Did anyone else receive one of these? According to their web site, US Code Title 13, sections Section 141 and Section 193 your response is required by law.
In reality, those sections outline that The Secretary (who is presumably defined elsewhere) can take surveys as a part of their census process. It is Section 221 that requires you to respond:
Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided…
That’s just a crock.
Oh, sure, census information is useful and all that. It’s just the principal of it. I guess I’ll have to ask the nice lady who came to my door for some evidence that she is an authorized officer or employee of the Deparment of Commerce, or a bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of The Secretary.
Heck, I’d pay the $100 if it weren’t for Title 18, Section 3571 (allegedly Section 3559 as well, but that seems to deal with imprisonment and not monetary fines). With it on the books, the “not greater than $100” fine becomes “not greater than $5000” fine. That really blows.
Comments
718 responses to “American Community Survey”
Thanks Jeanette. If I can help relieve the panic, then I have done my job. I do recommend caller ID or just ditching the land line. The CB defines an occupied residence as one with a land line.
After refusing the ACS, I received a postal survey. I don’t do surveys or political polls. As for writing a book – hmmm. The writing I do on various anti- ACS blogs satisfies my writing need. I enjoy doing the research more.
Thanks, cathy… I’ve copied it and I’ll advise anyone I know to ignore the acs if it comes to them. And now, I’m suspicious of what’s behind every survey. Seems we’ve been getting a lot of recorded ones on the telephone that are about numerous subjects. I never respond to electronic attemps at conversing. Some of these are so rude as to go right ahead with their short survey as soon as you answer the telephone. I suppose we’lll have to get caller ID.
Have you thought about writing a book? But then you would have to be dealing with publishers that are probably benefiting from surveys themselves.
Again, thanks. I feel a lot more comfortable now with ignoring the acs and not anxious about impending fines. Keep spreading the word.
As far as it being private/confidential here is the USCB site to request the info. As far as all else, thank god for caller ID!
I received nearly 30 calls in one day alone from several different area codes after I failed to return either of the 2 “surveys” mailed to me. One voice message left me was using my real name even though my Telephone had been in my cousin’s name since we cohabited 20 years prior!
(I just kept the phone in his name – cheaper than unlisted #) proving they’re tentacles access all public records like taxes, utilities, driver’s license, hell magazine subscriptions for all I know! My only answer when/if they do knock is “One armed adult male and one dog.” L8R
Copy away. This is just a small part of the research I have done since receiving the survey. Thanks to the Freedom of Info Act, lots of the government stuff is available on-line. This info also came from published papers and power points from conferences. Data users have written books about the CB surveys. I could write more on what happens to the collected info and who uses it. Information is power; the power to know the enemy. Just as the CB studies us, I study them. I was sooooo angry about receiving the survey, that I needed to learn all I could about it and in doing so, found so much more. The housing bubble is directly connected to info collected about home ownership. The Constitution requires a population count. It does not require that we disclose our names, ages, race, gender, country of origin, home ownership or any other info about how we have constructed our lives. The more the gov knows, the more it wants to study, influence or control.
Thanks for your information… very informative/ How did you figure all this out? This really makes sense. Do you mind if I copy it?
The ACS violates the Constitution in a number of ways. Since the site with the longest running commentary (Survival Arts) is not available, it might be time for a summary of the ACS.
The ACs was developed because of the backlash from the 2000 census long form. The CB feared that the public would boycott the census because of the intrusive questions. The Cb was given permission to use “mandatory” on the ACS by the Senate subcommittee, with the stipulation that no fines would be imposed. Imagine the backlash if one person gets fined.
Look at the language used on the survey. It is designed to cause fear and panic. “Require by Law”! “Mandatory”!
The CB uses a 3 step approach to gain compliance.
First – guilt; You’ll be depriving your community of federal funds. It will be your fault that your community won’t have schools, roads, community centers because you were too selfish to supply your info.
2nd – Just like jury duty, it is your civic duty to help your community.
3rd – Required by law; You must answer the CB questions. Title 13, title 18, It’s the LAW. You’ll get fined!!!!
Baloney, baloney, baloney! Anyone applying for a government program is required to give personal info to be a part of that program. The mandates for those programs have been hijacked by the ACS to troll for individuals who qualify for those programs. The gov seems to have a problem understanding that just because a program exist, doesn’t mean that those who qualify will want to participate. Just because it is a good idea, it doesn’t mean that it should become a gov program!
The ACS is used to discover targeted profiles; elderly, residences with large families…. to inflict more surveys.
Why doesn’t the media care about this? Because the media uses the info collected to write articles. If the media prints a critical article, then the CB’s Rapid Response team will swoop in and set them straight.
Why doesn’t your elected official care about this? Well, because the CB will explain the benefits of this info for the politicians’ re-election efforts. Makes it easier to pander to constituents.
Who else wants this info? DATA- JUNKIES!
Every social, behavioral and economic scientist on the planet. These people would invade every aspect of our lives. They whine about the survey not contain more questions. A group studying marriage had the marital history questions added last year.
Marketeers just love knowing where to target advertising.
In addition to the run of the mill CB field rep, there is the Refusal Specialist. This individual tries to find out why a resident is refusing. The CB thinks that there is a way to develop additional techniques to get compliance.
So the CB’s Extortion ring uses 90 day harassment cycle to gain cooperation through any means necessary. It does end and things do go back to normal. Ignore them or tell them to get lost or get a warrant. The CB under reports the actual number of residences which refuse.
Thanks, cathy… I’m glad to know that about the fines… been searching posts on the internet to see if anyone had actually paid fines. I’ll put up with the nuisance aspect of this because we’re so against it.
Doesn’t this violate the 4th amendment?
Jeanette,
There are no fines. Anyone being fined would then have standing to bring a suit in the courts. This survey was designed to run under the radar, so that the people receiving it would feel isolated and intimidated enough to comply. I have yet to be fined after 3 years and you won’t be fined either. A court case would end this survey and the CB doesn’t want that since too many groups want the info the survey provides.
We’ve received our American Community Survey (twice) Plus reminders that it’s the law requiring us to fill it out as soon as possible and return it. I’ve called our Senator, and it was suggested I write requesting a change or amendment in Title 13 us code section 141 and 193. I’ve done that; listing the reasons we’re against this inquisition and we will not be responding. I’m not contacting the 800 number given on the survey “if we have any questions”, hoping that might eliminate some of their follow up tactics.
I’m not usually a confrontational type of person, but this survey is appalling!
If we are going to be harrassed about this, I’ll contact the media. I’d be intererested if there’s any group of people getting legal help to avoid fines, harrassment, and to make this threatening survey illegal.
Thank goodness for this site where I can see we’re not alone in our indignation and outrage.
If we go down, it will be protesting to the end. Bring it on!
UPDATE: Just had visit #8. Must be a different person as this one had teeth. I had the camcorder ready and opened the door. The nice lady politely asked me if I had received the ACS and I politely told her I was not participating in it. She then asked if she could ask me 3 questions and I told her she could ask me 1: How many people live here? With that said, she said thank you and goodbye.
I know some people may think that resisting the census and ACS is silly, but it really isn’t. We have rights, and we must protect them from those that would try to take them.