Census -- will you answer it all?

[dolfan]

I'm filling ours out tonight with just the number 3, the number living in our household. I'm interested in what you will do.

[jinjer]

I will be answering every question after the number in the household, with the answer "decline." That way I answered every question, but didn't give them any information.


Jinjer

[dbserv]

I hope people in CA do that too.

I'm going to work for them on March 29th as a Supervisor. I will be sending crews of people out into neighborhoods to get completed forms from those who either don't respond at all OR who don't answer all of the questions.


So, the more who "decline" or skip questions, the more work we have to do = the longer my job lasts = answer to prayers for work!!!


Since I will be making $18.00 per hour plus mileage, it is DEFINITELY an answer to prayer. Now, if I can just get the landlord to wait for March rent until my paychecks start coming.

After 19 months of being unemployed, the last 2 with NO benefits or $$ at all, it will be nice to have income again.

God has provided every month so we could pay the rent and eat. Still waiting on His provision and answer for this month's rent. I know it's coming, just not sure when. If the landlord will be patient, then I know it will be here when I start getting paychecks in mid-April. 3 weeks of work will allow us to pay the March & April rents.


So, DON'T send those forms in.



Oh WAIT!!! That means it will cost more tax $$ for the census to be completed. The more work we do, the more we (taxpayers) pay to get it done.

I am pulled and torn. Send it in = no work = less tax dollars. Don't send it in = MORE work = more tax dollars spent = MORE income for me.

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[soulsearcher]

I'm filling ours out tonight with just the number 3, the number living in our household. I'm interested in what you will do.

dolfan, My wife is under the impression/totally convinced (after listening to a report on Moody Radio) that we absolutely MUST answer EVERY question - or "they" will come after us and cause us serious problems.

Rush Limbaugh suggested to answer "Race" (he said "you are not going to believe the list of newly created races) with "American."

[Martha]

I like Jinjer's plan to answer with "declined." Dolfan, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the only question required by law to be answered is the number of people living in my house. Therefore, that's the only question I will answer on the form and if anyone comes to my home that's the only information they will get. That is of course, if I even answer the door!

[Paully_44]

already answered the entire form and it is in the outgoing mail for tomorrow.

[pastorables]

Tim,

Am I missing something? What is all the taboo with the Census? After all I've heard, I thought it was going to ask me a ton of personal questions, including how many guns in the home, etc... It's nothing. There is absolutely nothing on the census form that the government doesn't already know about me and my family.

What is the deal? I'm surprised that conservative pundits have made such an issue of this.

pa

[Brian]

I did ours. no biggie

[Who new]

Yes, I answered all ten excruciatingly personal questions. Much ado about nothing. Tempest in a tea cup, so to speak.

[teach]

already answered the entire form and it is in the outgoing mail for tomorrow.

me too. It took all of 1 minute to do

[Full Quiver]

I told Wendy to tell them how many people were in the house and how many were male and female. Also to check other as race and pencil in American. That's all they need to know

[MacUser]

Tim,

Am I missing something? What is all the taboo with the Census? After all I've heard, I thought it was going to ask me a ton of personal questions, including how many guns in the home, etc... It's nothing. There is absolutely nothing on the census form that the government doesn't already know about me and my family.

What is the deal? I'm surprised that conservative pundits have made such an issue of this.

pa

Don't quote Tim on Conservative pundits.

Seriously. We did the same here.. no problems and I never heard the mainstream conservative talkers say anything about the census except for where it shows "race" choose, other and insert, AMERICAN. And I only heard that on 3/17 the day after on 3/16 I had already filled mine out.

I've never heard anything about guns or personal questions? Where did this come from? This seems like some bogus forwarded emails gone generated to paint conservatives badly?

[RamboPreacher]

the only problem I thought I was going to have was about marriage. after the big deal that was made about them accepting same-sex couples as being "married", I was ready to select something other than married, since my Biblical view of marriage isn't the same as their definition of marriage.

turns out that wasn't even an option. the relationship question had wife/husband, then a subsequent question as gender. so I was able to fill it out and answer with Christian integrity; based on the questions presented.

[dolfan]

The questions that delve into personal details about your home are not sent to every home. We got the standard form only. The survey form that accompanies the Census form for a certain percentage of homes asks the more detailed questions. I do not know what those questions are.

I thought we'd get a variety of opinions here about the census. Let me say this: I'm all for the census. It is a Constitutional creation even more so than the First Amendment. What I'm not for is compelling my answers to questions beyond the "actual enumeration" of people in my home. Ask the questions, but don't color my refusal to answer them with criminality nor compel them with threat of punishment.

Here is my version of a Bill O'Reilly type of talking points on the census. The census is constitutional. A census is just a head count, an "actual enumeration" of people, according to the Constitution. But, the Constitution also gives Congress the leeway to conduct the Census in whatever manner it may decide by laws. "Manner" is how you get the counting done, not asking citizens personal information about wealth and lifestyle. The Constitution also tells Congress that it may make whatever laws about the means of carrying out its powers that are "necessary and proper". Some say that questions beyond actual enumeration are "necessary and proper". It is not a settled question in courts.

Even Congress itself, the one branch of government vested with the authority to do what is "necessary and proper", explicitly stated in 1997 that "the sole constitutional purpose of the decennial enumeration of the population is the apportionment of Representatives in Congress among the several States" (Public Law 105-119, Sec. 209(a)(1)).

Congress need not know all the stuff in the survey, then, for the constitutional function of apportionment of congressional representation in Congress. To the extent that is absolutely necessary, I'll comply. Otherwise, it may be the one way I (and each of us) can tell the evil federal government to mind its own business and that the Constitution's words actually matter.

[Full Quiver]

I have a problem with the very commercial ads that the government is running to promote the census. The ads and even the preliminary letter state that if we do not return the census then our cities, towns, and states will not get the monies they need to operate, etc.

Dolfan states exactly what the census is for, enumeration. The Congress has and is using these numbers and this very specific data to pork barrel spend. The ads try and convince the people that the purpose of the census is to know how much money your district gets when that is just the carrot in front of the horse dangled by a bunch of politicians.