The outgoing Census Bureau director, Robert M. Groves, identified some of the ways that data-collection methods need to change for future censuses [news story, Aug. 6].
Based upon my limited experience as a census worker, I couldn’t agree more.
I served as a “crew leader” in Montgomery County during the 2010 Census. During my two months’ tenure, I trained and managed 30 people as enumerators. The training lasted three days, and people were paid for their hours and mileage as well. We completed our assignments on time and, I suppose, under budget.
The problem was that the job could easily have been handled by 15 or fewer people. Even though some of my enumerators never received assignments, they were all paid for their training and attendance at frequent meetings.
There was also significant waste of printed materials. Each enumerator was given two cartons of forms at the end of their training. Probably 90 percent of the material was never needed.
Leroy L.Hamilton, Silver Spring
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