Posted on 05/14/2010 1:21:30 PM PDT by Nachum
Just when we thought flag@whitehouse.gov–which appears to be alive and well when clicked–was scary and invasive–it seems the Obama administration’s Census Bureau has outdone itself. A US census worker, driving a metallic gray Ford Taurus-type car, has been reported to be combing through the Memphis, TN suburb of Germantown knocking on doors asking people for information on their neighbors.
(Excerpt) Read more at biggovernment.com ...
What I afraid will happen this time is that they won't get a high enough return of respondents with answers and at thus at some point will begin to make educated guesses. I don't like bureaucrats guessing at the number of representatives being apportioned to the Congress. Conservative areas will lose for sure imo.
Yes, it's SOP and was in 2000 and I'm sure earlier. They basically ask such questions as: does anyone live in the residence in question (often no one does), if so when are they normally home so I can come back, etc., such questions aimed only at learning whether or not specific residences are occupied, and when the residents might normally be at home.
Worked during the 2000 Census. 95% plus very friendly and cooperative. Three or so refusals to respond and one resident that never would answer door.
I don’t like bureaucrats guessing at the number of representatives being apportioned to the Congress. Conservative areas will lose for sure imo.
And I don’t like illegals being included at all...beins as how its for apportionment of representation and all.
You are 100% right that conservatives will lose....
Well, the census worker came to my house and accused me of not returning my form. I hotly exclaimed that I had returned it on April 1.
“Oh, that’s late,” sez he.
“Late?” I exclaimed. “How could it be late? The question was who is living at this address on April 1? How could I return it any earlier? Is the government STUPID?”
As the gentleman tried to control himself from laughing, he replied, “Ma’am, I’m not allowed to answer that question. But, I’ll have to ask you all these questions over again.”
As I protested, I pointed out that had I returned the form any earlier than April 1, I would be lying because one of us could have died, or someone could have come to live with us between whenever I mailed the form and April 1. Then, the form would be inaccurate.
The Census field work is really in two parts:
1. A census of residences, where maps from the previous census are reviewed and updated using various records, and some census workers also do field work. That took place in late 2009 and early 2010.
2. The forms are sent out after that is completed, to all the residences, and the returned forms are entered into computers.
3. Then census workers go out to visit the residences (addresses) for which the form was not returned.
Yes, it is deport. Believe you me, as much as I hate this administration and as paranoid as I am, I would be posting vanity after vanity if I saw something hokey going on.
Now what they do AFTER they get the numbers is something else entirely.
The comments on that site are ridiculous. Uninformed, hysterical people making incorrect statements and acting like this is the first time a census has been held for crying out loud.
It will be true the same way it would be true for every other city in the United States. It’s been SOP for 200 years now to contact proxies if you cannot obtain the information. If the house appears abandoned, we go to the tax assessors office to verify it is still listed as a housing unit.
OH, ok, I’ve never had a census worker come to my home, but then, I sent the form in before April.
It’s in training manuals that they finalized a year ago.
Yep, ‘cept your #1 took place just about a year ago.
“What I afraid will happen this time is that they won’t get a high enough return of respondents with answers and at thus at some point will begin to make educated guesses. I don’t like bureaucrats guessing at the number of representatives being apportioned to the Congress. Conservative areas will lose for sure imo. “
You are exactly right deport. It scares me when conservatives won’t fill out the population information because that means the ones who do are lefties. WE want to be counted too, but the paranoia is going to cause many communities to lose. The number of Representatives is an important part of our Republic. I understand that the ‘only thing the constitution requires is a number, not age and name, blah blah blah’, but if you stop and think about it, do you really just want that? What’s to stop people from claiming 45 people live in this house, 72 in another and so on. I feel more comfortable actually getting information because when you just leave it to a number, the numbers will be fudged much easier. Not to conservatives benefit either.
Another thing that irks me a little is the assumption that if a person works for the Census, then they are an ACORN employee or something. That has been the fear for a long time, but I assure you that it is not the case. I would estimate 99% of the people in my district are anti-Obama, some (mostly retired) people who felt it a patriotic duty themselves to see that it was done properly. The Crew Leader in my district is the head of the Republican Party in her county.
Some of the posts here at Free Republic (and most especially at the Big Government site) are like the old game “Gossip” where speculation and fear has turned into “this happened to my friend/neighbor/cousin/etc...”
Today I thought about what I would say to the census taker when or if I come face to face with one. I would first ask him if he believes that the person who pays his salary is his boss and if his boss has the authority to tell him what to do. If he answers yes I would ask him who it is who pays his salary. Since that would be me I would tell him to leave and to not bother me anymore.
What would be the point to being so hateful and cocky about it? Most of these people (including myself) are just trying to make a paycheck for a few weeks while it lasts. All you have to say is “I refuse to answer” and that’s that. Your neighbors will be asked and if they refuse, it’s the end of it. We are trained to just make a notation of the refusal and move on. I haven’t seen them training for some goons to show up to people’s houses for refusing, so I assume you’ll be safe.
As someone who does genealogical research on my family tree, your great great grandkids will appreciate that you send yours in.
I already answered all of the questions I intended to answer when I sent the form back. Why did I get a note on my door yesterday telling me that a taker had been there and that I needed to complete the form?
HA!!
There are other ways to be noted in historical records.........
Landlords, postal carriers, delivery guys, people out and about are fair game for making an inquiry ~ so are folks at the desk in hotels (of any kind).
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