Census Bureau wants info--would you give it to them (Congress, legal, economic)
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I don't think it's that, so much as there are a lot of people who just love the fantasy that they're rebellious monkeywrenchers (one respondent even incorporates his fantasies in this regard into his online identity), sticking it to the oppressive regime. They fantasy includes the mental image of the evil government worker poring over a form full of nonsense, slamming his/her fist into the table and shouting "Drats! And since they filled it out, we can't prosecute them! Foiled again!".
They're also the crowd who thinks that Red Dawn is:
*very plausible, and
*looks like a ton of fun
When I was a graduate student in the mid 1990s I worked for the Census Bureau's housing survey. It was very fun!
Here's how it goes: The Census Bureau compiles data on a variety of things. The decennial population survey IS mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution. It's purpose is to determine how many congressmen serve from each state (which is based on population, as you all should know).
The Bureau also compiles other data, referring to Article 1 Section 2's mandate: the census is taken to determine how "direct Taxes shall be apportioned" (U.S. Constitution). The information, then, is for Congress and relates to economic conditions. The surveys are sent out periodically using the RANDOM SAMPLING method.
The people who fill it out and send it back don't get bothered again. The people who don't send it in get visited by other Americans, like me, who are working part-time jobs. (It was a great job - worked my own hours and paid pretty well!) These folks help you fill the form out, and we send it in for you. If you won't fill it out after I visit you, then my supervisor calls you. If you still won't fill it out then someone else in your area gets a survey.
The information, you sillies, is used so congress as a whole knows how the nation is doing so they can decide how to vote on issues relating to federal funding. How else do you think Congress gets its information about how the nation is doing? The Congressmen sure don't go door to door gathering information themselves!
If you don't want your community to get any federal funding, don't fill the forms out. Although I think the assumption is that in more wealthy, educated areas people fill out the forms and turn them in, while in poorer areas where people are less educated, people are less likely to fill out the forms and send them in.
When I worked for the Census Bureau I mostly had really nice experiences visiting people's houses. And we had to take an oath not to discuss anything we saw or heard while working, too.
But some of the anti-government weirdos were pretty scary! Being yelled at by angry, weird, often smelly, people who threatened me sure made me form an opinion about what type of person is scared of "tha guvmint".
I think you can be fined $500 I think it was if you don't cooperate. I was selected too and it was kind of a pain because they came by or called every month for several months and then they were finished, but they said after so many months our household will come back around on the rotation and they will be calling again. I'd prefer not to do it but it takes 5-10 minutes a month. I will do it because there is nothing on the 1930 census for my grandparents and I would desperately like to have that information. They both died in their 30s in 1931. I know approximately where they lived in 1930 but it would be nice to know exactly where they lived.
I think you can be fined $500 I think it was if you don't cooperate.
It's $100 for failure to cooperate. $500 is for willfully lying. There is neither a budget nor staff for enforcement. Census does data collection and analysis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luzianne
I was selected too and it was kind of a pain because they came by or called every month for several months and then they were finished, but they said after so many months our household will come back around on the rotation and they will be calling again.
Yup. They work with about 250,000 households each and every month.
They came to my house twice. The second time I decided to end this harassment so I told her thru the door that we would
not be filling it out. They never contacted me again by phone or otherwise. I live alone and it was just asking for way too much information! We are advised not to give any personal information online, why do they think we should change and give it to someone at the door, census or not?
I received a survey questionnaire from the American Community Survey of the Census Bureau. On the envelope it was written in bold that my response was required by law. Has anyone else received such an envelope from the Census Bureau? Giving out personal information in these times of government snooping and people snooping into each others affairs etc. kind of makes me hesitant to fill out the questionnaire. What would you do?
When the 2010 census came out, under race, there were so many ridiculous options that under my husband's name I wrote "NASCAR" and under me and the kids I put, "All American."
When I was a graduate student in the mid 1990s I worked for the Census Bureau's housing survey. It was very fun!
Here's how it goes: The Census Bureau compiles data on a variety of things. The decennial population survey IS mandated in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution. It's purpose is to determine how many congressmen serve from each state (which is based on population, as you all should know).
The Bureau also compiles other data, referring to Article 1 Section 2's mandate: the census is taken to determine how "direct Taxes shall be apportioned" (U.S. Constitution). The information, then, is for Congress and relates to economic conditions. The surveys are sent out periodically using the RANDOM SAMPLING method.
The people who fill it out and send it back don't get bothered again. The people who don't send it in get visited by other Americans, like me, who are working part-time jobs. (It was a great job - worked my own hours and paid pretty well!) These folks help you fill the form out, and we send it in for you. If you won't fill it out after I visit you, then my supervisor calls you. If you still won't fill it out then someone else in your area gets a survey.
The information, you sillies, is used so congress as a whole knows how the nation is doing so they can decide how to vote on issues relating to federal funding. How else do you think Congress gets its information about how the nation is doing? The Congressmen sure don't go door to door gathering information themselves!
If you don't want your community to get any federal funding, don't fill the forms out. Although I think the assumption is that in more wealthy, educated areas people fill out the forms and turn them in, while in poorer areas where people are less educated, people are less likely to fill out the forms and send them in.
When I worked for the Census Bureau I mostly had really nice experiences visiting people's houses. And we had to take an oath not to discuss anything we saw or heard while working, too.
But some of the anti-government weirdos were pretty scary! Being yelled at by angry, weird, often smelly, people who threatened me sure made me form an opinion about what type of person is scared of "tha guvmint".
All this won't mean two ****s to the "don't get no information from me" crowd.
BUT, they will be first in the ***** line when their area doesn't get school funding (even though the schools are overcrowded), or hospital beds, or Block Grants for needed infrastructure.
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