It wasn't even the privacy scares whipped up by anti-census groups. No, the worst part was the way the government marketed the census to the American people, as though we were panhandlers greedy for a federal handout. You've probably seen the Census Bureau's pitch on television. In one commercial, a waitress is having a hard time at work because she has to bring her toddler to the restaurant. The child gets fussy and starts crying.
Diners sigh in disgust.
The manager gets mad. The waitress might even get fired. Then a voice explains that government daycare funding is determined through the census. Fill out your form and you'll not only help this poor woman, but you'll be able to eat in peace. Another spot shows a house on fire.