Posted on 05/28/2010 10:27:52 PM PDT by Kevin in California
Can someone please tell me the pros (are there any?) and cons (I'm certain there's plenty)of the census?
I didn't send mine in but have had an idiot coming to my house the last couple weeks or so. I finally faced him and told him legally I only had to answer one question and that is how many people live in my household. Am I required to answer anything more than that?
Constitutional law?
The census is required by the Constitution every ten years for purposes of reapportionment of seats in the US House. In addition to that simple purpose, by statute and regulation, a “long form” version of the census includes numerous additional questions for planning and survey purposes. Most people are only sent the traditional short form census questionnaire.
For special interest groups to take money out of your wallet and put it in their checking accounts.
The legitimate purposes of the census are long gone. It’s now a political tool. Now that the cenus is under the control of the White House, I suspect the information provided will be used for nefarious purposes. I don’t trust the current occupant of the White House or any of his henchmen.
The Census has been conducted for scores of years. It is used, basically, to determine size and number of Congressional Districts.
Info gathered is restricted for 72 years.
On a personal note, I have enjoyed looking at past census records and seeing how my family lived, and their occupations in 1920 and 1930. If I live that long, in a few years, I’ll be able to see my first recorded census notation.
I have seen census records for my family in Norway as well.
Do what you want, but understand, there has been a census in this country for many generations.
You are not only not required to answer even that, but he didn't have any authority to knock on your door in the first place.
Read and learn the truth: Census 2010 and the Law
GPS Coordinates.
I’ve looked at census records for my ancestors going back to the 1840s.
Name, date of birth, birthplace, occupation, and place within the family (father, mother, son, daughter, etc.) were there 170 years ago.
So counting is important, but so is making sure people aren’t counted twice is important, too.
mostly to do away with the constitution...but also to make it impossible for anyone working class to survive.
All my husband told the census worker, was the neighbors first name, said he didn't know his last name or anything about him.
They are relentless, makes it seem like this census thing is more than just the ten year count, like Bambi wants more out of it than any other president has in the past!!!
Sadly for my neighbor, we have Ms. Busy-Body on our street (every neighborhood has one) and she pulled out a note pad & was telling the census guy plenty!
We have kidded for years that SHE keeps notes on all of us & now we know she really does!!!
Oh forgot, the census worker also asked my husband if the neighbor had a loan on his house! My husb. said “how do I know?” Seems like they are asking more than they need to!!!
The questions dealing with race and home ownership have to do with the Community Reinvestment Act.
There seems to be an unusual emphasis on the various sub-groups of Hispanics to the extent that Hispanic is not a race by their definition.
White is a race to them and the number of sub-groups far out-number
brown folk. They have no desire to be more specific, even though this would be of great interest to genealogists and those who study migration, which is their excuse for asking the race question in the first place.
I’m pretty sure they want the breakdown of latinos so they can gerrymander and prepare for amnesty before the 2010/2012 elections.
If you believe the information you supplied is “locked up” for 72 years, I guess you still believe in the Tooth Fairy too! This “locked up” thing is about as solid as the Social Security “Lock Box”.
You did exactly as I did. I answered the one question about how many people lived here as of April 1. I told him the remainder of his long form was not required, and was an invasion of my privacy. He admitted that the information is to “help determine social programs”. I told him “No offense, but we are finished here” and sent him on his way.
Legally, yes you are supposed to answer all questions. Practically, no, since they have never prosecuted anyone for not answering.
I answered only number of people in 2000. I answered more, but not all, this year for genealogical purposes. I skipped race, birth dates, home ownership status, etc.
And tell your neighbors to respect your privacy, because they will go to them to ask about you if you do not answer directly.
Officially, there is no “long form census” anymore. It was converted to the American Community Survey, which is a long form sent monthly to a few thousand households. The official 2010 Census was one form, with about 10 questions.
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