Hey, US Government?

[agilebrit]

I get that it's Very Very Important that I fill the census thing out and send it back to you.

In fact, I did it the day the thing arrived in the mail.

However, I'm quite miffed that you're spending my hard-earned tax dollars that could be better spent elsewhere to send me not ONE, but TWO letters letting me know, first of all, that the cursed thing was coming, and then an ADDITIONAL postcard telling me How Very Important it is that I fill it out and send it back. When I've already done so.

Also, I don't like your incessant TV ads. How many of my tax dollars were spent on those?

And you're the people we're supposed to trust with our health care?

Yeah, RIGHT.

Sincerely,

agilebrit, who is skeptical that you will ever do anything right ever again

Comments

[modernelegance.livejournal.com]

MY THOUGHT EXACTLY! They even had a freakin' DORA THE EXPLORER ONE FOR THE KIDS! Starting the Propaganda early are we?

[paulasj.livejournal.com]

It's not only the numerous letters that I'm getting, but the tv ads for available jobs as a 2010 census worker.

In regards to the questionnaire itself, I got mind a few days ago. Then I read questions 1 and 2. I'm still scratching my head.

[zilly14.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. When I got the first letter, I was like "oh, the census already?" and was confused why they'd send a letter a week early telling me to fill out the census (when the census form already says to fill it out...) Apparently the idea behind it is that it's cheaper to send multiple letters than to have a census taker come to your door? That may be the case, but getting JUST the census would've been enough for me. I would've gotten the importance with just that. And then I get that postcard today! Totally bad approach.

I was pissed when they spent $2.5 million for that dumb Super Bowl ad.

The way to get people to fill out the census is to reinforce the fact that it affects how much money the federal gov't gives to your community. Maybe do a pamphlet with the census that explains it, I don't know (I'm not into advertising/marketing) but the way they're doing it is awful. People who weren't going to fill it out probably still won't. Stupid ads won't convince them. Multiple letters? Hah. They'll probably be MORE likely to throw it away!

After working for the government for nearly 3 years, I have come to realize - the people making the rules, the laws, the ads, everything... they don't know what it's like on the ground actually doing the stuff, and what works and what doesn't. If I was running the VBA, for example, there would be changes that would make SENSE for veterans and SENSE for employees. But it's the government, and they don't have SENSE!

Sorry kinda on a tangent there... lol.

Trusting the U.S. Government

[the-gimlet-eye.livejournal.com]

You are right not to trust them. One must be agin' government. Things have always been like that. Why? Because they lie about everything. They are so out of control. They spend our money as if it were their own. They are bankrupting us, getting drunk on our dime, and reducing us to serfs. Some big, big, changes are in order.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Those commercials! How idiotic were they?

I had to laugh at the 'Black, African-American, Negro' designation, while it was plain old 'White' without any other designations. My son told me that people would be too stupid to check 'Caucasian.'

[trkkergrl.livejournal.com]

They are wasting tons of money on these ads and sending out stuff. I've lost all faith in the government.

I hated to fill out that thing, but meh, it was no different then the one I filled out in 2000. And I want the right number of reps. to rep. Dunno why cause not like my thoughts and my parties thoughts matter anymore. lol My bbf and her bf burnt their form. She got Oy.mad at me when I questioned why. Oy.

[gates-end.livejournal.com]

Amen sister!

[roseaponi.livejournal.com]

Hey, I think they forgot to send me one of the preliminary letters. I've had one letter, one form, and one postcard. Honestly, I had to remind myself that my county is already rather poor and needs all the help it can get before I could convince myself to go ahead and fill out the thing.

As far as the health care... um, I have mixed feelings. A lot of what I've read in summary doesn't sound half as bad as it could have been, at least on the surface, but I don't understand how they're justifying what looks like a deliberate move to flush Medicare down the toilet.

First, they flood the system with lots of newly qualified people, and then they open a big gaping void in Medicare reimbursements to doctors and hospitals? Isn't that the basic mechanism of a toilet? My parents are on Medicare (and VA, which is going to be flooded too, since we are at war and acquiring new veterans at a steady rate)and now, Medicare is going to be worthless. And there aren't enough medical professionals to go around.

Somebody needs to invent a vaccine against stupid.