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There are only two reasons given in the US Constitution for what we now call the census: determining the number of representatives needed for a given area, and directing federal taxes. Constitutionally there is but one legitimate question: how many people live in this residence? With the House of Representatives based upon population the first reason is obvious. But the second reason expired when the 16th Amendment to the Constitution introduced the infamous income tax.
Today, three columns of invasive questions across 28 pages are asked in the companion to this year’s census- the American Community Survey. Though the current census has been reduced to ‘just’ 10 questions, the old census ‘long form’ data is now being gathered via the ACS. In their words:
“The ongoing American Community Survey has replaced the decennial census long form in 2010 and thereafter by collecting long form-type information throughout the decade rather than once every 10 years.”
Washington DC’s violations of your privacy will now be continuous, rather than once per decade. […] With respect to your personal life, the Feds want to know how many times you were married, the date of your last marriage, and if you have serious difficulty concentrating or bathing. At one point they even asked for the number of stillbirths or abortions you have had. Even your nosiest neighbor does not know these things.
[…]
The American Community Survey conducting the census publishes a pamphlet called “50 Ways Census Data Are Used”. Only two of the ways this data is used are constitutional.
[…]
Should one refuse to answer all unconstitutional questions, the punishment is a fine of up to $5,000. Some time ago they even threatened imprisonment.
What a bunch of BS. Answering these very personal questions should be entirely voluntary. You certainly should not be facing fines or jail time just for not answering them. Absolutely ridiculous!
But hey, its the government. You can trust them. Just ask any Native American.
The Democrats used the Census data to gather up the Japanese and put them in internment camps during World War II. That’s why I refused to answer the race question. Who knows when the Democrats want to round up people by race again and put them in camps. There was even a measure to build camps hidden in a FEMA bill.
I live in Australia, so I’m not up on the US census procedure.
What does it matter if it’s “constitutional” or not? I think the better question is “is it useful”.
I get the impression there are penalties for not returning the census (Which seems odd, as IIRC there’s no penalty for not voting over there, right).
Surely the data’s statistically anonymous?: No one can pin those abortions on you in particular. If you don’t trust the anonymity, why not just omit the stuff you don’t want to expose? (It would expose the breach of anonymity if someone pulled you up for “lying on the census). Better yet, make stuff up: Tell them you have a dozen pastafarian astronauts living under your roof.
(Apologies for mangulated grammar and punctuation: I’m unwell)
#1 You should have to answer how many people live at your address to count how many representatives your state gets. But until indoor plumbing and TVs vote, there is no reason to count them.
#3 “I live in Australia, so I’m not up on the US census procedure.”
It helps us tell how many representatives each state gets. Lying on the census throws that number off. It’s like voting 12 times if you said you had 12 people there that do not live there.
However, the census people see the census as an opportunity to gather data about stuff not related to their primary mission. Just count the population.
I filled out the census sheet in April. There were 10 questions, and it took about ten minutes to answer. No questions about plumbing or TV.
So far as I know, census data is confidential, is used in the aggregate, not on a house by house basis.
I only answered one question and that is all I will answer. The long form is entirely unconstitutional and I would trash it if I received it.
Wait a sec, you can get a phone that both makes and receives calls?
Where can I get one? My iPhone only drops calls.
Let’s see, Medicare recipients on TV complaining about socialized medicine and Twitter users complaining about the census… Yes, we have an entire nation of idiots. This only goes to show that few things are more dangerously retarded than people in large groups.
http://pleaserobme.com/ (but no longer cross-posting “I’m away from home” twitter posts)
Moles,
If the data was statistically anonymous, then things would not be so worrysome.
But… The second question asks for the names of everyone living in your house.
And after that, deeply personal questions…
We have here something called the 5th amendment, which states that we are not required to answer any questions which might be viewed as “self incriminating”.
Yet we are now required under law with a penalty to answer questions which could be used against us at some future point.
The subject here is the American Community Survey (ACS) *NOT* the US Census.
From the ACS website:
“Every address receives a 2010 Census form.
A random sample of addresses also receives an American Community Survey form. Both require your response.”
The ACS is far more obtrusive than the US Census. It is also a federal crime not to answer the questions. From the ACS website:
“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.”
I see… so answering questions for the government is somehow going to ruin your life and make you turn into a toad?
Idiots.
You don’t like it, move to Antarctica.
That should have been: “The ACS is far more intrusive than the US Census.”
Here is the link to the 2010 ACS form (pdf).
It has approximately 10 pages of questions including; annual income amount, race, mortgage payment amount, how many divorces, education completed (detailed), physical and mental condition, work history and assorted plumbing questions(why???).
Jim said,
“I see… so answering questions for the government is somehow going to ruin your life and make you turn into a toad?
Idiots.
You don’t like it, move to Antarctica.”
No Jim, you missed the point. Answering these these personal questions should be completely Voluntary. This is NOT the US Census. It should not be a Federal crime to not answer personal questions when you are not a suspect in a criminal investigation. You can answer the questions if you wish.
It should be your choice, not the governments.
P.S. I am not planning to move to Antarctica anytime soon. I would rather stay, get involved and help improve the rights of my country.
Also from ACS page
“The Census Bureau may use the information it collects only for statistical purposes. 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 up to $250,000, a prison sentence up to five years, or both.”
Talk about making mountains out of molehills.
Why are they still taking a census? Google already knows more about you than the United States Census Bureau ever will.
As to the question of constitutionality, here is the wording in the constitution:
In Article 1, Section 2, the Constitution includes the phrase:
[An] 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.
I must say I did not uncover this myself, but read it in the comments section of the link.
Probably not worth dying over…
“A 67-year-old Yuba City woman was shot and killed by officers when she pointed a shotgun at them and refused to put it down, Yuba City police said Friday.”
“A U.S. Census worker “had been confronted by residents who pointed a firearm at the worker and said they would not answer any questions and closed the door,” said police spokeswoman Shawna Pavey.”
@ appeal-democrat.com (via: InfoWars.com)
Had a look at the Census website. I see you are required to respond and/or answer questions put to you by the census workers.
I see nothing that says you have to respond accurately.
“How many abortions? Ooooh, lots. Why I, myself, was aborted. Fortunately, due to good dental hygiene, I survived, though I had to make due with many meals of raw placenta.”
Suckers this is ten year old comic about the voluntary long form in the 2000 Census
The 2010 Census has no such “voluntary” long form.
Fill out your forms think of it like jury duty or responsible voting do it with civic pride and feel lucky to live in one of the best countries on earth.
ACS: On the form, they don’t even pretend that the information you give is “protected” so they can’t share it with RonSanto (or whoever, Cubs fans).
Name, age, address and race of every person, all in one easy-to-access database.
Here’s one stupid question:
“What is Person 3’s age and what is Person 3’s date of birth?” when the age can always be derived from the date of birth, why do you have to fill in both? Why are they wasting your time? Or are they subtly detecting cultural differences of people who increment their ages on January 1st or on their name day?
“Is Person 3 of Jewish origin?”
Well, actually they ask whether you’re Hispanic-Latino-Spanish. I wonder if Hitler had this tool in 1933? He probably didn’t care whether you were Sephardic or Ashkenazic, but the US Census Bureau cares whether you’re Puerto Rican or Cuban.
And then the next question is about race. You can’t be mixed race, you have to choose or name one. Yet Science tells us there is no such thing as race. Even an Atheist will be saying “OMG”. Aren’t these “race” and “origin” questions among the ones that people were supposed to leave behind when they emigrated to the Land of the Free?
America is such a litigious country, isn’t there a lawsuit yet?
The only thing that bothers me about the Census form is the question about race. Race is irrelevant for most of us, though I prefer the Indianapolis 500.
#15. I’m not so much worried that a census worker as an individual might come to know a particular small datum. But let’s say that Homeland Security decided they really needed to know something about you, or about everybody. Do you think that the Census Bureau would long deny them or squawk about it? Especially when that information would be so easily accessible? Legislators might trump “Title 13” with a notwithstanding clause, and who is to say that all informational transfer is legislated? Maybe it’s just Manifest Destiny that the needs of Homeland Security or DEA or IRS or FBI or CIA or the Coast Guard or … trump the Census Bureau. When it’s “National Security” versus “privacy rights” we already know which is going to be the winner.
This is an issue in other countries too, but:
a) the protection is stated on every piece of paper you’re asked to fill in (yeah, OK, I know it’s a crock, but at least it admits that citizens somehow have a right to be suspicious of information harvesters);
b) they don’t ask so many or so invasive questions;
c) your name and address are often anonymized;
d) the hierarchy of government agencies isn’t so obvious as it is in the USA;
e) those countries don’t claim to be The Land of the Free.
jbellies Homeland Security or DEA or IRS or FBI or CIA or the Coast Guard or … have much better ways to learn about suspects than looking at there census answers. Come on they could learn all of what was on the census
form in about a second with out looking at the form.
#22 “The only thing that bothers me about the Census form is the question about race.”
Isn’t that enough?
I suppose one could write in “American” as answers to the Origin and Race questions, but there would be a lurking worry that one’s house might be surrounded by an automatic-weapon-toting SWAT team in the quiet of the night for offering flippant yea un-American answers. And they’d know where you live.
#23 GetSmart:
“Without this vital information, how will the Democrats and Republicans ever properly gerrymander voting districts for Bob’s Sake?”
THANK YOU. I can’t believe it took this far into the thread for someone to point this out.
““Without this vital information, how will the Democrats and Republicans ever properly gerrymander voting districts for Bob’s Sake?”
THANK YOU. I can’t believe it took this far into the thread for someone to point this out.”
You use voter registration data for gerrymandering, not census data. (Geeeze, am I the only one here from Chicago?) You use census data to write New York Times and Washington Post editorials.
But this data is so useful to social scientists.
I just got notified via snail mail that I will be receiving one of these Obaminations. Since it is illegal for me to not to fill it out what should I do? I think I might just lie.
Obaminations? ever its been going on every 10 years sense 1790 Obama by law has to host this 1 of the 23 so far Censuses why would you call it a Obaminations?
silly man