Posted on 07/21/2005 10:59:16 AM PDT by redbaiter
Two months ago a field agent from the US Census Bureau left a business card under my door, with a note requesting an interview for a survey the Bureau does on unemployment and income. The note explained the purpose of the survey and outlined the sorts of questions that would be asked (mostly income and work-related stuff). I called him back at the number provided, told him that my income was none of his business and requested that he not contact me any more.
This was not effective, and he continued to try to contact me. So I called him back again and ordered him to cease and desist. This too was ineffective, and he continues to try and contact me even now, two months later. (In the summer I am rarely home before 9PM so he has never succeeded.)
I asked around, and it turns out he has a pattern of similar behavior.
What can I do to make this guy cease and desist?
Exactly. What system does the Census Bureau use to make certain that there are no nutjobs under their employ? The same one used by the Postal Service?
Then you're wasting your own time too, and also costing the government more money.
They're actually paid by billable hours, so if you spend an hour explaining why you're not cooperating they get paid for it; however, if you end up not cooperating you do end up hurting the census worker's productivity per hour; I don't see why someone would deliberately want to do that to someone just doing their job.
If you don't want to cooperate, simply don't open the door to them or answer their calls.
Forget all the legalistic nonsense, it will be utterly ignored by the Census and ignored by the courts, and will result only in this guy wasting his own time and money.
Everything this Census worker has done is specifically legally authorized by the US code and Census workers are specifically legally authorized to enter private property so that they can knock on a door or leave a note.
He's never produced any evidence of "harassment" other than a note on the door; ignore the notes long enough, and don't attempt to call, and they will give up (eventually.)
There are background checks and references, (that are actually contacted) and fingerprints of new employees; no convicted felons, etc. Obviously, the checks aren't to the level of say an FBI or CIA employee, but they're there.
And there are massive fines and long prison sentences for Census employess that divulge private info.
It'll take less of your time doing this than the "legal stuff", but set up an appointment with him. Then don't show. Reschedule - then fail to show. Reschedule - then don't show. Is there a pattern you detect?
Thought so. But MOST IMPORTANTLY,,,Have FUN!!!
If it's legal in your state, tape the calls and each time tell them to put you on their do not call list. I believe they can be fined for every call after you inform them to put you on their do not call list.
In any case be sure you're on the national "Do not call list" at:
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx
What legitimate use is that? The use is to help the government run un-constitutional programs, and to provide free data that corporate america would otherwise have to pay to obtain itself. The only legitimate info that the Census should ask is how many people live in your house. That's it.
me too. almost as much as "WE......THOUGHT......YOU.....WAS.....A TOAD!!!"
Another think you can do is answer the phone and after he intros himself, simply tell him you'll be right back and go about your business.
Make it his decision to not follow up with you.
Well you can start by not complaining the next time an unemployment report comes out that doesnt coincide with your preconceived notions of how the economy is doing. Its by conducting these surveys among thousands of individuals each month that the government gets the household survey that Bush was praising during the time Dems were pushing the employer based survey.
Are you a census worker?
I have been.
you sure don't understand the law!
The legal action is a $100 dollar fine, which is worth paying just to piss them off. If you give them false info the fine is $500.
I'm amazed that we're over 100 posts and I haven't seen a single FReeper mention a big dog on the front porch!
When people call to sell me something I always say "OK, let me go and get my wallet", and then I just put the phone down and go about my business. I enjoy ruining their per hour productive. If they didn't want it ruined, they shouldn't have called me.
Yeah, the old "everything not specifically authorized by the Consitution is unconstitutional" thing gets trotted out but basically everyone advocating it is a hypocrite; they've either advocated. or had benefit from, from a wide variety of government activities just as absent from the Consitution as Census surveys other than every ten years....
NASA is a good example. Do they feel the Apollo Moon Landings were unconstitutional? Not a scrap in the Constitution authorizing that or even hinting at authorizing that.
If the sole means of data collection by the government was an every 10 year headcount, there'd basically would be no ability for government to make a decision about anything.
...and even then you get the Plames, etc.
That would be a good thing, if you ask me.
No one pays this fine unless they volunteer to pay it. The Census Bureau is not going to risk taking anyone to court over this because they know the feds are overstepping their Constitutional mandate and having parts of title 13 tossed out as unconstitutional would eliminate their ability to compile this data, that can still be gathered by just talking with those willing to divulge it.
I would relish the opportunity to go to court over the $100 fine.
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