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Question about Census refusal
- Thread Starter taylor
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If there is any penalty, the "law" (Chapter and verse) should be quoted. Go look the law up and see what "penalty" (if any) there is, for what reason, and what the exemptions are. I am pretty sure you can refuse to answer...but I would look the law up.
IF They don't quote a particular Federal census law, they are blowing smoke.
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The government makes up stuff to scare the sheeple. You don't have to answer anything besides the # of people in the household.
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I can't actually remember what I did with my Census form, but it wasn't even close to accurate!
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Fines can be Imposed
While it is the last thing they want to do, the U.S. Census Bureau can impose fines for failing to answer the 2010 Census questions or for intentionally providing false information.
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 can be fined up to $100. Persons who knowingly provide false information to the census can be fined up to $500.
So far the Census Bureau has offered no indication that it actually intends to charge violators or impose these fines, but if you fail to complete and return your 2010 Census questionnaire, a census-taker will be paying you a visit.
Personal Follow-up Visits
From April through July 2010, some 1.4 million census takers will make door-to-door visits to all households that failed to respond to the mail-back Census 2010 questionnaires. The Census worker will assist a member of the household -- who must be at least 15-years old -- in completing the Census 2010 survey form. Census workers can be identified by a badge and Census 2010 bag.
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.
Census Answers are Required by Law – Federal Law Requires Honest Answers to Questions on the US Census
While it is the last thing they want to do, the U.S. Census Bureau can impose fines for failing to answer the 2010 Census questions or for intentionally providing false information.
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 can be fined up to $100. Persons who knowingly provide false information to the census can be fined up to $500.
So far the Census Bureau has offered no indication that it actually intends to charge violators or impose these fines, but if you fail to complete and return your 2010 Census questionnaire, a census-taker will be paying you a visit.
Personal Follow-up Visits
From April through July 2010, some 1.4 million census takers will make door-to-door visits to all households that failed to respond to the mail-back Census 2010 questionnaires. The Census worker will assist a member of the household -- who must be at least 15-years old -- in completing the Census 2010 survey form. Census workers can be identified by a badge and Census 2010 bag.
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.
Census Answers are Required by Law – Federal Law Requires Honest Answers to Questions on the US Census
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I put the number of people and sent mine in........
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Not Answering a question is not giving false information. Give them what you want (I guess # of people in household is necessary?) and send it back. I don't remember what was on my form, but it was really short.
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I had the standard form.
After reading it, I realized they could get all of the information with one call to the ODMV, even if I didn't give them more than the number of people at this address.
Then they'd have the info anyway, AND a reason to fine me.
After reading it, I realized they could get all of the information with one call to the ODMV, even if I didn't give them more than the number of people at this address.
Then they'd have the info anyway, AND a reason to fine me.
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- Thread Starter
- #9
the booklet is called" the American Community Survey" its 25 pages questions like where I work, how much I get paid, how much taxes I pay, how much rent etc.
The envelope states in big letters if I don't reply its a violation of the law.
The envelope states in big letters if I don't reply its a violation of the law.
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You got the long form. Feel free to throw it in the trash as the legal warning is hot air and nothing more.
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We got a weird one from the Department of Agriculture with similar "penalty" language... the thing is, we're in the middle of a block of freakin' APARTMENTS and DUPLEXES!
Whiskey Tango Fox, USDA, OOOOO-VER?!
Whiskey Tango Fox, USDA, OOOOO-VER?!
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I sent the form in with an enumeration of TWO. I didnt answer any other questons. I did get three seperate visits from volunteers/workers at the Census. I told the first two to visit that my enumeration was two and then refused to answer any other questions. The third visit got the same treatment, but she did tell me she gathered the other information they wanted from the tax roles.
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I only answered how many people were in my household and I got a visit from a census worker. She tried to intimidate me and I refused to answer her questions other than what age my wife and I were and then told her to go pound sand. She left all PO'd, but I never heard boo back from the census bureau.
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I also returned my survey with the total number of occupants for my home.
I got 3 visits. Each time I told them I was not required to give more information than what was already provided.
The last time the lady insisted that she was empowered by the federal government to compell me to answer. I informed her that I was not giving more details. She said I could be arrested.
I told her to go get the sheriff but until then consider herself a trespasser.
She left bent out of shape.
I got 3 visits. Each time I told them I was not required to give more information than what was already provided.
The last time the lady insisted that she was empowered by the federal government to compell me to answer. I informed her that I was not giving more details. She said I could be arrested.
I told her to go get the sheriff but until then consider herself a trespasser.
She left bent out of shape.
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Heh, I got one visit from a pleasant old lady. I politely informed her I will not answer the questions and she smiled and left. Went rather well.
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Hi. Former census crew leader here. I worked on the 2010 decennial census. The purpose of the decennial census is to provide an accurate count of the population in order to determine congressional districts and allocation of federal funds. Though they did ask for more information (name, age, etc.) that was predominantly for the purpose of making sure people weren't counted twice. The ACS is a little different. It is a survey conducted at random in order to collect demographic information. This is used for such purposes as determining federal funding for schools, roads and other social programs.
Under title 13 of the US code, the census bureau is not permitted to share any personally identifiable inforamtion with anyone outside of the census bureau (including any other governmental agency or private organization/person that uses the information they collect), nor with anyone within the census bureau without a need-to-know. All that third parties would get would be something like, "the average family in [blank] area has [blank number of] kids," or something like that. While I can understand why someone would have some trepidation regarding sharing any of this information, they're really not asking for anything that's not either public record or on your tax forms. They collect the information independently of these sources, however, to ensure consistency.
Under title 13 of the US code, the census bureau is not permitted to share any personally identifiable inforamtion with anyone outside of the census bureau (including any other governmental agency or private organization/person that uses the information they collect), nor with anyone within the census bureau without a need-to-know. All that third parties would get would be something like, "the average family in [blank] area has [blank number of] kids," or something like that. While I can understand why someone would have some trepidation regarding sharing any of this information, they're really not asking for anything that's not either public record or on your tax forms. They collect the information independently of these sources, however, to ensure consistency.
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Census takers are paid and for some in my ll%+ unemployment area it is an important part time income. I volunteered to do quarterly updates and my census taker always gives me the chance to opt-out and does the minimum number of questions which takes about 10 minutes, the minimum requirement for him get work credit. This is done by phone after the first visit. The week before he calls I get a form with the questionare in the mail and I don"t answer any that I don't want to. He's happy that I even talk to him and I haven't seen a question that the government or safeway probably already has the answer somewhere in their system. It's no big deal.
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If it's public record, then they can collect it that way. If they come to my door to collect it, they can still go pound sand. The consistency is that they can go pound sand in either circumstance.
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Like you I wasn't around either, in fact I decided that an actual legal document would need to either be mailed as in certified, or else signed for as in a process server. Since I no longer live at the address in question and perhaps also since there was never any mail delivery there, I have not heard back from this mysterious census of which you speak. I too would like to know just what bs they may have instore
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Yes Census takers are paid. Having someone gather information that is none of the governments business while being paid from my tax dollars gains me what? I'd prefer he is part of the unemployed, we'd probably pay him less and in any case we don't need the service.
With all due respects...please provide all your personal information to a complete stranger so they can use the data for purposes that may or may not be legitimate.
My personal information is a big deal to me!
