Thank You, Tink...................... Your message is a good one that we should all try to follow. I see no harm in answering the questions. I got the short form, in fact I got TWO short forms. (Identical). I had to check to find out what to do. Answer was mail one back, throw the other out and to tell the census taker what happened when he or she came to contact me. I live in an apartment building, apparently the initial information gatherers figured there were 2 of us living in the one apartment. So they may figure they didn't get a response from #2 tenant. I consider this another mix up by the government. There isn't much information given on the individual themselves. Guess we'll have to instruct the person that takes over what we've gathered in genealogy to keep abreast of events. But that will be their duty and if they don't, they will have to dig just as we have. And that was what made it so interesting to us! Long live genealogy! Pat J. ----- Original Message ----- From: Tink Miller To: nymadiso@rootsweb.com Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2010 11:54 PM Subject: Re: [NYMADISO] NYMADISO Digest, Vol 5, Issue 35 I find it very humorous that some genealogists are contemplating not completing the census form. Have pity on your descendants who will be searching for you, as we are searching now for our ancestors behind brick walls. The fact is that due to the proliferation of public records throughout our society, almost anything anyone wants to know about us now is available, if not on the internet then through private investigators and companies who collect and sell information. They can buy information about each of us from dozens of sources. As we genealogists know, the individual census data that is collected is "locked up" for 72 years. The Census Bureau does not share any data about any individual with any other government agency, or in fact with anyone at all, until after the 72 years has passed. Please set your paranoia aside and complete the census. It has been mandated by federal law since the first census was completed in 1790. What wouldn't we give for earlier census records? The content of the 2010 census was negotiated a year ago between several federal agencies. The scope of data being collected is reduced from prior years to encourage people to respond. The census determines how much of your federal tax dollars come back to your community and how many seats your state has in the House of Representatives. Your community is estimated to lose $1800 per year for 10 years (ie. $18,000) for each person who is not reported on the census. What could your town do with $18,000? Here's to happy hunting and tumbling brick walls. Tink ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYMADISO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.791 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2754 - Release Date: 03/18/10 03:33:00