Author Topic: American's newest sport (Read 917 times)

wreckhog · « **on:** May 13, 2010, 03:07:05 PM »

Screwing with the census worker.

Was just listening to NPR.

"I asked him what race he was, he said Republican"

LOL

myronman3 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2010, 05:16:35 PM »

i have my own little game going with them. one of the lady friends i have listens to me talk and she too has decided it is none of their business. a guy stopped by and i.d.-ed himself and asked how many people lived there, and she told him she wasnt answering that. he left. if they show up here, i am going to tell them i live somewhere else and this is just where i happen to be at the moment; a little home away from home if you will. so do not count me.

Dances with Geoducks · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2010, 07:19:03 PM »

Quote from: wreckhog on May 13, 2010, 03:07:05 PM

"I asked him what race he was"

HUMAN

myronman3 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2010, 11:33:28 AM »

well, they showed up today. i let them stand there and knock. the door was unlocked and i was just waiting for the swinehoot to open the door; which would have been a horrible mistake on his part. i picked up a bunch of census papers blowing in the wind, and i might take themdown to the sheriff to see if they might charge them for litering. they were nice enough to leave their contact info on every piece of paper.

Dee · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2010, 11:46:00 AM »

I filled my out. Or at least the part of how many lived here. That's all I filled out however. A guy up the road came to one of our church prayer breakfasts. He works for the census, and told several of us that we HAD TO COMPLETE THE FORM. Several of us said: No, we don't HAVE TO COMPLETE THE FORM. He then, in his most stern voice stated that if we did not, HE would be sent to our homes. I and a couple of others told him HE would be sent off the property.
Then he started ramblin about U.S. Marshalls, and we went back to the weather.

myronman3 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:29:53 PM »

i dont know why, but it irritates me. i cant put my finger on why, all i know is i want to be left alone. go count someone else.

Dee · « **Reply #6 on:** May 14, 2010, 05:31:48 PM »

I don't care if they know how many, but the rest is none of their business.

teamnelson · « **Reply #7 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:07:31 AM »

But Comrades, how will Mother Amerika know how to apportion our "fair share" without your cooperation? Think of the children! Think of the elderly!

Dee · « **Reply #8 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:21:54 AM »

I AM the elderly!

teamnelson · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2010, 09:31:20 AM »

I think its telling that the census uses terror to "encourage" participation. Fear of not getting your "fair share", fear of missing out on an entitlement, fear of having the police called on you for failure to conform. For some its a real fear, like the elderly who may depend on government programs for their survival. America has come a long way when we pray on the fears of families and the elderly.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2010, 11:37:00 AM »

Short of going thru a ton of posts to find the answers I will ask it here . Just what is the problem with filling out the census? I filled mine out it only took a few minutes and I do not recall finding any of the ? offensive. I am just trying to understand what part of the picture I do not see. Thanks Kurt

charles p · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2010, 11:41:26 AM »

What's the big deal. I answered their questions, they were polite, and the questions were not invasive at all.

It is the law of the land, and necessary.

teamnelson · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2010, 12:32:20 PM »

13 U.S.C. 221, US Code states:
"(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.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person
shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his
religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body"

The issue for me concerning the conduct of the census is 1) what questions MUST we answer? and 2) (which informs #1) is what is the purpose of the census? As I read the rest of the code, the census is for apportionment of representation in the legislative branch of government. If that is the answer to question #2, then the answer to question #1 must be, only those answers sufficient to determine voting population.

However, the marketing plan and implementation of the census has not, is not, in keeping with the way I read the intent of the census itself. It has become a means of profiling, and collecting data that is not necessary to apportionment. Its your call; refuse and see if they fine you $100. Or falsify and see if the fine you $500. Or only answer the primary questions related to apportionment, and see what happens.

mechanic · « **Reply #13 on:** May 15, 2010, 12:46:38 PM »

For over 100 yrs. the census has asked the names and ages of occupants. It could be said this is well established in law. I do not however see how it is any of their business what my race or religion is, nor whether I own a home or not, etc.

During slavery, the blacks were counted in the south on a separate census, as property or chattel.

The census has always been mistrusted by some, and not without reason. There are some things the government just really does not need to know.....

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #14 on:** May 15, 2010, 01:52:46 PM »

Mechanic I had no question on my form that asked what my religion was. Kurt

mechanic · « **Reply #15 on:** May 15, 2010, 02:00:14 PM »

Kurt,

I did not either, but I've been told that some of the door to doors ask additional questions on a "voluntary" basis. Don't know for sure if it's true or not.

I also just can't fathom why they need to know if I own my home? How is that relevant?

In any event, I'm getting more and more distrustful of gov. even those on the local level these days.

I hope to find out I am just paranoid.....

Ron Miller · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2010, 02:54:58 PM »

They should have just let acorn do it and it would have been done my now.

charles p · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2010, 05:10:14 PM »

One of the original reasons for the census was to determine the number of representatives each state deserves in the House of Representatives. That is still a good reason, and I feel it is good that some of our tax money flows back to our states according to population. I have no problem with a census, and I promise you the 2010 census has no questions about bathroom fixtures, income, marital status, dope use, if you cheat on your taxes, or religeous preference. There is nothing improper about the current census. Lot's of businesses rely on census track demographics. Thare is a legitimate need and use for public census data.

Maybe your county needs a sewer project, or new rescue squad, or fire engine, or road project. Would you want to loose funding because your head was in the sand when the census worker came around or your questionaire came in the mail. Get real. If you are undercounted, you will have to pay more for a service someone in another state could be paying for. It ain't about big brother wanting to harm you.

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2010, 05:43:03 PM »

That is pretty much how I look at it charles. I sure want my schools and city to get what they have coming from thier chunck of the pie. Kurt

teamnelson · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2010, 10:11:56 PM »

Quote from: PHATINJUN on May 15, 2010, 05:43:03 PM

That is pretty much how I look at it charles. I sure want my schools and city to get what they have coming from thier chunck of the pie. Kurt

If that is the purpose of the census, I'd rather my $ didn't go to the Fed in the first place if its supposed to come back to me anyway; keep it in the state or in the city. Wouldn't that make more sense? What you're saying is you want the tax $ you already paid to be returned to the state in order to pay for your services. Hmm. And the justification for you to get that $ back is to fill out a census. Hmm.

Do you know how much overhead is taken out during that process? The cost of congress, the census, the various agencies required to determine how you should spend that $ you gave them that they're going to give you back. Let's say we were talking about a charity that feeds hungry children in your town. Let's say the charity ran like the government - you give the government $ and they then pay someone in your city to run a program to feed hungry children. How much would that cost? What about if you fed the children directly? Or worked through non or not-for-profit charities, churches, in your area to feed hungry children. How much more of your $ would go directly to the issue?

If you follow the census data AND the $, you fall into one of two categories: 1) you are paying way more $ into the pot than is returned to you in the form of services, or 2) you are paying way less $, if any, and receiving most of your services from the government. I've lived in both geographical areas, and presently live in a state that receives more $ from the federal government than it pays into the pot. We fill out our census data, for sure. So fill out your data, but the reason you might not get a new fire station is because we'll get it over here, and you'll have paid for it. Help me understand the "fair share" chunk of the pie concept?

beerbelly · « **Reply #20 on:** May 16, 2010, 02:39:36 AM »

I do think there is a need for the census. They need to know how many, nothing more!
Beerbelly

PHATINJUN · « **Reply #21 on:** May 16, 2010, 08:42:59 AM »

I agree with your thinking on why not just keep the money here...but as of today that is not how it is done and I do not think not filling it out is going to change the way it is done. One of the first things I look at for the charities that I contribute to is how is the money spent. I was a little pissed by the money that was wasted just at the start of the census .Lets see send me a letter saying the census was coming ,send me the census and then send me another to tell me to fill it out now I do not believe national mailings of this magnatude are cheap.And now we got to pay people to go around door to door and get the ones who didn't fill it out. None of it makes any sence! Probly just done as a sort of bail out for the Postal Service and to reduce the #'s of unemployed for 2 months. But then I live in Illinois and the last thing I want is for my state Gov. to do is have more money to steal.I got no good answers I am just trying to understand. Kurt

FWiedner · « **Reply #22 on:** May 16, 2010, 02:53:07 PM »

More tax money leaves my district than comes back, and I don't believe that any of my congression-hole reprentatives give a d@mn about representing anyone except themselves.

All the census does is make sure that money taken from me is given to *******.

teamnelson · « **Reply #23 on:** May 16, 2010, 03:12:14 PM »

Kurt, I hear ya. It's the way things are, but not the way things were or even the way things ought to be. So I think it fair to only fill out the minimum necessary for apportionment of representation, as it was intended I believe. And hold ground, fight erosion. Beyond that, light up your representation to reign in the census. And dispel the fear with truth.