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Your Views: Costly census now asks us to predict future
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If anyone still thinks that the government will do a good job of running health care, just take a look at the job that it has done so far with the 2010 census.

The 2000 census cost $4.5 billion. The 2010 census is expected to cost $14.7 billion, and $133 million of that has been spent on advertising, something that already was being covered extensively in the media. Another $85 million has been spent on advance letters to tell everyone that the census will be mailed to their homes, in case the advertising wasn't clear.

When the census did arrive at our home on March 16, it states in bold letters "Please complete and mail back the enclosed census form today."

However the first question on the census form is: "How many people were living in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010." How can I possibly mail it back today and tell you with all certainty who lived at my house two weeks from now? I guess that they spent all their money on advertising and didn't have enough to hire a proofreader.

It is interesting to me that the same administration who thinks that I am not smart enough to understand the health care bill somehow thinks that I can accurately reply today on what will happen in the future.

The only prediction I can make about the future is that if the government gets the opportunity to run health care like they run everything else, we are all in big trouble.

Blair Hickerson
Gainesville