Posted on 01/08/2013 4:16:37 PM PST by manic4organic
I received this in the mail the other day. The front of the envelope reads: "U.S. Census Bureau Form Enclosed. YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW. Please complete and return by February 12, 2013.
I knew the Census is part of the Constitution but a business census? They have pages and pages of forms they want filled out. They want to know how many employees, all my financial numbers, (sales and types services and products offered).
First, is this Constitutional? Second, doesn't the IRS have most of this information already?
And people thought it was no big deal when the Census was moved from Commerce to the White Hut.
Well, Francis, Jim or the mods will pull it if it upsets you so. You may unbunch your panties now.
A little knowledge and research here would go a long way.
First, the Business Census is *not* Obamacare related, it’s been happening for years.
Second, it is done every five years ( vs. 10 year cycle for individuals) offset by 2 years for the Census for individuals.
Next - yes, the IRS has almost all of the financial info, the post office and SSA have all the rest from your payroll tax returns. The only thing they ‘catch’ are new businesses that have not yet filed a return.
This thread is borderline hysterical...my view is that the government already has all of this info, so just reguritating it for a different set of bureaucrats to make *their* chart series out of it is no big deal. One thing that comes out of it is adjustments to the Birth/Death model in the Establishment Survey used in the monthly jobs and unemployment data such as that released on the first Friday of each month.
Why do they collect it separately? Think ‘Silo Mentality’. IRS doesn’t share with SSA and vice versa; CIA doesn’t share with FBI; and *nobody+ is going to share with the Census Bureau within government. Why? That would jeopardize good paying union civil servant jobs. Each department has their own bloated staff to accumulate the same data over and over again.
If you’ve already submitted to the tyranny of filing tax returns, sending the Business Census back in is no big deal...it’s the *least+ of you’re worries.
Do yourself a favor and send it in and spare yourself the pain in the ___ of getting first phone calls then fines and penalty notices then visits from
Census takers...real ones who do it for a living, not the minimum wage boneheads they hire once per decade when they have to gear up to count people....
Did you notice that you are the only one whining?
It is a conservative thing to object to the coarsening of the public language, but what an odd thing for you two to be fighting for.
“Wow, you even want to work words like “crap” into the thread titles now?
This place really will start looking like DU then.”
It’s not as if you suggested to not put “crap” in the title. You were being antagonistic with the above reply.
Section 141 (d) states, in part: …the Secretary, in the year 1985 and every 10 years thereafter, shall conduct a mid-decade census of population in such form and content as he may determine…
Section 141 (e) (2) states: Information obtained in any mid-decade census shall not be used for apportionment of Representatives in Congress among the several States, nor shall such information be used in prescribing congressional districts.
Section 141 (g) As used in this section, “census of population” means a census of population, housing, and matters relating to population and housing.
Section 193 states: In advance of, in conjunction with, or after the taking of each census provided for by this chapter, the Secretary may make surveys and collect such preliminary and supplementary statistics related to the main topic of the census as are necessary to the initiation, taking, or completion thereof.
Title 13, U.S.C., Section 221 states: Pursuant to this section, refusing to provide the requested information or neglecting to complete either survey subjects you to a fine of not more than $100.00. Willfully giving information that is false subjects you to a fine of not more than $500.00.
Personally, I don't see that the authority is there but that doesn't mean a Judge would agree. After all, I still don't see how Obamacare is authorized either.
Do you have an agricultural exemption.
Everyone I know who does is getting these.
Keep in mind that the word “response” is not defined. You can print the words, “I do not choose to participate” on the form, return it, and you will have responded.
If I get one it’ll go right into the shredder, just like the regular census stuff did. This government already knows more about me than it needs to.
I do not have an ag exemption. I am just a small business owner. Service and retail. I have not yet decided what to do with this yet, but I do sincerely appreciate all the information and input. I had never seen or heard of one before, and I’ve been in business for 15 years.
Gov sucks doesn’t it?
crap is the short form of Crapper - the inventor of the flush toilet. Now worries mate.
The Census can't get any information about specific people from the IRS or other government agencies (and vice-versa; IRS, FBI, etc. can't get information about you from the Census).
I have little hope anyone will believe me (despite the fact I've worked for the Census), but there is in fact no giant networked central computer full of your info that all government agencies are constantly putting info into and getting info out. I know people figure this MUST exist but each government agency has it's own (often crappy and antiquated) IT and database system.
Do you recommend the same thing for the American Community Survey that is allegedly mandatory as well?
I am a plumbing contractor, Thomas Crapper didn’t invent the flush toilet, and all words have origins, including the cussing that you see at DU and increasingly at FR.
I got one for college graduates a couple of years back. I kept getting phone calls about filling it out, under penalty of law. I finally told one a-hole: “Look, I mailed it. If you can’t find it, that’s your problem.” I hung up and never got called again.
That is what I’ve done with every census form I’ve every received.
Several times I’ve been asked if I would fill out another form. My answer: No, I’ve fulfilled my duty.
Apparently they have way too much work to do to hassle one individual. They give up pretty easily.
I’d research it online....but I doubt I’d fill it out.
I received the American Community Survey last year which was allegedly mandatory to fill out. The questions in the survey were so intrusive, it was unbelievable. One of the questions was what time you left for work each day.
I did my research online so I would know what to expect and know what to avoid. A small percentage would get the full treatment of phone calls, threats of fines, penalties, census visits. SOme of the stories of what census workers would resort to to get the info was unbelievable. Well sure enough, I got the full treatment. Three long months of avoiding phone calls all day long. In the last month, the census worker started visiting and calling. It finally came down to her getting into my mailbox....that was the last straw. I think I scared the bejeezus out of her. She never came back. I reported it to the post office. I reported it to the local police. That was the last I heard from the Census.....so far.
It was crazy. I felt like a prisoner in my own house/property.....but I followed recommendations from others who had been through it. I avoided all confrontations (verbal and physical)....well, except for the last one.
I’m assuming the economic survey is similar to the community survey in that it is allegedly mandatory, but noone has ever been fined or penalized. The Constitutinally mandated census only demands a counting of citizens, nothing more.
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