Census 2010 threats?

[VaBusa]

OK, seriously, I got the msg the first 50 times about filling out the 2010 Census info...it arrived on a Saturday, and I had it in the mail by the following Tuesday. That was weeks ago; today, I get a SECOND mailing with "YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW" stamped on the envelope, and and a note inside stating that this is my "last chance to respond by mail before a Census Bureau Representative contacts you".

I'm assuming that I didn't get this because they didn't receive mine; I'm assuming they are just wasting MORE $ by sending out 2 of these forms to every household in the U.S. I'm glad our gov't has so much money to burn...speaking of which, I guess I'll use this second census form to start a fire in the old fire pit...jeez...

[TheAtomicAss]

There was an article in the local rag about this... Some people not sending in the forms due to "constitutionality" questions... Invasion of privacy and such like.

Just in case anyone here is confused, THE ONLY PART REQUIRED BY LAW IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE HOUSE. PERIOD.

I can't shout this from the rooftops loud enough, so spread it word of mouth.

[VaBusa]

Yeah, that's come up in conversations with friends. They are asking a lot of questions I didn't think were in prior census forms...

Just amazed at the sheer waste and $ being spent on it this time around...

[omslaw]

I heard something the other day that 10 yrs ago, the cost per person to take the Census was about $16...now it's about $48. Hrmmm - if they stopped sending us all the crap - that cost may go down. LOL

[TruWrecks]

SO that means the only questions that are required to be answered are #1 for the number or people, and #2 for additional not included in question #1. All of the rest are collecting personal information that is already available from the IRS for any household that has filed a tax return in the past.

[ogre]

hm. i never got those forms in the mail. wierd.

[4HSMEN]

But Glenn Beck says..... :ehh:

[zukracer]

we actually had a census person come to the house door to door today. Said he was doing the one side of the street, asking if we knew who lived across the street.... said who knows might be back next week if I get your side of the street assignment.

I was like :wtf: you get one side of the street, you have been here at least 10x since this is not a 24x7 residential area and yet you are not covering BOTH sides of the street at the same time ???

Now the mailings are a waste but in the end, far far less costly than paying the morons to walk door to door like this. I mean, the guy was totally serious when he said "might be me, might be someone else, wont know til they hand out the assignment" Took all I had not to inform him of the utter stupidity of it all

[V-Max 2 Busa]

yup I got the same one in the mail today, pretty senseless I thought, if someone is going to ignore the first just what do they think they'll do with a second? The one I liked was the notice 1-2 weeks before the census form arrived informing me that soon I would be recieving a Census form, WTF !! Bureaucratic efficiency.

[BenWoj42]

Not sure why anyones worried about it. If they need anymore info, they'll just wiretap you for the rest of it.

[Kento-Moto]

We got multiple requests too even after we sent the form in! Who's paying for all this over kill ... ? Oh yeah we are.

[BenWoj42]

We got multiple requests too even after we sent the form in! Who's paying for all this over kill ... ? Oh yeah we are.

Im guessing it probebly costs less to send out forms to everyone instead of hireing someone or purchasing a machine to decide who's sent it back in or not, and then send them out.

[BIG GUY]

They are just trying to scare people into doing the census.

[Vonderbach]

Does anyone know how they obtain your address? Is it from IRS records or do they just send one to every residence? Because I never got one, and I'm wondering if it's sitting in my mailbox (that I never use) at the end of the road. Nobody has that address, so I wouldn't think to check it.

[georgiabusa_05]

Just got the second one in the mail yesterday. I thought, what the heck, I mailed that in a week ago.

[Acehole]

I received 2 requests for census. I have never filled out the census..ever. Last Census when the worker came calling to my house, he was greeted in the driveway by my rottweiler and I told him to just move on down the road.

I did read that it is the law to fill it out and if you dont there is a fine. $100 for not filling it out and $500for giving false information.

Last known application of this law was when 2 people were fined $100 in 1960.

Census Law and Fines
The following section of the United States Code requires that people fill out their U.S. Census forms and provides a $100 penalty for not answering the Census and up to $500 for giving false information.
13 USC Sec. 221
TITLE 13 - CENSUS
CHAPTER 7 - OFFENSES AND PENALTIES

SUBCHAPTER II - OTHER PERSONS

Sec. 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers

(a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.

(b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.

I also found that the $5000 fine people have been talking about pertains to census workers for disclosing personal information.

Privacy of Census Responses
Under federal law, all employees and officials of the Census Bureau are prohibited from sharing a person's personal information with anyone else, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police and the military. Violation of this law carries penalties of $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

[Vonderbach]

I see nothing wrong with giving them a number. But they're going to be hard pressed to get much more than that from me.

[skydivr]

I didn't see anything in the Census form that bothered me and wasn't readily available to the Government elsewhere if they really wanted it..

[VaBusa]

I didn't see anything in the Census form that bothered me and wasn't readily available to the Government elsewhere if they really wanted it..

I filled it out and sent it back, I'm just aggravated at the sheer amt of waste and cost to get this info...could have been spent on something better, ya know?

[chrisjp]

i agree....they already have the rest of the info anyway.