"When the people fear their government there is tyranny. Some doubt these assurances based on the survey collection process itself. Hard to believe they did not receive it or they lost it. we need to stop fighting and come together, reminiscent of the black panthers and Raymond Washington. Two weeks later, I received a second call from a different zip code with another lady asking if I still had the ACS form. Without the enjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value. [The bracketed words added for clarification], Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimson, 154 U.S. 447, 479 (May 26, 1894). We were hired to call people who did not respond and we left messages on answering machines. Camp Lejeune residents now have the opportunity to claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water. I am filling out the ACS as required by law, but feel this is a true invasion of privacy. Don't be rude to the people who are sent out to your house because you think you're too "special" to answer your census. [36] Florida v. Royer, 460 U.S. 491, 498 (1983). I decided I did not want to answer the census because of the invasiveness of the questions. I said I may have the second one, but discarded the first as a scam attempt. I filled it out. an American History (Eric Foner) Civil Liberties and Rights. Then we have to vote them out. I hung up. I will not answer the questions on the ACS. We have been like a frog cooked in our own water slowly. Yesterday, a lady came by and tried to ask questions about the form. 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-year estimates are now available, including the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) and Variance Replicate Estimate (VRE) Tables. After they fill out the form, I seriously doubt they think about you ever again. The government is collecting information such as how many rooms we have in our houses, how many acres of land, what time do we leave for work, etc. That this money is funding from the government, which makes it socialism. If such a law exists, it should not exist, for it would be truly unconstitutional. EXCLUDE State operated juvenile residential facilities. How do I know these census folks are trustworthy? As a retired LEO, state law keeps all my info private, unless court ordered. I was mailed two ACS forms which I promptly threw in the trash because of the personal nature of the questions. Who are these people and why are they telling me I am obligated by law to provide my personal information to some one or some entity I don't know. A sympathizer to the Census said it was to help the government to function. I will report her actions to our manager and possibly to her supervisor. I informed my employer that I will not answer the ACS, that I filled out the Census, and that is all they get. God bless America and individual freedom! I watched and saw that she was only there five minutes. Although Mark xxxxxxx, the field representative, was professional, thorough and pleasant enough, Ive requested the Bureau cease these harassing efforts a second time during the phone call after he visited my home. The funny part is the local grocery store has this job post up. Person 48. Q: Are you required by law to fully complete the American Community Survey? FCPS will be seeking input on the progress of this work via a survey for parents/caregivers and community members, and a feedback opportunity for staff. Why am I in the unlucky 2.5%? so i would be prepared. Look it up. I have been harassed day and night. It seems to me that *all* the information they need and want should be available to them from our 1040's. Two days later, I was standing on my porch. If it gets to the point where they actually come to your house, the "enumerator" is going to tell you it's too late to give your answers to the Survey in writing, and he'll insist (threaten) that you must tell him the personal details of your life while he types it into his laptop computer. I then slammed the door shut. 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. she said go ahead i'll wait. all this while he was getting ready for work. good thing inflation is under control and gas prices are not skyrocketing for no reason, and unemployment figures are under control, that they have nothing better to do than harass an honest hardworking taxpayer. Before commenting, please review our comment policy. After spending almost an hour answering questions the first time the census take came to my house, they start calling me on Sunday afternoon -- enough is enough! It's just another way to peg the American people to find out who's doing what. [34] http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/04/will-kinder-gentler-census-survey-placate-congressional-foes. Empowered by Congress with greater powers to amass information about citizens, the Census Bureau introduced the ACS in 2005. This tool helps you do just that. There also is a 16-page guide that contains instructions on answering the questions. "is your name blah blah blah?" I've read the Constitution now and I fail to find any foundation for anyone asking questions of this nature. American Community Survey questionnaire. I demanded who he was for the third time and he said us census. If threatened with a fine or even prison, I will say, "Bring it on!" Have no fear. If they harass you with phone calls change your number before they do the census and keep it unlisted. Also, it can't hurt to tell your representatives. how Fourth amendment. Fiscal Year 2024 Letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young encouraging the Administration to prioritize funding for the U.S. Census Bureau and 2030 Census in its FY 2024 It is confined to determining the number of Representatives [in the House] and imposing direct Taxes among the several States. A previous post said this is the American Communist survey. Parents/caregivers and community members will be invited to take the survey between March 6-20. [23] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Age.pdf. If they want more personal financial information, then I suggest they get it from the IRS. Q: What is the American Community Survey (ACS)? Still, some citizens do not answer it. If you don't care about america and freedom then you stand by and say nothing when you see tyranny, then congrats. Go Obama Care. If the stories in this thread are true, those census workers are scum. IE: IRS, DOT, Labor and Industry. There, I think I got my point across. That's why every selfish person here complains that the government doesn't use resources in the right place; the government waits too long to address problems; the government wastes money. Don't believe that the government does not already know exactly where that money is needed. I clearly refused the first polite guy who called and then more firmly refused the stern woman who called next. Another concern raised by the Brookings Institute is the use of ACS information by law enforcement for crime mapping, a surveillance tool used to predict crime and preemptively target certain neighborhoods for policing. I told her to "bring it on". The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is a national measure of customer satisfaction since 1994, trusted by US government and reflecting annual feedback from . I left the notice stuck to the door. He was asking questions about me and my wife! "; "What is your favorite color on Thursday afternoons between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.? Therefore, if a person representing a two-person household refused to fill out any questions or simply answered nonsensically, the total fines could range from upwards of $10,000 and $50,000 for noncompliance. Unfortunately, the second time my husband gave in, as he felt we would get fined and was tired of the threats. Since then, they have called three or four times and stopped by multiple times. We are so fortunate to live in this country. Read our FAQs or call us for more help with the survey. i get home don't even get out of the parking lot, she pulls up. You aren't getting mine! I was in my PJs and answered the door, thinking it was a neighbor. 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. Miss. I grabbed the handle and slammed the door shut. To complete it by mail, simply. The calls/personal visits stopped. It is against the law to solicit minors so therefore they do not have to be counted in the total. Yet, under the direct tax formula imposed by the Constitution, both states would be required to pay the same amount. the Supreme Court's decisions over the years has established that the rights to privacy is a basic human right, and as such is protected by virtue of the 9th amendment. The efforts to secure a response to ACS seem fairly on the mark, but 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. I filled out the Census form this year and still, someone came to our door. That is what I've allowed them to do. Originally, I sent in the census form for the property stating zero occupants, then was called by a Census worker. I just moved to a suburb outside of Detroit after years of living there, and its strange but I also got 'grilled' the last time it came around. The $5,000.00 fines referenced in section 3571 are post conviction fines that only apply to an individual who has been charged and convicted of a crime defined in section 3559. I am literally getting up to six phone calls a day, mass mailings, and mass e-mails. I served my country in Vietnam. They must have found it because I heard no more but neither did I get an apology. There are friends who ask me if I want to put up with the harassment from the government -wouldn't it be easier to just give in and give the information to them? Get over yourselves! Year: 2021. There is no legal obligation for you to answer their questions. Its purpose is to keep people informed of what is going on in their local, state, or federal governments. The census taker left a note me a note today. Twice, a person showed up at our door. If you are clear and firm in your refusal they will leave you alone. Funny, we are required to get social security numbers at birth, but the social security administration will not protect that number. I want to know how long these temp workers are going to be employed? I guess we'll just wait and see. If you are contacted by Census Bureau employees, either by telephone or in person, demanding your response, you can assert your rights by politely, but firmly, informing the employee that you believe the ACS is an improper invasion of your privacy, that you do not intend to respond and that they should not attempt to contact you again. The census has gone outside the Constitutional limits for years with what they ask on the actual survey and now this? A few visits to my door that went unanswered, a few letters filled with empty threats, and after a month or so, and it all subsided. I could not believe my eyes! Anyway, this guy knocked twice or three time so I ignored him. A tactic that is used too frequently in our society as a means of control. As a result, Congressional districts will need to be redrawn. I again said no. I would personally love to sit and watch hours of this kind of stuff. Let this letter be the third request that you respect my privacy and my requests. No need to respond to the intrusive survey. The yahoos on the Hill will continue to usurp our rights. The consumers argue in the complaint that although the defendants claim to have statutory authority to compel citizens to answer the survey, the authorization to collect information does not equate to the power to compel the production of information, especially when such information is not required for the ten-year Census. Nobody is listening -- another reason not to send in the ACS. The California State Data Center generates reports and tabulations from data files released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Never give any phone numbers (tell them you don't have a phone and your employer forbids giving out the company cellular phone number). my wife and I pay our taxes and feel if that's not enough for our government, then "Too bad Charlie". I received the ACS a few months ago, did some research and never filled it out. Today I received a notice in the mail from the Census Bureau Director, Robert M. Groves, advising me that next week I'll receive a 2010 Census form in the mail and would I fill it out and mail it in promptly. I've been in some pretty terrifying situations and I don't scare that easily. Do they ever stop with this? 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. (This is about 10:02 a.m. which is very early in my world since I work from noon till 9 p.m. 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). The SS Admin does not care. Especially after reading the comments on this page. 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. They just closed one of the best schools in the area, and nobody surveyed me to ask if I cared about that! The following Q&A is provided as a resource to those who want to better understand their rights in respect to the ACS. Then I'll find a place to post it and tweet it to my 350+ followers. And, if the above comments stated that he can find all the info on the internet, then by all means find it, and leave me alone. Not to mention that this information in the wrong hands can cause identity theft. As a university student in my early 20s, I returned to school after the summer and mid-semester was called down to my dorm supervisor's office one night. If anything, they could have made it easier for us all so we wouldn't have to be in debt for years just to get an education. I am a prisoner in my own home. its nothing short of communism folks!! That resulted in a letter from the director assuring me of privacy, etc. The Institute provides its legal services at no charge to persons whos constitutional and human rights have been threatened or violated. Instead of hiring mindless sheep to bother busy, honest, hard working people, the government can hire people to scour the internet for this "readily available information". She stated that they lost it. I completed the regular census and destroyed the ACS. Just hang tough and they will eventually leave you alone. He called and left a message to call him to make an appointment to fill out the form. and gently close the door. She said she would mark me as "refusing" and I said fine and hung up. Even in police states, they don't ask these questions asked by the Census Bureau for the ACS. I ripped it up and threw it away. Those of you who filled it out have no backbone or common sense. Instead of counting the entire population once a decade like the census, the ACS surveys a sample of the population (about 3.5 million addresses) every year to create statistics for the nation, states and communities down to the "tract" or neighborhood level. It's those times that make the job really enjoyable because I share their pride. Its as if this part of the government wants to create dirt on someone if they can find it! If the federal government had been granted the general power to make inquires into the private affairs of the American people through the Census or a congressional mandated survey, then the Supreme Court could not have made this ruling. The Rutherford Institute has received hundreds of inquiries from individuals who have received the ACS and are not comfortable sharing such private, intimate details with the government or are unsettled by the aggressive tactics utilized by Census Bureau agents seeking to compel responses to ACS questions. If it was a problem, she then had my phone number; it wasn't blocked. They do NOT enforce noncompliance, because they know this survey is UNAmerican and UNConstitutional and would NOT stand up in a court of law against The People. I did not send it back, I received another and still did not fill it out. The response given is not intended to create, nor does it create an ongoing duty to respond to questions. My recommendation is that secondary prevention be used with the possibility of tertiary prevention since he appears to be in the initial stages of exploring these behaviors. I have the kind of front door that has a small window near the top and if people stand on their toes they can peek into my living room. I am so glad to once again stand up for my individual rights. I say "sorry sir no one here is available and you need to leave." [22] For 12 of those categories, the information is used to assist private corporations. I noticed that if I left the note on the door, they would sometimes pull up, then just drive off. I'm sorry but this survey almost asks me how many times I pee in a day. A Census Bureau representative is quoted in this report as saying that the Bureau is really not in the business of prosecuting people who dont comply.[33] However, a refusal to answer the survey violates the letter of the law and a prosecution might be brought if the government decides to adopt a policy to do so. Then the phone calls started. Washington and California residents have filed a proposed class action in which they object to being asked to participate in theAmerican Community Survey, which enquires about certain demographic details more specific than those central to the decennial Census. Polite, firm, refusal. Just answer those ten questions, and get on with your life! The survey also demands to know how many days you were sick last year, how many automobiles you own and the number of miles driven, whether you have trouble getting up the stairs, and what time you leave for work every morning, along with highly detailed inquiries about your financial affairs. Finally a man identifying himself as a supervisor came to the door and demanded I answer. A concerned citizen. Nobody has ever been fined for refusing to cooperate with any Census request, even the 10 year short form. The provision for the Census is found in Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution. Q: Has the government prosecuted persons for refusing to answer the American Community Survey? I will fill it out and send it back to Census Bureau but I won't feel good about it. I am so thankful for this website! I am currently working for the Census as an enumerator. [8] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Ancestry.pdf. You don't want your personal information in some library, online or in an archives someday do you? Attempting to use scare tactics to get personal information - nice. For this census at least and I assume for the 2010 Census the initial person that will come to your house, if you did not fill out the form, is just a normal citizen with a temporary job as an "enumerator".