[what's up]

Speaking of the census, we got an ACS (American Community Survey) from the census bureau containing all KINDS of intrusive questions.

Anyone else here ever got one?

They threaten a $500 fine for not answering but the questions are MANY and INTRUSIVE.

We've already had people call and visit saying we are legally obligated to fill it out but so far we are not going to cooperate.

[KittenClaws]

We’ve already had people call and visit saying we are legally obligated to fill it out but so far we are not going to cooperate.

________________

Tell them the dog ate it.

The census every ten years has become intrusive enough.

[paudio]

The ACS is planned to substitute the long form of Census. The questions are basically the same. Before, in every census, they have the long and short forms. The short form contains the usual questions (age, sex, relation to head, ethnicity). The long form has many more questions, including info about your house. Because census is only every 10 yrs, they drop the long form and do the ACS every year instead. Supposedly, with some sampling method, the number of residents would be comparable to that of the long form.

I believe it is compulsory to answer the census (at least the short form, as the head count is part constitutional mandate), but am not sure about survey.

[sweetiepiezer]

Here is the ACS site, they want a whole lot of info.

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/index.html

[calex59]

The fact is you don’t have to answer all the questions, only the ones pertaining to how many of you live at the particular dwelling. Questions, such as they had last census, about income etc. you don’t have to answer and the fact is the forms are supposed to be anonymous, so how can they fine you for not answering? (Answer: Because they are not really anonymous and the government wants to intrude on all parts of your life)

[MrB]

In 2000 we refused to answer the “race” question.
Census worker came out and we still refused.
I’m sure she filled it in for us from “observation”.

I should have told her Pacific Islander or something way out of whack with her “observation”.