Then you've got them by the balls. In 2000 I threw the forms in the trash only to receive three visits at my door. Opponents of the American Community Survey disagree with the court's findings about its constitutionality. What was this person's total income during the past 12 months? So why would the government hire a company such as ACS to dig into our lives? The rest I will leave blank or make up. Now I find out he has been to my place of employment looking for me. I would like to recommend an alternative method of dealing with "census workers" who show up at your door to harass you for information. In fact, the ACS launched in 2005 to replace the census "long form." I told him that was fine. If all they want is a head count, all they have to do is count social security numbers! We live in a sanctuary city and those who work and pay taxes are supporting almost half of our population. If you got grilled before then they are trying to find out the change in your situation over time. Section (d) authorizes every 10 years starting 1985. I hope you folks do not live in my county or state. So far no challenges to our door visitors. Well it started for me. I will not be returning her call. It is community based, and an effort to get away from the biased media to get the truth from people in the area it applies. Somewhere in the process we got some messages on the answering machine asking us to call their 800 number and refer to our "case number." Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest; Flickr; YouTube; LinkedIn; City Services. It is my constitutional right to privacy. They just look at you and say "Oh" and then walk away. When they arrive on your property, order them off your property. My sister and I are fuming over these forms. ClassAction.org is a group of online professionals (designers, developers and writers) with years of experience in the legal industry. Subscribe. State that you have not made up your mind yet and will get back with them (think "slow roll"). On saturday he returned but I did not answer the door. welfare etc. At first, I completed the survey, sealed it in the envelope, and then did not send it. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? Get your head out of the clouds and step into reality. I have a right to not be harassed in my home. Life is too short to be so mad about insignificant things. Should the phone ring and someone on the other end of the line say they're from the ACS, you don't necessarily have to take their word for it. Now let me get my cell phone fully charged and ready for the doorbell to ring. I told him "We're done here". They only want to know how many people live in the residents. I said, what makes you think I'm going to turn over my personal information to a total stranger knocking on my door. I have little doubt that the ACS data is already in Israel's possession. A week later, a woman came to my door and said they hadn't received my form. I plead the 5th amendment because the government can ask legally, according to the attorneys office, but I can also remain silent legally. This is a violation of our privacy and a malevolent use of government power. [22] http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/. Last census I was harassed for a while because I refused to answer the long winded privacy invading Community Survey. My husband and daughter fielded a few of them and honestly told the workers they didn't have the information or the form so they'd have to try to catch me. My husband sent him away as we were eating. But they oppose the highly detailed and personal information demanded in the American Community Survey and have refused to answer it. Their bosses are going like it even less. While some of the ACS questions may seem fairly routine, the real danger is in not knowing why the information is needed, how it will be used by the government or with whom it will be shared. Share the creative ways you use American Community Survey data to make decisions. If it was a problem, she then had my phone number; it wasn't blocked. Anyone else with other info/advice is politely requested to add their two cents. What the hell are you mad about? Miss. I sent in the Census form (and that's all I'm required to provide). I have one final question for anyone who thinks this is just an overreaction to a few census questions: If George Bush and Dick Cheney were sitting in the White House, and Halliburton was storing the data, would you still feel the same way? 5) Arrest criminals from Acorn and stop our tax dollars from funding Acorn and other criminal organizations like them. If there are any lawyers out there, we would like you thoughts -- non-attribution of course. I too am grateful for this site. Matthew J. Holian, "Data and the American Dream: Contemporary Social Controversies and the American Community Survey" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) (Podcast Episode) Movies, TV, Celebs, and more. 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. You are not the property of business or governments you are continually the result of your feelings. That seems to be the end of it, but only time will tell. Departments. When I returned home he was scared and thought he did something wrong. Q: Is this an unconstitutional invasion of privacy? I ignored the phone when it rang. Government entities do illegal things. I thought Hitler was stopped. and these so called representatives. Anyway, this guy knocked twice or three time so I ignored him. I received the ACS form yesterday and read it through just to see the questions. 2d 570, 572 (N.D. No reason to be rude to someone doing their job. I thought the purpose of census was for representation purposes. That didn't stop the harassment, visits leaving notes while I was at work, or conversations asking my neighbors questions about me like I was some criminal or something. Ignore any paperwork they send you, hang up if they call you, demand they leave your property if they come to your home. It's all very true, and very real. I found out on a different blog that the OMB# on the front of my ACS is expired. 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 suggest that people find a petition out there against this census survey. I clearly refused the first polite guy who called and then more firmly refused the stern woman who called next. There is absolutely no possibility they can guarantee this information will not be disseminated to others or exposed to malevolent wrongdoers. There are even amendments to the amendments. I noticed a car pull up to my neighbor's house. My family has found past census information to be very valuable in genealogical research. OMB No. I can understand the desire to keep the information private. At what location did this person work last week? Browse our topics and subtopics to find information and data. I don't see what the big deal is. This summer I sold my house and tried to cancel my FEMA flood insurance. Since my alleged representatives repeatedly respond to my complaints about their actions, with form letters explaining why they hear my views but plan to ignore them and do what they want to do instead, I hear the government wants my information and plan to do what I want to do instead. Isn't this trespassing? Despite federal guarantees of increased funding, laws against not completing the questionaire and the Constitution clearly stating that every U.S. resident should be counted, both Census data and. In this workshop, you will find out how important the American Community Survey is for the nonprofit community and the unique ways nonprofits can use ACS data. From original poster #188: I heard the head of the Census on NPR this morning. I filed my taxes, all the information they feel they need to know is there. 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". However, the gap between homeownership rates not only persists, but has grown. Will these jackasses really come after me or is all this talk about fines and such just a scare tactic? As a result, they are subject to monetary fines for doing nothing more than keeping the private details of their lives private.. Maybe that is why only one out of every 480 people receive it. They are the ones making the money tax free - not me. Standing up for my rights in L.A. Why not just give em complete BS answers. He came to my door anyway. DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS. I have not opened or returned them. They are not! These vermin can pound sand. All I can think of is that every time one of us gives in and allows this servant to go unchallenged, then they get bolder, prouder, and we get used to it and then we are eventually abused by them. They only get idle threats. The last time I looked, American's had the right to privacy. Featured Respond to the ACS There were laws in place to protect those people and they were not protected. The US Census Bureau says it's an essential tool in collecting relevant and timely data in order to understand and finance local needs for things like roads and schools. I will give the information to those who really need it to improve my neighborhood, city, county, etc. I let her know that I understood their game and wasn't going to play, and she said she would record me as a refusal. Please show me where the US Census Bureau was given the right to fine you or even where they are mentioned in these laws? That didn't go over to well and he told me that I was refusing to comply with a government agency and wouldn't get my money back. Next, they sent a real ***** who first harassed my child after being told that I was out of town (I was), then tried to enter our residence (my son was sitting there watching as the doorknob turned). State citizens can help in this process by refusing to cooperate with federal demands (all of them). American Community Survey: https://www.census.gov/acs Chicago Regional Office 1 (630) 288-9200 or 1-800-865-6384 Chicago.Regional.Office@census.gov Heartland Institute: www.heartland.org The. This ACS thing is quite detailed. what is this country coming to? Oh wait, we have a socialist leader now. Decennial Census. . If a citizen doesn't comply with the ACS after a period of weeks, Census Bureau guidelines instruct enumerators to stop calling the resident. She left, but will I be hearing from her again? It is widely known that in a five-year span the Bureau lost at least 672 laptops. I again said no. I know that some of you were harassed by the census folks. Why all the bad-mouthing of these people who are taking these jobs to support their families in these hard economic times? During such calls the survey taker reminds the resident that compliance with the ACS is mandatory. I feel empowered. Don't get mad because many of us don't want to fill out the form. Perfect. It is most effective when analysts can see the relationship between various types of criminal incidents (e.g., homicides, drug dealing) and neighborhood characteristics (risk factors such as poverty, population density, and vacant housing), pinpoint where crimes are most likely to occur (hot spots), and focus police resources accordingly.[27] The Brookings Institute notes that because the ACS provides data every year, rather than every ten years, crime mapping is more effective and cheaper. Unfortunately, the second time my husband gave in, as he felt we would get fined and was tired of the threats. She noticed that I was very irritated and told me that she just needs the number of people who live here and ages. I wish I would have kept the census person's name. All i have to do is tell some temporary worker my family's medical history, financial history, and of course, what time we can be burglarized (oops, I mean the time of day that we leave and come home from work). I am standing firm this time. I received two surveys. I vote, and if the politicians do not honor their promises when they get into office, I'm sure Uncle Sam couldn't care less about what my area needs either. It can't be done if the government is a complex, dishonest mess. I received the ACS a few months ago, did some research and never filled it out. Hard to believe they did not receive it or they lost it. I guess we'll just wait and see. As a retired LEO, state law keeps all my info private, unless court ordered. I'm fed up with the ACS and all their nosing in my business. After 40 years and right before everybody in the country is supposed to reply to the 2010 census? That is how they get "past the guard". This means your answers can and most likely will be linked to you even if it is forbidden by law to share your individual responses. There are two of us living here. I did respond to the regular census and regret answering all of those questions. To anon89810: I am all for taking action against them. The Census Project works continuously to educate Congress about the critical importance of adequate yearly funding for 2020 Census planning and operations and for the American Community Survey. --Paul. Then the phone calls started. We mailed in a partially filled out surveys with no birthdays or claims of citizenship (the Arizona authorities can't ask if someone is illegal, according to the feds, so neither can the feds ask me.) Then two weeks later a reminder to fill it out. Interpreting the change between April 1, 2000, and a five-year average for 2015- The second visit, I handed him a sealed census envelope, and he came back and left a note that the computer kicked it out. Good grief! According to Title 13, Section 221 (Census, Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers) of the United States Code, persons who fail or refuse to respond to the mail-back census form, or refuse to respond to a follow-up census taker, could be fined up to $100. I grabbed the handle and slammed the door shut. The Rutherford Institute stands ready to defend your rights if they are violated by the government. Last Updated on January 20, 2023 4:42 PM, subject to fines of up to $5,000 per question. To be sure, the calls were incessant for a time -- anywhere from one to eight calls a day for about six to eight weeks perhaps. Don't be paranoid, it's only a few questions a lot of people already know about you anyway. Also, it can't hurt to tell your representatives. She offered me her badge and supervisors number. Federal law requires U.S. residents to answer the ACS. 1. This "business" and "government" is not happiness. If a person of the same sex comes to your door, act like you're interested in them and start touching their hair. The judge summarized that general statements made by the Census Bureau with regard to, say, the support of federal law or that taking the ACS was required by U.S. law fall short of the benchmark necessary to constitute a specific threat of prosecution. That went into the fire. Everyone tells me to throw it in the trash! i told her no, she kept asking, i kept telling her no and eventually snuck in my apartment when she drove to park. DATA SUPPLIED BY. I want to put it in the woodstove and make my house a fortress. I am a tax paying, hard working citizen, who would die fighting for my country and my rights, but didn't our forefathers already settle this fight? I didn't sleep well last night worrying how my civil disobedience might cost me dollars and jail. How come I get the ACS? One concern with the collection of such private information, especially financial information, is that ACS information could be compared to information provided to the Internal Revenue Service on tax returns. Not more that 10 minutes ago, a person came to the door unannounced, said she was from the ACS, and did I have a few minutes to fill out the survey. Continued refusal may lead to additional visits by a supervisor. A: The law requiring answers to the ACS also provides that a person who fails to answer shall be fined not more than $100.[32] The actual fine for a refusal to complete the ACS could be much greater because a failure to respond to certain ACS questions could be considered a separate offense subject to the $100 fine. Never logged on (implicit refusal) 2.11 524 Survey completed after close of the field period 2.27 2 The next day I got an e-mail saying that the "government guy" was OK with it and that I should return the form. Then I received the long form, ignored it and received another long form which I also ignored. how the hell does she know me and what i look like, she's never been to our door yet. Section a authorizes every 10 years starting April 1. "; or "How many fingers does Mickey Mouse have?". [10] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/JourneytoWork.pdf. The state police will show up and *escort* them off your property. Just perfect for making and uploading videos to YouTube and the news agencies. 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 was astonished to note that apparently only about 12,000 households have resisted so far.) Methodology Statement: 2015-2019 American Community Survey MARCH 2021 6 with populations greater than 65,000) requires a 12-month sample. I tried to assure her that this indeed was not a prank but she was too busy being rude and just kept talking, finally telling me to call my senator, which I did. 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. I personally do not want to answer because it's just a habit but if they did catch me off-guard, I would probably give them an answer of some sort (like I am a boyfriend who is watching my girlfriend's house while she's away with the peace corps for six months and that I already answered the census for my home a few blocks away). Here are the facts I discovered: Some of the questions asked in this questionnaire are so intrusive that I would not even give this information to my best friends or relatives. We are given dominion (care) over so much and neglect it, destroy it, and enslave it. Just open the door, answer their questions, and they will forget about you and your insignificant existence for another 10 years. I said I did not need any help. Now whenever we come home, Ms. Nosy Neighbor calls a different census worker who hurries over and tries to get us to answer the door. I now have multiple visits to my home every day, followed up by threatening calls with an hour of each. People, look around you and see. At the very least, if you are going to refuse to do the census, try to be respectful, as some of the census workers are former military. And the Justice Dept is not going to spend time on this. You keep referring to the Constitution's original language and writings but that's been beat back again and again over the course of the years. I've been harassed by phone at night and Sundays. The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide communities with demographic, social, economic, and housing data every year. why are they taking polls for illegals? When I got the second form I mailed it back stating I filled it out already and do not need to fill it out again. I am getting bothered by the census people now and what really annoys me to death is that I look all over the place and see all these people with basement apartments making tons of money off the books. It is not the same people each time - many different ones wondering around. FORM. Uncle Sam gets my money but what happens in my home stays in my home. I said if this "government guy" wanted to talk to me, I would immediately reserve my right to remain silent until I was represented by counsel. I am literally getting up to six phone calls a day, mass mailings, and mass e-mails. I don't mind giving my name, the name of my spouse, children, ages and occupations but that is it. I responded to the ACS. Passive resistance is no longer an option. I also refused the deputy entrance for the purpose of a census and said that I wished them both to leave as I would not comply. I told her it would be easier for all of us if she did so. Are they too dense to realize that word just means "to count?". Networking and interviewing opportunities with representatives from FCPS schools will be available. I have therefore included both Article 1 section 2 of the US Constitution, and the US Supreme courts decisions in upholding the right to privacy. P.S. They believe the survey asks for more information, and at a higher frequency, than the simple enumeration required by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. [20] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Language.pdf. Estimates: 1-Year . The House GOP proposal would eliminate any increase in funds for 2020 planning, and it cuts nearly $500 million in total from the administration's request, including reductions for the American. Waiting for their next move. Well, it's just arrived in the form of a mail packet that asks volumes of personal, none of your business information. Then we started getting the calls. We do not have to be subjected to this mistreatment, Ladies and Gentlemen!! I filled out the form only giving the required information by law and that is how many people live here. I refused to answer these as these are not required. The oath means something to us and I for one am going to continue to tell them to stick it where the Sun Does Not Shine! Comparing the American Community Survey to the American Housing Survey. The threat is there because it works. Lecture notes about civil liberties and rights. Due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, individuals felt uncertain and insecure. Finally, the last enumerator knocked one more time, then took away the last notice, which I decided to leave there. I guess I now have a 20 percent chance of getting a Census visitor next. I just don't answer the door. Yet, under the direct tax formula imposed by the Constitution, both states would be required to pay the same amount. "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who who have the courage to defend it." Since direct taxes must be apportioned based on population, an enumeration is needed to determine the percentage of tax for each state. 4) If they do not agree to answer any personal questions, assume the Hannibal Lecter voice and say "Tut, tut, tut. The ability of our federal government to properly train temporary, and permanent, employees in PII and cyber security are not well represented in recent historical accounts. the census is just a way of allocating seats for elected officials and that's all. But my favorite is if anyone in my house has difficulty concentrating, remembering things or making decisions, or difficulty dressing or bathing. Then you want to threaten with fines? How much do I make per year? but who gets the census??? They have to get past the doorman first. For example, in 2013 after the 2010 census, Florida gained two seats in the House, while New York lost two. Call your senators and congressman now and lets get these commie creeps out of our lives and off our backs. For instance, the ACS asks about the acreage of your property and any agricultural sales from the property,[7] your ancestry,[8] your citizenship status,[9] your daily commute (including when your leave home and how long it takes to get to work),[10] the computing devices you own,[11] the fertility of women in the household,[12] the fuel used to heat your house,[13] the number of rooms in your house,[14] and the year in which your house was built. I have written both my senators, Warner and Webb of Virginia, and stated my refusal to comply with the ACS. I received the ACS and the regular Census. The issuance of summary judgmenta judgment entered by the court in favor of one party over anothermarks the end of the road for the proposed class action lawsuit detailed here. They insisted that the ACS did not receive it and wanted the information again. No visits yet. The American Community Survey sends around a questionnaire with 40 different items, asking such things as whether a person is receiving disability benefits (number 16) and how many vehicles. [1] The Rutherford Institute, a national nonprofit civil liberties organization, is deeply committed to protecting the constitutional freedoms of every American and the integral human rights of all people through its extensive legal and educational programs. We do not have to fear picking up the phone or answering our door. I got another call tonight, but was not here to take the call. 0607-810 expired on 05/31/2008. how Fourth amendment. Anyway, i thought i would turn it into something funny and started a blog. I replied I would answer no questions. The ACS, sent annually in recent years to a sampling of more than 3 million U.S. households, collects detailed information on population and housing, helping to update the information gathered in. According to the letter, responses to the "American Community Survey" help communities to decide where important services are needed, including improving roads and reducing traffic, building. I am just not going to answer any questions. I am 66 years old and I have never participated in any census. Make your own mind up as to what your world should be -- it's that simple. Let's see if she comes back for her shower. Call your local U.S. congress member. The next day I saw this guy talking to my neighbor and figured he was submitting him to the same harassment I had received. We didn't receive phone calls first, we had two visits at 7 p.m. from this lady with her little laptop. Does this person have difficulty doing errands alone such as doctor's visits or shopping? Will we ever return to our freedoms? They are so proud to be counted among the blessed. Survey/Program: American Community Survey. Outrageous! The two plaintiffs contest that unlike the 10-year Census, the American Community Survey is posed to a sample of a few million households each year, and those who refuse to answer the questionnaire are subject to fines of up to $5,000 per question. The case contends that the federal Census Bureau lacks the statutory and constitutional authority to force the plaintiffs and proposedclass membersto answer the American Community Surveys detailed, intrusive questions., [The plaintiffs] have in the past and will continue in the future to answer the ten-year Census, the suit states. Again, the the next morning, he left papers in my door that were printed off the internet about why the census is important. 0 Total panelists in the survey 11,699 Completed interviews I 10,417 Partial interviews P 0 Despite this request, my wife has subsequently been visited by an unannounced and uninvited representative of your Bureau, and I was later telephoned by him. Skip to main content. No one from the Census has ever e-mailed you - they don't have e-mail and even if they did, they don't have yours. By the way, from what I read in Title 13, the max they can fine you is $100 for not filling out the form, or max $500 for false information. We need to stick up for our rights. Too late I read the comments about this article and I got a phone call from the ACS. We did not support and defend the Constitution for this crap. We were hired to call people who did not respond and we left messages on answering machines. Wow. During the last survey I chose not to fill it out. this is a new one. me. It's sent out to about 3.5 million households. It's hard to believe that a patriotic, high school social studies teacher, and law-abiding citizen, such as myself, could be compelled to suggest such civil disobedience--but here I am, and hear me loud. I am a retired airline captain and a former captain in the U.S.A.F. On Monday, a worker left a letter at my door advising he would return again. They will report any threats or harassment (allegedly), so be careful how you respond to them. American will also allow most passengers barred from flying for mask noncompliance "to resume travel at some point in time," Gatten said in an earnings call on Thursday. [3] U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. "Um, I filled it out twice". Horrible, and a total violation of my rights across the board. I'm so glad I'm not alone. [6] https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about.html.