LEETSDALE, Pa. - I am now officially a public servant. At 8:39 a.m. today, I raised my right hand inside the borough building here along the Ohio River and pledged to participate faithfully and honestly in the federal government's census count.The first day of census training was simple, although I must have signed and filed a couple dozens registration forms during the eight-hour shift. Those typical bureaucratic forms ranged from direct deposit information to confidentiality agreements. And it felt great to know I will be earning my government paycheck by working rather than raking in taxpayer money due to lack of employment.
The room was filled with 25 people of various backgrounds, ages and professions (or lack thereof). Most said they were retirees, although a few of us in there mentioned we were without a job. This position will supplement our income and give us a much-needed feeling of being productive.
The initial phase of the job for this crew will last for about four weeks and focus on counting people living in group quarters. That includes nursing homes, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and prisons. Fortunately, I don't know of any prisons in the western Allegheny County zone where I'll be working. We continue to train Thursday and Friday before the crew leaders cuts us loose next week.
I'm looking forward to getting back into the workforce.
I think this group living assignment sounds quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Mike!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys, but the bureaucratic paperwork is grueling. We need to backup forms with forms while doing the Group Quarters census.
ReplyDeletei thought it was common knowledge the government is super inefficient...hence repetitive paperwork and tons of BS
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has spent long hours researching old census records, I say this information is too valuable to current and future researchers to dismiss by any one generation.
ReplyDeleteI knew the government was inefficient, but I didn't know I needed to fill out endless paperwork to count bums living on the street. There's a checklist for everything. Just give me the Census form and let me count people.
ReplyDeleteI think the "government is inefficient" meme is misguided... The government does things that the private sector can't extract value from doing... Can we do a head count more efficiently? Sure. Can we get exhaustive cross-tab-able data that will be useful for centuries to come if we eliminate 90% of the paperwork? No. As scott said, that info is invaluable... and someone will be thankful many decades in the future that Mike had to fill out redundant forms. I like to use the highway system as an example of where government's job is not to be efficient, but to provide something of benefit at a financial loss to itself in the short term... A highway costs over a million dollars per mile (a stat I remember from highschool, so it probably costs much more now)--- What private entity out there is going to have ANY reason to build a highway across Iowa at that cost? Or even from Laboratory to Prosperity here in SW PA? No, it's not efficient to spend tens of millions of dollars (hundreds of millions?) to connect Washington to Waynesburg... but the sum total value of the US highway system is greater than the value of it's individual parts. So that paper work, in pieces, is inefficient... but the value of an accurate census is greater than the cost of you filing 9 forms for the head count at country meadows.
ReplyDeleteAfter spending the last three days training, I'm convinced the government can do this Census much more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteAnd I actually think it would be a better idea to give every household in America $50 to complete the form and send it in. Think about it: 146 million dwellings X $50 = $7.3 billion. That's half the price of the current census estimate costs.
the government operates at a financial loss all the time. have you ever heard of a government program that is under budget? i havent. the government doesnt even try to make programs affordable...they just keep throwing money at inefficient programs and programs that are delayed and overrunning their budgets. it is a bunch of nonsense. and i am convinced government employees do absolutely no work...they go to pointless meetings and watch soap operas on tv at lunch in the cafeteria (fact). i mean your taxpayer dollars even pay for government employees to work out an hour a day.
ReplyDeletePerfectly illustrated by Air Force tanker refueler bids, right?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the government wastes money. But the private sector also hoards money to pay their stockholders rather than employees. Both government and private sector need to find a happy-medium between spending lavishly and skimping.
As for government employees doing nothing: I'm going to spend a morning next week interviewing homeless people under bridges. No joke. Needless to say, I'm going to earn that paycheck.
well i don't work for northrop grumman anymore, but the tanker deal still makes me angry. i love that the government is "competing" a contract with only one bidder. apparently if you complain enough to the government, you will get your way. oh wait...maybe only if you are a big corporation. i'm sure boeing will jack the price up and screw the taxpayers. i look forward to that. you might sense some bitterness towards big brother here...that might have something to do with the fact that i work 75 hours a week and then my government boss takes credit for all my work. i look forward to the day i work for the government and get all the credit for doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK to cling to your guns and religion.
ReplyDelete