"Um, I filled it out twice". I have a five year old. That is just crazy. Q: Has the government prosecuted persons for refusing to answer the American Community Survey? "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who who have the courage to defend it." NO ONE EVER GETS IN TROUBLE for refusing to answer. During such calls the survey taker reminds the resident that compliance with the ACS is mandatory. Subscribe to GovDelivery email updates to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events about the American Community Survey. How do we know who these people actually are? The law does not say you have to answer their questions (so don't). This questionnaire id just too personal and invasive of ones rights as a citizen in any country, let alone (supposedly) "The Land of the Free and The Brave" did Cheney, Bush, McCain, Obama fill one out? ", Where did this information come from and why is it on the news? Three times they were soaked standing at my door. PLEASE let's get them back once and for all! what the hell??? I thought the purpose of census was for representation purposes. For example, in 2013 after the 2010 census, Florida gained two seats in the House, while New York lost two. On Monday, a worker left a letter at my door advising he would return again. I was told that they get thousands of calls per day of people complaining about the ACS. So I stand up to them and say NO, you don't need my private information in order to serve me better! I ripped it up and threw it away. Thetwo statutes at most give the Defendants the authority to conduct a post-census statistical adjustment to ensure the accuracy of the decennial Census, the suit argues. The present state of affairs is a direct result of our collective ignorance. The government is doing nothing wrong! I still am in my boxers since I just woke up and surely was not prepared for a slew of questions from this guy who was getting paid my tax money to invade my privacy). Protect yourselves and your privacy, don't complete the form! At that point I stepped in and said goodbye. I called the number left on the card and told the enumerator the Constitutional, Article 1, Section 2 as follows: "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct.". She was a little surprised how I knew things about her. That seems to be the end of it, but only time will tell. The ACS is a legitimate survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which is part of the Department of Commerce. I am a tax paying, hard working citizen, who would die fighting for my country and my rights, but didn't our forefathers already settle this fight? ACS is relatively new, it has merely replaced the "long form," as it was known, of the decennial census, which has been around for a very long time, and asked similar questions. The last time I looked, American's had the right to privacy. This is way too intrusive. Objections to the ACS include the personal nature of some of its questions and, despite government assurances to the contrary, associated confidentiality issues. Departments. Apr 15 -- The Census Bureau invites comments to OMB by May 16, 2022 on the three-year extension of the American Community Survey and the Puerto Rico Community Survey. They will report any threats or harassment (allegedly), so be careful how you respond to them. I ignored the phone when it rang. I have yet to fill one out. A: The ACS is not sent to all households. The less you say to them the faster they stop bothering you. I had already been a victim of identity theft. I filled out my form sent it back and now i am getting harassed by the census bureau calls of at least eight a week! the Supreme Court's decisions over the years has established that the rights to privacy is a basic human right, and as such is protected by virtue of the 9th amendment. The highly sensitive personal information provided on the ACS form gets keyed into a master data bank. I feel like that in itself is an invasion of my privacy. I have little doubt that the ACS data is already in Israel's possession. (We filled out and mailed our census form as soon as we received it.) Now, I want to know how we go about suing these senseless census idiots! Let me get this straight: we cannot ask an illegal alien for papers because of racial profiling but we can try to force american citizens to fill out the ACS which has profiling information in every question? They do not give the Defendants the limitless power to compel Plaintiffs to produce personal information or opinions to Defendants.. Well, for all who are posting to this blog saying it is our civic duty, that its just a few questions on the census, that we should just go ahead and answer the questions, let me say this: this is not a census. He came by every hour starting at 6 Thursday. Now I wish I hadn't answered her on the phone. Direct taxes are inherently unfair because one state, with ten percent of the population, might be one of the richest states while another state, with the same percentage of the population, might be one of the poorest. Came back the very next day, and told my husband that he has full authority to open it and if we don't comply then we will be fined anywhere from $100-5000, and the marshal would be accompanying him tomorrow to arrest my husband if we don't comply. I completed the regular census and destroyed the ACS. US Census, American Community Survey data collection: Beneficial, or I am so thankful for this website! Overall, the lawsuit says that [n]othing in these statutes gives Defendants the authority to compel Plaintiffs to speak when Plaintiffs invoke their First Amendment right to refrain from speaking by refusing to answer the American Community Survey.. I am only a man, a man who believes in his liberties and will stand against this government crap! You would have done well in the SS. The enumeration is *solely for the purposes of elected representative apportionment* I told her the ACS is a violation of the Constitution and I did not believe it would be used to "provide" me schools or hospitals or fire stations, but rather to spy on me. Nobody is listening -- another reason not to send in the ACS. Thank you, Poster 188. I just hope one of them won't be on my 'case.'. By the way, the is a new grassroots site that is just starting called Town Roots. According to the letter, responses to the "American Community Survey" help communities to decide where important services are needed, including improving roads and reducing traffic, building. We didn't receive phone calls first, we had two visits at 7 p.m. from this lady with her little laptop. A March 2021 national survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that of 1300 HCWs, 48% had not received the COVID-19 vaccine. Our surveys provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about the nation. We are getting a camera for the outside of our home this week, so we will be ready. If I have 1, 2 or even 3 people in my house, that is all I need to give. The Census Act of 1976 specifically prohibits the use of statistical sampling in the creation of congressional districts. As a result, they are subject to monetary fines for doing nothing more than keeping the private details of their lives private.. i have nothing to hide but i shouldn't be forced to tell anyone anything and that's what makes me mad!!! Abcarian: Mask mandates? COVID origins? Why are we still having these Oh, the reason he came back? Don't fill it out. But I will not tell you when I leave for work and about the medical condition of my relatives. This government is OUT OF CONTROL! Table from ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, released by American Community Survey. answers to this "anonymous" survey, my information would necessarily be identifiable, perhaps through my address, for at least some period of time. a race is a competition with winners and losers being monitored by individuals who are not in the running. He gave his name and the number of people living here and refused to answer anything else. The ACS is not part of the enumeration required by Article I of the Constitution, and that constitutional provision only applies to a census for purposes of counting the number of people in each state. Be sure to document any interactions you have with Bureau representatives for your own files. Again, the the next morning, he left papers in my door that were printed off the internet about why the census is important. He claims we need to answer the long form the ACS, etc. New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox. Movies. Estimates: 1-Year. I'm sorry but this survey almost asks me how many times I pee in a day. State that you have not made up your mind yet and will get back with them (think "slow roll"). What you guys who love to quote the constitution fail to take into account are all of the amendments the government has quietly put in since it was first written. Thomas Jefferson. Beyond principle, I work in the defense of our nation as a senior leader and have good reason to be concerned. but who gets the census??? After the first couple of letters I received I started getting harassing phone calls from them. I told her to get a US Marshal with a warrant. Whether I'm white, black, hispanic, etc., or whether I own or rent my home, makes as much difference to the count of legal U.S. citizens as not having to show your legal or illegal status as a U.S. citizen. Ha! according to the constitution it limits the government's ability to do anything but enumerate. I just did not answer the door (a habit with any unscheduled visitor so not hard for me). 3) If by some chance they go for it, ask them the most embarrassing, asinine, or silly questions you can think of. Now there was the random insanely long, for one out of four, which I think is totally unfair. We haven't been bothered since. Please confirm. The Rutherford Institute has developed a form letter that you may use in standing up against the governments attempt to force you to disclose personal information. In an age when the government has significant technological resources at its disposal to not only carry out warrantless surveillance on American citizens but also to harvest and mine that data for its own dubious purposes, whether it be crime-mapping or profiling based on race or religion, the potential for abuse is grave. Quite honestly, you are not that important. In 2000 I refused to fill mine out.