(05/27/10) "Census takers targeted 113 times this month" (by Adam O'Keefe, The Washington Post)

[Spang]

More than 113 census takers have been the victims of assaults or attacks this month, the U.S. Census Bureau said late Wednesday.

In response to inquiries by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Census Director Robert Groves said the bureau's temporary workers knocking on doors to collect information have faced 29 threats involving a gun, four robberies and three instances of being held against their will or carjacked. Seven workers died in car accidents and one was killed while off duty.

The Census Bureau hired about 635,000 people to follow up with people who did not return questionnaires by the end of April. The process is more than half completed, and is scheduled to continue into July.

Bureau officials said the overall pattern and types of incidents are similar to the 2000 census, but cautioned this year's figures are already much higher than ten years ago and include a mix of news accounts and formal reports to the bureau's safety office.

The incidents include a census worker carjacked by a 14-year old and a California incident that resulted in the death of a woman.

Aides said Maloney requested the information to determine whether news reports were accurately reflecting a trend or merely focusing on a few incidents.

“These acts of violence against census enumerators are tragic, especially when you consider these temporary workers were only trying to do their job making sure their neighbors are accurately and fairly counted in the Decennial Census," Maloney said.

Twenty-one census workers died on the job between 1998 and 2009, according to agency figures. The attacks come as the agency announced stricter hiring rules on Wednesday after a registered sex offender using an alias got a job as a census taker.

The Source (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/05/census_takers_targeted_113_tim.html?wprss=federal-eye)

[cindyb]

My brother was telling me yesterday that he heard the govt lays off all 635,000 census workers every Friday afternoon and then rehires all 635,000 of them on Monday mornings (EVERY week) so they can keep adding that many "new" employees to the work force every week to make things LOOK better on paper. :rolleyes:

[Foggy]

My brother was telling me yesterday that the Moon is made of green cheese.

[mack20]

I was reading this article earlier. As far as I can tell, these numbers seem to be generally in line with previous census years, which, after all the anti-census rhetoric we were hearing for a while, is a relief to me.

[cindyb]

My brother was telling me yesterday that the Moon is made of green cheese.Did he tell you that you look like Foghorn Leghorn?

So, are you saying that there is no way that could be true? Do you know any Census workers you could ask? And would they even be aware of it happening and know the answer?

[Spang]

My brother was telling me yesterday that he heard the govt lays off all 635,000 census workers every Friday afternoon and then rehires all 635,000 of them on Monday mornings (EVERY week) so they can keep adding that many "new" employees to the work force every week to make things LOOK better on paper. :rolleyes:

Let's add that up and see what we get - 635,000 jobs added every week for an entire month. For accuracy I'll use a calculator. That totals 2.54 million jobs. Now, let's see how many jobs were added in April. It just so happens we have a thread right here (http://www.commongroundpolitics.net/discussion/showthread.php?t=56590) with those numbers.

It looks like 290,000 jobs were added in April.

[spikeytx86]

My brother was telling me yesterday that he heard the govt lays off all 635,000 census workers every Friday afternoon and then rehires all 635,000 of them on Monday mornings (EVERY week) so they can keep adding that many "new" employees to the work force every week to make things LOOK better on paper. :rolleyes:
Uh no. I do the Census, I don't get laid off every week. I am hired through a certain period of time and either work till then or until we run out of people to enumerate. And at least in my area we will be done in about 2-3 weeks, fairly well ahead of time.

[spikeytx86]

I was reading this article earlier. As far as I can tell, these numbers seem to be generally in line with previous census years, which, after all the anti-census rhetoric we were hearing for a while, is a relief to me.
It really is. I haven't heard of any problems around here besides a few rude people. I have only had one outright refusal myself, but it was for a legit reason.

In 2000 my sister did the census and did have an incident with a flasher though.

[jlynne]

Did he tell you that you look like Foghorn Leghorn?

So, are you saying that there is no way that could be true? Do you know any Census workers you could ask? And would they even be aware of it happening and know the answer?


The Office of Disaster Assistance hires its temporary employees for two week stints and can keep a person employeed in that manner for upto a year. It works well when you don't know what type of staffing you will need from season to season.

It isn't like the employee gets a pink slip on Friday then gets rehired on Monday. Nothing on the jobsite changes. Its just a method the government uses to account for its varying staffing needs.

It wouldn't surprise me if the census used the same method. You don't know exactly how long the job in one county is going to last so you hire the employees for two week stints until the count is completed. If you need them longer, you renew the worker and if you don't you don't.

[Suzan]

I was reading this article earlier. As far as I can tell, these numbers seem to be generally in line with previous census years, which, after all the anti-census rhetoric we were hearing for a while, is a relief to me.
Me too. I would have thought this might be one of the most dangerous times in recent history to be a census taker.

[Suzan]

It really is. I haven't heard of any problems around here besides a few rude people. I have only had one outright refusal myself, but it was for a legit reason.

In 2000 my sister did the census and did have an incident with a flasher though.

Omg, probably lying in wait for her. I wonder if it's all that rare. Your sister was brave to take on that job.

[Brooke]

My brother was telling me yesterday that he heard the govt lays off all 635,000 census workers every Friday afternoon and then rehires all 635,000 of them on Monday mornings (EVERY week) so they can keep adding that many "new" employees to the work force every week to make things LOOK better on paper. :rolleyes:

No they don't. My dad is working for the Census right now and that's NEVER happened to him. Is your brother getting that info from Fox News? Because it's absolutely not true.

[foxyladi]

i feel so sorry for them..just trying to do their job..

[Spang]

Westfield man arrested for threatening Census worker with gun

WESTFIELD -- A senior citizen was charged and released after threatening a Census worker with a gun, Westfield police Capt. Cliff Auchter said.

Around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, the female Census worker came to the Downer Street home of John Savoca, 79, Auchter said. It was not the first time the worker had spoken with Savoca, and he came to the door wearing a handgun in a holster and threatened to use it on her if she came back, Auchter said.

Police arrested Savoca on suspicion of possessing a firearm for unlawful purposes, threatening to commit a crime, obstructing the administration of law and resisting arrest. He was released after posting the 10 percent cash alternative to $2,500 bail. Participation in the Census is mandated by federal law.

The Source (http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/05/westfield_man_arrested_for_thr.html)

[Spang]

Incidents of hostility, violence against census workers on the rise

This is the scary season for the nation's census takers.

Since they began making follow-up house calls in early May, census takers have encountered vitriol, menace and flashes of violence. They have been shot at with pellet guns and hit by baseball bats. They have been confronted with pickaxes, crossbows, and hammers. They've had power lawn mowers pushed menacingly toward them, and patio tables thrown their way. They have been nibbled by a duck, bitten by pit bulls and chased by a pack of snarling dogs.

[...]

So far, the Census Bureau has tallied 379 incidents involving assaults or threats on the nation's 635,0000 census workers, more than double the 181 recorded during the 2000 census. Weapons were used or threatened in a third of the cases.

The Complete Article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/19/AR2010061901896_pf.html)