As part of the promotional efforts to get Americans to participate in the Census, the Census Bureau has been handing out various tchotchkes — coffee mugs, notebooks, insulated lunch bags, fans etc. — with the department logo on them. The OC Register asked the Census Bureau how much they were spending on these items and was told to buzz off:

Well, the total cost of the 2010 census is expected to come in at some $14.5 billion, officials said (see their cost breakdown below).