverymuch.

I expected to just be a schmuck knocking on doors, but boy, was I ever surprised.

I wound up being hired on at the Spokane LCO (Local Census Office) and I became a part of the office staff.

Initially, I was part of the IT staff, we supported and accounted for the Handheld Computers (HHCs) which were used for ADCAN.

Apparently, the contract was an abortion, and everything went the way of a Led Zeppelin.  (It crashed, in other words) The colossal waste became an even bigger colossal waste. Everything went paper. Gawd... I can not even begin to describe the waste I saw. I thought I saw waste when I was in the USAF... it does not even fathom...

In addition, I went from being an office schmuck to being a supervisor. I really don't care to recall the irate calls from the citizenry. Some simply wanted to vent, some I think had a mental illness. Ultimatley, I was a temporary employee... I gave it my all for the 2 years or so that I worked there, but when pushed, I pushed back. (What? Were they going to fire me?)

I was a polite civil servant... but when someone pushed my buttons, you can bet I pushed back. One man made a point of being an ass, and he called repeatedly. I did not let him get away with it. We got in a hang-up war, and I think I won.

Anyway, lest I venture into lands long forgotten... my original intent was to purvey the merchandise that your Commerce Department deemed fit to promote the 2010 Decennial Census.

Working in the office, I was privy to much of the Bullshit.  So here, after some rambling, is a sample. You'll see it in my follow-on post.

Trust me you'll be unpleasantely amused.

As they shall by law direct...

*****

Edit: Feb 20, 2014 Census, Part II