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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Taking a Stand

Have you recently received one of these in the mail?

Well as Hubby and I looked through it....I began to question the reason for it and if indeed it was REQUIRED by law.

Here it what I found...
Article 1, Seciton 2 of the Constitution of the United States requires that an "enumeration" shall be conducted every ten years 'in a manner as [Congress] shall by law direct." The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states that the enumeration shall consist of "counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed." and there have not been any amendment to the Constitution giving Congress the authority to require any more information than that.

This "survey" asks every PERSONAL question you can imagine.... even what time you left for work last week down to the minutes!!


Well folks I don't know about you but I am OFFENDED at this audacity! Just tell me why the government needs to know how far I live from where I work, what kind of gas I use how much my bills are, When I married, have I been divorced, what my education is, how long I have lived where I am, My military record and on and on....and please show me in the Constitution where they have the right to be asking me these question and threatening me with a penalty.


Here's a quote for you
"The number of questions in the decennial census has varied widely since the first in 1790, where census takers logged the name, gender, and race or each member of a household, to 2000, where a multi-page form with dozens of questions was sent to one out of every six households. In 2010, the Census Bureau trimmed the questionnaire to just the basics: name, gender, race, and ethnicity or each person, and whether the dwelling was owned, rented, or "occupied without payment of rent."
A more detailed list of questions, called the American Community Survey (ACS), is sent to selected households in addition to the shorter headcount forms and in non-decennial years to allow the Bureau to do statistical sampling. According to the Census Bureau, about 3 million households are selected to receive the ACS each year.
The law requires, in the case of both the decennial census and the ACS, that all households that get a form must fill it out in its entirety, under penalty. Generally speaking, the Census Bureau is not interested in levying the fine, and prefers to gather the data. If a survey is not returned, the Census can follow up by phone or with a personal visit. There is, however, the threat of a penalty for non-response. The current penalty is $100 for failure to fill out the census forms."
 
 
 
 
As for me and my house.....we filled out the first two pages as what we deemed we were requirerd by law.
 
 
 

5 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

I thought that happened in 2010...is it legit? sandie

Nonnie said...

We did not receive anything like that.

Nancy said...

I haven't received one, but one of my knitting friends did about two months ago. Like you, they wondered if it was legit. I keep forgetting to ask her if they completed it.

Granny Annie said...

Hope we aren't going to be among the 3 million selected. Wonder how you guys make the cut?

Far Side of Fifty said...

the Museum got one..I gave it to the Treasurer to figure out. Our Govt at it's finest:(