Big Brother Wants to Know All About You: The American Community Survey

At 28 pages, the American Community Survey contains some of the most detailed and intrusive questions ever put forth in a census questionnaire.

Title and quote from an email I received last night from the Rutherford Institute about the American Community Survey. It linked to a video done by John Whitehead of the RI going into a little detail about the contents of the ACS. I was stunned and I think you will be too. It may be time to take what you thought you knew about the census and toss it out the window.

I did a search here at ATS to see if the ACS had been covered in a thread and although mentioned it didn't seem to get the air time an Orwellian Trojan Horse of this magnitude deserves.

"How far do you live from where you work?"
"How long does it take you to get to work?"
"How do you get to work?"

Is it just me or does this sound like someone wants to come poke around in your house and doesn't want you in the way when they come to visit? This goes way beyond nosy and in fact it seems to me that Big Brother has finally taken that one step over the line that should finally have the mice/citizens up in arms. Someone explain to me why Big Brother needs to know mine or your work schedule or how you get to work or how long it takes to get there.

While not everyone is included in the survey the randomizing appears to be more a divide and conquer ploy more than anything else. BB knows us well enough to know that so long as he singles us out the ones not effected will continue to graze without a thought in the world about what's being done to the guy down the street or why. It's not until the bag of s**t is set afire on their doorstep does it become an "issue". And by then it's too late.

If you receive the survey to complete you can't opt out. It is required that you complete it and with truthful answers. Penalties for failure to answer, providing frivolous answers or outright lying can run as high as $50,000 per household of two persons.

Youtube

The website:
American Community Survey

How long will it take people before you've had enough? How many of us do they have to pick off before it might occur to you that you could be next? Think that you don't have any skin in this game and you can just sit it out on the sidelines and watch the rest of us deal with it. WRONG! When they're done with the loud mouths they'll be ready for the couch potatoes.

There aren't going to be many more chances to reign in this, soon to be, totalitarian government peacefully. Here's one that might have a chance in a courtroom if we stick together.

We need to financially support legal fights for any and all who refuse to comply with this nonsense. They are standing in our place. Be prepared to be a refusenik yourself. Unless you want to live like a cow don't let them treat us like cattle. If I get served up with a survey I don't intend to fill it out. Screw the Gestapo let the dance begin.

There's only a couple of things I'm sure of. One, this is a dictatorship forming around us. Two, no matter how benevolent it's billed it's still a dictatorship. I don't intend to live in a dictatorship.


[edit on 9-3-2010 by CmdrZero]

[edit on 9-3-2010 by CmdrZero]

Oh for pete's sake.

I just got a letter from the census, to tell me we would get our actual census in a couple weeks. What a waste of my tax dollars.

No one can be forced to fill out a survey, and I have no fear about refusing or lying on my answers. We (the common American folk) GET NOTHING FROM THE GOV as it is, so why in the heck do I want to participate in their invasive data mining techniques?

I have yet to decide if I am going to tell the truth on the census or not. I think when me and my fellow Americans start seeing our taxes go to us and not wall street or war, then we might be less apathetic over these waste of trees ungreen waste of tax dollar surveys.

Of course most Americans are starting to be so poor we will have to use the free paper the government sends us to wipe our behinds or burn to heat our homes.

I dont believe for a minute one single person will or can be sent ot jail or fined for not filling out this survey. Prove I received it, morons. Thats the first hurdle.

I didn't fill out the last census and mail it back. They actually sent someone to my home to ask me the questions. He was was friendly but firm that I had to answer the questions. I was in a different place then, and answered the questions. This time, I'm not so sure. I might just take the fifth.

Not that I like the census questions, but just to play devil's advocate I CAN see the reasoning behind the questions.

1. How far do you live from work? This question gauges the job outlook in the community in which you live. If you say you live in New Orleans but work in Baton Rouge, why? Are there no jobs in N.O. (I use N.O. and Baton Rouge because I'm from LA, so please dispense with the Katrina and Superbowl 44 jokes.....GEAUX SAINTS!...LOL)

2. How long does it take to get to work? (or however it's worded) gauges the traffic and highway systems in your area. If you live 5 miles from work and it takes you 1.5 hours to get there, maybe the roads (congestion, availability, etc...) needs to be looked at/upgraded/built.

3. How do you get to work? Assesses the overall public transit situation. If 99% say they take mass transit then it may mean that the RTA works. If 2% say they take mass transit then maybe we can throw a little more money into upgrading the mass transit or that mass transit is mostly unavailable in your area.

But, like I said, I can see the intrusiveness inherent in these questions, just thought that maybe I'd point out how they could be justified (rationally or conspiritorially) Thanks for your time!


--Apex

reply to post by Apex Predator

I considered that last night and boiled it down to this. All this statistical data exists other places i.e. demographics on mass transit usage, auto ownership, daily commute.

This is wanting to know specifically what YOU do and that's the ticker. They want to know what your personal habits are. People who are being stalked or have received death threats are told by the police to vary their routine and never disclose their routine.

Providing this kind of information is insane. We really have no idea who has it, who can get it and, most importantly, what they intend to use it for.

I just got the letter saying that in a couple of weeks I'll receive the survey. If it's by mail, couldn't we say we filled it out, and most likely it got lost in the mail?

Or do you have to logon to a website to answer the questions.
I wonder....

I have a few answers to their, sure to pop up. questions.
like how fast can I reload, at what rage can I hit a running target then of course the biggie, who will make it to the gate first
them or my dogs???

inquiring minds want to know...

reply to post by lasimplereality

I can only surmise how they will handle the "lost in the mail" response. My best guess would be that they will send a real person to your door to complete the survey. I haven't seen one myself but I did get the letter others have referred to and if that's the warning it's on the way I guess I'll see it in a week or two.

Mine is going deep six and I'll see how it develops from there. I'm going to contact the Rutherford Institute to see if they plan to offer pro bono legal assistance for people testing the legality in court. If not I guess I'm toast because I'm not going to answer these kinds of questions. My own family doesn't know this stuff so I can tell you Big Brother isn't anywhere on the list of "need to know".

reply to post by DaddyBare

Semper fi to you DaddyBare (old Navy Fleet Marine Corpsman on this end of the wire).

I like the way you think and knowing what gentlemen you jarheads are I'm confident that you'll give the census taker a sporting head start before the hounds are released.

They're screaming for it, they demand it, they won't take "no" for an answer so lets give 'em all the hell they can stand.

reply to post by hotbakedtater

Greetings fellow Kentuckian. Regarding your post. Did you watch the video? John Whitehead is the lead attorney at the RI and he advises that there will be prosecutions and fines. I tend to agree because Big Brother is in a "we'll show them who's boss" mode.

The way I see it, and this is only my opinion, the only chance we have is to refuse to comply en masse. Another poster alluded to the "clog the courts" strategy and I agree. They may try to make examples of the first few through the chute but when they become overwhelmed I believe they'll back down. Especially if there's a lot of attention drawn to the movement.

The thing here is to demand a jury trial and hope that your "peers" have the good sense to see this for what it is and acquit everyone who goes to trial. I can see a lot of jury sympathy in a case like this.

We'll have to see. Like I said above I have no intention of answering these kinds of questions and if they really get me hacked the only thing I'm going to tell them is where they can stick their survey. I've never been one of those people with a lot of luck so I figure I'm due some.

Somewhere you have to make a stand. For me this is as good a place as any. To you I'd say, don't throw that thing in the garbage can unless you're ready to go to the wall with it. I don't think they're playin around and that's sure not the peg to hang any hopes on. Get ready to see some crazy stuff.

Well most of america is unemployed right now so they'd be hard pressed to poke around evrybody's house. lol...they could try mine, but I think they'd see how messy it is and just give up...lol.

I'm thinking of putting ridiculous answers like I live 800 miles from work, it takes me two hours to get there and I go by private jet.

Originally posted by CmdrZero
If you receive the survey to complete you can't opt out. It is required that you complete it and with truthful answers. Penalties for failure to answer, providing frivolous answers or outright lying can run as high as $50,000 per household of two persons.

Cmdr, Large numbers are mentioned in the video, but I don't think it's correct. Sounds like keeping your liberty won't be this expensive. What do you think about this?

From the 2010 Census Q&A fact sheet:
Sec. 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers

(a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.

(b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body

"Questions You May Have
Have a question about the census form?"
2010.census.gov...

Here's some interesting info/advice from a former 2000 Census taker posted on Ron Paul's website.
www.dailypaul.com...

reply to post by CmdrZero


Does it really matter? Answer the survey and don't get jammed up which will mean fines, IRS audits and all other manner of nonsense.

The questions are a ruse. They will obviously be able to manufacture any outcome they want regardless of the answers submitted on documents sent in.

The federal government has the authority to COUNT the citizens of the country every 10 years. From a constitutional perspective they have no right to force you to comply.

Again, what does it matter?

Because the government wants to steal your identity and buy credit cards with your social security number to fund abortions! They'll probably give out your home phone number to ACORN to illegally register you in a different district so they can use it to vote for a liberal.

Why are you all so afraid of the census? The only rational person seems to be Apex Predator looking at why they would ask these questions other than some fear of...whatever.

If it concerns you to such a great extent just fill it out and move then change your phone number in six months. Live without fear of 'big brother' for another 9.5 years.

reply to post by CmdrZero


the fine is no more than 100 dollars where did you get your information?

A friend at work was telling me about this. They are trying to get him to complete this, but he refuses to do so. So far, they have:

Sent him the questionairre twice.
After not filling this out, they called him on the phone, more than once. He has no idea how they got his number.
Sent him a packet via Fed Ex, saying he was required by law to complete this, with another set of the questions.
Had someone come by his home more than once.

He was told the law could fine him up to $100.00 per question, or 5k max. The questions seem very intrusive. From what he had read, so far, people have been threatened with fines, but no one has actualy been fined.

They are certainly sparing no expense or time to try to get this info. It's almost spooky just how much harassment they are giving out to get this info. They are more instrusive than a bill collector.

reply to post by fleabit


Wow...way to bring up an old thread, why does your friend refuse to fill it out?