2010 Census - Minimum Answers (Vanity)

3/15/10 | Vanity

[cowtowney]

What are the minimum questions to answer on the short form census?

PLEASE! if you don't know the LEGAL answer, don't make stuff up. I'm not looking for opinion, I'm looking for facts, backed up by a link.

This will be very helpful for a lot of folks.

[Drango]

Counting people is OK and clearly constitutional. But our founders never contemplated race being used as a criteria for public largess.

[ops33]

Do you know if anyone has ever been charged for refusing to answer all the questions on the Census?

[GreenLanternCorps]

You are correct as to purpose. However they did ask the question from the first census. They had to distingush slaves from free men. If only for apportionment.

There is a distinction between what they can ask under the Constitution and to what they do with the data.

If you want to prohibit a race based question, you need to either change the laws governing the census, or amend the Constitution to prohibit the Congress from asking the question.

The courts going back into the 19th century have interpreted the Constitution as giving the Congress wide latitude in running the census.

While I sympathize with the “number of people and nothing else” crowd, and I do not fully trust the Democrats with this information, the law, the Constitution, and precedent are clear. Asking basic family information goes back 150 years or so.

So I will comply with the census, and work to elect somebody to the Presidency who will not make mischief with the data.

[Maverick68]

bump

[longtermmemmory]

that answered nothing.

What are the ACTUAL minimum question we have to answer.

how many people
how many citizens (for voting)

then thats it?

[PrincessB]

That’s what I did. I got the short form and there really isn’t anything on there that isn’t in some way disclosed on my 1040, except my race.

[DanceOnMaosGrave]

Or “American-American” :)

[OldPossum]

Even in the Military they only have to say name, rank and serial number.

Minor point. In the military one does not have a "serial number"; one has a "service number."

[McGavin999]

I put refused on the phone number. There should be no reason for them to call, the answers were quite plain and I am on the Federal Do Not Call list.

[cowtowney]

Is that your legal opinion?

Do you have any backup for that? Links?

Did you read my request?

[stylin19a]

from the very first question on the feds web site..it applies to the short census.


I was sent an email warning me not to provide any information to census takers other than the number of people living in my home. Is that the only question I need to answer on the census?


No. Each of the 10 questions on the census form are mandatory and required by law, so please answer all of them. To learn more about the questions on the form and why they are asked, click here:http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php.

If you don't mail back your completed form in a timely manner, a census taker will come to your door to record your answers to the questions on the form. All census takers carry a badge with a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. Some census workers might carry a U.S. Census Bureau bag as well. The census taker will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the Local Census Office phone number for verification, if asked.

Please also be aware that the e-mail you received about the 2010 Census, which falsely claimed to be from the Better Business Bureau, is inaccurate and the Census Bureau, in partnership with the BBB, is advising the public to get the facts. For more information about the phony e-mail, please visit: http://www.bbb.org/us/article/phony-bbb-e-mail-spreads-fiction-about-2010-census;-get-the-facts-14542.

If you want the part of the US code behind it, or info on the American Community Survey, do your own damn home work.

[Paisan]

I put refused on the phone number.

I didn’t do that, but I didn’t fill in a phone number. Ummm....oversight on my part, I guess...

No phone number was requested on any previous census, say from 1810, for example...

[cowtowney]

“What are the ACTUAL minimum question we have to answer”

yes. Thank you. You get it

folks, please don’t post opinions

please post if you KNOW (with backup) what the minimum is

I don’t give a rat’s ass what the census bureau says. Don’t depend on them for the truth

[EBH]

http://www.lizmichael.com/census.htm

Declaration To Make To Census Takers

“I hereby affirm that the provisions of Title 13 ``requiring’’ me to disclose my race, personal financial data, birthdate, or any other personal, private information to the Bureau of the Census, an agency of the United States government; constitutes an unreasonable, unwarranted search of my person, house, papers, and/or effects; and a governmental invasion of the sanctity of my home and the privacies of life. As such, these provisions violate the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, and are thus wholly void and I am not bound to obey them.

I have completed the only those sections of the Census form pertaining to the Constitutionally-mandated actual enumeration, as follows:

1. The actual number of people living at the address printed on the form, excluding untaxed Native Americans;
2. Age of each person in accordance with US Const. Amendment XIV, Section 2.
3. Sex of each person, in accordance with US Const. Amendment XIV, Section 2.

I have thus fulfilled my obligation to the attainment of the actual enumeration of the populace of the United States.

Any fine or other sanction that is levied by any office or organization stemming from the unconstitutional provisions of Title 13 in connection with my response to this or any other Census-related questioning will be challenged in a court of law.”

[cowtowney]

Thanks so much

[EBH]

You're Welcome!

[rfreedom4u]

I filled out mine today. I told them how many people along with gender and age. For race I simply wrote in “American.” I also provided my phone number just in case they want to call me.

[GreenLanternCorps]

I gave my opinion. I also cited the reasons for it. Just like everyone else on the thread.

No lawyers have posted an actual legal opinion with case law cites on this thread yet.

[TXLadyPatriot]

Hahaha .. I like your response to the race question (Human). Great idea!

[TXLadyPatriot]

Exactly! I did genealogy work on my father’s ancestors from Texas, and all the workers asked for was names and ages of all people living in each household. Nothing else; no race/ethnicity information, etc was required.