I don't really get why so many people see this as a problem. They aren't collecting those data just for the hell of it. For all the problems people have with government spending and waste, I don't see how using statistical methods and sound research to make decisions with billions of dollars at stake is a bad thing.

Are governments just supposed to throw darts at a board when deciding where and when to invest resources now? In reality, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they make an effort to gain solid information and make intelligent decisions, they're branded as Big Brother. If they just spend money randomly they're labeled incompetent and lazy bureaucrats. For the cost of 2-3 more days in Iraq I'd say making sure the census gets done right is a damned good investment.