Counting the silly

It is census time again. And with the census comes the silliness from both sides.

Before I venture further into the largest and most obvious symbol of government run looney-tunes, it is important to recognize that the census itself is mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the US Constitution. And it is even more important to recognize that the Constitution only requires a simple enumeration of the people.

That said, I am still laughing and grimacing about the letter I received yesterday telling me that I would be receiving the census form in about a week. So the federal government in its infinite insanity has decided that I need a piece of mail to let me know that I will be receiving a piece of mail. Setting aside the cost, one cannot help but wonder what the point of this is.

Add in the somewhat pathetic and genuinely bad TV commercials for the census and you have government at its absolute least effective. Taking a simple process - counting people - and turning it into a complex, expensive and relatively ineffective process.

I have yet to see the census form, but I am told that it again asks a lot more than how many people live in your home. This is the only legitimate question. All the rest are intrusive and not needed.

For me, this is a simple one - only answer the one question. How many people live in your home. That is what the Constitution requires. Leave the rest blank or write in "Not Applicable." Let them count those.