Is the census just an April Fool's prank?

If you will, please allow me a few moments of cynicism.

Today my census form was delivered in the mail and the whole thing seems to me rather foolish.

Having never completed a census form before, I cannot say if what I am about to type would have any bearing on previous forms, though I suspect it would. What follows has nothing to do whatsoever with my view on the current Administration; the census form is simply very poorly worded.

What first struck me about the mailing is that in addition to the form itself is "A message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau..." but nowhere am I told who said director is. This seems a bit odd.

Second, the form says I am to "complete and mail back the enclosed census form today," (emphasis original) yet the form itself reads, "The Census must count every person living in the United States on April 1, 2010" (emphasis mine). How am I to do this? How can I possibly send it back today and keep April 1st in mind at the same time?

Unless I am much mistaken, April 1, 2010 has not yet arrived and, for all I know, I could well be struck dead by a speeding car tomorrow on my way to lunch or hit by a meteorite on my way back to the rectory after Mass (may God prevent both from happening).

The first question on the census reads, "How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?" It's another question I cannot yet answer; again, it hasn't happened yet. It seems very unlikely, but for all I know another priest may be assigned to live here with me between now and then.

The second question reads, "Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1" (emphasis original)? At this time I'm not expecting a guest on Holy Thursday, but I may well have one or two.

Question seven notes that, "For this census, Hispanic origins are not races," yet question eight says that possible races include White, Black, African American, Negro, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, etc. Why do these count as races but Hispanic does not?

Question ten asks, "Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?" Well, I do go on vacation and retreat from time to time and so stay elsewhere, but none of the options seem to fit this purpose.

I think this form is nothing short of one big April Fool's joke. The government really should have cynics review its forms before sending them out.