Census worker won't take no for answer

Census worker won't take no for answer

www.chicagotribune.com

"I said, 'I'm not going to answer your questions.' She kept saying, 'You've got to, you've got to.' I shut the door, and she kept ringing the doorbell and tapping on the window."
...
The final straw, John Scott said, was when a Census Bureau employee told him he would be fined $2,000 if he did not fill out the 48-question survey.

(visit the link for the full news article)

So basically this govt census worker is harassing these people because they simply did not want to be bothered to fill out a 48 question survey full of what they felt were invasive questions.

The harassment included 15 visits in the past month, incessant knocking on the doors and windows, and threatening them with a $2,000.00 fine if they do not fill out the survey.

This is a bit ridiculous? I remember when the census workers simply asked how many people live in the home, which they have a legit reason to ask since things like voting districts, federal funding, etc depend on the population of a given area.

But this survey includes asking about your health, what time you go to work, etc. I don't think I would want the times that my house is unoccupied to be part of public or government records

www.chicagotribune.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Link does not seem to be working for me.

reply to post by Blazer


I have seen this survey and it is quite extensive and intrusive into basically your life on a daily basis. Basically the Census folks have been tacking this survey onto the decennial census that is enumerated in the Constitution. I was asked when I moved into my new apartment to take over the previous renter's survey they began.

Of course, I give him a big sorry and I will not participate he was nice and just trying to do a job. From my understanding from the surveyor, the survey is conducted every 3 months and includes but is not limited to:

Number of persons in the household: (Please note this is about a year ago and from memory; some things may have changed and take it with a grain of salt. Research, verify, reverify....it is after all the internet)
Annual income
Highest education
Number of dependents
Average monthly bills
Where I work
What I do
My hours I work
Have I ever been on unemployment
How long
etc...

Every 3 months? Wow I would find that annoying for sure!

reply to post by Blazer


I worked for the US Census last summer and we never asked any health questions nor questions about what time going to work. They're lying, or something is going on, but we NEVER asked those questions.

Also, we were forced to visit a house 3 times if they we're there. Then another 3 times if they didn't want to answer or completely answer the whole booklet.

I felt really bad, and I even told my team leader that I felt like I was harrassing them, but she said itw as our job.

It was crazy.

Also, if you answered random names like "daffy duck", they would go back or call you to correct it.

I think they recruit USANA salespeople who figured out you could not retire in 2 years by selling vitamins and are still angry over it.

Or they get AMWAY people give them amphetamines.

Either way they are relentless

do they send out a questionaire or is it done right there by a government rep if it was just a questionaire i would just write nick off you nosey wankers. If he did get fined what is the fine for is it a criminal charge or what would contest it for sure. Isn't there an amendment that covers privacy?

reply to post by Pinkgomo653


I cannot say if the survey was to ask my my health related issues, but one of the questions I saw was "What time do you normally start work?" The answers were given in vague broad terms, but still....what the hell is that the government's business when I work?


If you want to see what these survey's gather (which also proves MY claims; not the people in the OP article)
American Community Survey - Dataset

I can personally attest to the fact that most census workers were like dogs with a bone this last time. I had atleast 15 home visits/incessant door knocking along with neighbors who informed me that THEY were asked personal questions about my family and I. What the hay is that about?

I was not happy. I too, can understand the need to know the basic numbers but when I was finally cornered I was asked to pick from a list of races, my child's race, how many worked, etc. IMO, this is none of he governments business. I ask for no benefits, recieve no benefits, so their need to know about how many work is nothing short of gathering information for other purposes. And don't even get me started on the "choices" I was given for picking a race I wanted to identify with. They actually had a small list they handed me and asked me to choose. My "blend" wasn't included so I was instructed to pick the closest match.

I let her do it after I shut the door. I suppose her guess would be a "closest match" just s well as mine.

It is my belief that the census is sold to the public as a heaven sent benefit for all if they participate. It is also my belief that it is a false bill of goods that only serves to give the government even more information about the general population.

I would like them to take a census on how many folks would like the government to get the hades out of their personal space....

I'll answer the door faster for that one.

Originally posted by vkturbo
do they send out a questionaire or is it done right there by a government rep if it was just a questionaire i would just write nick off you nosey wankers. If he did get fined what is the fine for is it a criminal charge or what would contest it for sure. Isn't there an amendment that covers privacy?

My experience was an actual 'contractor' working for the government. As far as an amendment regarding privacy, there is none that explicitly state that a citizen has the right to privacy. This is not to say that there is none. For the Supreme Court has already ruled that there is.

Typically they have ruled on the broad inclusion of such a right when cases in regards to marriage (except for same-sex marriage; which baffles me), parenting, educational choices, etc. But really we do not need to look further than the 9th Amendment to understand that James Madison wanted to ensure that rights not listed within the Bill of Rights are still retained by the People.

As far as the fine issue....I would wager no one has ever been fined nor jailed for not completing the survey. I would love to see that one in front of a jury.

I know there is a Public Servant Questionnaire that you can look up, I have one printed out that I keep with my phone book.

This questionnaire must be filled-out by any public servant before he can ask the citizen any question. Federal law, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a, 88 Stat. 1896, et seq., 1974, authorizes this.


Public servant's full legal name:
Public servant's residence address:
Name of agency:
Full legal name of supervisor and office address:
Will you as a public servant uphold the constitution of the United States?
 Yes  No
Did public servant provide proof of identity?

Etc,

It's actually a long questionnaire, I haven't had the chance to use mine yet.

god i hate the census people. their effin annoying. its non of gpvernments business knowing what i do behind my doors, or live their. god governemnt wants control over us all dont they.
persoanlly ide like to answer the door next time, naked, and sexually excited if you know i mean down thier..see if turns em off. but then agian, he might be gay and get the wrong impression too.
i always wanted too tell the census guy, when he asks me hwo many live here...does that include the people i chanied and mortar cemented behind a brickwall in my basement? lol im not going too..as i kow the local police are going to have a field day with me. lol roll your eeys inback of yuor head as he stares at you in awe, like yuor possesed, and say something like 'join them, join us' join us over and over
Ask him donst he have anything else better to do? how come you dont do a census on the plants in my living room..they are living orgasnism like yuo and me, and all had UPC codes on em when purchased* kinda my hint telling him stop marking and cataloging me*
ask him if he thinks its unfair..i mean have gone downtowna nd checked on all the well known illegal alien housings too? they dont even have SS numbers, or thier stolen forged or fake. did yuo count them? bet you didint..you have NO right to catalog me too then*

Gather around, sit where you want, I have a story to tell.

This is going back over 10 years and Canada had the Census Form, but some people were selected for the "Long Form". I received the long form in the mail and just ignored it because my husband filled out the regular form when the lady came to the door to ask a few questions about who lived at the residence, how we were related, what race we were, etc....

Little did I know that the long form would come back to haunt me.

First they called and asked why I hadn't returned it yet. I said we did the regular form with the lady at the door. That was not good enough for them, they wanted the information on the long form.

Then one of my neighbors shows up with another long form and wants me to answer all the questions, and I refused. So I get a phone call from the census folks saying I can't refuse to answer the questions even though I was counted on the short form my husband completed. Again, I said no.

Then the letter shows up in the mail that I would be charged by the police and face jail time and a fine if I did not provide the information.

I'm a bit of a private person and I don't think they need to know who sleeps in my bed at night or what color my skin is, but under threat of arrest I had to tell them that I am gay, white, employed, my income, and 3 more pages of personal information.

My only satisfaction was I told them to go f*** themselves on the bottom of the form.

According to the article this was a American Community Survey, and because it's not the actual census, no one actually HAS to fill it out.

I would have to side with the people on this one, the Census taker was out of line.

Ah inventorying the chattel... Anything you sign is a contract. By filling out any of the forms or answering any of the questions you agreed to participate and gave them permission to hassle you. Are you a corporate employee or officer of thier corporation? No, then no need to participate. There hasn't been a constitutional census since 1933 at least. If you refuse to learn who you really are as opposed to whom they tell you that you are then build a fence and get a mean dog.

Originally posted by whatukno
According to the article this was a American Community Survey, and because it's not the actual census, no one actually HAS to fill it out.

I would have to side with the people on this one, the Census taker was out of line.

Unfortunately Whatukno, the American Community Survey falls under the sweeping Section 221, Title 13. Thus, it is prescribed by law to answer the questions.

"Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers." This according to the Census website. American Community Survey - FAQ

Section 193 of Title 13 I believe specifically makes the Survey a law

In advance of, in conjunction with, or after the taking of each
census provided for by this chapter, the Secretary may make surveys
and collect such preliminary and supplementary statistics related
to the main topic of the census as are necessary to the initiation,
taking, or completion thereof.

Me personally...its a perversion of the privacy of citizens.

reply to post by Blazer


I posted a thread about a year ago on this cencus form.... its way too invasive of peoples day to day live's.... why they need to know all that info is beyond me.... we don't get to know what time they work, get up, how they travel, where they eat etc etc, so why should we tell them?

reply to post by ownbestenemy

Me personally...its a perversion of the privacy of citizens.

I agree, I believe anything beyond the actual Census isn't worthwhile and shouldn't be done. I agree with the census itself, but beyond that. No.

Census = "individual enumeration, universality within a defined territory, simultaneity and defined periodicity".

I fail to understand why they need so much more that they invade my privacy.