American Community Survey

[Kim]

Are there any organizations or lawyers willing to stand up to the government and stop a highly intrusive questionnaire from the Census Bureau called the "American Community Survey"?

[G.Mason]

How about some further info? Links etc. etc.

[G.Mason]

The American Community Survey is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.

It is a critical element in the Census Bureau's reengineered 2010 census.

The decennial census has two parts:

1) the short form, which counts the population; and
2) the long form, which obtains demographic, housing, social, and economic information from a 1-in-6 sample of households. Information from the long form is used for the administration of federal programs and the distribution of billions of federal dollars.

Since this is done only once every 10 years, long-form information becomes out of date.

Planners and other data users are reluctant to rely on it for decisions that are expensive and affect the quality of life of thousands of people.

The American Community Survey is a way to provide the data communities need every year instead of once in ten years. It is an on-going survey that the Census Bureau plans will replace the long form in the 2010 Census.

The American Community Survey is conducted under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193.

The Census Bureau may use this information only for statistical purposes. Title 13 requires the Census Bureau to keep all information about respondents strictly confidential.

Any Census Bureau employee who violates these provisions is subject to a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.

Full implementation of the American Community Survey is planned in every county of the United States, pending Congressional funding.

The survey would include three million households. Data are collected by mail and Census Bureau staff follow up with those who do not respond.

The American Community Survey will provide estimates of demographic, housing, social, and economic characteristics every year for all states, as well as for all cities, counties, metropolitan areas, and population groups of 65,000 people or more.

For smaller areas, it will take three to five years to accumulate sufficient sample to produce data for areas as small as census tracts.

For example, areas of 20,000 to 65,000 can use data averaged over three years.

For rural areas and city neighborhoods or population groups of less than 20,000 people, it will take five years to accumulate a sample that is similar to that of the decennial census.

These averages can be updated every year. Eventually, we will be able to measure changes over time for small areas and population groups.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Continuous Measurement Office Last revised: Thursday September 11, 2003

========================================================================

Ignore the mailed literature, and refuse to entertain the "Census Bureau staff follow up".

End of story.

[txdoda]

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/SQuest1.htm


LOL......Looks like the gov't has 24 pages of questions this year.....ranging from your mortgage payment to the time you leave for work.


Gov't too busy *tracking* citizens, to *track* any of the MILLIONS of illegals.

[clee1]

In 2000, I got the "long" form; I think I answered 5 questions on it. Never heard from the Census folks.

The Census Bureau can shove their yearly "long form" where the sun don't shine. I'll have no part of it.

[txdoda]

The American Community Survey is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.>>>>>>


Yea, our communities ARE changing, to most Americans it sounds like we've left our own country.

[G.Mason]

I realize it is hard to do, in this day and age, but I keep as much from the "goobers" in government as I possibly can.

"They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm.
Where life is beautiful all the time and
I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and
they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!"

[Kim]

Busybodies always come up with nice-sounding excuses to meddle where they don't belong, but when that busybody is the federal government, call me old-fashioned but I'd like to see some Constitutional authority for what they claim the right to do. Which in this case seems to be sending out as many intrusive questionnaires as they like, as often as they like, and we, peon citizens, have to answer. I believe otherwise.

[G.Mason]

" I believe otherwise."

Good for you!

If anyone asks you, maybe you will tell them the same.

I know I do.

[Kim]

Almost every session of Congress, someone introduces a bill that says, in effect, that any proposed bill introduced in Congress must specify what section of the Constitution authorizes Congress to enact that piece of legislation. Simply – that Congress acknowledge and promise to obey the Constitutional limits to its own authority. That simple proposition always fails to pass. Since Congress persistently refuses to fulfill its Constitutional duty, what the people of this country needs is some private organization willing to file lawsuits against any federal agency that acts pursuant to unconstitutional congressional legislation. Unfortunately, the “conservative” organizations that already exist seem more interested in pursuing their own specific agendas than in bringing government agencies into court to restore some semblance of Constitutional governance in this country – probably because too many of the judges they would appear before have no more interest in obeying the Constitution than the Executive or Legislative branches.

[Selecter]

I recieved this crap and sent it back telling them the only thing they were authorized to do was count how many poeple were living in the house. I told them and refused to answer the others. They sent another, I threw it in the trash. Yesterday, I got a phone call that I let the machine answer. It was a live voice from the Census Buro asking me to call them at such and such a number regarding "MY CASE NUMBER 12344-567766".

I understand refusing to answer is subject ot a 100 dollar fine for each occurance, but as a Libertarian I feel it's none of their damn business. If they push I will seek a lawyer that would like to make a case suing the Census on the grounds that since the ACS has not yet replaced the long form, they cannot regard it as the Census. The only authorization it has is that it is supposed to replace the long form in the future, and it has ont done so.

So if anyone reads thi, I may be in line to get fined and thereby sue them on constiutional grounds. I say the ACS is crap and they have no business sending it out, and Congress has no business authorizing the funding for it to exist.

Tim West
Charles Town, WV

[G.Mason]

"I recieved this crap and sent it back telling them the only thing they were authorized to do was count how many poeple were living in the house. I told them and refused to answer the others. They sent another, I threw it in the trash. Yesterday, I got a phone call that I let the machine answer. It was a live voice from the Census Buro asking me to call them at such and such a number regarding "MY CASE NUMBER 12344-567766"."

Not to place the onus on you, but I did not "tell them" anything. I'm amazed they called you.

Be so kind as to keep me updated if you get the chance.