Got My 2010 Census Today

MsLady | 3/1/2010 | MsLady

[MsLady]

Ok, so I come home from wallie world today to find my census hanging on my door. I opened it knowing what I would find and answered only How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

The rest I just said many bad words to. Got flustered and decided I'd wait till the last minute to send it back. Knowing full well, that someone working for the census is probably going to come back. Probably not knowing anything about the constitution. So I want to be ready. Understanding that this person is just trying to do a job and get paid. So now that I've gotten my anger out and I'm calmer, I would like some feedback please.

By the way, in case you haven't received yours, here are the questions, minus the first one.

2. Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

3. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home - x all that apply. -Children, such as newborn babies or foster children. -Relatives, such as adult children, cousins, or in-laws -Non relatives, such as roommates or live-in baby sitters -People staying here temporarily -No additional people

4. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home, x one box or all that apply. -Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Include home equity loans. -Owned by you or someone in this houshold free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)? - Rented? - Occupied without payment of rent?

4. What is your telephone number? We may call if we don't understand an answer.

5. Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person living here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult lving h ere. This will be Person 1. What is Person 1's name?

6. What is Person 1's sex?

7. What is Person 1's age and what is Person 1's date of birth?

8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

9. What is Person 1's race?

10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else? If more people were counted in Question1, continue with Person 2. You have to answer all the questions for each person living with you.

The Apostolics living in the area are going to be really happy about this one. My dad-in-laws neighbor has 23 kids.

[ScottinVA]

Soitenly!!

[Mad Dawgg]

"You don’t have to. When they ask for my ‘race’ I think I’m gonna put down either the “Firecracker 500” or the big NASCAR jobbie that they have at Talladega every year.....no sweat!"

Last time they took the census I filled out only the numbers of people. They called and called and called trying to get more info

Finally they sent some lady to ask me the rest of the questions like how many bathrooms in my house etc.

I asked her why she needed to know all this stuff, she said it was required by the Constitution. I said "OK wait one minute." I went and got my pocket Constitution and a 100 Dollar Bill and told her if she could find such in the Constitution she could have the money.

She read it all and then said it must be in an Amendment. I pointed out that all the Amendments were listed in the book I gave her and she said "Well they told me it had to all be answered because it was in the Constitution."

She then proceeded to ask me the question again and I answered them all with the response of 42.

Except for the ones about race.

I told her I was Black, my wife was Italian and our Daughter was full blooded Eskimo. She asked if she was adopted and I told her "no she is our natural born child."

She said nothing else gathered her papers and left. I never signed a thing. ;-)

[ScottinVA]

All census responses are confidential. Answers are protected by law and cannot be shared with anyone.

That assumes bureaucrats uniformly abide by law. We know just how well that worked with personal info that was released about Joe the Plumber when he ran afoul of The One (yes, it was the state of Ohio, but the same principle applies).

[The Sons of Liberty]

When they ask for my ‘race’

Human

Next question

[ScottinVA]

If you have doubts about whether something HAS to be answered, scribble some unintelligible mark in the space.

[ChrisInAR]

GOOD FOR YOU...but don’t answer any questions other than the one asking how many people are in your household.

I hope that ALL of our fellow FReepers would do this. Use the Cloward-Piven strategy on Obama’s Census Bureau — have so many people refusing to answer the questions they have no right of knowing that they can’t do anything about it. OVERWHELM the system!

[MsLady]

This is what the Constitution says about the census: "Representation and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers ... . The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct." -- Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States"

My question is about the last part, it says, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. What does that mean? Does that mean they can take the census anyway they want? And ask any question they want?

[ChrisInAR]

What is Person 1's race?

DON'T ANSWER IT...but if you do, say "HUMAN".

[King_Corey]

I wonder how far from the mailbox I have to be, before getting a "Hand Delivered" Census? I have a mailbox about 1/4 mile from the front door. But I wouldn't want to "Walk over to my place without the gate keys and combos... And "Mrs. King" May set the dogs on the trespassers, or fire a warning blast from the shotgun. (Maybe both)
Also, not taking the long driveway and crossing pastures would be hazardous to your health. A new black Shorthorn is to the South and the old mean Brahma is to the North. Neither are to be messed with unless you are on Horseback with an experienced cow horse or you are on a tractor feeding them.
So...I wouldn't want to be a census taker out here. Most folks call before they come and nobody cuts pastures without permission or jumps locked gates without knowing the people on the other side pretty well.

[US Navy Vet]

Yes they are!

[Hodar]

Before you go off half-cocked; I'd do a little investigating of my own, if I were you. I would answer the qestions that are REQUIRED, honestly

There are fines for non-response and for false response as well, though the amount has risen from the 1790's $20. Today failure to respond can result in a $100 fine; providing false answers is a more severe offense, and carries a $500 fine. Recent news reports, however, indicate that punishment for failure to respond is not usually enforced. The controlling section of the Code is 13 USC 221.
Source

So, if you want to say your are Eskimo, you had better be Eskimo - unless you have $500 to spare.

Finally, there is this little gem (same source)

The biggest problem for the suit is the Constitution itself: "[The Census] shall be made ... in such Manner as [Congress] shall by Law direct." The questions on the long form are there because of legislation duly enacted into law by the Congress and signed by the President. Though the ire of citizens is being directed at the Bureau, the Bureau itself says that the Congress is to blame. The Census Bureau is looking to find ways to collect the data on the long form in other manners, such as polling and sampling. Though there is a possible $100 fine for failing to file with the Census, the Bureau also notes that no one has been penalized for failing to file in the past. The fine is more of a psychological reminder of the importance of the census than a source of income for the government. Advice to leave the form blank or to fail to fill it in may actually bring more of the government into your life than you want - unfiled and incomplete forms will be followed-up upon by actual census workers, either in person or by telephone.

[Sacajaweau]

Go to the LDS site and look at the 1880 census. It will guide you as to an "ordinary census".

As far as telephone number?? I might just put down a phoney number. Any additional census info should be face to face and they have an address. They want an appointment?? Tough..They get paid by the hour...or do we sneak in a commish, too.

[fatnotlazy]

They only want to know if you are of Spanish, Hispanic or Latino origin. Gee, I wonder why...

[TexGuy]

All answers to the questions you do not wish to answer should be: “Information Not Available” ... Straight from the Dept. of Justice Lawyer’s mouth ... via radio program during drive time. They stated that they are too busy to bother with piddly cases such as these ... period.

[rogertarp]

I will answer nothing but population in my house with out an order from a judge.

[fish hawk]

I like “the tortoise and the hare”.

[Hodar]

Followup:

13 USC 221 - Sec. 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers 13 USC - U.S. Code - Title 13: Census (January 2004)
Text

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.

(b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection
(a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.

13 USC 221

[Gargantua]

"These folks aren’t trying to rip you off."

The hell they aren't!!?? That's just about all they do!

;-/

[deport]

My question is about the last part, it says, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. What does that mean? Does that mean they can take the census anyway they want? And ask any question they want?

---

I’m not a legal expert but it appears they pretty much asked what the want and have so far. Get one of the American Community Surveys of theirs and it is very intrusive of what they ask for.

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/QbyQfact/Housing09.pdf
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/QbyQfact/Population09.pdf

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

[fatnotlazy]

I’m not even going to answer that. I live alone...do I want some temporary worker to know that? How do I know he/she is not going to tell the homies so they can invade my house or worse?

Sorry...I didn’t answer the last census; not going to answer this one either. Come and get me.