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/
But I didn’t, did I?
I was making a sort of a joke.
But you seem to be having trouble figuring out things like that.
What Dept do you work for?
Census taking feels creepy and its getting creepier. I live on the right side of the fence in blue state. You are my hero.
-Marty
There's the first mistake. Hasn't the WH taken over control of the Census? Therefore the law does not apply?
Last census they asked what race I belonged to I told them the human race.
If you live in a red state, tell them you have 25 boarders living with you. If you live in a blue state, tell them you live alone, in fact, you don’t even live there, you’re just visiting from out of town.
I had a census person show up today, too. But this was just ‘prep work’ for the 2010 census. She asked if this was a single family home & then if there was any other residence on the property. If I’d have thought a bit quicker I would have asked specifically who she worked for. Oh well...
It does, except the idiot census person didn’t actually come to my door until I caught him skulking through my yard and went out and asked him what he was doing.
“Might be worth $100 to tell somebody from the government to bite me!”
Well, it is in the Constitution, so if we don’t want to answer the questions the only recourse is a Constitutional amendment. Not sure how else they can get the information short of going door to door. Beats a wild assed guess.
Well, here’s my take.
I have no problem answering how many people live here. 3. Me, myself, and I!!
My problem is when the census morphs from something that’s there to allocate Congressman, to being something that’s being used for demographics analysis and social engineering.
They don’t need to know how many outhouses I have.
But my BIGGEST problem is this, by far:
They could walk up to an illegal immigrant and ask him a question, and the immigrant could cuss them out, spit in their face, and walk away, and THERES NOT A DAMN THING THE CENSUS TAKER COULD DO!
MEANWHILE they can walk up to my door, demand that I answer all sorts of personal questions, and slap flyers aroubd threatening me with fines, or even worse.
This situation don’t cut it.
It don’t cut it AT ALL!!!!
My mothers family has been in this country since abt the 1830’s, and my fathers, for A HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE THAT!
There ya go! Ya got me riled again!
;-)
Let me clarify my statement. I don’t answer the door unless I’m expecting someone. Except in late March...early April and late September...early October.
That’s when those little creeps with the clipboards and backpacks from the Sierra Club come pounding on doors, looking for a signature and my $$$.
I’m always ready for them as I throw the door open wildly with my S&W model 66 strapped to my waist in its holster.
All of a sudden, they don’t want to talk to me.....
I am one of them. I worked in 2000 and loved it. If any FReepers are looking for work, check into the Census. $10.25/hr plus .55 a mile if you are required to drive.
I have a friend who is a Freeper...a very prominent one. The last census, PRE-0bama...she was asked how far her work is, right down to the route she takes.
This helps...how? This is the government’s business...why?
I had the same thing last week....I told her politely that I wanted to look into the laws first.
She was polite, I was polite. She punched something into her hand-held diddybopper thingy.
She said the “real” census workers were coming next week..
There is a certain element of intimidation and harassment to it, no matter which way you slice or dice it.
Actually, djf , there is no intimidation involved...EVER.
This is the collection of address phase and all enumerators want to do is check for structures where someone may live. If you send back the mailed form so you get counted for congressional representation ( you know, that old Constitutional thing that last I checked FR supports) noone will come back to try and count heads next year in the next phase. Try not to insult the people who are part time and many laid of professionals who are working without benefits instead of being on unemployment...maybe you could even encourage the work ethic instead of being a boob! I look at it as being paid to walk and lose some weight.
Hey Buschbaby,
Second that thought... might also point out that hiring is based on HIGHEST test score, so there are laid off IBMers, creative ad people, substitute teachers and some really talented people in my training group. And I’m a downsized financial services VP but part time is better than more Monster surfing.
Can’t believe freepers are downing people working for hourly pay instead being on the dole with feet up watching Ophra? Good luck with your AAs!
Don’t they use those numbers in redistricting?
The Census Taker
Census-Taker.....Tim Meadows
Mr. Leonard.....Christopher Walken
Census-Taker: Mr. Leonard? I’m with the U.S. Census Bureau. We sent you a Census form, but you failed to return it to us.
Mr. Leonard: My mail is piled up like crazy.
Census-Taker: Yeah. Well, I just need to fill out this Census form with you. Uh.. how many people live in this residence?
Mr. Leonard:Oh, boy.. good question. I’m bad with numbers.. Maybe 80.
Census-Taker: 80 people live in this apartment?
Mr. Leonard: Seems high, doesn’t it? Not 80. How about 4? I don’t know.. I’m so bad at guestimating..
Census-Taker: Well, just take your time, and count.
Mr. Leonard: Okay.. there’s me.. my wife.. our plants.. we have some candy bars..
Census-Taker: Well, you know, we don’t count candy bars or plants..
Mr. Leonard: Well, then, there’s just the two of us. Boy, I really overshot with the 80!
Census-Taker: Listen, don’t worry about it. I’m gonna put you down as the Primary Resident, okay? Now, are you currently employed?
Mr. Leonard: Yeah.. part of the time.
Census-Taker: Well, you work part-time. How many days of the week?
Mr. Leonard: Every day.. but just part of the day. From 9 to 5.
Census-Taker: So, you work a full day?
Mr. Leonard: I wouldn’t say that. There are huge chunks of time.. at night.. where I’m just asleep. For hours. It’s ridiculous.
Census-Taker: No, it’s not that ridiculous. Mr. Leonard, do you own or rent this apartment?
Mr. Leonard: Sure. You have to ask one of the other 79 people.
Census-Taker: You mean your wife?
Mr. Leonard: Yeah.
Census-Taker: Well, can I talk to her, then?
Mr. Leonard: She won’t answer you. She’s a bobcat.
Census-Taker: You got a bobcat in there?
Mr. Leonard: Well, I have a permit. [ reaches into apartment and pulls out a sheet of paper ] Here you go.
Census-Taker: [ examines paper ] This is a permit to run a nail salon.
Mr. Leonard: Wrong one! Wrong one! [ pulls another sheet of paper out of his apartment ]
Census-Taker: [ examines paper ] This is a permit to do street performances.
Mr. Leonard: Yeah. My wife’s a big part of the act.
Census-Taker: [ shaking head ] You know what? Fine. [ changing subject ] Mr. Leonard, are you a citizen of the United States?
Mr. Leonard: I have dual-citizenship with the United States and Florida.
Census-Taker: Florida is a part of the United States.
Mr. Leonard: Don’t push your politics on me, pal. All’s I know is when I turned 50, I was issued a Florida passport. [ hands him the “passport” ] Here you go.
Census-Taker: [ examining “passport” ] Alright.. this is a novelty birthday card. And it says, “You’re over the hill. Here’s a passport to Florida.” This is not a real passport.
Mr. Leonard: I don’t know.. you know? Whenever I go to Florida, I show it at the border, and they always let me in!
Census-Taker: Listen, Mr. Leonard. A real passport wouldn’t have a picture of a sexy nurse on it. This is a joke card.
Mr. Leonard: Well.. it’s a hell of a forgery!
Census-Taker: [ exasperated ] Okay, let’s just proceed as if this were going really well. Now, how long have you lived at this address?
Mr. Leonard: Oh, man! There you go with the numbers again!
Census-Taker: Just take your time.
Mr. Leonard: Well, what do most people say?
Census-Taker: That’s not important!
Mr. Leonard: I feel an enormous amount of pressure to get this right. I want to win that car!
Census-Taker: [ shaking his head ] There’s no car, Mr. Leonard! How long have you lived here?
Mr. Leonard: Alright, when I moved in, it was the Spring, and Clinton was President.. I’d just gotten out of jail.. I’d say an hour.
Census-Taker: Alright, let me go over this again, then. You are a convicted criminal, living alone in an apartment with a bobcat. And you work 56 hours a week as a street performer.
Mr. Leonard: When you say it like that, my life sounds pretty damn good!
Census-Taker: You know what? I’ve talked to a lot of people all over this country.. and your life is pretty damn good. You wanna get a beer?
Mr. Leonard: You know, I’d love to, but.. [ points into apartment ] ..you know.. the ol’ ball and chain..
Census-Taker: Alright. Take care.
THAT is HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!
“MEANWHILE they can walk up to my door, demand that I answer all sorts of personal questions, and slap flyers aroubd threatening me with fines, or even worse.”
The question isn’t whether they have a right to come to your door. Some on this post suggested they would refuse to talk to them or even get out their guns. The question is, what are the appropriate questions. The Constitution says that everyone should be counted every ten years. It seems to me the only questions they should ask are how many people live in the house, and how many are of voting age. Beyond that, I think people have a right to challenge or refuse to answer the questions.
Last census, I got the long form. I answered how many people lived here and ignored the unconstitutional parts. They kept following up, and finally a lady showed up. She got the message that I wasn't interested in telling the census about my bathrooms and stopped bothering me.
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