Posted on 04/10/2009 3:20:26 PM PDT by djf
OK so I'm making a pot of coffee and somebody knocks on my door.
So I open it up, and here's this chubby dude who has a badge hanging aorund his neck and quickly says "US Census Bureau".
He then uses the standard "Is this XXXX YYYY Street" or whatever, and I say no.
Furiously using a little handheld of some sort, he asks me "What is the address here?". So without really thinking, I reeled off my address quick, but it's kinda long and convoluted, so he starts playin with his handheld and asks "Can I get that again?"
Now I had just woke up from a short nap (that's why the coffee) and I was getting clearer by the minute so I ask him "Am I required by law to answer?".
He says "Yes", and hands me a flyer printed by the Census Bureau. I started reading it, and he asks again about the address.
My first inclination was to slam the door. But I resisted that one and looked a bit more at the flyer. Then I said to him "Look, I got a laptop sitting right there connected to the Internet, and I'm gonna look up these USC Citations listed on your flyer before I answer anything"
Dude wasn't happy, and keeps playing with his handheld, after a few minutes he says "I found it", and wanders off my porch.
Relevant sections of the flyer say: You are required by law to provide the information requested. These federal laws are found in the United States Code, Title 13 (Sections 9,141,193,214,and 221), and Title 44)Section 2108).
I went and read all the sections. There is only one that defines any penalties for people who ARE NOT employees of the census bureau. It is USC 13 Sec 221, which reads as follows:
(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.
So.... bottom line... $100 fine for refusal.
Might be worth $100 to tell somebody from the government to bite me!
Anyways, he wandered off and harassed my neighbors. But I think I learned a good tactic. If somebody hands you a piece of paper and it starts rattling off all sorts of USC numbers, etc., you are TOTALLY ENTITLED to look those up before doing anything.
I guess if I had to do it again, I could have even said "Get back to me after I get a chance to go to the law library and look these up".
You can look up relevant US Code Sections here:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
Just an FYI for FReepers...
No fine.
Tell the Federal telemarketers to go away.
Thanks. and ping to myself for later.
I would demand an answer to this question:
“Are you now or have you ever been affiliated with ACORN or any other community organizing group funded in part or whole by the Democrat Party or the governement of the United States?”
This post is worth an attaboy and designated keeper.
It’s appreciated.
OK, $100 for not answering, $500 for lying...
What would it cost to tell them to get stuffed?
IIRC, the ONLY thing you’re required to answer is the address and number of people living there..all other questions are optional..(or used to be before “the one” took over)
Good info. I don’t see anything wrong with someone not welcoming a government representative to their home or property. When they come to my house, I am going to order them off of the property and they can ask me questions from the street.
I answer the door when I’m expecting someone.
Otherwise....they can knock until their grubby little knuckles bleed.
I’m not sure, let me get back to you.
If the Constitution requires a census, what is your objection to participating in it?
I wonder if he would have messed his shorts if I said “Hey, there’s way more guns here than people!”
Chuckle~
In fact the piece of paper he handed me also says at the start “All US Census Bureau employees have taken an oath and are subject to jail term, a fine, or both if they disclose ANY (NB: their emphasis, not mine) information that could identify you or your household.
So if you slam the door on him and he comes back with the US Marshalls or whatever and points at you, did he just violate his oath? Says that on the paper...
This is the law. This is constitutional. A person is gainfully employed doing this. What right or pleasure do you derive from giving him/her grief? Do you think this is what they want to do? I know a census taker and they were laid off and they re trying their best to make money and o\pay bills.
I must have had the same idiot come to my house Monday. He said my house was supposed to be red with a carport. I said “What the crap are you talking about?” (My house is cedar siding with a garage.) He went back to his car fiddling with that GPS thing and I went to get my shotgun just in case. I asked him if he was from acorn and he looked at me with the blankest eyes and asked me what was acorn.
Please explain why you believe the Federal government should not have an accurate count of the citizens in your district.
Wow I’ll be on the look out for neighborhood Census strollers. Won’t answer the door unless I know who it is.
My wife had to take a job doing the Census because our business is down. $11 per hr and milage. You would think running into old geezers like you would upset her but she loves telling stories about the guys who think she is from the property owners assn or the secret police. I’m sure you made it into somebody story that night.
I don’t have a problem with the Census. I do wish that they stuck to just collecting basic data though. Anymore it reads like a wish-list made to justify every liberal project under the sun.
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