Some Say Census Questionnaire Getting Too Personal

You are right about the economy not changing while they are in power.

What we’re seeing is a “capital strike”. No one is going to invest anything just to see it made worthless tomorrow with some new bit of legislation or taxation.

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The census form I have received is for small business. I am self employed.. no employees .. work from home. They have sent me an extremely intrusive questionnaire.
They state that they are entitled to ask these questions pursuant to some provisions in Dept. of Commerce.

I work as I do as a result of losing my job in the mid nineties. I work alone. I work on commission. I work from home and impact no one. If I received a paycheck for doing what I do now (as I use to do), I would have not been selected to fill this out. I have to survive and work independently to do so, why am I being singled out?
I think I know quite well...independence is the key word.

Here’s how you should deal with the census takers -

The Census Taker

Census-Taker.....Tim Meadows
Mr. Leonard.....Christopher Walken

Census-Taker: Mr. Leonard? I’m with the U.S. Census Bureau. We sent you a Census form, but you failed to return it to us.

Mr. Leonard: My mail is piled up like crazy.

Census-Taker: Yeah. Well, I just need to fill out this Census form with you. Uh.. how many people live in this residence?

Mr. Leonard:Oh, boy.. good question. I’m bad with numbers.. Maybe 80.

Census-Taker: 80 people live in this apartment?

Mr. Leonard: Seems high, doesn’t it? Not 80. How about 4? I don’t know.. I’m so bad at guestimating..

Census-Taker: Well, just take your time, and count.

Mr. Leonard: Okay.. there’s me.. my wife.. our plants.. we have some candy bars..

Census-Taker: Well, you know, we don’t count candy bars or plants..

Mr. Leonard: Well, then, there’s just the two of us. Boy, I really overshot with the 80!

Census-Taker: Listen, don’t worry about it. I’m gonna put you down as the Primary Resident, okay? Now, are you currently employed?

Mr. Leonard: Yeah.. part of the time.

Census-Taker: Well, you work part-time. How many days of the week?

Mr. Leonard: Every day.. but just part of the day. From 9 to 5.

Census-Taker: So, you work a full day?

Mr. Leonard: I wouldn’t say that. There are huge chunks of time.. at night.. where I’m just asleep. For hours. It’s ridiculous.

Census-Taker: No, it’s not that ridiculous. Mr. Leonard, do you own or rent this apartment?

Mr. Leonard: Sure. You have to ask one of the other 79 people.

Census-Taker: You mean your wife?

Mr. Leonard: Yeah.

Census-Taker: Well, can I talk to her, then?

Mr. Leonard: She won’t answer you. She’s a bobcat.

Census-Taker: You got a bobcat in there?

Mr. Leonard: Well, I have a permit. [ reaches into apartment and pulls out a sheet of paper ] Here you go.

Census-Taker: [ examines paper ] This is a permit to run a nail salon.

Mr. Leonard: Wrong one! Wrong one! [ pulls another sheet of paper out of his apartment ]

Census-Taker: [ examines paper ] This is a permit to do street performances.

Mr. Leonard: Yeah. My wife’s a big part of the act.

Census-Taker: [ shaking head ] You know what? Fine. [ changing subject ] Mr. Leonard, are you a citizen of the United States?

Mr. Leonard: I have dual-citizenship with the United States and Florida.

Census-Taker: Florida is a part of the United States.

Mr. Leonard: Don’t push your politics on me, pal. All’s I know is when I turned 50, I was issued a Florida passport. [ hands him the “passport” ] Here you go.

Census-Taker: [ examining “passport” ] Alright.. this is a novelty birthday card. And it says, “You’re over the hill. Here’s a passport to Florida.” This is not a real passport.

Mr. Leonard: I don’t know.. you know? Whenever I go to Florida, I show it at the border, and they always let me in!

Census-Taker: Listen, Mr. Leonard. A real passport wouldn’t have a picture of a sexy nurse on it. This is a joke card.

Mr. Leonard: Well.. it’s a hell of a forgery!

Census-Taker: [ exasperated ] Okay, let’s just proceed as if this were going really well. Now, how long have you lived at this address?

Mr. Leonard: Oh, man! There you go with the numbers again!

Census-Taker: Just take your time.

Mr. Leonard: Well, what do most people say?

Census-Taker: That’s not important!

Mr. Leonard: I feel an enormous amount of pressure to get this right. I want to win that car!

Census-Taker: [ shaking his head ] There’s no car, Mr. Leonard! How long have you lived here?

Mr. Leonard: Alright, when I moved in, it was the Spring, and Clinton was President.. I’d just gotten out of jail.. I’d say an hour.

Census-Taker: Alright, let me go over this again, then. You are a convicted criminal, living alone in an apartment with a bobcat. And you work 56 hours a week as a street performer.

Mr. Leonard: When you say it like that, my life sounds pretty damn good!

Census-Taker: You know what? I’ve talked to a lot of people all over this country.. and your life is pretty damn good. You wanna get a beer?

Mr. Leonard: You know, I’d love to, but.. [ points into apartment ] ..you know.. the ol’ ball and chain..

Census-Taker: Alright. Take care.

Heh!, other than the number of American citizens living in the house, their sex, and their age, how stupid do you have to be to fill out those things truthfully?

That may have been the funniest posts I’ve seen on FR - ever. and I check in every day. Is that from SNL?

Yep. I think it’s on you tube.