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.
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718 responses to “American Community Survey”
Read an article in TIME yesterday. Some reference to a 5K fine if people do not participate… That drumbeat is relentless. There is NOT 1 single story in mainstream media challenging the CB on information what they can legally collect, and clarification on how strongly they will pursue fines.
The CB spends lots of time developing methods to trick or bully the public. They pride themselves in being persistent. These are the same people who decided that the 2010 Census should record the population count as of April 1st, but require that the census form be returned before April 1st causing the public to guess. For most, there would be no change, for others it would thereby creating more inaccuracies for system riddled with inherent inaccuracies. OOPS! The NYT reported that only 20% of forms have been returned. Go figure.
These same people try to convince the public that the answers from the ACS and other surveys are for “the public good” or to “direct policy”. Which one of these pinheads get to decide “the public good” or “create policy”? I wouldn’t trust them to take out the garbage! They lie to get the info and lie about its intended use and then want us to trust them not to misuse the info. They’ve got to be kidding! This is to micromanage our lives because in their eyes we’re too stupid to do it without them. I don’t need the gov playing the parent to the American public.
The CB says that a “response is required”. It does not say that you have to give an accurate answer to the questions. Congress has said that the CB can ask questions but remains silent as to whether the questions should be asked. So give them a response; go to hell; get lost; not answering; or ignore them.
It appears that I may have been wrong about Vonage, but Vonage users should make sure there is nothing like “Selective Call Forward” in their options. In addition to Lingo, a company called BroadVoice also has it. See here for a description of how it works.
I believe there also other companies who have various ways of blocking or forwarding specific numbers. Just look for it.
The number you enter on the census form is not going to be their sole source of information, not by a longshot. (To user ‘Already Lied…’, I assumed this was fairly obvious when giving my advice. I’m sure nearly all readers of this forum had or have no intentions of entering their phone number on the census form.) If your number is unlisted the CB may still be able to get it. Odds are entering any bogus numbers on the form will only work for the first CB call try. If you don’t have a way to block or forward their calls you better hope they don’t have a way to get your number.
I also wouldn’t count on getting protection from any other federal agency against the CB, so don’t waste your time with Do Not Call list complaints. Also, if your cell number is listed, or it or your unlisted home number is otherwise recorded in some database which the CB has access to through legal means (Have you read all the privacy policies of the companies that have your cell number or unlisted home number?) you’re not going to get anywhere with a lawsuit there either.
Other than calling the police if a census worker refuses to leave (or returns) after you have told them they are trespassing, your legal options to stop CB harassment are likely to be limited. I would also try informing CB callers that you intend to file phone harassment charges against them individually, but in the end they may be shielded unless they get way out of line. If you have no way of blocking their calls you should record them so you have a record of any harassment, threats, or refusals to stop calling.
Check out this discussion today. Especially comments of a huge CB supporter, “Dave in NM”
If they obtained phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry from a marketing service or have obtained your private cell phone number, then they have violated Federal law. If they have called your cell phone number and you didn’t give it to them, then that’s also a civil liability. I say call a lawyer and discuss lawsuit, in such event.
Actually, the CB contacts out to a marketing company to find phone numbers on residences. The CB called me and my response was to unplug the phone. The CB has even found cell phone numbers. I just won’t make it easy for the CB.
Well then, Cathy, you don’t have to worry about them calling you if they don’t have your number.
Don’t have to give them a phone number at all. Didn’t answer anything on the ACS and won’t be answering anything on the 2010 census except the number of “persons” residing at the specified address. The rest is none of the gov’s business. When the gov pays for me to have a phone, then it can call me. Until then, it can buzz off, because I pay for the phone and will decide when and why the number is given out.
Isn’t it much easier to give them the number for the rejection hotline than to forward them to themselves? Why did you give them your real number in the first place?
Joe, vonage doesn’t do it. We have a computer which runs software which directs the call through a vonage account.