I am shocked by most everything that is written here. First has anyone gone on to the Census website to see the data there? Do you know there is a Census app for the iPhone? The data goes back years, it is not exclusive to Obama’s presidency and it is transparent. It is not collected and hidden for a select group of end users. Census data is used by businesses, schools, hospitals. Anyone can access it.
As to Census workers threatening people or coercing them, I am unfamiliar with that being taught in any class, in fact, that behavior is exactly the opposite of Census training. That kind of behavior is MORE likely to lead to refusals and anger. It is completely counter intuitive.
Census workers have a right to enter your property and ring the doorbell. They can walk up your driveway and call out to you if they hear you in your backyard. Their job is to make personal contact so that they can collect the data. They will leave notices on your car if they have to. It is not meant to harass you, but to gain contact.
Census workers are hourly wage earners, so every time you avoid them you are costing the government money, because they have to keep coming back. AVOIDERS are the ones COSTING THE GOVERNMENT MONEY.
Census workers are there to collect data, not to harass you, but if you avoid them they follow protocol, they continually call and visit to try to make contact. Your avoidance simply escalates the contacts.
Census workers will talk to your neighbors. If you are on vacation for two weeks and a neighbor tells the Census worker, it saves trips and therefore it saves the government money from wasted effort. Census workers may ask your neighbors when you are home. Again to save unnecessary visits. Census workers may ask your neighbors about the household. If there has been a recent death it helps the Census worker to avoid asking for the deceased. People move and it helps the Census worker to know the names of the new people living in the household, so they can address them properly.
Census workers do not have access to IRS information. They do not ask for SSN’s or bank account information. And if one does this, make an excuse to end the interview and call the police.
After the data is collected it is stripped of all identifiers, in exactly the same way any other research is completed. The data is then aggregated, put in a pot and stirred. No one can go to the census website and put in John Smith at 22 xxxx St in Anywhere, USA and see his personal data, but they can find out what percentage of people in Anywhere, USA walk, bicycle or drive to work.
The Census surveys are designed to collect data to run the country and keep abreast of trends. One of the trends is bicycling, a trend that requires bicycle lanes. It is not surprising that questions about bicycles and bicycle lanes is on the latest American Housing Survey.
And for those of you who mentioned Germany, consider this, in 1987 Germany stopped conducting censuses and now finds itself short of over 3 1/2 million people. This is like losing 3 major cities. All their projections for the future are wrong. They have an impossible situation on their hands from the erroneous belief that they did not need a census.
In Canada they decided to make the Census “voluntary.” Guess what happened? Nothing. Now they have nothing, but big black areas with no data and no statistics to support doling out funds to these areas.
I hate telemarketers, because my home is my castle and they are invading it, trying to sell me things I have no interest in. Even after being on the “Do Not Call List” I get calls every damn day. But census workers are not telemarketers. They are data collectors for your town, your state, your country, think of it as the easiest community service you can ever do. Give them the data and unlike telemarketers and door to door sales people they won’t be coming back for years and possibly NEVER if you fill out and return the survey when it is first mail to you.
I am shocked that YOU consider this government intrusion fine and dandy! I really don’t CARE what data the census is compiling (outside of its Constitutional mandate) and I don’t believe that the census has any function OTHER than what is written in the Constitution! Does an iPhone app make the intrusions OK in your mind? Shocking!
I am entitled to my privacy and given the fact that the government has absolutely zero ability to protect my privacy I must be the final decision-maker about what I do and do not disseminate. Are you even familiar with what is asked on that survey? It’s outrageous!
The sole purpose of the American Community Survey is, in the words of the Census Bureau itself, “To provide more government services”. I don’t want more government services provided!!! I want FEWER government services provided. When I told one Census worker I was not going to comply with the survey he spoke down to me like one would to a small child and said, “Don’t YOU use government services?” and I told him in strong terms, “NO I DO NOT!!!” To me, this is what is WRONG about the direction of the country. To you, apparently, it is the opposite. And you are a freeper?
LOL... you certainly are the useful idiot for Govt Goons!
Oh, I wouldn't want to inconvenience the government by costing them money no would I?
I filled out the minimum required info on my census as prescribed by the Constitution.
The government morons told me I was breaking the law by not filling out everything. I told them to arrest me.
2013 still not in jail.
If government has so much money they have to search out where to “dole it”, then I would posit we are Taxed enough already”! Also...you are no conservative.