[mad_as_he$$]

Nice job!!!!

[KarlInOhio]

That may have been the American Community Survey part of the census. After all the flak they got for the excessive nosiness of the long form, they decided to spread it out over the ten years between censuses so they didn't have to deal with one sixth of the population screaming about it at once. The legal ground it is based on is pretty shakey. I don't think the ACS has ever been in passed legislation. The Census Bureau just counted it as a part of their power to conduct the census every ten years. They have never taken anyone to court for not filling out the ACS because they fear they might lose. The last time they fined anyone for failure to file was for either the 1960 or 1970 census, and that was for a couple people who made a very public point of not answering the census.

http://www.survivalarts.com/archives/001095.html has a very long thread about the ACS.

They might have also been doing some GPS mapping of houses. I don't know the details of it, but they were planning to do it before the 2010 census to speed up its operation next year.

[Mariner]

Commie bastards show up here today too, "verifying the dwelling still exists".

I made sure to ask "who employs you". The answer was "US Census Bureau".

I'm betting that was a lie and it was an ACORN employee...next time I'll ask for identification.

I don't think I'll tell them anything this year. Nothing.

It'll be worth the $100.

[ThreePuttinDude]

Does this sound familiar?

LOL

[richiep]

If you are to the right side of the fence and in a blue state it is preferable that you do not participate.

[raybbr]

(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...

There's the first mistake. Hasn't the WH taken over control of the Census? Therefore the law does not apply?

[Twotone]

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...

[yazoo]

“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.

[buschbaby]

I really don't understand the hostility to the people working for a living. The census hires anyone who signs up and passes the background check. They are not all ACORN members. With unemployment so high, alot of good, decent people will be working the census this year.

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.

[Fichori]

Don’t they use those numbers in redistricting?

[Grizzled Bear]

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.

[allmendream]

The U.S. Constitution calls for an ACTUAL ENUMERATION that takes the form of the national census.

If you support the Constitution, please comply with the reasonable requests of the Census that would establish an ACTUAL ENUMERATION.

I know they plan on doing a statistical extrapolation, showing the contempt that 0bama has for the actual words of the U.S. Constitution.

Let us, as conservatives, respect the words of the U.S. Constitution and comply with the census in allowing for an actual enumeration.