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What is this?
Census bureau uses helicopter to count heads
Published Friday, July 3, 2009
Jackson — The Jackson Census Office has been flooded with support as they attempt to verify all addresses leading up to next year’s Census.
Sheriff Angie Brown in Adams County made one call and immediately the use of a helicopter was made available as a resource in helping with the Jackson Census Office’s address canvassing procedures in the hard to reach areas of the county.
“It is amazingly refreshing to receive such an out pouring of support with our efforts in the field,” said Don Watson, manager of the Jackson census office Many law enforcement and other agencies are unaware of what the census bureau does and the lengthy processes we go through to make sure we count everyone.
“The only cost to the census (office) would be the cost of fuel.”
Brown also enlisted the help of Stan Owens Jr., director of emergency management in Adams, County.
Owens offered the use of search and rescue boats with the help of Everard Baker and operator Curtis Gibson.
He was also supported by Giles Island’s caretaker Jimmy Riley.
“Address canvassing is a very important part of the Census count,” said Jenna Steormann, media specialist with the Dallas Regional Census Center, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
“With a correct address list, we mail out the census questionnaires to each residential address. The address list is derived from previous census’ and from US Postal Service’s lists.”
“The goal of each census is to count everyone. —count them once and in the right place.”
“For this census, an accurate count is the foundation for the allocation of over $300 billion dollars annually to communities across the country and the assignment of congressional seats. This money can be used for infrastructure like roads, playgrounds, senior citizen’s programs and much more,” she siad.
With Brown’s assistance, Watson was able to arrange with Wilkinson County’s Emergency Management Director Thomas Tolliver the go ahead for Adams’ county workers to cross county lines to complete the work at hand.
Areas like Giles and Glascock Islands are a challenge as they have flooding problems.
The marsh lands and wooded areas of the county are hard to reach for “listers” — Census Bureau employees who perform the address canvassing process.
“We have had to come up with creative ways to get the job done,” Watson said. “It is great to have so much support in these individuals. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.
“We look forward to an accurate count for the 2010 census which begins April 1.”
Comments
Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 1:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
county ?? heads or count heads
Posted by Avenue (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 4:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How much did that cost the taxpayers? How many people can there be in these hard to reach areas?
Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 4:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think you meant Count Heads.
The only cost is fuel? I'm calling BS on that one. Someone is paying for the maintenance on the helicopter. Wouldn't it be cheaper to drive around and do the head counting? Someone comes up with a wild idea, and the tax payers have to fork out some more money.
It never ends.
Posted by jlmorris (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 6:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"With Brown’s assistance, Watson was able to arrange with Wilkinson County’s Emergency Management Director Thomas Tolliver the go ahead for Adams’ county workers to cross county lines to complete the work at hand."
What is this all about? Why would we need permission from Wilkinson county to do work in Adams County? Yes, to get to parts of Adams County by road, one must travel roads in Wilkinson County but so what?
Posted by flylo (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 7:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why didn't they use an airplane, it would have been atleast a third cheaper, Yes besides fuel the cost of the wear, and tear on parts is very expensive.
Wait until you see the 22 page census form that is to be used in 2010!!
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
flylo, a helicopter can hover over an area and get a more accurate count of what people have sitting in their yards. I know, I sound like a conspiracy theroist, lol. It was unclear to me which helicopter was to be used - Adams Co. Sheriff's or the Ms. Dept. of Public Safety? Either one would be tax funded for maintenance and fuel. The Sheriff's pilot is volunteer I think, but the state pays its pilots. This whole thing just doesn't seem right to me.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This sounds like a very expensive method of census taking.
I say save the copter for sheriff's work and emergency response.
Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
freedom...I was thinking the same thing. Proves the theory of "Big Brother" in just one more way.
Posted by Natchezbear (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me get this straight ....are folks supposed to wave their hands at the copter as it flies over to be counted.................? From the air can they tell if folks in the house are male, female, straight, gay, black, white, married ,single or even there at all?
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They might not be able to tell race, age, etc, but if they hover over the most rural of homesteads they could check for unauthorized gardening activities, too, since they are there anyway.
I bet somebody already thought of that....
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HA!!! Unauthorized gardening activities!
funny but true
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Next year's census wants more than to count the head on your shoulder. "They" even want to know what time you leave for work, what kind of utilities you are using in your home, how much water flushes down your commode and all kinds of personnal sruff that has nothing to do with counting the population of the people in this country. It's time to wake up, America. Government is out of control!! If that helicopter hubs over my property, I will moon it.
Posted by tiredoflosers (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 1:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I won't tell them crap. I don't care too be counted in their little tract you where you live game!!! I see ACORN wrote all over this CRAP!!!
Posted by naturegirl (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 5:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They can also check to see if there are any mobile mansions hidden away in the back trees or how many cars are parked in the driveway. Heck, with todays survellance methods they can even get the tag numbers.
Posted by ghost (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
DO NOT SUBMIT TO THE INFORMATION THAT IS ASKED OF YOU ON THIS CENSUS! PEOPLE PLEASE WAKE UP....VERY SCARY TIMES ARE AHEAD.
Posted by reb1843 (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The US Constitution calls for enumerating (counting) the number of citizens. No more info is legally required of you. Anything you wish to tell Big Brother is strictly voluntary. In 2000, I submitted a one-page letter (not the Fed's census form) saying ONLY that there were three adults over the age of 21 living in my household. I had two census takers who later came to my door, 'demanding' I fill out the Fed's form. I told them to go pound sand.
Posted by Morticia (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 8:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay, tell me the scary stuff.
Posted by naturegirl (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Scary stuff - try Nazi Germany and the detailed census IBM put together so that Hitler could easily identify minorities he wanted to get rid of.
Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on July 3, 2009 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why use the helicopter at all? There are satellites up there that can tell them just about anything they want to know. One pass, multiple pictures and they can also read your tag!
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on July 5, 2009 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Have any of you ever used google earth? You can find a picture of your home from space. Only problem is sometimes they are very outdated. Ours still shows my daughters white jeep parked in the yard. We sold it 2 years ago. I suppose if necessary they could do new pictures, but I don't know at what cost.
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