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. Today another call demanding to know my name and telling me I would be fined. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Thesis: It is best to be professional and courteous when speaking in person and on the phone to the ACS representatives. I don't recall giving my cell phone out on the first census nor my customer number at my work, but she has called both. We are getting a camera for the outside of our home this week, so we will be ready. I am so glad I found this website. It's paranoid people like you all who cause your communities not to get the funding they need. [35] Daniel Freedman, The Orwellian American Community Survey, The Weekly Standard, http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/431469. I replied I would answer no questions. then maybe somebody will get the hint that we don't want our lives invaded. I live in a high-rise condo building (where I rent), so let them come get me. Don't be paranoid, it's only a few questions a lot of people already know about you anyway. I don't owe the government anything for going to college. Something is wrong in this country when the hard working middle class is getting stomped out from top to bottom. we demand a trial by jury of our pears, but how many wiggle, squirm and lie every which way to get out of serving when it's their turn? So, basically, he screwed the taxpayers because he keeps a log of minutes and gets paid for the time. Due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, individuals felt uncertain and insecure. In support of this argument, the defendants submitted an assertion from ACS chief Donna Dailey, who assured that the Census Bureau does not threaten non-responding addresses with the enforcement of fines or with referral to [the Department of Justice] for prosecution. Dailey added that [i]n the history of the ACS, no one has ever been prosecuted for failing to respond to the survey, and that no one has ever been referred to the DOJ for prosecution, nor has the DOJ ever prosecuted someone, for failing to respond, the order shares. (ACS questions 1, 3 and 4), 3. Isn't this harassment? 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. Have received two of the ACS forms, both went into the garbage. Please show me where the US Census Bureau was given the right to fine you or even where they are mentioned in these laws? No one from the Census has ever asked for your social security number - perhaps someone *posing* as a Census Field Rep. did, but not an employee of the Census. You are a perfect example of why people should be outraged by the ACS. A previous post said this is the American Communist survey. Especially after reading the comments on this page. As noted, the ACS seeks much more information than the number of persons in a household. Are we having a problem differentiating between the Census and the ACS? Without the enjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value. [The bracketed words added for clarification], Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimson, 154 U.S. 447, 479 (May 26, 1894). I will fill in my name, address, and very few pieces of information. You wonder why people are reluctant to give out information. If threatened with a fine or even prison, I will say, "Bring it on!" I would like to recommend an alternative method of dealing with "census workers" who show up at your door to harass you for information. PLEASE let's get them back once and for all! "Um, I filled it out twice". My wife and I are not answering this. I ripped it up and threw it away. Why don't they survey me to find out my opinion on illegal immigrants, unemployment benefits to people who have barely held a job down in their life, giving child care benefits to unwed mothers who just keep popping out babies to numerous baby-daddies, who will never pay into the system so that I can collect Social Security when I want to finally retire after 50 years of non-stop work,or putting this country into mega-debt while giving money to impoverished countries that will never help us or appreciate us. No one from the Census has been escorted off your property by the police - Title 13 gives them the right to be on your property. It's now the end of Jan. 2010 and I just received my second ACS form. [17] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Disability.pdf. The state police will show up and *escort* them off your property. There were laws in place to protect those people and they were not protected. I never will. I am currently working for the Census as an enumerator. He called and left a message to call him to make an appointment to fill out the form. So today I found this census worker peeping tom at my windows, which face the back woods. I hung up immediately and called the sheriff. Read our FAQs or call us for more help with the survey. I filled it out. Is the enemy offshore or some creep in a bloated Federal Dept we don't even need? Should you have further questions or need legal assistance in exercising your constitutional rights, please contact the Legal Department at legal@rutherford.org. anon88369: Census enumerators have every right to walk onto your property if they are assigned to do a questionnaire for your address. I'm a stay-at-home Momma with a toddler daughter. We do live in a relatively remote area, and none of them can make sense of maps they are provided with. We have received phone calls. [22] For 12 of those categories, the information is used to assist private corporations. In 2000 I refused to fill mine out. We should not have to fear such "power hungry, and commission-crazy animals! Just hang tough and they will eventually leave you alone. [28] http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/is-my-privacy-protected.html. Comparing the American Community Survey to the American Housing Survey. If it's not a big deal, then get rid of the census and don't tell me about funding- that's a load of crap! The lawsuit looks to include all persons whom the United States Department of Commerce and Bureau of the Census requires to answer the American Community Survey but who have refused or will refuse to answer it. She said they don't do that. Last year I was hounded by these people and they are back I am so glad I did not answer or call or contact them I cannot believe this information is relevant for city planningthe person above said it best. I am an american citizen and i will not be forced to give my personal information! My advice based on our experience thus far -- and I am not a lawyer -- just ignore the calls to the best of your ability, and if you answer by accident, simply hang up without conversation. The Rutherford Institute has developed a form letter that you may use in standing up against the governments attempt to force you to disclose personal information. [3] U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3. This is crazy -- why is this still going on and why aren't people doing something about it? 4) If they do not agree to answer any personal questions, assume the Hannibal Lecter voice and say "Tut, tut, tut. The letter accompanying the census form indicates it's used to decide how many representatives each state has in congress, and how much money my 'neighborhood' receives from the government. This is ridiculous. Seriously, do I really have to answer and return the american community survey? I still am in my boxers since I just woke up and surely was not prepared for a slew of questions from this guy who was getting paid my tax money to invade my privacy). They just look at you and say "Oh" and then walk away. Other than that, the sky is the limit. 20 The breakdown by race/ethnicity for individuals who received the vaccine was 39% for Black HCWs, 44% for Hispanic HCWs, and 57% for White HCWs. I want to know how long these temp workers are going to be employed? He presented me with an ACS envelope and said a "government guy" had come to school and was having random students fill them out. I am so glad to see I am not alone in not wanting to fill out this survey. . I would personally love to sit and watch hours of this kind of stuff. Beyond principle, I work in the defense of our nation as a senior leader and have good reason to be concerned. I told them I was not responding, and as I shut the door and walked away she stood on the porch and rang the bell, and since then it's all gone down hill. 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. Really glad I found this site. Now they harass us all of the time. Just slam the phone or door on them. If such a law exists, it should not exist, for it would be truly unconstitutional. If it gets to the point where they actually come to your house, the "enumerator" is going to tell you it's too late to give your answers to the Survey in writing, and he'll insist (threaten) that you must tell him the personal details of your life while he types it into his laptop computer. I got a call last night from the Census folks, wanting to know our birthdays. In 2000 I placed a large sprinkler by my front door. Someone said they can find all our info on the internet anyway. Is that something you would want to get into the wrong hands? I wish I would have kept the census person's name. They only get idle threats. TheAmerican Community Survey(ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. We have always taught him not to talk to people he does not know and never give out information. Personally, I want to know how many rental houses are in my town, I want all the representatives we deserve and I also really like looking at the 1920 and 1930 census to learn about my ancestors. There is an actual law on the books, but that law has never been applied. State that you have not made up your mind yet and will get back with them (think "slow roll"). We then engaged in a bit of "palaver" in which she said that they can require us to answer any question they want because "it's in the Constitution". :0 We shall not be intimidated! Hence, you have answered the only question required by the constitution and you might have even increased the possibility for more representatives! I answered the questions on the Census that are Constitutional, and that is it. . Unlike the traditional census, which is limited to a simple head count every ten years for the purpose of establishing representation in Congress, the ACS is sent on an ongoing basis to about 3 million homes every year at a reported cost of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.[2]. I even gave them the date I mailed it on. 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. 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. Mailed it in. Ethical considerations. They're people just like you are, Americans just like you are. [15] The ACS questionnaire also demands that persons divulge how many automobiles they own[16] and whether you have trouble getting up the stairs. We sent in the form with the number of people, then called the girl who left a note on our door. It does make an interesting snapshot of america. Get on with your life and answer the census. Do not give them your info! Mykel. If you give them a little info they will keep at you until you give in. Did not need the closing statement. Since 2005, the Census Bureau has administered a set of probing questions to a large random sample of Americans each year. Best policy is to avoid answering the door to strangers but it's difficult to do if you are outside a lot. This scared him and on top of that, he did not know most of the answers to the questions. Before the second visit, I posted a 'no trespassing' sign at the bottom of the stairway leading up to my garage apartment. Copyright 2023 The Rutherford Institute. Then you want to threaten with fines? Ha! Moreover, Title 13 of the U.S. Code allows for monetary penalties only when the ACS's inquiries are within the scope of questions included in the complete census, and only if the Secretary has Then, the phone calls started and they won't stop. FORM. Got this survey in the mail and opened it and started reading the questions and couldn't believe it I was so pissed off, it's really none of their business. We did not return the census, and received continuous letters and threats. Beyond that, please cease and desist all further efforts to gather personal and private information about the members of my household, it will not be provided. We didn't receive phone calls first, we had two visits at 7 p.m. from this lady with her little laptop. The information the government is requesting is violating our rights, whether or not it is written in the law. Please download the PDF to view it: Download PDF. Then we started getting the calls. Has anyone else who refused to comply have any information about penalties/fines actually being enforced to date? papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. To support any of this is not like killing, it is killing your neighbor, your dog, your wife, your kids and your kids' kids - maybe slowly and with pretty lights and shiny trinkets, but it is. I threw them off my property. So many people are in a snit just because the word "enumerator" makes them mad. Thus, information obtained through the ACS is not simply used to inform government policy in a neutral manner, but is also being provided to private actors for the purpose of promoting corporate and/or political agendas. Are you willing to roll the dice that this information will remain protected? When they arrive on your property, order them off your property. Suggestions include "With whom did you last have a sexual encounter and when and where did this take place? Ridiculous. I thought Hitler was stopped. I will not answer and/or return this form in spite of threats of fine, imprisonment or court appearance regardless of where the threat comes from. Featured Respond to the ACS [5] http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/forms-and-instructions/2016-form.html. Remember, it is Congress that is the creator of federal law, and the enumerator of penalties for violations of the law, not the U.S. Census Bureau. I hung up. I will not comply. Correction, now it's been a total of seven times. Keep your cool and you'll be fine. Of course, I had no clothes on, not expecting a peeping tom to be looking out of the woods in the first place. Yet, he also said that the American Community Survey is continuing. [29] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/Name.pdf. "; "What is your favorite color on Thursday afternoons between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.? Three days later, the supervisor came out. I am only a man, a man who believes in his liberties and will stand against this government crap! He was shocked and said it was required by law. finally he told her he would call the cops if she didn't leave. Let freedom ring! I just had hip surgery, when the buzzer rang this evening (Saturday 6:30p.m.) I got no answer. Interesting. I never thought at age 47 that I would ever see our country go this far the the left. Read the Constitution. I live in the ghetto already. Survey/Program: American Community Survey. I completed the regular census and destroyed the ACS. Chinese officials knew nothing about the virus before the pandemic emerged. 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 suspect the caller will hang up and take you off the list. I hope this helps. to be human so be sure to count them in as well! I hung up. This all happened while I was watching from my porch. Has anyone really admittedly shown that proof that they got fined? Have to love how the government pays people to harass you. Corrado Rizzi is the Senior Managing Editor of ClassAction.org. I mentioned to a reporter for the newspaper the similarity between our government today and Hitler and he said some not so nice things to me. I have now been visited six times already. That this money is funding from the government, which makes it socialism. The enumeration is *solely for the purposes of elected representative apportionment* I told her the ACS is a violation of the Constitution and I did not believe it would be used to "provide" me schools or hospitals or fire stations, but rather to spy on me. While we understand your assertion that this information is needed for some reason deemed important by somebody, and that the information requested will be kept strictly confidential, I respectfully decline to participate in this American Community Survey, and request that you do not misdirect further efforts to gather this private information about the members of my household from either myself or any other source. I made the mistake of answering some questions, thinking it was a one time thing. Twice, a person showed up at our door. It has been more than 40 years since that was done and they do not want any court case to be brought up that can challenge the constitutionality of their threats. We've had non-stop, unannounced visits by the same census taker, who continues to drive-by the home multiple times during the day. Good grief! According to law you must answer all Census questions or face criminal charges and/or fines up to $100. The ACS and Census Bureau have no legal standing to enforce the bogus laws that were passed to allow this survey. The calls/personal visits stopped. I demanded who he was for the third time and he said us census. Daily calls (five or six) two invasive questionnaires mailed, and now intimidating and threatening phone calls. 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. Currently, Oscar is a 7-year-old boy with ODD whose refusal behaviors have begun to be both verbally aggressive and physically violent. Ultimately, you might just need to either answer the census to get them to stop coming or, as an alternative, make up answers to protect your privacy. The new research by the Trevor Project, which surveyed nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the United States in fall 2021, also found that Black and nonbinary young people reported . The next day I saw this guy talking to my neighbor and figured he was submitting him to the same harassment I had received. They do snoop around. and even spells it. I see on the accompanying letter that the destination of the form was intended to be the address only and not a particular person. And I am not speaking in terms of Democrat or Republican affiliation the drug of power knows no party boundaries. A man was arrested and charged with attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft after his bag triggered an alarm at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, US . The next day I called back and talked to a different agent or whatever they are. I again said no. Information from the survey generates data that help determine how more than $675 billion in federal and state funds are dis Continue Reading MA Pennell [19] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/EducationalAttainment.pdf. We don't have a home phone but I imagine the reps will get hold of our cell numbers? they started harassing my boyfriend and some how i got thrown into it because i live here. so earlier before i got home he called me and told me his story of her showing up. Perhaps act so insanely crazy they will be glad to leave. Will these jackasses really come after me or is all this talk about fines and such just a scare tactic? We're starved after working all day on our house renovation. anon 77369: It is incorrect to say that you are required to respond. Non parlo inglese!" I am an American and this country is no greater than any other. I am an American! If I received the ACS survey in the mail, I would probably just put down the number of people in my household, but there is nothing on the 10 question survey that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can't find out on the internet quite easily. No one has been fined for failure to comply, and no one ever will be. or is any mention of if just more scare tactics to make us submit to this invasion of our lives? He was asking questions about me and my wife! During the past year and especially with the current administration in D.C., I am so angry and distrustful of our government. I found out on a different blog that the OMB# on the front of my ACS is expired. (Don't worry there are no cops or former cops that are census workers. When you are counted, it helps to decide the number of representatives a state can get, as well as determining federal funding for schools and hospitals. Uh, no. Logged onto survey; did not complete any items 2.1121 65 Never logged on (implicit refusal) 2.11 887 Survey completed after close of the field period 2.27 189 Completed interview but was removed for data quality 1 Screened out . Wound up yelling at anyone who would speak to me and finally the harassment stopped. The census collectors or enumerators can ask for some sensitive and detailed information, such as salary or income. [26] https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/2016/MaritalStatusHistory.pdf. The worker harassed him and told him he had to answer the question or he would be in trouble with the police. So that could scare you away from doing the census. Um, no they don't have the right to fine you. I live in upstate New York and was just threatened that the census taker would be back with the police and his supervisor because I refused to fill out the form. He said, "I'll see what I can do." Here's what it says online: The American Community Survey is a legitimate survey conducted by the CensusBureau. The Census Bureau states on their website that failure to complete the survey is unlikely to result in such a fine, however. This is to help the community -- like heck. I also feel for the ones who fought and died for us, who spit in their graves. Thus, they cannot use the census as the pretext for the ACS. They gave up on me. He ignored the legality but admitted there were corporate sponsors involved. Others have reminded me that this information about me is posted out in the paper world, cyber world, etc., somewhere. I was in my PJs and answered the door, thinking it was a neighbor. Anyone else with other info/advice is politely requested to add their two cents. There are two adults and two children living at this residence. I remember the paperwork that I signed, highlighted the fact that it was a temporary position with no benefits of any sort. Well it's now the middle of July and another census worker left her callback info on the door and has since started calling the number on the "for sale" sign at the property. Why all the bad-mouthing of these people who are taking these jobs to support their families in these hard economic times? I want to thank you for this site and for all of the posters sharing their experiences and offering insight and information. Spending good taxpayer dollars on another social joke. This browser does not support PDFs. [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. First from a phone bot then yesterday a phone call from a real person. In an age when the government has significant technological resources at its disposal to not only carry out warrantless surveillance on American citizens but also to harvest and mine that data for its own dubious purposes, whether it be crime-mapping or profiling based on race or religion, the potential for abuse is grave. Keep being sheep. 5.6K views 5 years ago The Wild Life #53 FULL EPISODE: Have you ever heard of the U.S. Census Bureau's "American Community Survey"? this census is complete crap and an invasion of my rights a a citizen. its no joke. ACS estimates are all period estimates representing an interval of time, not a single date like April 1, 2010. I told the second person who called me that I had already refused to cooperate with the first person who called. I did not send it back, I received another and still did not fill it out. And, further, we cannot wire tap calls coming into this country from suspected terrorists, but we can create bogus laws to try to make us fill out the ACS which provides more personal information than any wire tap could on american citizens. Lecture notes about civil liberties and rights. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Got angry and physical with me (not a lot, just a shove as I tried to take back the Public Servant Questionnaire he wouldn't fill out.). This also happened the last time. No one will email you or be peeping at you from the census. If you can't see why many people have a problem with the ACS then I'll never be able to explain it to you. I didn't hear from them for about two weeks. I too am grateful for this site. I received a phone call from the bureau asking me to read them the info because there were only two days left to respond. In the end, the Census Bureau has the legal authority to conduct the survey and legally has the option of imposing fines for non-compliance.