Off-topic: Census worker run-in

[DTS]

Had a gal meet me on the street as I was bringing in my trash bins. I thought she wanted directions, but she asked me if I live at this address, I said "yes". She flashed her Census badge at me and said I did not fill out the Census completely and that the government wanted me to do it again. I told her the government wants me to do a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I then asked her if that was the Census questionnaire I received in the mail that had the wrong city put with my correct zip code? She told me "that sort of thing has happened in my area since the '70s, very common".

Next question I got out of her, after I was handed the "correct brochure" with numbers on it so I could follow along with her questions (thank God for those numbers!), was "Have you lived here since before April 1 of this year?" I looked at her and she knew I was now really p/o.

I asked her what I was legally obligated to answer other than "two people and we're both American". No answer to that and her reply was that if I did not supply her with the answers, the Census Bureau would ask three of my neighbors and get the answers from them. This questioning session ended badly at this point! I told her "nothing personal", but tell the Census to do what they needed to do and handed back the brochure. She was still apologizing as she walked back to her truck to make her notes.

Am I the only person worked up about this Census and the motivation for this intrusion?

[veritas]

I didn't send mine in either.

At least she didn't threaten you with fines. I will tell them my name and others living in my home. That is all the constitution requires.

[S T]

Do Not come to My Door

I also received the form in the mail and was "aggravated" so did nothing more than how many were in the home "like Veritas mentionned" I have warned or cautioned my husband NOT to talk to anyone that arrives at the front door and asking additional information.

How do we know who these people are - except they are to have "badges" I am not passing out "personal info"

Sandy

[taxea]

Sandy they are anyone who applies for the job. No background check or criminal history check to my knowledge.
I to only filled out only sex and # of people in house; no names, no ages etc. Not aware of anything else that would assist them in their effort to determine how many representatives we should have in DC.
I don't answer my door so that won't be a problem for me and if caught outside and asked if I live in the house....when answering a stranger, I say no, the owners are not home and I don't know anything about them. Maybe I should just say no, I'm the burglar.

[DTS]

...and if caught outside and asked if I live in the house....when answering a stranger, I say no, the owners are not home and I don't know anything about them. Maybe I should just say no, I'm the burglar.

I could be wrong, but I don't want anyone thinking I'm not home. I want them to know I am home and then try and guess if I am fully armed for their arrival, or not.

[JohnH]

Well, here's a way to protect your home whether you're there or not. Put a pair of muddy camouflage boots on your front porch and tape the following note to them with duct tape:

"Bubba:
Me & Arnold have the guns in the car already and we went to WalMart to buy plenty of ammo for the huntin trip. We'll be back in 10 minutes.

By the way, the dogs are in the house. Don't mess with 'em or let 'em out. They're layin around kinda quiet right now but don't let that fool ya. We just de-wormed all of 'em and they're in a real foul mood."

[BOB W]

I did the same, how many people and mailed it in......................

[tpnl]

Telephone call

Census worker called and asked if I owned a particular address. I said no. Worker said that my name was listed as owner and that I also owned the property right next door. I replied that the official county auditor says the address is just the name of the street, no house number had been assigned as it is an empty lot. Census worker said, "So, you do own 124 Main St?" I said "No. I own Main Street. No number assigned." Worker said "But that is the same thing?" I replied, "No. My county has never assigned a street number so it is not that same thing." Worker replied she would talk to neighbors.

Does anyone remember being told if a Census worker does not get the information from the resident that they would discuss the matter with neighbors? Isn't that a conflict with some privacy laws?

[DonPriebe]

... Does anyone remember being told if a Census worker does not get the information from the resident that they would discuss the matter with neighbors? Isn't that a conflict with some privacy laws? ...

And you think you have an expectation of privacy on information that you tell your neighbors?

[outwest]

Good grief folks..

this is census.

Watched the show "who do you think you are" where celebrities traced back roots. Nearly all at one point looked at old census records, often back to just after the civil war that listed (you guessed it) name, address, age, and race. This is not new!

(Note that for the African Americans in the south, names were often omitted and listed as property. The ancestral trail usually ended there.)

Haven't any of you noticed that you vote in precincts? How do you set them up? By address and the number of people. You won't tell them how many live in the home? You prefer that our system just guess? Though there is some of this now, wouldn't that be a great system for whichever group is currently in power?

Don't trust anyone coming to the door? Fine, just mail it in.

Hey, I'm as private as anyone. However, civilization requires a little bit of cooperation and participation to function. Failure to participate is to cede the very freedoms you worry about to those not much interested in you.

[veritas]

The census

is to gather information about the number of people and where they reside, we understand this. But what do you think of the data being sold to private companies like TRW?

During WW2 data was given to the federal government to help round up Japanese Americans.

[SueBaby]

Well, here's a way to protect your home whether you're there or not. Put a pair of muddy camouflage boots on your front porch and tape the following note to them with duct tape:

"Bubba:
Me & Arnold have the guns in the car already and we went to WalMart to buy plenty of ammo for the huntin trip. We'll be back in 10 minutes.

By the way, the dogs are in the house. Don't mess with 'em or let 'em out. They're layin around kinda quiet right now but don't let that fool ya. We just de-wormed all of 'em and they're in a real foul mood."

Had a client this morning that put me in a bad mood but after reading this post I laughed for 10 minutes.

[WhiteOleander]

We purchased a very old house (1920's) from FDIC in 1992. (the bank that had the previous mortgage had failed.)
Many years ago, the other owner had converted the house into 4 apts. But, we took back the "whole" house to live in. However, the county still shows it as four different addresses. So, a census card comes for all four "apts". For the census in 2000, we simply wrote "vacant" on the other three cards. Never heard a word from them. This time, I did the same thing. A lady shows up on SUNDAY morning. She spoke broken english. I told her that the other apts were vacant. She didn't seem to grasp that concept. She kept arguing with me. "How many people live?" (those were the words used) After about 15 minutes of going in circles, i just told her to leave. I had filled out the cards correctly.

[DTS]

this is census... name, address, age, and race. This is not new!

...Haven't any of you noticed that you vote in precincts? How do you set them up? By address and the number of people. You won't tell them how many live in the home? You prefer that our system just guess? Though there is some of this now, wouldn't that be a great system for whichever group is currently in power?

Don't trust anyone coming to the door? Fine, just mail it in.

Hey, I'm as private as anyone. However, civilization requires a little bit of cooperation and participation to function. Failure to participate is to cede the very freedoms you worry about to those not much interested in you.

So, government knowing when I started living in my home and what my race is helps how? Am I represented better? Nah. Does the government knowing our race help us live together better? Nah. Instead, race is thrown up in our faces and is used to divide us.

I'm more disturbed that government thinks they can threaten me or any other citizen by using neighbors to squeal on us so we'll provide those answers to them. But hey, I'm just paranoid.

[DTS]

John

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.