Problems With Census Forms

Anybody who got the long census form will tell you what a pain in the butt it was to fill out and how intrusive it was. If you have a family of six, like mine, it took more than a couple of minutes.

The questions are intrusive. The government already has my tax forms, and I don’t need another agency running around with my Social Security number, my tax information, my workplace address and whether or not I have indoor plumbing or my kids are slow learners!

The Constitution says we must count the people. It doesn’t say we must invade what little privacy they have. It also says that we elect our representatives to represent us. When we are cranky about giving up our privacy to an administration that likes to collect our FBI files and release them to damage its political “enemies,” we should be able to have those representatives speak up for us.

FRANK C. ALVIDREZ

Lancaster

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If our experience is any indication, the census is a joke. Because people in our area have had the contents of their mailboxes stolen, we do not have a mailbox at our house but have a post office box. As a result the post office will not deliver mail to our house.

We called over a week ago and explained our mail situation, and we were told that a form would be mailed to our post office box. No, we have not received a census form as yet. If the caliber of the person to whom we talked is any indication, the chances of an accurate census are about as probable as winning the lottery.

C. MARTIN VINCENT

Fallbrook

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Re “Census Takers Tally Homeless in Southland,” March 29: The comment in the article that an “estimated 40,000 homeless on a given night live outdoors” in Los Angeles should have been a flaming headline. How can we tolerate these conditions without being overwhelmed with shame? I have yet to hear either Al Gore or George W. Bush explain what they are going to do to help the homeless. Nor have I heard President Clinton make an apology for these conditions. It seems that we are very good at bragging about our achievements but not very good about fixing horrible conditions.

QUENTIN STODOLA

Redondo Beach