Census Takers

[Guest sargekw]

This might have been covered in previous posts, but I had a visit by a 'census taker' last night.  The guy had an ID badge and said it was an 'employment' survey by the Census Bureau. I think the reason he came by was because he saw cars in the driveway instead of in the garage like they normally are.  According to the letter that gets sent out to to people chosen to be surveyed, they are checking the demographics in the area.

 

I didn't really like going along with this, but I answered his questions.  If they knew to send the letter to the house, then he should have already known my name (red flag). There were other questions.. had I ever been in the military, what was my level of education, what was my income before deductions (red flag).  The last group of questions, to me, had no bearing on employment demographics.  Did I use a computer to get news and/or search the web? Did I use a smart phone, iPad, tablet for access the internet?  

 

After answering his questions, then I get told that he will contact me monthly for the next 3 months (that is in the letter he gave me), then nothing for 8 months, then will contact me again each month for 4 months next year.  I'm tempted to hand write a letter (no tracing any kind of computer use) to tell the census folks that they have their information from me and there is no use for any further contact.

 

Any one else dealt with these folks?  How did you handle it?

[Spots]

I had one that came by for "crime statistics". Nice lady, she got a polite, but very firm no. I don't let people in my house for bullshit surveys. I dont care where they are from.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[UncleJak]

No one comes into my house and I answer no questions. Ever.they all talk tough, but failure to comply is a $50 fine. That doesn't have a lot of weight behind it.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[jhc77]

Had a census guy come by my place. Too busy the first time he came, too hot the next (to answer questions outside), then he called the house. Mistake on his part. Been a month or so and haven't heard from him.

[Spots]

No one comes into my house and I answer no questions. Ever.they all talk tough, but failure to comply is a $50 fine. That doesn't have a lot of weight behind it.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Yeah and Ive never heard of anyone getting fined for it.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[Guest sargekw]

He was never going to come in the house, stayed outside and let him get bit by the mosquitos like I was.

[Photoguy67]

Last time they came to my house, I told them to adults lived here and get off my property. His supervisor came a few days later I told him I gave my information to the other guy and leave my property. He stated he needed more information, I told him I didn't give a rats fat butt what he wanted tats all the info he's getting, now get off my property before I begin using force. He left and I've heard nothing else.

[UncleJak]

No one comes into my house and I answer no questions. Ever.they all talk tough, but failure to comply is a $50 fine. That doesn't have a lot of weight behind it.



sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Yeah and Ive never heard of anyone getting fined for it.



Tapatalk ate my spelling.

me either, empty threats!

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[mikegideon]

I had one show up at my house. He was an NRA lifer. I think he managed to call Obama more names than I did before we parted ways.  :up:

[Randall53]

Cheaper to not answer that to lie....

 

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.

[mikegideon]

I don't mind them collecting census data. I mind them reading my emails.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Who issues those fines? The IRS? And how do they collect?

I kinda had the same experience that Mike had last year, though I made dude stay on the porch and let'm know I was "real" suspicious of him bein' there. The Goobernut sent me two of those letters that I didn't bother to answer before they sent that fella out.

[Patton]

In 2013? I have never heard of a census taker being out in a year that didn't end in a "0".

[JayC]

Government make work...  got to inflate those employment stats somehow.

 

In 2013? I have never heard of a census taker being out in a year that didn't end in a "0".

[monkeylizard]

In 2013? I have never heard of a census taker being out in a year that didn't end in a "0".

 

They do the big one every 10 years and smaller random samplings in other years to see what's happening with the population in between the big ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Community_Survey

[LagerHead]

If I am not required by law to answer questions when a law enforcement officer asks, I'll be damned if some pissant bureaucrat from the Department of Who Give a Rat's Ass is going to force me to answer anything. 

[QuietDan]

Refuse to answer any questions whatsoever, call the local police, and make the "census taker" prove their credentials to the satisfaction of the police. Advise your neighbors to do the same. IMO.