Your Taxes Paid for US Census Totem Pole to Be Carved, Being Sent Today from Alaska to Washington, DC
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on August 2, 2010
Sitka carver Tommy Joseph, right, watches as students unload his totem pole in Alaska on Feb. 16, 2010. Joseph made the pole in 15 days after getting a commission from the U.S. Census Bureau. The pole traveled around the state and will be shipped to Washington, DC on August 2. | James Poulson/Daily Sitka Sentinel
Government waste of taxpayers’ dollars… again.
I don’t doubt that this is a wonderful totem pole.
But, for our government to authorize something this — dare I say it — frivolous during the worst recession this country has seen in more than 30 years, and unemployment numbers not abating as was promised time and again by our president after he launched his unpopular multi-billion-dollar stimulus/porkulus bill, shipping today a totem pole that was created for the US CENSUS, of all freakin’ things, from Juneau, Alaska to Washington, DC seems fiscally irresponsible.
Just one more example of the government’s spendthrift mindset. A totem pole for the US Census… good grief. Because everyone thinks “gotta participate in the census” when they see a totem pole, right?
From Juneau Empire, Census totem dedication and celebration:
JUNEAU – For the first time in history, the 2010 Census commissioned Sitka carver Tommy Joseph to design and carve a totem pole specifically for the Census. Since its completion this spring, the totem pole has traveled throughout many communities in Southeast Alaska during the census data collection process. The totem is currently on display at Goldbelt’s Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau.
A celebration and dedication will be held as the totem begins its journey to its new home at the Census Bureau’s headquarters near Washington, D.C. All are invited to attend the celebration beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2 at the Mount Roberts Tramway. Meet the artist, enjoy traditional songs and dances performed by the Children of All Nations, and join the event with other special guests.
From Stephen Robert Morse, Big Government:
Now, this must be one of the most flagrant instances of waste that I have ever read about. A “totem pole” that has been created to celebrate the 2010 Census is traveling thousands of miles from Juneau, Alaska to Washington D.C. I’ve already e-mailed Steve Jost at the Census Bureau to find out some more info about the cost of this commission and the transportation of this object.
From Capital City Weekly, Census totem pole send-off ceremony to be held Monday:
JUNEAU — The Census totem pole will received a traditional send-off Monday before journeying to Washington, D.C., to be a part of a permanent exhibit.
The totem was carved in Sitka by Tommy Joseph last February. The Census theme and message “It’s in our hands” was clearly embedded in its curving and colorful paints. Since then, the totem was taken to numerous places in Alaska and Washington where Census events and activities were held. Census officials say that the presence of Census totem generated good attention and was an effective outreach that relayed the importance of being counted for Census.
From Juneau Empire, Sitka totem pole adds stature to Census:
SITKA – Alaska historically has placed last among the states in the percentage of mail-back questionnaires returned to the U.S. Census Bureau.
But the U.S. Census is hoping to change that.
The Census Bureau has commissioned a totem pole to raise awareness, encourage participation in the census, and recognize the government-to-government partnership between Alaska tribes and the Census Bureau.
Sitka carver Tommy Joseph completed the pole in 15 days, and it had its first public viewing atop a truck in Tuesday’s Elizabeth Peratrovich Day parade in Sitka.
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UPDATE, August 12, 2010… Now the price of the totem pole is finally coming out — reported by FOX News, Tale of the Totem: $23G Census Project to Thaw Alaska Hearts and Minds Questioned:
They tried mailings, launched a multimillion-dollar national ad campaign, hired tens of thousands of people — they even tried a totem pole.
The $20,000 totem pole art project was commissioned by the Census Bureau with a local Alaskan artist and meant to incorporate both native Alaskan symbols with the spirit of the census and help engage the disparate and hard-to-count communities of America’s largest state.
The totem didn’t work.
Data provided by the Census Bureau shows that Alaska’s mail-in response rate actually was lower this year than in 2000. Sixty-two percent of Alaska residents mailed back their census forms in 2010, compared with 64 percent in 2000.
Not only that, but despite a tripling of the bureau’s ad budget to about $340 million, the mail-in response rate nationwide clocked in at 72 percent — same as a decade ago.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who’s been highly critical of what he claims is census over-spending, said Thursday the totem pole was just “the latest example of a mismanaged agency spending taxpayers’ money like it grows on trees — or totem poles.”
“The American people are right to be furious with a Washington that spends so recklessly, cooks the books to cover its tracks and thinks it’s a good idea to buy a $23,000 totem pole while more than 14.6 million people are unemployed,” he said in a written statement to FoxNews.com.
[...]
Despite Alaska’s lower turnout this year, the bureau claims that it saved money in the state because the overall cost of counting the Alaska population came in lower than expected.
The bureau also claimed this week that it saved $1.6 billion nationwide over the course of the 2010 Census.
With a $14.7 billion budget, the bureau says the actual cost came in at $13.1 billion thanks to the fact that it did not have to drain $800 million set aside from “natural disasters or operational breakdowns.” And more millions were saved because of the number of households that returned their questionnaires by mail — meaning census workers had fewer homes to visit.
But Republicans questioned those figures.
Issa, ranking Republican on the House government oversight committee, claimed the census was actually over-budget — since a 2006 Government Accountability Office report estimated the 2010 Census would cost about $11.3 billion.
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How remarkable !
I’ve been a professional wood sculpter for the past thirty years. I can tell you, for a fact,
that a custom ordered totem pole ( 8-10 ft. long ) such as the one shown would have a ceiling price of no more than $ 6000.00 ( expedited). And that would include a higher level of craftsmanship than the one the government paid twenty grand for. Don’t take my word for
it …..Google search ” totem poles ” and see for yourself.
Thanks for the info, Chris.
At the time of the original post, the cost for the totem pole wasn’t available. After reading your comment, I thought to explore and now it is being made public — WHOA, BOY. The bloated price taxpayers paid for this totem pole wasn’t the reasonable price of $6,000 that you mentioned, but $23,000. More than triple the going rate, as you cited. Folks are none too happy about that.
And it didn’t work in improving the numbers for the Census, either.
I’ve updated the post to include the news report on the price. Thanks for sharing your input.