Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 05/25/2010 11:02:41 AM PDT by X180A
I had a message on my answering machine asking that I call the Census Bureau and referencing a case number. When I called a machine answered and stated something to the effect that calls may be recorded for quality assurance purposes. Then an agent came on the line, asked for the reference number, and told me that they had some questions they wanted to ask me.
I told the lady on the line that, "I am happy to provide information but I do not consent to being recorded". She explained that recording was only for their internal quality assurance use. I said that I understood but that I still did not want to be recorded. She said that since she could not turn the recording feature off, that she was going to have to mark my file to indicate that I had refused to be interviewed.
Well, it went on from there. I explained that I was willing to submit to interview, that I would gladly clarify any information I had sent the Census Bureau, and that I would answer additional questions and provide whatever information she needed, BUT I would not consent to being recorded. She said she had to speak to a supervisor and then returned to the line to say there was no way to turn off recording and she would be forced to mark the the file reflecting that I was refusing to answer questions.
I asked to speak to the supervisor. A very nice lady came on and identified herself as a supervisor. Our conversation was similar to the one I had with the first lady. I made it clear again and again that I was willing to provide any information needed. She went on saying that they could not turn the machine off and that my file would be marked to indicate my refusal to be interviewed. I said that refusal to provide information is a crime and for her to note that I was refusing, when I was not, was perjurous and constituted false reporting. Then I pointed out that since I had already indicated I did not want to be recorded, if the recorder was still running they were violating federal law by continuing to record the very conversation we were having. She said she was going to get her supervisor.
A very polite gentleman came on the line and we resumed the discussion. He explained how they use the recordings for employee training and critique and how important it is to them. I explained that I was unwilling to be recorded, not because of some sinister reason, but because it is a matter of principle with me. He pointed out that they use a welcome greeting that informs callers that conversations may be recorded. I pointed out that such a message is required by federal law so that the caller has the option of consenting or not consenting to being recorded. He said that he had no mechanism by which to stop the recording. I reiterated several times that I was perfectly willing to provide answers and submit to interview and to mark the file otherwise was not accurate. I also mentioned that there were probably a lot of other people like me that did not want to be recorded but felt they had no choice. He said he would note the entire situation in the file and that he would inform his superiors to see what could be done.
Bingo! We have a winner, no more calls .....
I guess since they couldn’t turn the recorder off, all that stuff you said was recorded anyway.
No, what you are is a coward.
fill out an official form in pencil
... well, think back to your school test days... the non-working software reading all the questionaires for the census reads #2 pencil via scanner, so NO info is done in ink, and yes, pencil responses can be erased, and corrected... or changed. Standard procedure across the US for Census2010, your tax dollars at work.
ymmv
The ones that I filled out and mailed back were done in ink. I don’t recall anything on them saying that you had to use pencil.
I think you did right. Did she go away? She’ll probably just go fill it out however she wants and turn it in. She’ll mark you off as having cooperated. yay for you!
I worked the 2000 census and they were telling people the same BS about "the law requires" and "$250 fine" and other such. As far as I know (I worked in a "regional center" office), no one was arrested, jailed, or fined. It's all a bluff to frighten you into complying with a bunch of extra-constitutional busy-body questions.
Keep in mind that the whole census organization rises like a phoenix bird from it's own ashes every ten years. The entire field staff are temp employees as are most of the office help (at least as far as regional directors). I was trained for my post by someone that had been hired a few days before me as he had been trained by someone hired a bit before him and &C, &C. The entire operation is a Mongolian Cluster Frack and if they brought ACRON into it this year, it can only have gotten worse.
Regards,
GtG
...all you are required to say is “ I prefer NOT to answer” - either on the phone or in person...
Census policy is to go to the home if unable to get desired data via a phone call...
My own advise is that this incident be reported to the person's congressional reps office -
They came to my house. I didn’t invite her to come in, so she said cordially that she didn’t need to come in, that it would only take 10 minutes. I told her that as I understood it, per the US Constitution, I was only required to answer 1 question pertaining to the no. of people in the dwelling. I said, “That no. is 1. I believe that concludes it.” I’m glad that Glenn Beck put that little bit of information out there.
They could have simply scheduled an appointment for an enumerator to come out and interview you face to face.
This is correct. An enumerator is always around to come out to your house.
And by the way, as a census worker (I am not an enumerator, and have acted as no more than a watchdog in the local process) the workers are being treated like real sh?t. Please be nice to them.
The phone system at the Census is an odd one, indeed. The usual response from call centers (Of which I have a ton of experience managing) is to call you back. If they can’t shut off the recording (It is truly difficult, I concede) then they can call you back. Outgoing doesn’t record. But The Census phone system is a strange one indeed.
You can’t really make calls on the system. You can queue up calls, and have them placed “automatically” in a specific order. If they need to leave you a voicemail, that queue is reset and you’re case is queued up in some manner (the manner is different for each case, be it employment (The queues I deal with), quality control, and enumeration.
When you call back, you can never really speak to someone that you need to. You need that reference number, and then THEY call you back when they can. There is no “hold” system in most of these queues. And this can be a pain. If you miss their call-back, you’re back at square 1.
As in all low-skilled employment centers, the employees are so afraid of breaking rules or questioning authority because they are hired from a pool of people who are 10 cents away from living under a bridge. That’s a great way to form an army of people who don’t question too much.
No one in the history of the United States has been charged for failing to comply with the Census.
Leave it to these imbeciles to deal in mutually exclusive policies. Welcome to health care of the future. They already can’t walk and chew gum simultaneously. If they can’t even COUNT people, which their forbears did successfully and accurately on horseback (probably under adverse circumstances), how can they manage the health of 300 million?
When they come for you it will be about something trivial, like being a jew or some other small incidental thing you over looked in your family history!
I don’t have the energy to go into the full details of the post-Census inquisitions (plural) I received. I did call my Senator’s office about it and dropped language such as “harassment” and “appalling waste of the taxpayers’ money.”
Horrible experiences and totally wasted my time— 1) about a 1/2 hour on my birthday and 2) another good 40 minutes or so on the Sunday after my birthday.
recording govt agents is not permitted... just ask the folks in Maryland
Dumb ass, it isn’t about religion, it is about tyranny!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.