Well, after many different phone calls, starting with the one on the census form, I still do not have an address to where to send the $100. I bet some of the people who are so desperate for food and necessities in other countries would love to change places with you and they would probably be thrilled to answer a few questions. Protect yourselves and your privacy, don't complete the form! Stonewall them out. There is no legal obligation for you to answer their questions. Table from ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, released by American Community Survey. How do we know who these people actually are? Protect your privacy. You can find no instance of someone being 'required' to respond, or being fined for not doing so. He asked me about a census employee who visited my home the prior week. 6)repeal criminal legislation like H.R. I took the job because it pays really well. The American Community Survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2000 I refused to fill mine out. This is how those rich people are rich, those "powerful" people are "powerful", and those happy people are happy. Thank Gosh, I documented every call and person I spoke with. They left before they arrived. You are not the property of business or governments you are continually the result of your feelings. A study published in 2021 by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that transgender people in the United States are more likely to be violently attacked than cisgender people. I replied I would answer no questions. Got angry and physical with me (not a lot, just a shove as I tried to take back the Public Servant Questionnaire he wouldn't fill out.). I am so glad to once again stand up for my individual rights. Title 13 section 141, subsections (a) and (d) authorize surveys. I say, "I don't care who you are. I'm so glad I'm not alone. Personally, I want to know how many rental houses are in my town, I want all the representatives we deserve and I also really like looking at the 1920 and 1930 census to learn about my ancestors. Its purpose is to keep people informed of what is going on in their local, state, or federal governments. I told her to get a US Marshal with a warrant. Outraged in Maryland. The Census Act of 1976 specifically prohibits the use of statistical sampling in the creation of congressional districts. We need to take a stand and not put up with all the socialist crap the government wants us to do. This government is OUT OF CONTROL! I told her to "bring it on". I gave them my name and not much more. Hurrah for Senator Michelle Bachmann (MN) who has said, I understand, that she will not fill out this piece of trash. At least they are working instead of collecting welfare checks. Commission, 32 Fed. Passive resistance is no longer an option. You keep referring to the Constitution's original language and writings but that's been beat back again and again over the course of the years. We got our second ACS in the mail along with a follow up postcard. But obviously they want to know everything about you. I'll pay the fine if I have to, but I'm not going to let them bully me into submitting to their scare tactics. I simply put, 'None of your business". With identity theft on the rise, many are concerned. I received by first survey in early December and a second one just three weeks later. While I also oppose the Census form being sent out, -anon70698, the number of representatives and taxes will be determined by the number of people in the area is what Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution is about. I got a call last night from the Census folks, wanting to know our birthdays. It is not the same people each time - many different ones wondering around. I say the heck with Big Brother, ours is going in the garbage, and I'm no longer answering their calls (love caller ID)! Currently, Oscar is a 7-year-old boy with ODD whose refusal behaviors have begun to be both verbally aggressive and physically violent. Are you willing to roll the dice that this information will remain protected? Census workers are trying to do a decent job like everyone should try to do. Outrageous! Constitution of the United States of America. What you guys who love to quote the constitution fail to take into account are all of the amendments the government has quietly put in since it was first written. We are getting a camera for the outside of our home this week, so we will be ready. "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who who have the courage to defend it." I am appalled by the questions asked on the ACS! I have received two forms, and have no intention of responding. I didnt think so. This is Government out of control. Survey/Program: American Community Survey. Neither one of us filled it out, nor mailed it in. I'm contacting my congressman on this ACS issue today. He stated I would receive no further calls from the census but the next contact would be from the Justice department. I shall be contacting my Senator and Congressman to voice my alarm and concern on another gross infringement of my Civil Liberties. Departments. The calls/personal visits stopped. Maybe that is why only one out of every 480 people receive it. Report Inappropriate Content Please post legal options for readers when census takers are sharing personal information with neighbors! We are entitled to "Quiet Enjoyment" of our homes. It's called the American Community Survey, participation is mandatory . I would personally love to sit and watch hours of this kind of stuff. Condos hire people inside the condo as census people. I have half a mind to call the local news media and tell them this story. In a climate of identity theft, unscrupulous banking practices, private interest( I mean industry) running the Federal Reserve, Private "credit" companies like experian controlling human potential by keeping track of every citizen and their spending (and why would they care if they get your credit report wrong because just who is their client - not you, it's "businesses"). Poster 209: I believe that it is better to clearly refuse up front. Box/Route Number Area code. I am glad I am not the only one who tossed the thing in the garbage. I ordered him to leave and he said he would have to go get the sheriff and return. Thank you for your interest in the age, racial composition, daily habits, and private information regarding the private lives and private property of the members of my household. I heard I had to answer the questions or face a possible fine of $5000.00 so I answered the questions. I googled the name and phone number, found out their spouses name where they lived, etc. * Compared to other measured TV manufacturers in the 2022 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey of customers. Shame on you! what the hell??? The government is collecting information such as how many rooms we have in our houses, how many acres of land, what time do we leave for work, etc. I have contacted all of my federal and state Representatives and it is time they passed a census privacy act. I grabbed the handle and slammed the door shut. Also available, The Rutherford Institute has developed a form letter that you may use in standing up against the governments attempt to force you to disclose personal information. She said OK, left and then returned again within five minutes, saying it was her job to help me fill it out. I replied you already have our ages and that we are members of the human race. He first announced the effect on Congressional districts based on the Population shifts from the Northeast to the South and Southwest. Please give that a shot, I'll find me a constitutional lawyer and challenge the constitutionality of this law, any survey or law attached and the constitutionality of this survey as well as the census survey. Has anyone else who refused to comply have any information about penalties/fines actually being enforced to date? this is the letter I sent the census bureau. Ridiculous. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses. On the first occasion, the guy produced a badge and said he would like to come in and talk to me. We pay as much tax as a so called socialist country about 40 percent, but get nothing in return. Employees will be invited to complete a feedback form at the end of a strategic planning session . Do you think Cass Sunstein knowing how many people, of what age, have physical and emotional disabilities is for the benefit of your family? She informed me if I did not answer her questions, eventually the county sheriff would come. Reporting instructions: Shame it's only once every ten years. If they refuse, call 911 and report a hostile trespasser. so the census workers who say, "if you haven't done anything wrong, just answer," well, people who are doing wrong things don't care about america -- they work for the government. So before you go crying about your rights being violated, try actually reading the document that has given you these rights. I would never be pleasant with someone who intentionally makes a living trying to make my life unpleasant. Like its children it seems it wants us to be happy and being so it has empowered us to live our dreams freely, Know you are worth it, see it and feel it and it will be. We don't have a home phone but I imagine the reps will get hold of our cell numbers? Let's see how much they like it. I clearly refused the first polite guy who called and then more firmly refused the stern woman who called next. It's 1984 - no wait, I mean 2010. Today, the apparent supervisor came -- in his safety vest and green jeep like a public works person. Fine. The visits stopped, and I never heard from them again. I looked the form up online and balked at the intrusiveness of the question. Opponents of the American Community Survey disagree with the court's findings about its constitutionality. By the time the phone calls started I had researched the ACS and knew what the game was and that the threat of fines was bogus. Relentless! I received the ACS and the regular Census. Corrado Rizzi is the Senior Managing Editor of ClassAction.org. This summer I sold my house and tried to cancel my FEMA flood insurance. The census collectors or enumerators can ask for some sensitive and detailed information, such as salary or income. The census taker left a note me a note today. I'm so glad I read this. Avoiding them will not really be possible since we have a houseful of teenagers who will most likely keep answering the door. I love my country and I'm proud to be an American. As an employee of The U.S. Census Bureau,I too share privacy concerns,but I must say there's a tremendous amount of misinformation and paranoia here. Anything that you answer can be used for this book, which is usually for your town, county, etc. The new research by the Trevor Project, which surveyed nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the United States in fall 2021, also found that Black and nonbinary young people reported . I say "sorry sir no one here is available and you need to leave." Unlike the 2020 Census, the American Community Survey is an annual survey, sent by the US Census Bureau to a sample of the population each month (approximately 3.5 million households annually).. We will then see them online. I am a 64 year old woman, living alone. I had the misfortune of getting an ACS survey a few years ago. Here's what it says online: The American Community Survey is a legitimate survey conducted by the CensusBureau. I guess we'll just wait and see. The biggest, the American Community Survey (ACS), is sent annually to more than 3.5 million randomly selected homes to gather population, economic, housing and other data that helps determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in state and federal money is distributed. They have to get past the doorman first. Then, the phone calls started and they won't stop. However, the Website for the U.S. Census Bureau. an American History (Eric Foner) Civil Liberties and Rights. I don't get mad about much but privacy is basic American. They think that if they exert a little authority, show you a badge, write a stern letter, that you will be too afraid to tell them that they have no right to subject you to this. Hello, Legally, yes, you are required to answer the census survey. If you believe you are being unduly harassed by a Census Bureau employee, either by telephone or in person, it is in your best interestto carefully document the time, place and manner of the incidents and file a complaint with the U.S. Census Bureau. One dear government lady actually said she did not have time for prank phone calls. Nobody is listening -- another reason not to send in the ACS. The information that they collect will be used against us in our most crucial moments. It is just such a sick country now. I am so thankful for this website! When we do the ACS on the phone, we do not ask for your SS #, we do not ask how many times you go to the bathroom. He asked if I was refusing to answer the survey. I took his form and tossed it into the wood stove. The information the government is requesting is violating our rights, whether or not it is written in the law. I did not ask for this; this is not an application for credit. He wanted my son's name and address. NO ONE EVER GETS IN TROUBLE for refusing to answer. The Census Bureau would have to refer a case to the Dept of Justice, they have no power of their own. However, I am sure I will get another one. Really glad I found this site. That's four times today and it's just past noon on Saturday. Subscribe to GovDelivery email updates to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events about the American Community Survey. anon 77369: It is incorrect to say that you are required to respond. And finally, to the person who looked up the Census rep's name then mentioned her husband had called and wanted her to stop at the store so she looked at him in shock? Would I really be fined or imprisoned? You will need the 10-digit user ID included in the mailing your household received. I don't believe the ACS should, or has the right, to require more. I filled out my form, sent it in and a few weeks later another one came. I felt like cursing this lady out! The majority of the survey questions were drawn from published surveys [13, 20, 21]. He had to come through a closed gate. You have no idea. I have one final question for anyone who thinks this is just an overreaction to a few census questions: If George Bush and Dick Cheney were sitting in the White House, and Halliburton was storing the data, would you still feel the same way? I will not answer and/or return this form in spite of threats of fine, imprisonment or court appearance regardless of where the threat comes from. If you give them a little info they will keep at you until you give in. Let me get this straight: we cannot ask an illegal alien for papers because of racial profiling but we can try to force american citizens to fill out the ACS which has profiling information in every question? We will ask the rep to make it clear what will happen if we don't answer the survey, then verbally accept the consequences. A week later, the same worker showed up and said it was my last chance or I could be fined and possibly jailed. Our world leaders are puppets, and the puppet master is greed. The more I looked at it, the more I realized how unconstitutional and invasive it is. Waiting for their next move. Best policy is to avoid answering the door to strangers but it's difficult to do if you are outside a lot. Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). I feel that a class action lawsuit should be started. This is plain wrong! The American Community Survey is an offshoot of the census, but the ACS is done every year. Poster 188. Ain't going to happen, just call their bluff. And as to the types of questions that can be asked, the only limit is that they can't be of a religious nature. A: The ACS is not sent to all households. I was told if I didn't answer then his supervisor would come out and if I didn't respond to his supervisor, they would return with a Larimer County Sheriff and then I would have to answer or else! The census person came back by a week later. And if there isn't a law protecting these rights, then we need someone to make it happen! Now, I want to know how we go about suing these senseless census idiots! [21] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/WorkStatus.pdf. I hope you folks do not live in my county or state. It's all very true, and very real. I threw them off my property. We are law abiding, tax paying citizens and always do the right thing. I am glad I am not myself the lunatic fringe. You want me to trust the census with information that is very private? The Census Bureau provides guidelines that prevent harassment or late night calls, although some ACS recipients have complained of getting several calls a day. TheAmerican Community Survey(ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. I am becoming more and more ashamed I fought for this newly founded socialist government. Government entities do illegal things. Many people I know who voted for this man are now regretting it. I am 66 years old and I have never participated in any census. 3) If by some chance they go for it, ask them the most embarrassing, asinine, or silly questions you can think of. So when/if I get a visit, I can inform them of this. and inviting me to contact them if I had any concerns. Are they too dense to realize that word just means "to count?". Unlike the traditional census, which is limited to a simple head count every ten years for the purpose of establishing representation in Congress, the ACS is sent on an ongoing basis to about 3 million homes every year at a reported cost of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.[2]. I too am going to do the same. Has anyone ever been fined or penalized for not complying? No one from the Census has ever said they would come back with the sheriff - the sheriff would simply laugh at them if they ever asked. 0 Total panelists in the survey 11,699 Completed interviews I 10,417 Partial interviews P 0 You may have noticed over the past week on the news, many articles about the new situation in American families where the wife is now the major bread winner/wage earner. There, I think I got my point across. Networking and interviewing opportunities with representatives from FCPS schools will be available. [17] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Disability.pdf. They never say that they are going to fine you. The survey also asks how many bedrooms and bathrooms you have in your house, along with the fuel used to heat your home, the cost of electricity, what type of mortgage you have and monthly mortgage payments, property taxes and so on. However, because the government has not brought a prosecution for a refusal to respond to the ACS, the question of a persons right to refuse has not yet been decided by a court. This scared him and on top of that, he did not know most of the answers to the questions. we demand a trial by jury of our pears, but how many wiggle, squirm and lie every which way to get out of serving when it's their turn? Bottom line: we are supposed to give private information to individuals who are part time, temporary employees of Uncle Sam, the ACS seems to be confused about what they have and have not received and the US Postal Service seems not to be working either. There is absolutely no possibility they can guarantee this information will not be disseminated to others or exposed to malevolent wrongdoers. He said he'd pass that along. I made the mistake of putting my phone number on the form. The next day I saw this guy talking to my neighbor and figured he was submitting him to the same harassment I had received. Don't fill out anything if you don't want the public to know some of your private information. Seriously, do I really have to answer and return the american community survey? in preparation for the day this country is taken over by the European Union or China. Now who you work for, when you go to work, how much you make; is all stored in a government database. anon88369: Census enumerators have every right to walk onto your property if they are assigned to do a questionnaire for your address. You can't actually expect all of the decisions to be made accurately and take into account the needs at the consumer level based on a head county every 10 years. So that could scare you away from doing the census. 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., The power to make laws concerning the Census is restricted to the actual enumeration.. I called his supervisor. [33] Gardner Selby, Americans Must Answer U.S. Census Bureau Survey by Law, Though Agency Hasn't Prosecuted since 1970, Politifact, http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2014/jan/09/us-census-bureau/americans-must-answer-us-census-bureau-survey-law-/. I'll see "YOU" on the tube."You Tube". 1. First of all, get a clue! I guess all the info requested I am OK with. Somewhere in the process we got some messages on the answering machine asking us to call their 800 number and refer to our "case number." Unfortunately it does not state that the number of people is the only thing allowed to be collected by the census. I never will. Who has my info now? Subscribe. Poster 235 is on to something: maybe my neighborhood can get a new school, a new hospital, and a new fire station. Questions and Answers about the ACS in , , Franais, Kreyl ayisyen, , Polski, Portugus, , Espaol, Vit Ng. Then I asked the census taker her birth date, and I again got no answer. And if they threaten you, video record all of this exchange. The ability of our federal government to properly train temporary, and permanent, employees in PII and cyber security are not well represented in recent historical accounts. I want to know how long these temp workers are going to be employed? But I hit the brakes big time when they ask for your birthdate, among other garbage of race, sex, etc. Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest; Flickr; YouTube; LinkedIn; City Services. A: If you receive notice that you have been targeted to respond to the ACS and you desire to assert your right of privacy, you can voice those objections and your intent not to respond to the ACS by writing a letter to the Census Bureau. About 40 phone calls to date, some leave messages while others hang up. No one will email you or be peeping at you from the census. the census is just a way of allocating seats for elected officials and that's all. This is way too intrusive. I'm sorry but this survey almost asks me how many times I pee in a day. Unreal! A: The law requiring answers to the ACS also provides that a person who fails to answer shall be fined not more than $100.[32] The actual fine for a refusal to complete the ACS could be much greater because a failure to respond to certain ACS questions could be considered a separate offense subject to the $100 fine. [25] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Sex.pdf. I had never heard of such a thing. I really like what anon18185 did, about looking up the census person and finding out information about them and not have thrown away the census questionnaire. After 40 years and right before everybody in the country is supposed to reply to the 2010 census? I watched and saw that she was only there five minutes. The Census Project works continuously to educate Congress about the critical importance of adequate yearly funding for 2020 Census planning and operations and for the American Community Survey. My family has found past census information to be very valuable in genealogical research. We did not return the census, and received continuous letters and threats. What is the ACS (American Community Survey)? The American Community Survey (ACS) qualifies as a government program whose purpose, while seemingly benign, raises significant constitutional concerns. The government has no right to know this personal information and that she could leave. Different people call at all hours and they block the name and number. When hell freezes over. Now the latest. If that's so, why is there a space for your name, date of birth and so much other identifying information that a blind man could identify the author of the answers. Why am I being asked what my age and birthdate are? The way I see it, subsections a and d of section 141 do not authorize a January 2010 collection of information. She left me with a notice of visit with her name and I suppose her personal phone number. Then we have to vote them out. Quite honestly, you are not that important. A previous post said this is the American Communist survey. The ACS replaced the old census long form and the questions have absolutely nothing to with apportioning direct taxes or determining the number of representatives in the House of Representatives. No one I have talked to since I received this survey has known anything about it. People, look around you and see. Wow! I told him that was fine. Never give any phone numbers (tell them you don't have a phone and your employer forbids giving out the company cellular phone number). I was out in my yard and she was yelling at me from a distance. The Supreme Court upheld that against Bill Clinton's attempt to implement statistical sampling for the 2000 census. I have the kind of front door that has a small window near the top and if people stand on their toes they can peek into my living room. When I got to the financial questions I thought - what?? Years ago someone told me that the information can be used in a book (that may or may not be in your library) that is published showing where you work, how long you lived at your residence, etc. If that thing were to get lost or some person where I mailed it, there's a lot of things that I don't want them to have. In other contexts, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that citizens have no obligation to answer questions posed by the government and are free to refuse to do so. I filled out the decennial census. It's an invasion of privacy. I did not send it back, I received another and still did not fill it out. I will file a class action suit against the Government if they continue to harass me and hope to gain momentum in order to force the government to be liable for any information lost on their part. When neighbors gave them basic information, apparently the census taker then discussed the fact that they'd looked into tax records for "the residents of our home". And my financial business is my business, provided I pay my bills and taxes which I do. I can just feature a call stating: If you can't walk up and down stairs, maybe we should think about asking if you are a useful citizen and do you need to be wandering around loose. I stupidly started filling out my ACS before I learned of this. We were hired to call people who did not respond and we left messages on answering machines. I worked as an enumerator for the 2000 Census. Granted, I'm sure they can find it, but the census would have had to use some powers beyond their department to find it, since I intentionally left that form blank on the 2010 census. I don't feel they need to know all the crap they are asking. As a result, they are subject to monetary fines for doing nothing more than keeping the private details of their lives private.. I said that I still respectfully declined the survey. I love hearing this we live in the greatest country. [16] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Vehicles.pdf. That alone, in the wrong hands; is reason NOT to respond to such a blatant abuse of power. The agent asked about receiving the survey and I informed him that mailed addressed to "resident" was not the responsibility of any named occupant to open but I was also familiar with the unconstitutional intrusion of the personal questions in such a survey and the corporate partners with which the data is shared. anon77096: Why would anybody want federal funding for anything? Make the Census people eat this Supreme Court ruling: Neither branch of the legislative department [House of Representatives or Senate], still less any merely administrative body [insert Census Bureau], established by congress, possesses, or can be invested with, a general power of making inquiry into the private affairs of the citizen." The yahoos on the Hill will continue to usurp our rights. The ACS is better than a surveillance on the American family. The guy at FEMA said he needed my closing statement-I had sent that in but removed all the dollar amounts as that was none of their business. Camp Lejeune residents now have the opportunity to claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water. "; "How many times a day do you fantasize about blowing up a federal building? anon82113: umm, I worked for the census too. I see on the accompanying letter that the destination of the form was intended to be the address only and not a particular person. Is the enemy offshore or some creep in a bloated Federal Dept we don't even need? Unlike the 10-year Census, this survey runs all year, every year.