Story Comments
Posted by: nostalgia 5 months, 4 weeks ago
This page is a permanent archive of the comment below and its replies.
To view this comment in the context of the full discussion for the story, use this link.
-

nostalgia5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Did any of you even bother to look at the questions on the long form?
Reply
Is this person deaf or does he/she have serious difficulty hearing?
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have serious difficulty concentrating,remembering, or making decisions?
Does this person have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping?
What kind of work was this person doing? What were this person’s most important activities or duties?
At what location did this person work LAST WEEK?
How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK?
What time did this person usually leave home to go to work LAST WEEK?
How many minutes did it usually take this person to get from home to work LAST WEEK?
How many automobiles, vans, and trucks of one-ton capacity or less are kept at home for use by members of this household?
How many separate rooms are in this house, apartment, or mobile home?
Which FUEL is used MOST for heating this house, apartment, or mobile home?
About how much do you think this house and lot, apartment, or mobile home (and lot, if owned) would sell for if it were for sale?
How many times has this person been married?
In what year did this person last get married?
This goes well beyond counting the number of people in the US-

GWHayduke5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
You are not required to answer ALL or ANY of the questions.
Reply
As if the Gestapo would personally be knocking on your door with armed guards ready to haul you away at the first indiscretion.
And being the good iconoclasts the obstructionists are, why not just lie?
Much ado about nothing.-

aceofspades15 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
"You are not required to answer ALL or ANY of the questions"
Reply
I received a copy of the questionaire & it states in no uncertain terms that by LAW it must be filled & returned.
Well I have to admit I am currently a Federal law breaker - I refuse to answer these intrusive questions. The government knows enough about me already.
If the questionaire was anonymous and only keyed to the zip zone perhaps I would answer it, but the first question asked is --name?
I am not being paranoid, but I thought that as an American I was entitled to some degree of privacy-

GehlLady5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
ace,
Reply
Is this the actual census form? I've seen a reference to the American Community Survey that only goes to a fraction of homes, and I couldn't determine if it was mandatory or optional.
In either case, I will refuse to answer it.
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about_2010_censu... -
-

aceofspades15 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
GW - the Community Survey is the form I am referring to, not the census in general which is much less intrusive.
Reply
The Community Survey is a random mailing to the adress, but I is manatory to fill in your name & to return it with required answers.
If you can see one, you might agree with me that answering some of the questions could impinge upon our 5th & 14th amendment rights.
But given the atmosphere of paranoia generated by the previous administration, I may be over-reacting, so be it.
-
-
-
-

nostalgia5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Before spouting such nonsense you should at least visit the Census website:
Reply
3) Do I have to answer the ACS questions?
Yes. Response to this survey is required by law (Section 221 of Title 13). Respondents
are required to answer all questions on the ACS to the best of their ability. Your answers
are very important because they represent the answers of many other similar households
in your community. The data that you and others provide in response to this survey are
required to manage or evaluate federal and state government programs. If you submit an
incomplete form or provide data that are unclear, the Census Bureau may contact you by
phone or in person to obtain or clarify the missing information.
10) What are the penalties if I do not respond to the survey?
Both Title 13 and Title 18, United States Code, provide for monetary penalties for failure
to respond. Title 18, U.S.C., Section 3551, et seq., the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984,
establishes uniform penalties for all federal crimes. Title 13 U.S.C., Section 221, makes
it a misdemeanor to refuse or willfully neglect to complete the questionnaire or answer
questions posed by census takers and imposes a fine of not more than $100. This fine is
changed by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 from $100 to not more than $5,000.
The Census Bureau is not a prosecuting agency. Failure to provide information is not
likely to result in a fine. The Census Bureau staff work to achieve cooperation and high
response rates by helping the public understand that responding to the ACS is a matter of civic responsibility, and prefers to encourage participation in this manner rather than prosecution.
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/CT_%20answ...
-
-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Go ahead and boycott the census then, nostalgia.
Reply
Not only will undercounting Republicans cause their states to receive fewer federal dollars as stated in the article, but it'll also cause Republican-majority states to lose representatives in Congress.
Did you ever hear the term "cutting off your nose to spite your face"?-

GehlLady5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Beau,
Reply
It is a violation of our right to privacy. I may be drifting off into 'conspiracy land', but I don't see this as Dem/Rep. I see it as a way to population control.
The hand that feeds you also controls whether or not, and what you are allowed to eat.-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
It's useful information for creating policy--spending decisions are sometimes made on such information.
Reply
While the hand that feeds you may control what you can eat, if it doesn't know you exist you don't eat at all; if it doesn't know what you eat it may try to feed you something you don't eat.-

dgoodii5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
They already have violated the Constitution in so many ways and you see this as a way for them to better continue violating it in the future. Streamline spending money in areas and on things not in their constitutional scope.
Reply
Second the government doesn't have the right or the place to feed anyone, outside of those serving to protect the Country. The use of massive amounts of data to address needs and control the people is just one reason not to fill out the sheet completely. Other then census, number of legal or illegal persons residing somewhere, what do they really need to adjust electoral college and legislative representation levels. The census is not there to adjust payments and program levels, it is there to insure proper representation levels as the demographics of the country change with time. As States loose population so will they loose their level of representation in the House, decreasing their influence on legislation.
The individual census forms are sealed for 72 years, if they don't vote to change the law. (92 Stat. 915, Public Law 95-416, enacted on October 5, 1978) But the data is still there for the wrong government to violate the trust of the people. It is only a recent trend to collect more data then number of household members and head of households name.-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Yes, the census doesn't have to do all the things it does. But the government is going to do it anyway, and like it or not, it does affect the services you receive.
Reply
Refusing to answer may protect your privacy--though I'd bet most (if not all) of the information you want to protect is already in the hands of marketers--but it ultimately deprives you of government services or wastes money by making those services that you're already paying for less efficient.-

dgoodii5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Status quo is all that matters, insure you stick it to someone before they stick it to you. The very problem with the system now, how much can you take from it to get re-elected. This only destroys and hurts us all
Reply
"But the government is going to do it anyway, and like it or not, it does affect the services you receive."---
Only as long as the sheeple like you allow them to get away with it or take advantage of it.-
-
-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
You never use "preferred customer" cards or store credit cards or register more expensive items you buy? You never fill out any kind of form that gives information to anyone you do business with?
Reply
If you receive coupons in the mail, chances are some data collection firm has been watching your purchasing preferences and targeted you.
Your phone company knows who you call or text and how long you speak to people. Your electric and gas companies know your usage patterns. Your ISP nows every website you visit. Credit card companies and banks have lists of everything you purchase.
There's simply no way to keep your personal information out of the hands of marketers, regardless of your presence on "do not call" lists or any attempt you make to keep your info private. Every transaction you make is recorded somewhere, and almost every one of the companies you do business with collects and sells that information in various ways. Most of that data is far less secure than anything you tell the government on the census form.-

nostalgia5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
You never use "preferred customer" cards or store credit cards or register more expensive items you buy? You never fill out any kind of form that gives information to anyone you do business with?
Reply
No I don't. How about you? As far as purchases - almost all are cash now
As far the the remainder of your comment - that isn't the question you originally posed -
"Do you never give any information to marketers?"
And you do know that you can opt out of having any information shared, don't you?
Have you bothered to do that?
Have you ever received the long census form?-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
My point was that more of your information is out there than you could ever imagine.
Reply
You can opt out of having some information shared by some companies, not all. And even that only keeps them from sharing your information if they actually abide by their own policies--you'd never know it if they broke their own rules by sharing your information against your wishes.
I work in marketing--you wouldn't believe what information is regularly collected and sold.
Yes, I've received the long census form and answered the questions. Never was that information used in any way I'm aware of. On the other hand, after registering a new television with the manufacturer and after using the preferred card at the grocery (and thereby saving about 10% on all purchases), I've noticed a distinct increase in marketing solicitations and junk mail.
-
-
-
-

dgoodii5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
I do not get bothered by them at all, and no I tend to deal face to face with people I intend to do business with. So marketers get no information other then when I purchase products from companies they assist, no phone numbers only zip code info to retailers. Having the phone ring all day for things or phishing for info is a waste of my time.
Reply
If you do not resist every usurping attempt then why resist any.-

Beau78905 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
I agree you have to be very careful about what you give retailers, but most of your info is out there in one form or another. See my reply above to nostalgia.
Reply
Privacy is one of the things we give up just by living in the modern world--it can't really be helped if you're not entirely self-sufficient and never do business with others, or don't pay cash every time you buy something.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

nostalgia5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Beau, did I say I was boycotting - stop making things up!
Reply
I don't mind answering the basic 7 questions BUT the long form questions are very intrusive
That's all they need to determine representation
Have you ever received the long form?
I worked for the census in 2000 just to see how it worked. Believe me it verged on harassment if the long forms were not filled completely out
-
-
-
-

dgoodii5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
When, over the course of many years.
Reply
By whom? The Census Bureau which is a congress created entity to administer the census every ten years, in recent years to collect and tabulate data for other uses. Controlling the data so it can not be used directly against anyone or any group.
-
-
-

dgoodii5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
People are just waking up to the fact that there is no real privacy anymore. This is just part of taking back control of every day life from government. The less they know the less they can control, much like the Constitution intends for the US government.
Reply
This is the first year for the ACS, implemented in 1995, believe to replace the long form which people had been disliking and return levels had declined. Not sure this is just to be used every ten years though, not sure this is truly just for census purposes. It is part of the US Code, so they have laws requiring it be returned, they also follow up with calls or representatives. -

nostalgia5 months, 4 weeks ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
The long form with the intrusive questions is not sent to everyone - just a statistical sample
Reply
I never knew the long form existed until we received one in the 2000 census
The questions this year on the long form are much more intrusive
-
-
People Who Liked This Comment (4)
People Who Didn't Like This Comment (3)
Submit a Story
Advertisement

loading ...
Post Reply
You are not signed in to Propeller.com. Please sign in to post a reply.