2011 Census

Apparently the 2010 Census has unlimited funding and will now be a continuous agency. Anyway, that's the way it seems from here.

1) Last year a census worker knocked on our door in Shiprock, NM, asked a few questions, and left. I thought, "Oh, we lucked out and got the short form this decade."

2) A month or so later, another census worker knocked on the door, saying that the first worker didn't do a satisfactory job. Asked a few more questions, but still, not more than a couple minutes.

3) After we'd moved here, (probably in Aug.) a pair of census workers showed up with a laptop and program with a LONG set of questions, many of which were redundant and even ridiculous. It took at least twenty minutes. Idiocy such as "Are you male or female?" Or on and on asking the same thing in different ways... "Were you living here on April 1st?" "No, we were in Shiprock, NM." "Where did you live on April 1st" "I just said, Shiprock, NM." "How long have you lived here?" "Oh, about two months." "Did you or any of your household live elsewhere on April 1st?" "I just told you... We were in Shiprock, so obviously, yes." "Which of your household lived elsewhere on April 1st?" "We both did." "Do you spend time between multiple residences during the course of the year?" "No." "Were you spending time at another of your residences on April 1st?" "ARGH!" (Yes, I actually did make a noise approximating that)

About then I wanted to slam the door in their faces, but knew they (or someone else) would just be back later. I sighed, sucked it up, and continued with the most idiotic exchange you can possibly imagine.

4) A little over a month ago or so, a census worker showed up with a clipboard and asked my wife more questions. (I wasn't home at the time and about the only thing my wife reported was that the woman was nice.)

5) About two weeks ago, fairly early in the morning, there was a knock at the door. I was in my bathrobe, so ignored it... but the knocking was persistent, so I looked out the window. It was a census worker. I went and got dressed, but by the time I got to the door, the census worker was gone.

6) Yesterday I found a Census 2010 Notice of Visit Form D-26 in the driveway "informing" that Gloria Mahle had visited. I have no idea when she visited, or even if it was our house. For all I know, this could have blown over from next door or down the street somewhere.

Will this stupid census EVER be completed? Or will they count us in Shiprock, and then again here, and then again wherever we move next? How many frelling Census interviews does it take?

Reply to
Steve Ackman
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the census has been over for a while now. results, by law, had to be turned over to congress by 10-12-31. i'd suspect that these were fraudulant attempts and i would ask for an official id from them before answering any questions.

Reply to
chaniarts

Items 1 - 3: They wear it hanging around their necks. You don't have to ask to see it.

Item 4: I can't say since it was my wife who talked to her.

Item 5: I saw a laptop carrying bag over her shoulder with what appeared to be a Census logo through the window. Granted, I "assumed" this was someone from the Census.

Item 6: It sure looks like an official Form D-26 to me... for whatever that's worth.

Reply to
Steve Ackman

[MONGO long whine snipped}

When the census taker comes to the door, you answer the door, and you say, "There are adults and children here. Good-Bye."

If another census taker comes to the door, say, "No, thanks, we already answered."

Cheers! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

[big snip}

I'd suggest you give the Census Bureau a call to find out if this was an attempt at identity theft. They will, most surely, be interested.

Census Bureau Call Center General Telephone Lines: 1-800-923-8282 (Monday to Thursday: 8:30 -

5:30 ET Friday: 8:30-4:30 ET)
Reply to
rangerssuck

I should have googled before ranting. Then I'd have known better what to rant about.

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  1. Why was I visited multiple times? Quality checks are used to assure our procedures are working and that staff is doing the job as assigned. These checks require that some households be visited several times.
  2. I've heard talk about the American Community Survey. What is it and why are you conducting it? The American Community Survey is part of the Decennial Census Program. While the 10-year census counts the number of people who live in the United States, the American Community Survey shows how people live -- our education, housing, jobs and more. The American Community Survey asks essentially the same questions that used to be on the long form of the census, except it is conducted throughout the year and throughout the decade. This allows the Census Bureau to produce new data every year, instead of only once every 10 years. So, while the old "long form" was a once-a-decade snapshot of an area -- one that grew increasingly faded with age -- the American Community Survey takes a new picture every year, creating a year-by-year look at how the area is changing.
Reply to
Steve Ackman

  1. What happens if I don't respond? Although the law makes it a crime not to answer the decennial census, the American Community Survey and other mandatory censuses, and authorizes the courts to impose a fine of up to ,000 for failure to respond...

Reply to
Steve Ackman

j-walking is usually illegal too. big deal.

Reply to
Cydrome Leader

Well thanks for clearing that up. I was starting to wonder cause they seem to just love me. First kid quit after the first house. LOL and then at least 2 more visits, last one was the boss. I've got a tax guy like that also, aren't they suppose to set an appointment?

So, they just never go away, great.

SW

Reply to
Sunworshipper

my wife got a ticket jaywalking through a red light once. downtown phx, middle of summer, 115F out, streets looked like they were neutron bombed (no one seen for blocks).

she got accosted by an overzealous cop. first thing he was demanded a driver's license. gave her a long safety speech, followed by a $25 ticket.

Reply to
chaniarts

On Apr 6, 2:54=A0pm, Steve Ackman 11. What happens if I don't respond?

In theory they can fine you. In practice they will go away. I worked for the Census for some of the time when the 2010 census was going on. As I remember you had to make three attempts. The first one was required to be an actual visit.

Dan

Reply to
dcaster

" snipped-for-privacy@krl.org" on Wed, 6 Apr 2011 14:33:05 -0700 (PDT) typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

And we could always ask the neighbors.

tschus pyotr

Reply to
pyotr filipivich

=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 Dan

I have to say that not responding to the census is one of the more idiotic things one can do. All sorts of things depend on census data, like the number of congressional representatives your state has, the amount of federal funding for various programs, little things like that.

Reply to
rangerssuck

The only thing that the Constitution authorizes the census to do is count people. I don't think very many people object to that; rather, most of the objections are to the *other* questions asked by the census, things that have nothing whatever to do with counting people and are not authorized by the Constitution. Unquestionably, the Federal government is empowered by the Constitution to count how many people live in my house -- but it's none of their damn business how many telephones or toilets there are in my house, or how much money I make, or what color my skin is, or what language I speak.

Reply to
Doug Miller

It's authorized under the "Necessary and Proper" clause.

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You may not like it, but it's well within the authority of the federal government.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

That's false, of course. The Constitution is silent on what information Congress may authorize to be collected in the census.

The courts have held that the collection of data beyond a simple headcount is constitutionally permitted:

As early as 1870, the Supreme Court characterized as unquestionable the power of Congress to require both an enumeration and the collection of statistics in the census. 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).

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