no one here is related etc., etc. She said she would mark me down as 'refused' If someone actually shows up I am going to take control of the interview and video my demand that they leave and not come back, and their response. This workshop will demonstrate through hands-on exercises on how to access data using the Census Bureau tools for short and long-term Community planning. With the census bureau losing over 600 laptops, and the current abuses of power, I see no reason to give out the information that they are asking. And I did so right away. We have received phone calls. Access to COVID-19 vaccines was not an issue, given that 93% of . PDF Survey of Sexual Victimization, 2018: Locally or Privately-Operated I started my business for 75 cents. How much do I make per year? As a result, Congressional districts will need to be redrawn. I never have, EVER owned an apartment or resort. My first question is: which section authorizes ACS? I immediately informed him that on the advice of counsel I was refusing the survey. Americans must answer U.S. Census Bureau survey by law, though agency I filled out the decennial census. Year: 2021. Look it up. I've read the Constitution now and I fail to find any foundation for anyone asking questions of this nature. One of the three enumerators did canvass my neighbors and got hold of one of them, who tried to call me and advised the census people were looking for me (I did not return the voicemail). Hello, Legally, yes, you are required to answer the census survey. After four or five visits with three notices taped to the door over two weeks, they seem to have given up. Are they too dense to realize that word just means "to count?". Comparing the American Community Survey to the American Housing Survey. OMG!! The times they are a-changing. We gave the government the right to count us. She stated that the woman was no longer employed and asked if I could please give her the info. The Census Bureau can't issue a fine, they have to refer the case to the Dept. To all the census takers who have the nerve to put their 2 cents here to tell us how safe it is, why don't you also post your personal information for us? Give me one reason I should trust my government. ", Where did this information come from and why is it on the news? I am a prisoner in my own home. Housing 16. Since the Constitution established a federal government of limited enumerated powers and that document does not grant them the general power to request the information, I am under no constitutional obligation to provide it, and therefore refuse to answer the ACS. A mortgage deduction should indicate I own a house; a 1099 with either unemployment compensation or reported income would indicate whether I am unemployed or self-employed. Housing 19b. This data is critical for government programs, policies, and decision-making. Beyond principle, I work in the defense of our nation as a senior leader and have good reason to be concerned. Thank you for answering, I am grateful for this site, but hesitant to put email addy, or other info about me. I still am in my boxers since I just woke up and surely was not prepared for a slew of questions from this guy who was getting paid my tax money to invade my privacy). I am an American and this country is no greater than any other. We change so quickly now compared to 40-50 years ago. I think someone should have a web cam ready when they come to the door. Just weeks before a COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be made available to U.S. medical workers and first responders, a firefighters' union internal survey taken by members of the country's largest . Since my alleged representatives repeatedly respond to my complaints about their actions, with form letters explaining why they hear my views but plan to ignore them and do what they want to do instead, I hear the government wants my information and plan to do what I want to do instead. So glad I came across this website while researching whether or not I had to respond to this stupid ACS I just got in the mail. I told him "We're done here". This United States Supreme Court case has never been overturned. A: The ACS is not sent to all households. 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." You'd better hope that you are aren't one of the unlucky three. Do as you see fit. This has been going on for almost three months and has caused tremendous stress in our household. don't let them take our rights away even more than they already have. Then we find out she is our next-door neighbor! an American Patriot. There is an actual law on the books, but that law has never been applied. Non parlo inglese!" We already did our duty and answered the regular census. I had the misfortune of getting an ACS survey a few years ago. Well, I wonder what he's thinking now. See Clemons v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, 710 F. Supp. The last time I looked, American's had the right to privacy. Want to save up to 30% on your monthly bills? First in a 2021 survey, support for hard authoritarianism is low, as only 9% of U.S. faculty were willing to support various dismissal campaigns and only 7-18%, depending on the issue, supported ousting a dissenting academic. With Halloween right around the corner, how about scare the crap out of them. If threatened with a fine or even prison, I will say, "Bring it on!" [15] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/YearBuilt.pdf. Public servants are just public burdens and every time their benefits cost more I have to pay for them and I don't even have any myself!!! I would rather pay the $100 fine to keep my freedom in check. 2) Explaining that you will answer one personal question for every personal question they answer on camera. It feels good to see so many of you willing to take a stand against this invasion of privacy. I found out on a different blog that the OMB# on the front of my ACS is expired. We have starving, homelessness, government corruption. A practice in which banks refuse to insure mortgages to people living in certain I'm glad they didn't refuse to answer such personal questions as name and age. Confidentiality? I have contacted the media (Fox News), but no one seems to be covering this. Active resistance is the order of the day. That sort of thing. Fact Sheet: Protecting and Advancing Health Care for Transgender Adult I don't feel they need to know all the crap they are asking. I know that some of you were harassed by the census folks. don't let this happen! Go Obama Care. The census is unconstitutional - read the enumerations - and the amendments already cited. It actually notes in it "Your response to this survey is required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 141 and 193).Title 13, as changed by Title 18, imposes a penalty for not responding." 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? its nothing short of communism folks!! Just throw the census form in the trash. Of course I would expect them to correct this oversight in the near future. So, I tore off the page with my address on it and shredded it, and then I tossed the rest of the survey into the garbage. Now I wish I hadn't answered her on the phone. It is simply nobodys business. There's no excuse for making a living out of trying to intimidate American citizens and using lies about the law to create a threatening and harassing atmosphere on one's own private property. As such, any attempt by the government to encroach upon the citizenrys privacy rights or establish a system by which the populace can be targeted, tracked and singled out must be met with extreme caution. Please meet, call write your congressperson to recommend that they sign on to this legislation, and get rid of this ridiculous intrusion of government into your private and personal affairs. Then, the phone calls started and they won't stop. We just got the letter today, to expect the questionnaire. 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. Not to mention when the people came to my door I informed them that they were trespassing without proper identification and subject to arrest. I let her know that I understood their game and wasn't going to play, and she said she would record me as a refusal. I have received two forms, and have no intention of responding. I hung up immediately and called the sheriff. I might have to go outside and see if Big Brother is installing hidden cameras. Or maybe they're going to start sending happy birthday cards to everybody soon. At first, I completed the survey, sealed it in the envelope, and then did not send it. Do you have a debit card, credit card, a loan, a job, own a house, a car, driver's license? 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". Hence, you have answered the only question required by the constitution and you might have even increased the possibility for more representatives! They have been to my house, my place of business, also calling my place of business and if told I am busy they inform me they will call again in one hour. Horrible, and a total violation of my rights across the board. America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers. If a citizen doesn't comply with the ACS after a period of weeks, Census Bureau guidelines instruct enumerators to stop calling the resident. I personally do not want to answer because it's just a habit but if they did catch me off-guard, I would probably give them an answer of some sort (like I am a boyfriend who is watching my girlfriend's house while she's away with the peace corps for six months and that I already answered the census for my home a few blocks away). I assume she was a supervisor. so i would be prepared. I don't mind giving my name, the name of my spouse, children, ages and occupations but that is it. A: Those who do not answer the ACS risk repeated overturesby mail, by phone and in personfrom Census Bureau employees seeking to compel a response. Typically, the Census Bureau will telephone those who do not respond to the survey and may visit their homes to coerce the targets to respond. Maybe that is why only one out of every 480 people receive it. On the back of the ACS form it states: "Respondents are not required to respond to any information collection unless it displays a valid approval number from the Office of Management and Budget.". I propose: 1) Grabbing your video recorder and recording the entire exchange. I am glad I am not the only one who tossed the thing in the garbage. Census employees never ask for social security numbers or full financial disclosure. Now they harass us all of the time. Funny, we are required to get social security numbers at birth, but the social security administration will not protect that number. So I received two ACS forms in the mail and they are not going to be filled out. However, we will make it quite clear we will accept the risk and continue to take this stand. That is how they get "past the guard". I actually worked for the Census in 1970. And when I'm asked what my address is, I'll respond with, "I pay taxes, look it up.". I also mentioned that unless a US Marshal from the Justice Department accompanied him, I would simply ignore him and would call the police if further harassed. [17] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Disability.pdf. Know your stuff and don't compromise! 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. At the moment, I am pretty furious with the current political band of thieves and third world dictators "wannabes" in power. (We filled out and mailed our census form as soon as we received it.) Estimates: 1-Year. the simple census form I got had another insert in which they claim that "answers are confidential" and "answers you give cannot be obtained by law enforcement or tax collection agencies" and "your answers cannot be used in court" or obtained through a FOIA request. ACS is relatively new, it has merely replaced the "long form," as it was known, of the decennial census, which has been around for a very long time, and asked similar questions. I assumed I did it wrong, so I filled out the second one and sent that in. The next day I saw this guy talking to my neighbor and figured he was submitting him to the same harassment I had received. Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? I'm sick of this. Alternatively, those who returned the survey partially completed and communicated with the Census Bureau agents generally received more contacts. But, (knock on wood again) no visits ever occurred (yet that is). She said actually it's mandatory. Thesis: It is best to be professional and courteous when speaking in person and on the phone to the ACS representatives. I guess we'll just wait and see. If it is kept under the radar, then there are not enough people screaming to make a difference. I thought to myself, now they are going to harass them. I filled out my form sent it back and now i am getting harassed by the census bureau calls of at least eight a week! I clearly refused the first polite guy who called and then more firmly refused the stern woman who called next. Joint Commission Online - March 1, 2023 | The Joint Commission We told a census worker to come back on Friday at 6 p.m. Keep up the good fight! ACS was conducted vigorously and continuously during the presidency of George W. Bush. At what location did this person work last week? I told him that was fine. In the case of direct taxes (a direct tax is a tax on property based on ownership), this provision requires Congress to apportion the tax among the individual States based on population. The American Community Survey is an offshoot of the census, but the ACS is done every year. Where do we call to report this abuse? In addition, some point to the possibility of human error as a security concern over such personal and confidential information. I just don't answer the door. What I find interesting is that when I visit a home of an immigrant they are almost excited to give me whatever information I ask for. American Community Survey (ACS) 2022-2025 -- Census invites comments to Methodology Statement: 2015-2019 American Community Survey MARCH 2021 6 with populations greater than 65,000) requires a 12-month sample. 5) Arrest criminals from Acorn and stop our tax dollars from funding Acorn and other criminal organizations like them. Spending good taxpayer dollars on another social joke. I'm so glad I'm not alone. Ridiculous. I will not be returning her call. She noticed that I was very irritated and told me that she just needs the number of people who live here and ages. We are entitled to "Quiet Enjoyment" of our homes. Title 13 of the United States Code, however, requires that the Census Bureau keep this information confidential and subjects employees who violate this confidentiality requirement to a fine of up to $250,000 USD, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both. I ripped it up and threw it away. The ACS is not part of the enumeration required by Article I of the Constitution, and that constitutional provision only applies to a census for purposes of counting the number of people in each state. A few days ago had a census worker knock on my door. OK anon75478: Then you won't mind answering these question will you? I guarantee it will be a short and polite conversation and the last time they ever bother you! Why would anyone want to "help the government function" (interfere in our private lives)? 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. They have nothing but their own agenda in mind and any semblance of control we think we have is just that -- a semblance. Well it's now the middle of July and another census worker left her callback info on the door and has since started calling the number on the "for sale" sign at the property. I say the heck with Big Brother, ours is going in the garbage, and I'm no longer answering their calls (love caller ID)! No one from the Census has ever asked for your social security number - perhaps someone *posing* as a Census Field Rep. did, but not an employee of the Census. Instead, you are encouraged to call one of the Census Bureau's two telephone centers directly to determine the legitimacy of the call you just received: Jeffersonville, IN: 1-800-523-3205. I included a note with the returned survey stating that I would continue to refuse to answer these additional questions as a matter of principle, and I requested that no phone calls or visits to my home be made by your agency. So glad I found this site. 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. 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. Subscribe to GovDelivery email updates to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events about the American Community Survey. finally he told her he would call the cops if she didn't leave. He used to work for the gas company and has been in my house to light my pilot lights. I am standing firm this time. It is not the same people each time - many different ones wondering around. It's not their business. Lock and Load. If Big Brother wants to bring the law so be it. Its purpose is to keep people informed of what is going on in their local, state, or federal governments. I ignored her as I was outside with my kids. I am wondering is a night time visit legal? Cowards! There is only a theoretical possibility that they could fine you. The Census Bureau would have to refer a case to the Dept of Justice, they have no power of their own. (ACS question number 33). This is way too intrusive. Condos hire people inside the condo as census people. Statistical analysis If one of these goons shows up at your door you should immediately get out your camera phone or camcorder and put it right in their face and turn it on. They're not authorized to do that. this is a new one. If you read and listen to them carefully they actually say that it's mandatory and you could be fined. If you are a business person you could benefit from having accurate demographic information for the United States. PDF [From the ACS recipient to the Census Bureau] John H. Thompson we filled out the form the day it came and mailed it. I hollered at the door that "I'm a crippled senior and DO NOT open my door unless its my kids". she yelled through the door announcing her name & bla bla "census, have some questions for you"..I'll just leave my card & you can call me next week!". Anything more is intrusive. Logged onto survey; did not complete any items 2.1121 65 Never logged on (implicit refusal) 2.11 887 Survey completed after close of the field period 2.27 189 Completed interview but was removed for data quality 1 Screened out . They must have found it because I heard no more but neither did I get an apology. He ignored the legality but admitted there were corporate sponsors involved. How many times has this person been married? Glad I found this thread! If at some point they insist you are declining, plead the Fifth Amendment. Survey/Program: American Community Survey. A: Federal law makes it mandatory to answer all questions on the ACS. What are you all so worried about? Act drunk and make like you're going to be sick on them or pretend to pass out. TheAmerican Community Survey(ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. I guess all the info requested I am OK with. And I say that is the point -- I do not want my state or city dependent on big government this is socialism and pork barrel out of control government spending. After the first couple of letters I received I started getting harassing phone calls from them. "the point that seems most lost here is that households chosen for ACS are just part of a statistical sample that is representative of the country as a whole". [16] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Vehicles.pdf. They only get idle threats. This city hasn't had its streets fixed in years and we always fill out the census. No one from the Census has ever called you every hour of the day or at 9 p.m. "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who who have the courage to defend it." Read the Constitution. I don't get mad about much but privacy is basic American. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation. Yeah right! The ACS is a legitimate survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the Department of Commerce. I want to thank you for this site and for all of the posters sharing their experiences and offering insight and information. In 1960, the gap was . Good for Michele Bachmann for saying she wasn't filling this out. I don't believe the ACS should, or has the right, to require more. With enough people, we can make a change. There's comfort in knowing I'm not alone! I then hung up. Then came the second one,it followed the first. According to some accounts, those recipients who chose not to return the form and did not respond to phone calls or private visits appeared to be hassled the least. 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. And if there isn't a law protecting these rights, then we need someone to make it happen! Follow your happiness and I promise the universe will be there for you: subtle, slow, obvious or quick it will respond to your emotions. Thanks! And if I were paranoid, I'd be accusing the census takers of taking my new baby's ss card that has still not arrived in my hands in four months! Next step will be implanting us with chips, or tattooing our arms. Although I suspect it's really only one or two of you. The census cannot ask or get your social security number in any way and you can supply any name you want. The census guy showed up here. They gave up on me. 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]. Actually: for thoe who think you can merely fill out the form and not be called, that's a lie! When I got to the financial questions I thought - what?? (The car had to pass my house to get to the neighbors.) We refused to give information on the cell phone several times. He had to come through a closed gate. I ignored all of this due to what I had been through. [36] Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491, 498 (1983). Q: What are my options for objecting to the ACS survey as an intrusion on my Fourth Amendment rights? There is absolutely no possibility they can guarantee this information will not be disseminated to others or exposed to malevolent wrongdoers. Then I'll find a place to post it and tweet it to my 350+ followers. They do not give the Defendants the limitless power to compel Plaintiffs to produce personal information or opinions to Defendants..