[MsLady]

Is there a Constitutional lawyer out there??? This is making me mad. This is so intrusive.

[Maverick68]

bump

[wolfcreek]

Given the government’s tendency to overstep the bounds of the Constitution, I say screw em.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

"when necessary for governance."

Why would it be "necessary for governance" to determine how much my net worth is?

Why would it be "necessary for governance" to determine what religion I consider myself?

Questions that would be "necessary for governance" would be: How many people reside here? What are their ages? How long have they lived here?

From that pool of data, all issues of governance can be determined.

[apillar]

Simple, regardless of the constitutionality, if you want to comply with the census then fill it out and send it in, if you don't then don't.

Although they threaten, Nobody has EVER been prosecuted for not completing the census and won't be because they are afraid the public backlash would actually decrease compliance.

[Tublecane]

“does not prohibit the gathering of other statistics, if ‘necessary and proper,’ for the intelligent exercise of other powers enumerated in the constitution, and in such case there could be no objection to acquiring this information through the same machinery by which the population is enumerated.”

I’m no constitutional scholar, but even I know “does not prohibit” is a far cry from “grants the power for”. As far as I’m concerned, the government can go ahead and try to collect statistical data, but it has no authority to compel my participation beyond a certain point.

[ravingnutter]

IMHO, given the info provided, the key phrase is “necessary for governance”. Therefore they don’t need to know anything beyond how many people are in a home which determines districts. I’d maybe give them ages and race, but beyond that, knowing how many guns, doors or toilets I have is not necessary for “governance”.

[digger48]

Dan Burton, today on the radio, told callers to only fill out what they felt was not intrusive if they wish and refer future contact by the Census to his office.

[ken21]

my wife and i completed the name, address, sex, age etc but not the other stuff and mailed it in.

we have got nightly calls from the census bureau for at least a month.

[Jacquerie]

Title 13, U.S. Code, does not specify which subjects or questions are to be included in the decennial census. However, it does require the Census Bureau to notify Congress of general census subjects to be addressed 3 years before the decennial census and the actual questions to be asked 2 years before the decennial census.

Once again, Congress unconstitutionally assigns its Article I Section 1 duty to exercise all legislative power. Much of what we wail against is far more from the Code of Federal Regulations (untouchable, unelected bureaucrat made regulations) than from direct law passed by our Congress-clowns.

[Cyber Liberty]

Care to have a look at this?

[Pharmboy]

As far as I can see in the Constitution, all they are entitled to is an "enumeration" of the populace so they can set the number of congresscritters. The other stuff is none of their bidness (the race stuff and any other personal questions).

Please correct me if I'm wrong...

[Verginius Rufus]

Since Jefferson was in France at the time, I don't think he had much to do with the decision to have a census every ten years.

Since the House of Representatives was going to give states different numbers of representatives based on their population, it was necessary to determine the population, so a census was mandated...despite the ominous example of what happened when David took a census (2 Samuel 24).

[moondoggie]

My net worth is between me and the IRS ONLY.

[Sequoyah101]

There are about 80 people living in my house. I think. Do you mean right this minute or people that have lived here over some time period? Does that include plants?

I’m not really sure, I get so confused about these hard questions.

[ops33]

OK, if its legal for the Census to ask all those questions, does that mean I have to answer the questions?

[Osage Orange]

So....I just had my doorbell rang...by a lady handing me my Census Form.

So why does it take a “special person” to deliver it?

Heck....I’ve been sent at least 3 notices it was coming....

And I’ve seen T.V. commercials it’s coming....I don’t need a person handing it to me, and explaining what it’s about...I’m not stupid.( Can we still use that word? )

Why some poor moron ringing my doorbell to hand it to me?....Do they not trust the Post Office to deliver it? Is this one of the jobs that’s been created?

I quickly read it....and it’s totally racist!! ROFLOL!!!

I wrote in a black ( Probably a mistake...) MARKS A LOT....”One Person Lives Here” and mailed it in.

I figure I will probably get another moron at my front door....in the weeks ahead.