Posted on 05/08/2009 8:06:03 PM PDT by Libloather
Census workers going door to door
By TOM MOOR, Tribune Staff Writer
Story Updated: May 8, 2009 at 6:43 PM EDT
Sharon Sheely said she received quite the scare earlier this week.
When Sheely answered a knock on her door and asked who was there, an unknown man replied only by saying, “Census.”
Believing the man appeared “questionable,” Sheely told him to leave and closed the door.
Aside from the bad manners Sheely said the man had, what she experienced is happening everywhere.
Every residence in this region will receive a visit from the U.S. Census Bureau in the next two months as census workers prepare to verify more than 145 million addresses nationwide.
While some people may already know this, it certainly came as a surprise for Sheely.
“I wasn’t aware anything like this was going on,” said Sheely, of Lakeville.
Sheely contacted The Tribune because she’s worried many people don’t know that census workers are already canvassing neighborhoods.
The effort is part of a nationwide operation to verify, update and inquire about additional living quarters on the premises of residences nationwide — the first step in assuring every housing unit receives a questionnaire in March 2010.
“In our region, they have been instructed to knock on every door,” said Muriel Jackson, spokesman for the Chicago Regional Census Center. “There may have been some instances they didn’t, but as far as I know it’s a procedure.”
South Bend has a census office, but all media inquiries were directed to the Chicago office.
Sheely was concerned because her home had recently been burglarized and she didn’t feel she could trust a stranger at her door. Sheely also mentioned the potential dangers of elderly people being targeted by people posing as census workers.
Workers can be identified by the official Census Bureau badge they carry, Jackson said. The employees will ask only to verify a housing unit’s address and whether there are additional living quarters on the property. Workers will never ask for any bank or Social Security information.
For more information about the 2010 Census, call the Census Bureau’s Partnership and Data Services Division at (312) 454-2770.
The Census Bureau is currently recruiting managers for its new offices to open this fall in each congressional district. For more information, go to www.census.gov.
Yep. Important tasks for me as well. Save the gay whales for islam t shirts are sold out !!
Nite !!
Also, telling about additional living quarters is like snitching on a tenant, invading their privacy.
Do the census workers take names?
Will they assume that my home has multiple quarters even though there isn't?
This census stuff is freaking me out.
Yup! Here in the sticks of the NJ shoreline I get restraunt menu’s stuck on my doorknob every other day!
Yup! Here in the sticks of the NJ shoreline I get restraunt menu’s stuck on my doorknob every other day!
This has happened preparatory to the Census for decades. "
Its all available at the county acessors office.
Census material is mailed.
Canvassing is a followup to data not reported by mail, or to find homeless.
Homes don't neet a personally verified GPS. Put the cursor on a residence at Google Map at 300 meters elevation.
yitbos
Preparations for the next census start the day after the last one finishes. It is a big endeavor. This time they’re trying to get it over with sooner, and one way to do that is to make sure that addresses people post do exist. When the time comes around for street canvassers (I was one in 1980) to get information from people who don’t respond by mail, they won’t spend so much time and money doing so.
The Constitution requires a census. All you have to give are the number of people who live in a house and their ages. The rest is nice to have information for the Government but not constitutionally required.
The Supreme Court has said that only an actual count can be used for reapportionment purposes. The plan seems to be to make the actual count smoother. This was planned during a Republican administration.
The Bureau itself is too slow and indifferent to detect fraud. This thing starts at the top, with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (formerly Washington State's Governor). The Bureau, however, is accepting volunteers and the occasional hiring. I just pray the ACORN Fix isn't in yet.
I just want to remind people that NOT ALL CENSUS WORKERS ARE ACORN MEMBERS!!!!
Though this may be changing with Obama’s attempt to move control of the census to the White House. However:
Please remember that:
a) There are always inaccuracies in large databases, and that’s what the census is.
b) The only way to fix those inaccuracies is to go out and check.
c) The census IS mandated in the Constitution.
That said, if a census worker asks me anything more than “do you live at xxxxxxx?” and “How many people live at the residence?” they get an answer of “I’m sorry, but that’s really none of your business.”
I have an aunt and a cousin who have worked for the census bureau for decades, and this is exactly what they do. It’s a part time job, and good for retirees who like getting out of the house and meeting people.
Mark
Mark
I had a Palin 2012 sticker but it wore out. The “don’t blame me” one is a good contrast and is more for the present situation than the future. That said, the only people who have been vocal about the stickers have been neighbors, our plumbing and heating guy, the UPS driver, misc people in parking lots - and they have all been in agreement. And this in liberal Maine. I did have a Nobama sticker peeled off in October.
I had a Palin 2012 sticker but it wore out. The “don’t blame me” one is a good contrast and is more for the present situation than the future. That said, the only people who have been vocal about the stickers have been neighbors, our plumbing and heating guy, the UPS driver, misc people in parking lots - and they have all been in agreement. And this in liberal Maine. I did have a Nobama sticker peeled off in October.
That’s good to know. I guess that the main thing here is that anything that this admin does is suspect especially since the WH has taken over the census. Personally, even if I had the time and needed some extra money, I would not sign up for this pres’ census.
I’m thinking about “Thugbuster - Acorn Division”, just to see who it gets a reaction from, and what kind.
Far as I'm concerned I already have no representation. (Pennsylvania.) Far as I'm concerned, the govt should not be asking how many toilets we own, like it did in the last census; invasive demands for personal information, delivered with implicit or explicit threats, are completely unjustifiable and they are to be resisted in every possible manner.
No good can come of what the census has become. Now 0bama's got his paws in it, and I'm confident that neither fair representation nor justice will result.
5.56mm
I am right with you. I answer the questions mandated by the purpose of the census. Other than that, I just smile and tell them no. Kill them with kindness. However, I have pulled goofs on the census on their forms that come in the mail when it comes to race and other factors. One census, my wife and I were mixed Hawaiian/Brazillian/ Hungarian and Croatian. Bet they had fun with that.
A sign at the property line reading.....
Please don’t make me angry. I am running out of places to hide dead bodies.
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