I don't mind giving my name, the name of my spouse, children, ages and occupations but that is it. and even spells it. The most aggressive "ally" nation caught spying on the United States is Israel. I have called the local census office for our area and filed a complaint. I've been harassed by phone at night and Sundays. I am young and strong and will not put up with this sort of thing. And nowhere in the Library of Congress has any bill ever given them the right to fine you. That and the census has been used in the past to identify people of Japanese, German, and Italian descent. I am so glad I found this website. Get on with your life and answer the census. This is out of control. My high school son came home and read the questions and his first response was "this is communist." Recipients of the American Community Survey are told several times that the information given is necessary for the operation of our government, is very secure and is kept private. A: Federal law makes it mandatory to answer all questions on the ACS. That includes visitors then which would not be falsifying info. I started researching and am grateful for the advice by others here and on other sites. How many, each age, and each sex. I have contacted all of my federal and state Representatives and it is time they passed a census privacy act. I live in the ghetto already. I will not answer the questions on the American Community Survey and we all have the right and the duty to stand up against this intrusion. The data bank, like any data bank, runs the risk of being hacked or accessed by dishonest parties. The Legal Accountability Project. Amazing. I asked them what does my birthday have to do with enumeration count of my household? If all they want is a head count, all they have to do is count social security numbers! We already did our duty and answered the regular census. Unbelievable! He claims we need to answer the long form the ACS, etc. I am grateful for this siteI just got the survey in the mail and felt very intimidated into having to complete it.or else. However, I am sure I will get another one. Methodology Statement: 2015-2019 American Community Survey MARCH 2021 6 with populations greater than 65,000) requires a 12-month sample. any lawyers looking for some pro bono work ready to take up this issue? To the small minority who have sneered at me and closed the door, get some help. I am a law abiding American citizen, tax payer (working 2 jobs) and a registered voter, not a criminal or bum or illegal immigrant living off the tax payers. I just sent the supervisor who knocked on my door packing! Those of you who filled it out have no backbone or common sense. I even gave them the date I mailed it on. Best policy is to avoid answering the door to strangers but it's difficult to do if you are outside a lot. 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 thought to myself, now they are going to harass them. Complete this form and mail it back as soon as possible. If they come and announce who they are, I'll simply start yelling, "Non parlo Inglese! I told him that was correct. IE: IRS, DOT, Labor and Industry. I just received the ACS survey and will not be sending it in. The assertion by census workers that there is a simple fine of $5,000.00 for not providing the info is total crap! It seems when the phone number is given, that is when the harassment starts. Q: What are my options for objecting to the ACS survey as an intrusion on my Fourth Amendment rights? I said I may have the second one, but discarded the first as a scam attempt. March 01, 2023 Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is defined as unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term consequences to a person's health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They can't really do anything and they certainly aren't going to. Bunch of grumpy anti social loners. I also mentioned that unless a US Marshal from the Justice Department accompanied him, I would simply ignore him and would call the police if further harassed. To those who say they can't publish anything like that, I have seen it. Still, some citizens do not answer it. You have a file and they are trying to use changes in your life situation to justify government programs. What you say is true. Is the enemy offshore or some creep in a bloated Federal Dept we don't even need? I received my acs form,filled it out and threw it in the garbage where it belongs. Will we ever return to our freedoms? Subscribe to our newsletter and learn something new every day. [5] Unlike the decennial census which is sent out every 10 years, the ACS is an ongoing survey that is sent out on a continuous basis by the Census Bureau.[6]. There's comfort in knowing I'm not alone! Got a phone call wanting the birth dates. Shame on you! 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. During dinner a census worker shows up. Don't fill it out. Are you willing to roll the dice that this information will remain protected? Glad I found this thread! Title 13 of the United States Code, however, requires that the Census Bureau keep this information confidential and subjects employees who violate this confidentiality requirement to a fine of up to $250,000 USD, up to 5 years imprisonment, or both. He asked if I was refusing to answer the survey. Relentless! 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. But at the same time, phones are not supposed to be tapped. of Justice. Movies. Stonewall them out. They left before they arrived. Interpreting the change between April 1, 2000, and a five-year average for 2015- Uh, no. I am sickened by all of it. FORM. First, a Census Bureau employee left a note at his apartment asking him to contact her. I did not receive the additional questionnaire. Again, the the next morning, he left papers in my door that were printed off the internet about why the census is important. The ACS asks dozens of questions on a wide variety of topics to gather information about the demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of the population. Never give any phone numbers (tell them you don't have a phone and your employer forbids giving out the company cellular phone number). [7] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Acreage_AgSales.pdf. He said, "I'll see what I can do." The census collectors or enumerators can ask for some sensitive and detailed information, such as salary or income. Dr. Richard Pan is an innovative, dynamic, mission-driven health care leader with over thirty-five years of experience in health policy and public health as pediatrician, educator and legislator. To meet hiring needs in instructional areas, we are hosting an in-person job fair at Oakton High School on Saturday, March 4, 2023 (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.). If that's so, why is there a space for your name, date of birth and so much other identifying information that a blind man could identify the author of the answers. Attempting to use scare tactics to get personal information - nice. We don't have a home phone but I imagine the reps will get hold of our cell numbers? A March 2021 national survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that of 1300 HCWs, 48% had not received the COVID-19 vaccine. [25] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Sex.pdf. 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. TheAmerican Community Survey(ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. I do not think I should have to give out that kind of information. 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. This United States Supreme Court case has never been overturned. There also is a 16-page guide that contains instructions on answering the questions. There is absolutely no possibility they can guarantee this information will not be disseminated to others or exposed to malevolent wrongdoers. Keep up the good fight! Don't touch them and if they do touch you, even slightly, fall down and don't get up until an ambulance arrives. Thank God that we still live in a country where we can still tell a thug where to go. Fix this problem, fix that, insure this, promise that, but do it without any info, just throw a dart and hope for the best, then when it fails we'll have someone to blame it on, but it won't be our fault! Three days later, the supervisor came out. And the survey demands that you violate the privacy of others by supplying the names and addresses of your friends, relatives and employer. First time around it ended with phone calls and then they I was given a $25 gift card at the Home Depot. I asked her if she had gotten a statement from my mortgage company-a release- and she found it and sent the refund. Anyone who took the time to actually read the ACS and understand how sensitive this information is and how unsecured it actually is would join in the outrage and demand that it be given its proper burial in the grave of horrible bureaucratic policy. I refused to tell them financial info or how much I pay on a power bill. Shame it's only once every ten years. They haven't gone so far as to threaten, but I can sense that their tone is getting more firm. Happy evading! So why do they need how many rooms are in the house, what I use to heat the house, what amount was my electric bill and so on and so on? Overall, the lawsuit says that [n]othing in these statutes gives Defendants the authority to compel Plaintiffs to speak when Plaintiffs invoke their First Amendment right to refrain from speaking by refusing to answer the American Community Survey.. A study published in 2021 by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that transgender people in the United States are more likely to be violently attacked than cisgender people. AND ACTING AS COLLECTION AGENT. Why am I being asked for my name? My blood pressure is through the roof right now after reading this survey. Seemed like they try to collect more info than they need but will give in if you call them on their crime. Think anyone is going to get approval to send out US Marshals to issue tickets? Has anyone else who refused to comply have any information about penalties/fines actually being enforced to date? The ACS is better than a surveillance on the American family. Will these jackasses really come after me or is all this talk about fines and such just a scare tactic? Of course I would expect them to correct this oversight in the near future. Those of you who are interested just might try at least the internet to find out what this is all about. At 28 pages (with an additional 16-page instruction packet), the ACS contains some of the most detailed and intrusive questions ever put forth in a census questionnaire. However, because the government has not brought a prosecution for a refusal to respond to the ACS, the question of a persons right to refuse has not yet been decided by a court. The Supreme Court upheld that against Bill Clinton's attempt to implement statistical sampling for the 2000 census. This is a bunch of crap. Our government today is so far from the Founding Father's ideals - demonstrated by the nasty face we are seeing in these examples. Go Tea Party! No thanks, poster 188. I'm contacting my congressman on this ACS issue today. While. give me liberty, or give you death as the old saying goes! Unlike the every-10-year census, this survey continues all year, every year. Waiting for the calls, then the visits. I informed my employer that I will not answer the ACS, that I filled out the Census, and that is all they get. I did some research over the summer after I found out about the ACS from reading a WSJ article. 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. It can't be done if the government is a complex, dishonest mess. You send it in it could become public information. Outrageous! In what may be a coincidence, they often seem to call shortly after we arrive home and there is a vehicle marked "census" in the neighborhood. To complete the survey on the internet, visit https://respond.census.gov/acs. They again called a few days ago and I answered. So why would the government hire a company such as ACS to dig into our lives? Just say, "I respectfully decline." 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). It's all very true, and very real. Thus, they cannot use the census as the pretext for the ACS. It is pages and pages of personal questions. Many people I know who voted for this man are now regretting it. This means that there is no class that can be joined or signed up for by any consumers who feel they may have been covered by the litigation. [3] The purpose of the decennial census is to apportion the 435 members in the U.S. House of Representatives among the several states. When he did, the employee asked him to allow her into his home. (Same woman who was no longer employed with the census). Bring it on ACB enumeratorsgo ahead, make my day!! How come I get the ACS? We monitored our caller ID and just refused to answer the phone when they called (along with any other numbers listed as "unavailable"). Section (d) authorizes every 10 years starting 1985. What is the ACS (American Community Survey)? Unfortunately it does not state that the number of people is the only thing allowed to be collected by the census. 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. Direct taxes are inherently unfair because one state, with ten percent of the population, might be one of the richest states while another state, with the same percentage of the population, might be one of the poorest. You will need the 10-digit user ID included in the mailing your household received. 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 demanded who he was for the third time and he said us census. Really glad I found this site. What they dont tell you is that the information is available to a long list of private corporation, research agencies and think tanks, who use the information to justify and pursue their own agendas. [36] This same principle could apply to questions posed by ACS agents. [23] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Age.pdf. Pericles, 460BC. 7) Get the left wing indoctrination crew out of our education systems. Um, no they don't have the right to fine you. It is confined to determining the number of Representatives [in the House] and imposing direct Taxes among the several States. Protect your privacy. If they refuse, call 911 and report a hostile trespasser. This is about a rental property that is currently empty and was on April 1, if that really means anything. They also made an unannounced visit. 6)repeal criminal legislation like H.R. I have no problem filling out the main census form but not this BS. This person has stopped to "chat" with the neighbors, asking who lives in our home, how many people, what their names are, what our schedules are. A sympathizer to the Census said it was to help the government to function. I guess the fear that they may be prosecuted for trespassing on private property wasn't worth the questionnaire. I am glad I am not myself the lunatic fringe. In the article above, it mentions the fine is per offense; but I did not read that anywhere in Title 13. They can have my age, race, sex and opinion about corruption in government. But I will not tell you when I leave for work and about the medical condition of my relatives. My wife and I were not home at the time the census work stopped by. Unbelievable that she is now spying on us. 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. Anyone else with other info/advice is politely requested to add their two cents. Person 18a. 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. What I find interesting is that when I visit a home of an immigrant they are almost excited to give me whatever information I ask for. Survey/Program: American Community Survey. So I received two ACS forms in the mail and they are not going to be filled out. After the first couple of letters I received I started getting harassing phone calls from them. I'm so glad I read this. And you just know that if I answer a survey about college, they will just send me another next year and keep tracking me. The Census Bureau does not hire temporary workers to collect data for the American Community Survey. Soundbar sold separately. This crap has been going on for almost a month now! Thanks, people, for your informative and oftentimes humorous posts here. The majority of the survey questions were drawn from published surveys [13, 20, 21]. I like the idea of video taping them and guess I will charge up the old video camera. This is a violation of our privacy and a malevolent use of government power. I have no idea about the ACS (or any of their personal questions). Three times they sent people to our door, and three times I walked out the back door, and turned on the water. makes you wonder!!!???? If a citizen doesn't comply with the ACS after a period of weeks, Census Bureau guidelines instruct enumerators to stop calling the resident. I told her actually it's not. American Community Survey. 1 found this answer helpful | 0 lawyers agree | Voted as Most Helpful Helpful Unhelpful 2 comments Alice M. Cabrera The calls started today. If there was no response by the time we finished our list, we were to call again. Plaintiffs do not allege Census Bureau representatives directly threatened them with prosecution, nor do they submit affidavits to that effect, Judge Estudillo wrote. That sort of thing. Bottom line: we are supposed to give private information to individuals who are part time, temporary employees of Uncle Sam, the ACS seems to be confused about what they have and have not received and the US Postal Service seems not to be working either. She finally walked away but now I am sleepless as a result of this because I am not certain as to what will happen next. I watched and saw that she was only there five minutes. 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. I have had them endlessly harass me on the phone after I filled the form out two times and talked to someone they sent to my door. I propose: 1) Grabbing your video recorder and recording the entire exchange. I am going to avoid all traps and when it is time to have them finally come over I am going to do an international webcast and sing answers and slowly say, ohhhhh I don't know.let me think and sit there for 15 minutes for each question.everyone will know where I don't work, how much money I don't make and that I don't have plumbing and that I fart a lot That's the game the Nazi's started with in the 30's as did Stalin, with the knocks on the door and the spying on each other. I've since received a second one, and had one call this week(which I did not answer). But, on a positive note, we were all meant for happiness - it is our purpose. Lecture notes about civil liberties and rights. Yes we find the government annoying, but we could turn things around to our advantage and make things fun. With a president and congress that constantly lie about everything, how do they expect me to believe that the information on the Census form is truly confidential? They have done a great job keeping businesses from behaving unethically, unsafely, and preventing them from attaining wealth at the cost of human life - whether from unfair wages and industrial practices or from the mass-physiological effects (brainwashing) of citizens from the huge-budget video/audio buy-buy-buy television addiction machine, or from the shortening of each human life and the human race entirely that is the natural result of reallocating, changing, destroying natural resources to produce worthless tidbits of crap (no matter how "convenient or interesting or entertaining it may seem in the end it is crap and it won't make you happy or more lovable or life more simple or whatever their marketing department's angle is -- it is just crap that is killing all of us and wasting all those workers' lives). From what I've read online about the operation methods of the Census Bureau staff that won't have any chance of avoiding a phone call "Computer Aided Telephone Interview" But I'm hoping that by telling them every time that their OMB# is expired it will shorten my interview process somewhat. Then we started getting the calls. 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 are not better people, more deserving, more intelligent, more experienced they didn't know "how" things were going to work out they just knew they would. :0 We shall not be intimidated! Avoiding them will not really be possible since we have a houseful of teenagers who will most likely keep answering the door. They do snoop around. Enumeration. So today I found this census worker peeping tom at my windows, which face the back woods. anon10731 is obviously a census worker!!!!!! Thus, if they want a specific task force to track illegals and tax invading americans, then so be it. Moreover, since there are no reported instances of the Census Bureau taking legal or financial action, some speculate that the Census Bureau's threats carry no weight. One dear government lady actually said she did not have time for prank phone calls. Then why am I being asked what my race is? The states need to reassert their rights back from the federal government. 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. 1. What time do the male members of your household go to work? The only one who seemed to do anything on it was Freedom Watch Judge Napolitano. This is Government out of control. I would personally love to sit and watch hours of this kind of stuff. Can anyone please tell me if I am obligated to answer these questions. I was really hoping she would stick around and argue with me some more, I was kind of of enjoying it because I knew there wasn't anything she could do. They are a toothless tiger. Table from ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, released by American Community Survey. I don't feel they need to know all the crap they are asking. And everyone should have to fill out the same thing-how come I get the long form every time? More money from the government for that extra lane of highway to make my commute faster. When I answered the door she said who she was and had a survey for me. I say, good luck with that. Well, I wonder what he's thinking now. 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. Fight the power. First of all, get a clue! 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. 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. Wow! This is ridiculous. I not only told them that I sent it in, but added that if I received another call, I would report it as harassment, and hung up immediately. Since direct taxes must be apportioned based on population, an enumeration is needed to determine the percentage of tax for each state. . I have written to the senators of my state and didn't even receive a 'canned' response. When I got to the financial questions I thought - what?? Although they have a mandate and articles and codes under the US code, this is all for the census not the ACS. I will report her actions to our manager and possibly to her supervisor. I have yet to fill one out. You aren't getting mine! While talking to the ACS lady on the phone I found out they didn't have a complete address and had sent me a form. They say they are from the U.S. Dept of Commerce. The next day I saw this guy talking to my neighbor and figured he was submitting him to the same harassment I had received. If they aren't getting anything from my house and they've canvassed my six neighbors twice (actually talking to four of them). 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. Then we have to vote them out. Should you have further questions or need legal assistance in exercising your constitutional rights, please contact the Legal Department at legal@rutherford.org. A: There are significant and legitimate questions concerning the authority of the government to require, under threat of prosecution and penalty, that persons answer questions posed by the ACS. Ignore any paperwork they send you, hang up if they call you, demand they leave your property if they come to your home. In order to do that people response is required. A: The ACS is not sent to all households. Just throw the census form in the trash. A number of findings also closely match results obtained from surveys of U.S. faculty and graduate students. I say "sorry sir no one here is available and you need to leave." Point and go toward your kind of happy. However, we will make it quite clear we will accept the risk and continue to take this stand. --Lazarus. You wouldn't be getting personal visits and/or phone calls from these Census workers right now. How do we know who these people actually are? don't let this happen! If anyone would love to start a case action in this matter feel free to get a hold of me. And it is supposed to be maintained private otherwise the census worker can go to prison or be fined or both. The way I see it, subsections a and d of section 141 do not authorize a January 2010 collection of information. Please show me where the US Census Bureau was given the right to fine you or even where they are mentioned in these laws? If you give them a little info they will keep at you until you give in. Over a college survey they want me to take. Years ago someone told me that the information can be used in a book (that may or may not be in your library) that is published showing where you work, how long you lived at your residence, etc. (These facilities will be contacted directly for data on sexual victimization.) We need to take our country back. how Fourth amendment. That's all it is. I upgraded my cell phone to one that I can take video with and that has a large memory. My husband and I now know what we will do when a rep shows up at our door. Correction, now it's been a total of seven times. the census is just a way of allocating seats for elected officials and that's all. I just hope one of them won't be on my 'case.'. When they ask for race, that's what gets me. I am an american citizen and i will not be forced to give my personal information! Year: 2021. There is an actual law on the books, but that law has never been applied. I suspect the caller will hang up and take you off the list. Tells the stories behind the numbers in a new inviting way. It seems what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. And the Justice Dept is not going to spend time on this. I'll be laughing when funding for social programs and highway repair funding is cut in your area because you refused to answer simple questions that can not be connected to you.