Off-topic: Census worker run-in

[veritas]

Lol

Regarding the business census forms - I fill them out and it ordinarily only takes me a couple of minutes. But I sure hope nobody in government is using any of the info I provide to actually make any important decisions...

exactly.............

[S T]

Business Census

Those are the worst - I have one client that has 5 separate ones, and they really ask for a lot of figures, and calculations. It takes me a very long time to complete them. Some is from the accounting records, and then I have to send the client, the missing items, that is non accounting related.



Sandy

[Burke]

Great solution to pesky problems! I always wanted a sound system close to all entries of the house with the sound of a shotgun being pumped or whatever that action is called.

And then there is that barking-dog system.

[veritas]

Read in the news today

a census taker had his dog with him while doing his job. It bit a man he was interviewing.

The man said on the news "Talk about government taking a bite out of you".

[Davc]

The Legal Tender Cases, Tex.1870; 12 Wall., U.S., 457, 536, 20 L.Ed. 287. In 1901, a District Court said the Constitution's census clause (Art. 1, Sec. 2, Clause 3) is not limited to a headcount of the population and "does not prohibit the gathering of other statistics, if 'necessary and proper,' for the intelligent exercise of other powers enumerated in the constitution, and in such case there could be no objection to acquiring this information through the same machinery by which the population is enumerated." United States v. Moriarity, 106 F. 886, 891 (S.D.N.Y.1901).

So the government is required to use the information for the intelligent exercise of other powers?

[BHoffman]

Yes Dave. And it will be reported on form 1099-PWR

[Bees Knees]

So the government is required to use the information for the intelligent exercise of other powers?

The census is milk toast compared to all the personal data the government gets from you from your tax return. The tax return is milk toast compared to all the personal data the government will now get from Health and Human Services, which is the new super duper government personal data collection agency in charge of administering this new health care reform stuff. If you think IRS has power, wait until you read all the new powers HHS is getting in this new health care bill.

[BHoffman]

....which will be reported on form 1099-CYA.

[veritas]

Well

I finally gave in and answered the door. Those census folks sure are persistent.

I had decided already to just give our names and nothing else. And I was polite.


So I guess the benefits to this are:

We may get more representation.

We will get more pork money.

Businesses will be able to carefully target their marketing dollars.

My descendents will be happy that I have made it easier for their geneaology research.

[BHoffman]

Geneaology is reported on form 1099-DNA.

We require a sample. Noncompliance will result in a friendly visit from the Coercive Force Team - motto: "Because We Can". Resistance is futile.

[Lion]

My ancestors will be happy that I have made it easier for their geneaology research.

All my ancestors are dead. But, my descendents (sp?) might look me up someday.

[veritas]

Doh!

All my ancestors are dead. But, my descendents (sp?) might look me up someday.

what was I thinking/

[JohnH]

Looks like lots of people didn't want to participate:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/19/AR2010061901896_pf.html

[DTS]

Census

I emailed my representative about this incident at my place. I did not speak with him, but I did with a very nice member of his staff and we talked for awhile. His office contacted the bureau to get some of my answers for me. Apparently, one of his staff members had the same kind of encounter.

The bureau told him that the bureau can contact the citizen 6 times after the initial face-to-face and then report them to the DOJ, if they are uncooperative. DOJ told the representative that while they can take action against citizens, they have not.

After the call, I called the worker to smooth over the incident a bit and answer a few add'l questions for her, but she has not returned my call (probably is thinking I deserve a call from DOJ!). I plan on calling her back and tell her that I will contact my representative one more time to report the fact I returned her call to finish up, but no follow-up from her. I suppose this will end the matter.

[taxxcpa]

Census

I mailed mine in twice. If you don't want to tell them more than you consider yourself legally obligated to tell, then just make up any answer about ace, religion, income or other question they ask.t.