The Census has grown beyond it's bounds.

Townhall ^ | March 13 2006 | Phyllis Schlafly

[voiceinthewind]

The government has been asking similar questions on the census for decades, it's not a new thing.In 1850 they started to enumerate members of the household individually instead of just head of household and age groups. Employment status, type of employment, medical questions, age at marriage, number of kids, year of immigration,parents birthplace, primary language, race, education, ownership of home, etc. I use the census for genealogy purposes, and am grateful for the insight it has given me into the lives of my ancestors. I have been able to use the census to find family graves, and reconnect with living family members. What I really get a little peeved at is when the questions were pretty obviously not answered by the family, likely a neighbor, who "guesstimated" the answers. 1900 is my favorite census, I get a birth month with that one. Of course, I have some ancestors who shared the sentiments of many on this thread, didn't trust the census enumerators or government, so would tend to disappear on census. Or lie. Which has caused me a lot of genealogy hair-pulling. Just thought to put a different perspective on all those snoopy questions.

[the_daug]

At the school my children went I marked other for race and put human in the line.

[stylin19a]

beeeeeutiful !

[xrp]

This is government intrusion on a scale that even the Clintonistas could not have dreamed. Someone absolutely needs to do something obout this frightening nonsense.

Never fear! All we have to do is get Republicans, the party of limited governor and self-empowerment, in control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, then all will be well! Err...wait

[Banjoguy]

I only answered how many lived here.

We did the same thing..never heard anything. My guess is that a publicity firestorm would ensue if the the information gathering aspect of the census were enforced.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

I got the ACS, and didn't fill it out. They sent someone out to bug me for about 2 months. They kept calling and threatened me with the fines. I told them to go piss off. They did nothing, that was over a year and half ago.

[freepatriot32]

how do you like the smaller less intrusive governemt the last 5 years have been great havent they ?

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[SUSSA]

I got one of those once and threw it away. They sent me several letters saying I needed to fill it out. I threw them away.

Finally they started calling. I ignored their calls until I picked up the phone without letting the answering machine screen the call because I was expecting a call from a friend and they were on the line.

The woman said I needed to send in my survey. I told her I had no intention of sending it. She asked me to talk to the supervisor. I told the supervisor that I don't answer surveys. She said; "But this is for the government." I told her I didn't care who it was for, I didn't answer surveys. After about 5 min she said OK but because it was computerized I’d keep getting forms for a few months.

They sent out a few more letters and I never heard from them again.

In 2000 I got a long form and only answered how many people were in the family. For a few months people came knocking on the door at different hours now and then and I never answered it if I looked out and didn't know the person. That harassment stopped after a time and I have yet to fill out a more than the number of people in my family.

[F. dAnconia]

I got this American Community Survey last year. I put it directly into the garbage. The government has no business knowing the answers to the questions in that survey.

A few months later I get a phone call from the "Census Bureau" (probably a contracted company) asking why I did not fill out the form. I told them the Constitution only requires a census every 10 years and only for the purposes of counting heads. They proceeded to get nasty telling me it was the against the law NOT to fill out the survey and threatened a monetary fine. I told them to "roll the dice" to see how far they get before I lawyer up. I never heard from the jackas%es again.

It sounded to me as if a contracted company was doing the calling. Maybe they get paid for the amount of surveys they retrieve and thus the threats. Anyway, I want the rest of you to be prepared for the call if you receive the survey.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

Yes, this is the "tip of the iceberg". There is a large array of surveys that has been growing in number and complexity for many decades (i.e., it didn't start with Bush, or Clinton, or any of the latest bugaboos of one or the other of the "big tent" parties).

http://www.census.gov/econ/overview/FORMSNDX.HTM

http://ask.census.gov/cgi-bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_lva=&p_li=&p_page=1&p_new_search=1&p_search_text=Household%20surveys

In some ways, the surveys are LESS intrusive now than they have been in the past. For example, until the 1930's, there was a decennial census of religion.
http://www.thearda.com/Archive/ChMember.asp

http://www.thearda.com/Archive/Files/Descriptions/1936CENSCT.asp

Whereas now, such collection, at least on a "mandatory" basis, is deemed illegal:

Information on religion
Question
Information on religion

Answer
The U.S. Census Bureau does not collect data on religious affiliation in its demographic surveys or decennial census. Public Law 94-521 prohibits us from asking a question on religious affiliation on a mandatory basis; in some person or household surveys, however, the U.S. Census Bureau may collect information about religious practices, on a voluntary basis. Therefore, the U.S. Census Bureau is not the source for information on religion, nor is the Census Bureau the source for information on religious affiliation. Some statistics on religion can be found in the Statistical Abstract of the United States, Section 1, Population. In addition, we do provide a list of contacts for further assistance regarding religious information.

We do publish economic data on Religious Organizations down to the county and ZIP Code level in the County Business Patterns series. Religious organizations are comprised of (1) establishments primarily engaged in operating religious organizations, such as churches, religious temples, and monasteries and/or (2) establishments primarily engaged in administering an organized religion or promoting religious activities. Additionally, the County Business Patterns series provides data on used merchandise stores that are operated by religious organizations.

http://ask.census.gov/cgi-bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=29&p_created=1074732806&p_sid=HFhBzM2i&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTE2JnBfcHJvZHM9JnBfY2F0cz0mcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0mcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1Ib3VzZWhvbGQgc3VydmV5cw**&p_li=&p_topview=1

[wolfpat]

I got the long form and didn't send it in too. When they came to my house to ask about it, I looked them in the eye, and said, "Two." When she asked what I meant by that, I said, "The Constitution requires me to tell you 'two' and nothing more. That's how many people live here."

[Strategerist]

Article is riddled with some pretty hilarious misconceptions:

They are threatened with a fine of $5,000 for failure to respond.

It's $500 and never, ever enforced.

starting with a few thousand mailings each month to a handful of residents in widely scattered small towns that don't generate national media.

It's being done in the entire country including cities and suburbs. It's not targeted at "widely scattered small towns."

it's difficult to avoid the impression that the project was planned to avoid publicity and citizen opposition.

ROFL...the reason there hasn't been any publicity is there's no budget for the usual sorts of TV advertisements you see prior to a decennial census, not some evil plot to avoid publicity.

The Census Bureau warns: "We may combine your answers with information that you gave to other agencies." (Does that mean IRS? Social Security? New hires directory? Child support enforcement? Criminal databases? Commercial databases?)

I'm a bit dubious of this and I have no idea where this info is supposedly from. And INDVIDUAL data on people from the Census is COMPLETELY unavaliable to ANY other government agency. Including the FBI (they've tried a couple times and been shot down in the courts) and the IRS. You could send in the form with your name being Osama Bin Laden and occupation as Professional Terrorist and nothing would happen to you.

What IS avaliable is stuff like the AVERAGE income in a town or the AVERAGE time to drive to work, etc.

[Strategerist]

There's no contracted company. It's all Census. They have a call center in Indiana that's Census operated.

[Strategerist]

Yep, actually the questions on the long form (the ACS is REPLACING the long form, nobody will get those in 2010) have been REDUCED.

[F. dAnconia]

Thanks Strategerist, I did not know that about the call center.

In retrospect that ticks me off even more now....If they are federal employees then they should extend some freaking courtesy when they talk to me. I can understand that kind of tone coming from a $4/hr telemarketers...but NEVER from a public servant.

[Lion Den Dan]

Since this silly crap started I have been pinged twice. I did not answer the nosey buggers and have never heard anything more from them. Perhaps the hungry cougar, rattle snakes and 18 pit bulls in the drive have something to do with that.

[Strategerist]

Eh, they're not paid that much themselves, I'm sure.

[manwiththehands]

I wish Republicans were in charge. This would stop!

[Tench_Coxe]

Prediction: " The census takers will be armed, and you will have to 'voluntarily comply' with all questions or be escorted to prison. "
But that won't happen until the government is sure they have the resources to imprison the large number of people that they have to throw in jail.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Early census questions.

From the 1860:

The Census of 1860:

Schedule 1. Free Inhabitants in _________, in the County of ________, State of _________, enumerated by me, on the _____ day of ___________, 1860. ___________________, Ass’t. Marshal.

1. Dwelling houses and number in order of visitation.
2. Families numbered in the order of visitation.
3. The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the 1st day of June, 1860, was in this family.

Description:
4. Age.
5. Sex.
6. Color – White, black, or mulatto.
7. Profession, occupation, or trade of each person, male or female, over 15 years of age.

Value of real estate owned:
8. Value of real estate.
9. Value of personal estate.
10. Place of birth, naming the state, territory, or country.
11. Married within the year.
12. Attended school within the year.
13. Persons over 20 years of age who can not read and write.
14. Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict.

Schedule 2. Slave Inhabitants in _________, in the County of ________, State of _________, enumerated by me, on the _____ day of ___________, 1860. ___________________, Ass’t. Marshal.

1. Names of slave owners.
2. Number of slaves.

Description:
3. Age.
4. Sex.
5. Color.
6. Fugitives from the state.
7. Number manumitted.
8. Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic.
9. Number of slave houses.