Letter sent before census form saves more than it costs
Q: Chris R. of San Francisco wants to know why the U.S. Census Bureau bothered sending him a letter telling him to expect a census form in the mail in a week or so. "Let's see, the federal deficit stands at about $1.9 trillion, so they are wasting yet more money to tell me about a letter that will be coming next week. How about just sending the 'real' letter next week?" A: The U.S. Census Bureau sent that letter to about 120 million households this week at a cost of $85 million but expects to reap $500 million in savings from it, according to Briana Kaya, spokeswoman for the Census Bureau. "Forty-five percent of Americans don't know the census is taking place," she says. When people don't send in their form, a census worker has to come by their home. Based on "extensive research," the Census Bureau estimates it can increase the response rate by 6 to 12 percent by sending out an advance notice. Each percentage point saves about $85 million in door-to-door follow-up visits, she adds. The text of the letter reads: "About one week from now, you will receive a 2010 census form in the mail. When you receive your form, please fill it out and mail it in promptly. Your response is important. Results from the 2010 census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share. Thank you in advance for your help." If you get a call, letter, e-mail or visit purporting to be from the Census Bureau and want to make sure it's real, check out links.sfgate.com/ZJJD, which gives tips on spotting a census scam. Among other things, the bureau says it does not send e-mails or conduct the census via the Internet. And it never asks for your full Social Security number, money or a donation. Neither does it request PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.