Census

[marksiwel]

So um...this is gonna sound strange.
But how does the Census work? Do I go someplace, send in a form, do they come to me? What happens? What do they ask?

[seamusTX]

The head of household gets a form in the mail. It can be a long or short form. The short form asks basic information like who lives in the home, their age, sex, and race. The long form asks all kinds of stuff like educational attainment, how big the house is, etc., -- it changes every year.

Sometimes they follow up with an in-person visit. In 2000, I filled out the form and sent it back, but I still got an in-person visit.

Here's the official FAQ: https://ask.census2010.gov/cgi-bin/askc ... td_alp.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's the short form: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/i ... e-form.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[ES4Me]

They will send the forms to your home address. If you are lucky, you will get the short form. If you are like me, you will get the multiple page form that asks such questions as your income, when you leave for work, how long of a commute you have, how many hours per day you work, and want the same info for everyone living in your home. To me, this is just pre-casing your home for anyone to come clean you out after their census duties are done and they are back to the unemployment line.

For years, I have only answered the basic how many people live in our home, their ages, etc - the basic questions allowed per the U.S. Constitution. Our household received the long form for both the 1990 and 2000 census years. When you don't answer all their questions, they send someone to your house to find out the answers to those left blank. If you have a peephole and only open the door to those you know, then they can't talk to you. Same thing about them calling....caller ID is a wonderful invention.

This year, we have the SEIU and their ilk helping out with counting the citizenry. They have also GPS marked the front door of every residence they could find. My co-worker's husband is retired and he thought working the census this time around would be a nice diversion and get him out of the house. He quit after the second day in the field. He did not feel comfortable invading the privacy of his fellow Americans the way the Census Bureau was directing him. I have also heard there are also new penalties for not answering all the questions. Something like $5,000. Not sure who is going to enforce this fine. Maybe the IRS is chipping in and that is why they placed their new firearms order??

I hate sounding like a conspiracy theorist........

[Rex B]

I am in agreement and would not want to provide that personal information.
I did not realize there are now criminal penalties.
What to do?

[5thGenTexan]

Got to say in the past the long form seemed more than a little intrusive but with the way that this administration is running this one I am more than a little concerned.

I have absolutely zero confidence that they can be trusted to keep the information confidential, as the old saying goes who is watching the watchers. They don't need to know most of what they ask on the long form and the appropriate agencies already know what they need to know plus.

[seamusTX]

The penalty for refusing to answer the census or giving incorrect answers is $100. See 13 USC § 221. That fine has been in place at least since the 1950s, when $100 was real money.

- Jim

[cougartex]

Got to say in the past the long form seemed more than a little intrusive but with the way that this administration is running this one I am more than a little concerned.

I have absolutely zero confidence that they can be trusted to keep the information confidential, as the old saying goes who is watching the watchers. They don't need to know most of what they ask on the long form and the appropriate agencies already know what they need to know plus.

[Who'sJohnGalt]

The long form has been discontinued. Everyone will receive what used to be considered the short form. Now don't think that the government doesn't care about you anymore, they send out 250,000 "surveys" every month to random addresses that includes 15 pages of the questions that some people find intrusive. This survey is backed by the same laws which require you to fill out the census in it's entirety or be declared a criminal. The fines associated with refusing to answer the questions is "up to" $100. The fine for intentionally reporting false information is "up to" $5000. I could only find one instance of someone being fined and it looked like the defendant took it to court to make a point. Guess who got a "survey" in December and did a lot of research?

P.S. From their cover page, it looks like statistically you all will receive a survey once every five years. The part time government employee is a thing of the past.

[frazzled]

mmm its that time again. Creative answers here I come!

Wait I don't really own 47 TVs? prove it, but you'll need a warrant to enter my house boyo.
(who am I kidding, I'll just put in the pile of junk mail I collect and eventually throw it out without looking at it)

[mymojo]

OK, this may seem like an oddball question but wouldn't forcing you to answer the census fall under "compelling you to testify against yourself"?

Any information I provide could potentially be used against me , therefore don't I have a right to refuse to answer?

[frazzled]

OK, this may seem like an oddball question but wouldn't forcing you to answer the census fall under "compelling you to testify against yourself"?

Any information I provide could potentially be used against me , therefore don't I have a right to refuse to answer?

Only if it were evidence of a criminal activity. Now while, watching World's Dumbest Parties may be lame, its not criminal.

[tacticool]

How can they prove you received it?

[Who'sJohnGalt]

How can they prove you received it?

I've received two packets so far in the mail. Not certified or receipt requested. They try the mail first, then an official census employee with a plastic ID badge comes to your front door twice and then then you get bumped up to the area manager who will come by twice. It FAQ section doesn't go beyond that stage, it might be too gruesome. It also states that they will contact you by phone which is strange since they aren't supposed to have names just addresses, so how they get a phone number is beyond me. I figure that I'll just shake my head, shrug my shoulders, and shut the door.

[tacticool]

I don't mind filling out a short census form but I'm not sure how they would count me. All my important mail goes to a PO box. I don't check the mailbox at my apartment because of junk mail. I don't have a home phone because a prepaid cell phone is cheaper and better. If a stranger comes to my apartment they'll hear my dog barking but I don't answer the door for strangers (except maybe yelling "go away") because of people "selling magazines" and other scams.

[seamusTX]

It also states that they will contact you by phone which is strange since they aren't supposed to have names just addresses, so how they get a phone number is beyond me.

You can look up phone numbers based on addresses on the internets to a limited extent.

It's also possible that the phone company gives them the phone number at an address. That kind of thing is not explicitly secret.

I don't know how various commercial entities do it; but if you move, as a friend of mine did recently, you immediately get junk mail and phone calls from all sorts of business and also churches. Someone is selling the information.

- Jim