Did the U.S. Census Waste Millions Sending 2-Paragraph Letters?

Just as President Obama is about to announce a new effort to crack down on waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs, Angelenos across the city received letters from the U.S. Census Bureau this week. Before opening the letter, it appeared to be the actual census. But no, it was a two-paragraph letter telling you that the actual census form would be coming next week. What is this, monopoly money we're playing with? Oh, wait.

“The fact is, Washington is a place where tax dollars are often treated like Monopoly money, bartered and traded, divvied up among lobbyists and special interests," Obama said in a statement this morning. "And it has been a place where waste - even billions of dollars in waste - is accepted as the price of doing business. Well, I don’t accept business as usual. And the American people don’t accept it either, especially when one of the most pressing challenges we face is reining in long-term deficits with threaten to leave our children a mountain of debt.”

In any case, the filling out your census form is extremely important, even if that letter wasn't. Without an accurate demographic of neighborhoods, cities, regions and states, fair funding will not be a reality.