120 Million Letters for Census 2000 Sent With Mislabeled Addresses

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - A mistake in the addresses on millions of letters sent out by the Census Bureau presents something of a public relations problem, but officals say it won't affect this year's national head count. The Washington Post reports today that the bureau, responsible for making an accurate count of all Americans, mailed 120 million misaddressed letters to inform people they would soon receive a questionnaire for the 2000 Census. An extra digit was printed at the beginning of each street address. "I do consider this a mistake that is extremely unfortunate from the point of view of public response," said Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt. A contractor caused the mistake, Prewitt told the Post, but he added the government's quality control procedures should still have been caught the error. The Postal Service will still be able to get the letters to the correct addresses. The mistake will not affect the $6.8 billion 2000 Census, and the forms to be sent to most Americans next month have the right addresses, he said. The letters, being sent for the first time to reverse declining public response to the count, offer people the option of receiving a form in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or Tagalog.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGIVV0VT45C.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 26, 2000

Answers

Sounds like it's going to be easier to "lose" my form. Does anyone know how dilligent the follow-up workers are? If I roll over and play dead, how many times will they attempt to visit my house? What do they do when someone sleeps days and works nights? Do they send people around in the wee hours?

-- (Ihatequestions@dislike.politics), February 26, 2000.

I interviewed for a job as a numerator, which are the ones that actually go around to the houses,make phone calls, or whatever it takes to get the forms filled out. Only made an 80% on test tho, supposedly they are only hiring the ones with an 85%or higher. However,do to such low test scores,they may have to go with lower % s.They are very determined with the money thats been allocated for each completed form.

-- getbackjack (jrmadge@ccrtc.com), February 26, 2000.

No, I've never heard of any of them being out after dark during the warmer months. They probably won't bother you more than once, unless you give them reason to, like laughing at some supervisor or mouthing off where some shrill might hear you. You've got a "malfunctioning" answering machine hooked up to your phone, don't you?

-- (kb8um8@yahoo.com), February 26, 2000.

I guess it would have been too inefficient or simple to LOOK at a couple of those 120 MILLION envelopes, huh? and see if they were printing correctly.

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), February 26, 2000.