Laws or rules about the Census people??

[meanwhile]

Does anyone know what the law is about answering the census questions? We received one of those fat packets of information from the Census people. It arrived in the mail while I was out of town, my sister just piled it up and did not reply. A few weeks later, a 2nd packet came with a note saying it was "the law" that we had to fill it out.

I filled it out but it was annoying and also I just did not like some of the questions and so I filled it out as little as possible. A few weeks later, again while I was out of town, they left a phone message saying I had to call them "it was the law".......

So - I called them and answered questions for at least twenty minutes.......questions like what time does my son leave for work.......how many hours do we work a week and who speaks english or not.........

Now - again I have a new message on the machine saying I have to call them back to answer MORE questions.......

Anyone know what is the law on this?? Thank you.

[LisaT]

To Whom it may concern,
Pursuant to article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, the only information you are empowered to request is the total number of occupants at this address. my "name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, telephone number, relationship and housing tenure" have absolutely nothing to do with the apportioning direct taxes or determining the nuimber of representatives in the House of Representatives. Therefore, neither Congress nor the Census Bureau have the constitutional authority to make that information request a component of the enumeration outlined in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. In addition, I cannot be subject to a fine for basing my conduct on the Constitution because that document trumps laws passed by Congress.

Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimon, 154 U.S. 447, 479(May 26, 1894)

"Neither branch of the legislative department (House of Representatives or Senate), still less any merely administrative body (such as the Census Bureau), established by congress, possesses, or can be invested with, a general power of making inquiry into hte private affairs of the citizen. Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168, 190. We said in Boyd v. U.S. 116 U.S. 616, 630, 6 Sup. Ct. 524--and it cannot be too often repaeated,-- that the principles that embody othe essence of constitutional liberty and security forbid all invasions on the part of government and it's employees of the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of his life. As said by Mr. Justice Field in Re Pacific Ry. Commsssion, 32 Fed. 241, 250, 'of all rights of the citizen, few are of greater importance or more essential to his peace and happiness than the right of personal security, and that involves, not merely protection of his person from assault, but exemption of his private affairs, books, and papers from inspection and scrutiny of others. Without the emjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value'"

Note: n Thsi Unites States Supreme Court case has never been overturned.

Respectfully,

A Citizen of the United States of America

Theront

[meanwhile]

Is this real or did someone make it up?

When I told the lady on the phone I did not want to answer all those questions, she said it was the Law??

A neighbor told me that a Census man showed up at their house and she just told him that she was not going to tell him anything! He left but told her someone else would return to ask her.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Don't answer the phone. The census folks are trained to be persistent, but you have the right to decline after the basic questions.

[rhome]

You may have received the American Community Survey, I think it's an ongoing census/survey. It's legit but very invasive.
As others have stated just the basics is all you are required to answer.
Home visits and calls are part of their routine.
Just say "NO you've got all the info I'm required to give."

[DenMacII]

To the best of my knowledge, the official US census data was collected over a year ago.

I would be very suspect, and be demanding as much information of them before you provide any information.

[homesteadingman]

oops, when they asked for my phone number I wrote " non of your d--- business!lol

[Riverdale]

Originally Posted by DenMacII

To the best of my knowledge, the official US census data was collected over a year ago.

I would be very suspect, and be demanding as much information of them before you provide any information.

^^^^^^^^^^^This ^^^^^^^^^

The US census is prefromed once per decade for enumeration (ie House of Representatives). Any other time is bull-puckey

[DenMacII]

Found this on Wikipedia about the American Community Survey - says it can be a misdemeanor to willfully ignore or refuse to respond to the questionnaire. Ouch!!!

Nice to see that Ron Paul has already voiced his disapproval to this invasive need of personal information!

[Riverdale]

Originally Posted by DenMacII

Found this on Wikipedia about the American Community Survey - says it can be a misdemeanor to willfully ignore or refuse to respond to the questionnaire. Ouch!!!

Nice to see that Ron Paul has already voiced his disapproval to this invasive need of personal information!

Guess I'll have a misdemeanor if they send it to me.

[ghmerrill]

Originally Posted by LisaT

To Whom it may concern,
Pursuant to article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, the only information you are empowered to request is the total number of occupants at this address. my "name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, telephone number, relationship and housing tenure" have absolutely nothing to do with the apportioning direct taxes or determining the nuimber of representatives in the House of Representatives. Therefore, neither Congress nor the Census Bureau have the constitutional authority to make that information request a component of the enumeration outlined in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. In addition, I cannot be subject to a fine for basing my conduct onthe Constitution because that document trumps laws passed by Congress.

Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimon, 154 U.S. 447, 479(May 26, 1894)

"Neither branch of the legislative department (House of Representatives or Senate), still less any merely administrative body (such as the Census Bureau), established by congress, possesses, or can be invested with, a general power of making inquiry into hte private affairs of the citizen. Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168, 190. We said in Boyd v. U.S. 116 U.S. 616, 630, 6 Sup. Ct. 524--and it cannot be too often repaeated,-- that the principles that embody othe essence of constitutional liberty and security forbid all invasions on the part of government and it's employees of the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of his life. As said by Mr. Justice Field in Re Pacific Ry. Commsssion, 32 Fed. 241, 250, 'of all rights of the citizen, few are of greater importance or more essential to his peace and happiness than the right of personal security, and that involves, not merely protection of his person from assault, but exemption of his private affairs, books, and papers from inspection and scrutiny of others. Without the emjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value'"

Note: n Thsi Unites States Supreme Court case has never been overturned.

Respectfully,

A Citizen of the United States of America

Theront

If only we all live to see that day come again!

[akane]

Never have answered a census. I don't keep a home phone plugged in even when I'm actually paying for a phone number but now that I'm no longer required to pay for one to get internet I only have a cell and I only answer numbers I know or can determine by using whitepages.com unless I know someone is going to call me on a certain day. I also have a tendency to only answer my door when I feel like it or know someone is coming over. My family usually just walks in for that reason. Everyone else hears a large dog on the other side and leaves. They mail stuff and drop stuff off on my door but it just gets thrown away. Nothing has ever come of it and I've lived away from home in various locations from apartments to houses to condos for 8 years now.

[Danaus29]

I didn't see where it said your answers have to be truthful.
I have seen that survey and would never give anyone that much information about me or my family.

[edcopp]

Perhaps it was really from publishers clearing house.

[meanwhile]

Thank you - I did answer fairly good on the forms but they keep calling and asking all sorts of stuff. Once she asked how many hours a week that everyone in the whole family works??? I said 80 hours a week! Oh well - thanks. I will just try to avoid the calls.

[TnAndy]

Originally Posted by DenMacII

Found this on Wikipedia about the American Community Survey - says it can be a misdemeanor to willfully ignore or refuse to respond to the questionnaire.

Yep...now see if you can find ANYONE that has ever been fined or jailed for refusing to answer.

Congress passes unconstitutional laws all the time. It is the duty of citizens to ignore them.

The whole purpose of the American Community Survey is to provide free information to businesses to make more money off you, and use your govt to do the information gathering, and have the gall to pass a law requiring you to comply.

Nonsense.

Throw in it the trash, and tell them when they call you will NOT comply, and come arrest me if they mention "it's the law".

That is exactly how I handle them, and they move on to find someone more willing to cower down to them.

[empofuniv]

"It's the law!" Which law?

Quote me exact chapter and verse. When did it become effective? Send me a copy of that "law" and I'll have my atty look it over.

When do you go to work? Sounds like someone setting up a home robbery to me.

[LisaT]

I don't know how it worked for others, but when I got my survey I answered the only question I was supposed to and sent a copy of the statement I posted earlier with it. A very large percentage of my family did the same. I had 2 census workers show up to try and persuade me to fill out more information I gave them the same information and told them I would not answer any more questions and gave them another copy of the statement and have yet to hear another thing from them.

Theront

[Sweetsong]

Originally Posted by meanwhile

Does anyone know what the law is about answering the census questions? We received one of those fat packets of information from the Census people. It arrived in the mail while I was out of town, my sister just piled it up and did not reply. A few weeks later, a 2nd packet came with a note saying it was "the law" that we had to fill it out.

I filled it out but it was annoying and also I just did not like some of the questions and so I filled it out as little as possible. A few weeks later, again while I was out of town, they left a phone message saying I had to call them "it was the law".......

So - I called them and answered questions for at least twenty minutes.......questions like what time does my son leave for work.......how many hours do we work a week and who speaks english or not.........

Now - again I have a new message on the machine saying I have to call them back to answer MORE questions.......

Anyone know what is the law on this?? Thank you.

Census? I thought the time for taking the census was long past? Wasn't it done two years ago?

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by empofuniv

"It's the law!" Which law?

Quote me exact chapter and verse. When did it become effective? Send me a copy of that "law" and I'll have my atty look it over.

When do you go to work? Sounds like someone setting up a home robbery to me.

According to Title 13, Section 221 (Census, Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers) of the United States Code, persons who fail or refuse to respond to the mail-back census form, or refuse to respond to a follow-up census taker can be fined up to $100. Persons who knowingly provide false information to the census can be fined up to $500