The New Census

[Waya]

An All-Out Assault On Your Privacy


– 08-31-05 –

The federal government has quietly begun using an incredibly intrusive new census form called "The American Community Survey." Up to 1 million households a year will receive this form.

This new "census" form is 24-pages long, and demands that you lay bare every detail of your life, including how much you earn, what your home is worth, details of your health, when you leave for work, previous addresses, pregnancies, monies received from government, and on and on.

I say demand because you can be fined up to $1,000 for each of the 72 questions you don?t answer or which you answer "incorrectly." However, so far no one has been fined for not answering, nor are they likely to be if public resistance is strong.

The ways the government could use this information to harm you are mind-boggling. For instance, any financial discrepancy with IRS or Social Security records could result in your criminal prosecution. Knowing when you leave for work could enable police, acting under the Patriot Act, to secretly enter your home.


More here:
http://www.free-market.net/towards-liberty/new-census.html

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We received this Census in the mail yesterday. So we called the number on the letter and asked if we needed to fill this out and they told us that it is mandatory under US Law to fill it out correctly and return it.

The questions on this form are ridiculous and have nothing to do with charting population growth, voting districting etc.

The questions are intrusive and entirely useless to the Government unless they have an unsavory agenda.


:mad:

[Kutjara]

1. You got it in one:

They have an unsavory agenda. The jaws of the State are closing ever tighter.

[SheilaT]

2. Since the official census

is conducted every 10 years, and the last time I looked at the calendar it's 2006, tell me more about this one. I do know the census bureau does a lot of interim stuff, but I didn't know that they could punish you for not answering all the intrusive questions.

Just don't fill it out. Or fill out the rock-bottom basics (name, address, number of persons in the household).

[Waya]

3. Oh, they said.....

...if it is not filled out and returned they will just send another one.....this is crap. They can stuff it. Will file the second one in the same place I filed the first one. The trashcan.

[Cerridwen]

4. This is ugly.

Here's the U.S. Code - the fines they mentioned to you are inaccurate, btw. Like that matters.

TITLE 13 > CHAPTER 7 > SUBCHAPTER II > § 221

§ 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.

from Cornell Law School

About This particular census

The American Community Survey (ACS) / Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) is a new nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It is an ongoing survey which will allow the Census Bureau to provide the nation with demographic data on a yearly basis instead of every 10 years. The ACS is a critical element in the reengineered 2010 Decennial Program and will replace the census "long form" beginning in 2010. The Census Bureau will continue to use the census "short form" in the decennial census of population and housing to obtain the population count and other demographic information.

[Waya]

7. Ok....they ask what time people leave for work......

....how many people ride in your car to work...what time those persons left to ride to work with you in the last week.....and how long it took to get to work.......what the hell has that to do with anything?

How much your utility bills are (for the last 12 month), what your house is worth, what the property taxes are on the property.
What the income is for any child in your household over 5 years of age, if your house has plumbing. They wanna know how much you pay for insurance, etc - how you get to work.....Questions like have you given birth in the last 12 month, how you get to work...give me a fucking break......

[Cerridwen]

16. I completely agree with you.

As with much of our legislation, there is the "law of unintended consequences". What once was a head count, so to speak, and required by law to be done and answered, has become a mechanism by which our government may ask the most invasive questions about our personal lives and use it in what ever manner they choose. And we are legally required to comply.

I saw a previous poster said the Supreme Court had ruled against the IRS and FBI having access to this data. In another place and time with a different Supreme Court, that might be somewhat comforting. These days? This court? This regime? The potential for abuse is beyond my comprehension, and I have fairly good comprehension.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Sorry, but you're dead wrong...

I work for the Census Dept., and that form is a replacement for the long form a lot of people got in 2000. It is the largest of many surveys Census conducts, and while somebody could argue about a few of the questions, it is designed to give an accurate current demographic. Several reports from the ACS have already been published and been in the news. ACS will be an ongoing project, and it's possible that the questions will change over the years as different data is needed or some of the present questions are deemed irrelevant.

Monthly, the forms are sent randomly to housing units that Census has identified, without any idea who lives there. This gives the most accurate population picture county by county. It was decided to do this because decennial Census data is used by everyone from economic and population researchers to local politicians and the decennial data from the long form gets a year older every year.

Individual Census data is private, and both the FBI and IRS have sued to see it but have been rebuffed by the Supreme Court in several cases and told in no uncertain term that Title 13 data is inviolate. Any Census employee who divulges any personal data is subject to a huge fine and a serious jail term. And will be immediately fired.

Yes, it is the law that you have to answer Census requests, but so far no one has been prosecuted for not answering. We just think the ones who don't are (cannot say because some jerk might think it's an official position-- but it's not a compliment).

If you don't like it, scream to your congresscritters who authorized this. While you're at it, you might mention that they should watch out for any attempts from the White House to pressure Congress to change Title 13.

[Waya]

9. I don't give a crap why they're doing it.....

..it's a load of bullshit....some of these questions they ask are entirely ludicrous and have nothing to do with anything. Not to mention that they're none of the Governments business.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. So you say, and you are the expert in...

demographics and civic planning?

Whether something is useful or not does not depend on whether or not you like it.

[Waya]

22. Expert - no......

.....but you're damn right - I don't like it. Questions like name, size of household, even number of bedrooms I can live with - questions like whether or not I was pregnant in the last 12 month or when I leave for work and how many people I carpool with is none of the Government's business, period.

[pinto]

10. Thanks for the info.

:thumbsup:

[Ioo]

11. Artical 1 Section 2 - "and within every subsequent term of ten years"

"The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct."

So reguardless of what is said here, 2006 is not 10 years from the last time we did this, I think it was... oh yah 2000. I too worked as a contractor at the office in Suitland MD.

Now I also recall the only data that you MUST give is the number of people that are in the house, the ages or birthdates and the sex, that is it. The US census has only 1 main reason for being as per the United States Constitution and that is to see how main reps each state gets

[Flying Dream Blues]

14. I remember that also...that most of the questions were not

mandatory. Do you know if this is the case with the new survey?

[TreasonousBastard]

18. So what? Census does tons of surveys...

for itself other federal agencies because it's set up to do surveys. Nothing says the BLS, Census, Prisons, or any other agency can't do or order a survey if it wants to.

[Flying Dream Blues]

12. I don't see how anything the OP said was "dead wrong"

The mandatory collection of information by the federal government beyond simple demographics (age, # in household, income strata) is an invasion of privacy, clear and simple. The fact that the information is "private" and "inviolate" is cold comfort in this day and age.

It's not like those files are on paper locked up somewhere in a musty old warehouse; they are in cyberspace and subject to hacking just as my credit card and social security information are. (I've gotten at least 2 letters to the effect that the financial institution or university have, so sorry, been hacked and my info was amongst the casualties.)

You say that the questions may change as different data is needed. Who decides what data is needed? I really don't think anyone needs to know what time I leave for work. I'm a more than a bit insulted that you and your co-workers consider people (derogatory term) who don't want to answer these types of questions.

I'm very surprised that you believe this excess information will never be used for political purposes because Title XIII says so, and that you think it's ok to be able to prosecute people for not answering intrusive questions because so far, you don't know of anyone who has been prosecuted. I suppose it's ok since for now, the threat seems to be enough.

:wtf:

Edited to correct smilie

[Ioo]

13. YOU ARE CORRECT - All forms are scanned in and stored digitally

As I said, I worked for the CB in 2000, I went to the plant in AZ where most of the forms for the Mid-Atlantic went.

The whole plant was there for one reason, to break down the form (remove the staple) lay it flat, and scan it in. It used some real cool character recognition software to attempt to read and process the form WITHOUT any people, forms that could not be read were removed and processed by hand.

The point is EVERY form was made into a digital image and stored, somewhere....

[Flying Dream Blues]

15. I figured; thanks for the info! nt

[TreasonousBastard]

19. I don't get the hostility about this...

Demographic information is necessary to understand and plan in many areas, and this isn't Homeland Security sniffing around. This is data that is separated from personal information and aggregated. It's been done for years and will continue to be done.

Paranoia over what's going on in other parts is taking over common sense.

[VelmaD]

20. I'm with you 100 percent

I've used census data lots over the years in various planning projects and it is invaluable. People are getting all het up over nothing. People obviously have no clue what the Census Bureau does and they ought to go check out their webpage and find out.

http://www.census.gov/

[Greyhound]

21. The hostility is, I believe, directed at the government in general

and is the result of the rapid degradation of what were very recently thought to be absolute, inviolable, rights. In these days of a SCOTUS packed with a majority of fascists, including a chief justice that agrees with virtually dictatorial powers in the office of the POTUS, and a pResident that has freely admitted to violating several Constitutional Rights with no consequences, we cannot reasonably expect that, law or no law, this private information will remain private. For all we, and you for that matter, know the NSA or other agency has already got all of the information you claim is secure.

This is the biggest problem of sanctified law-breaking and justice for the highest bidder, it makes all law moot, and eliminates any respect for it. When you live in a country that is ruled by a cabal that was installed by coup de tat, there is no such thing as paranoia.

[AspenRose]

6. Can you contact the ACLU?

Don't know if that would do any good but if it's that intrusive on privacy.....I'd at lease see what they would say (ACLU)

[pinto]

8. Info from the U.S Census Bureau here:

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

The American Community Survey is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It will replace the decennial long form in future censuses and is a critical element in the Census Bureau's reengineered 2010 census.

The decennial census has two parts: 1) the short form, which counts the population; and 2) the long form, which obtains demographic, housing, social, and economic information from a 1-in-6 sample of households. Information from the long form is used for the administration of federal programs and the distribution of billions of federal dollars.

Since this is done only once every 10 years, long-form information becomes out of date. Planners and other data users are reluctant to rely on it for decisions that are expensive and affect the quality of life of thousands of people. The American Community Survey is a way to provide the data communities need every year instead of once in ten years.

The American Community Survey is conducted under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193, and response is mandatory. According to Section 221, persons who do not respond shall be fined not more than $100. Title 18 U.S.C. Section 3571 and Section 3559, in effect amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221 by changing the fine for anyone over 18 years old who refuses or willfully neglects to complete the questionnaire or answer questions posed by census takers from a fine of not more than $100 to not more than $5,000. The U.S. Census Bureau may use this information only for statistical purposes. We can assure you that your confidentiality is protected. Title 13 requires the Census Bureau to keep all information about you and all other respondents strictly confidential. Any Census Bureau employee who violates these provisions is subject to a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.

You may view Title 13 at the U. S. House of Representatives website at the following address: http://uscode.house.gov/download/title_13.php

Full implementation of the American Community Survey is planned in every county of the United States. The survey would include approximately three million households. Data are collected by mail and Census Bureau staff follow up with those who do not respond.

The American Community Survey will provide estimates of demographic, housing, social, and economic characteristics every year for all states, as well as for all cities, counties, metropolitan areas, and population groups of 65,000 people or more.

For smaller areas, it will take three to five years to accumulate sufficient sample to produce data for areas as small as census tracts. For example, areas of 20,000 to 65,000 can use data averaged over three years. For rural areas and city neighborhoods or population groups of less than 20,000 people, it will take five years to accumulate a sample that is similar to that of the decennial census. These averages can be updated every year. Eventually, we will be able to measure changes over time for small areas and population groups.

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/What/What1.htm