How lucky can you get?

Am I the luckiest person in Odessa or what?

I haven't heard of anyone else getting this honor.

I noticed a card in my mail addressed to "Resident" and before I threw it into the trash I saw it was from the "Official Government" wanting to know why I hadn't sent in my completed survey. I called their 888 number, and it was the U.S. Census Bureau.

I asked what they wanted me to do since I hadn't agreed to do any survey. She said this survey was sent out to a very few addresses to get information so the government could make better decisions as to schools and several other things that the government deals with, and Congress passed a law requiring anyone that gets this survey in their mail to answer the questions.
I said is this legal if it's addressed to "Resident" at their address? She said it's the law passed by Congress.

I said I just happened to glance at the card and if it had been a letter I would have trashed it and anything else with "Resident."

I said what would have happened if I hadn't called and found out about this. She said they would have kept sending mail and calling on the phone and if they didn't get an answer to those, they would come and contact you at that address.

I asked if they would put an 81-year-old man, with his wife in a nursing home, in jail. She said it's a law.

Now she was very understanding and offered to help me fill it out over the phone, which I decided would be the best thing to do.
A few of the questions were about personal income, interest, pensions, Social Security, wages and etc.

My home gas bill last month and last year, my water bill, my home value, home insurance cost, 2007 property tax and etc.
I think they could have gotten everything they wanted from the IRS, and I imagine they will share the survey with the IRS.
Maybe I don't understand what invasion of privacy is.

Looks like we need a bunch of new congressman, I'll bet none of them got this survey.

Other than that, we're doing pretty good.

John Bock
Odessa