Census workers can enter your apartment in your absence
Thousands of census workers, including many temporary employees, are fanning out across America to gather information on the citizenry. This is a process that takes place not only every decade in order to complete the constitutionally-mandated census; but also as part of the continuing “American Community Survey” conducted by the Census Bureau on a regular basis year in and year out.
What many Americans don’t realize, is that census workers — from the head of the Bureau and the Secretary of Commerce (its parent agency) down to the lowliest and newest Census employee — are empowered under federal law to actually demand access to any apartment or any other type of home or room that is rented out, in order to count persons in the abode and for “the collection of statistics.” If the landlord of such apartment or other leased premises refuses to grant the government worker access to your living quarters, whether you are present or not, the landlord can be fined $500.00.
That’s right — not only can citizens be fined if they fail to answer the increasingly intrusive questions asked of them by the federal government under the guise of simply counting the number of people in the country; but a landlord must give them access to your apartment whether you’re there or not, in order to gather whatever “statistics” the law permits.
In fact, some census workers apparently are going even further and demanding — and receiving — private cell phone numbers from landlords in order to call tenants and obtain information from them. Isn’t it great to live in a “free” country?
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1,749 comments Add your comment
herbstine
May 28th, 2010
8:11 am
The part that annoys me the most is the waste & incompetence. I got the Census packet, filled it out & sent it off. 2 weeks later, I get another identical one. What the hay, I filled it out & sent it off also. Last week I find one of those “Sorry I missed you” notes form a census taker in my package box. They want me to call long distance to make an appointment. I pay thousands of dollars every year to the Feds & this is the clown act they come up with for the census?
Census officials can enter your apartment in your absence « Rights.com
May 28th, 2010
8:13 am
[...] officials can enter your apartment in your absence 28May0 “Census workers …are empowered under federal law to actually demand access to any apartment or any other type of home…” Posted under Constitution, [...]
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 28th, 2010
8:13 am
Hey you lame-oid Libs>>>>
Why are you so hysterical about Barr’s “accuracy”? If he IS wrong (which he isn’t), who cares if he’s “fearmongering”. What the hell difference would it make to your tiny little torpid lives?
Me thinks you protest WAaaaaay to much, because he has OBVIOUSLY hit a nerve.
There is a streak of fear in your little rants against Barr that just tickles my a$$.
Keep it up. You guys are pathetic.
And hysterical in more ways than one.
Fox Newsers
May 28th, 2010
8:14 am
It’s so easy to spot the Fox News watchers in these threads. Just keep on repeating what domestic terrorists like Hannity tell you to say. Baaaah, sheep. Baaaah.
John W
May 28th, 2010
8:16 am
Reply to Lance Cordill – #$@% you and your constitutionally mandated job – you come to my house and act like a goon who is ‘empowered’ to try and bully me I will put my foot in your @#$. You act like a human being instead of a monkey then you will get your information quite easily. Your comment: “Most of us are your neighbors that you do not even know live right next to you.” That means you are probably all jerks (I know all my neighbors) to begin with and you get off on the thought of being able to hold authority over others (which by the way is NOT ‘constitutionally mandated’). You wanker – hehe!
Tom Palka
May 28th, 2010
8:18 am
That is shocking to me. It isn’t true..I was taught as a crew leader and worked as an enumerator. We were told NOT to enter a non-occupied apartment, nor even look into the windows of a home. You can ask a neighbor (proxy) about a non-response address, but never enter without permission from the individual occupant.
Fox Newsers
May 28th, 2010
8:18 am
GOOOoooooo DAWGS! Baaaaaah! Baaaaaah! Keep it up, kiddo. The conservative brain is a fascinating specimen. It’s run foremost by fear. You are an impotent little child, kid.
RallyG, did Boortz tell you to say that? Keep on repeating whatever you get told to say. They love it when you idolize them. They love it when they have complete control over the people. “Two people live here.” Hurrrr…drrrrr.
Tucker
May 28th, 2010
8:21 am
i don’t believe this for a minute. what does gaining access to an apartment or rental property do to count persons living there? Please provide sources.
The real issue on the census is how it is being run. Stories of people being hired and fired over-and-over are emerging that indicate it is a big cluster and turning to a political tool to overcount in some areas (democrat) and undercount in others so that the northeast liberal base doesn’t lose seats.
There are going to be huge lawsuits over this thing because it is not being done correctly, regardless if they have the power to get in to a vacant apartment or not.
Fox Newsers
May 28th, 2010
8:21 am
John W…ooooh. Threats of violence. Wow. You sound scary. Oh wait. No, that’s not it. You sound insecure, impotent, and unstable. In other words, you sound like the typical conservative.
Gerry Eggers
May 28th, 2010
8:21 am
Enter your comments here
Bob Barr is totally wrong. I am a census enumerator and our instructions are very clear.You do not enter a private residence unless invited and a citizen is not required to answer any questions. The main task of the census is to count people not invade someones privacy. Any statements contrary to this are outright lies.
jay
May 28th, 2010
8:24 am
I am working on the Census currently. There is no way I am entering someones residence without an invitation from the occupant. Even then I am only going in as far as necessary to complete the interview.
All I ask from an apartment owner is access to the common hallway.
If anybody is demanding access to your home call the Police.
concerned mom
May 28th, 2010
8:24 am
I got a call from the census one night at 9. I was told even though I filled out the form and sent it back, they needed to verify how many people lived in my house as if I did not know and needed help figuring it out. I said I do not have the ten minutes of my time that would be required to answer questions. The next afternoon I got a call from the census and was told they would keep calling me until I answered. I told them I knew how many people were in my home and did not need to be asked. She stated that the census bureau would keep calling until I answered. I put her on speaker phone so my husband could hear. She asked me questions for ten minutes – did anyone live in a mental institution or was incarcerated during the last year etc. They were all variations of how many live in my house as if she could trick me into answering differently.
I never thought that the federal government would threaten law abiding people with a threat that they would harass me until I answered questions that I had already answered. We complained to our senators and have not received a response yet.
John W
May 28th, 2010
8:25 am
Fox Newsers – hehe – NOT a conservative – talk about being a sheep – you still stuck in the left-right paradigm?? Sucks to be you……
(by the way not threats of violence you troll)
DJ
May 28th, 2010
8:25 am
doesn’t matter if you fill out the form, send it in a week before the date recommended, they come by anyway!
then they say they lost the form.
doesn’t matter, they’ll make up the numbers anyway, they don’t want to lose any seats in Congress or any Federal Money!
Then they’ll audit more people in the Prvate Sector, trying to make a living, and levy additional taxes!
Yvonne
May 28th, 2010
8:27 am
I am a census worker and I DO NOT even WANT to enter someone’s abode. I am afraid of what will happen to me. It is people like you Bob that make it difficult for us to do our jobs. Most of us are honest retired people or housewives just trying to make a little extra money to help out in an economy that no longer supports us.
Jean
May 28th, 2010
8:28 am
Get a grip . . . it is down to being a 1 page questionnaire. Very few questions-less than in the past.
How would like the government to “guess” how to spend the tax dollars in your community!!
JON
May 28th, 2010
8:29 am
I ran off the census taker because he said I did not fill out the form correctly. I said really, because under the Constitution, you only need to know how many people live here, and I gave my answer. He tried argueing, so I handed him a pocket size Constitution and asked him to show me where it states otherwise, he through it at me and left. They don’t get it, all you are required to do by the Constitution is give a number, the rest is too much information. Just count, don’t worry about ones color, or the other illegit questions they ask, just give the count if is 2 then say 2 and shut the door, or pull out your gun, they will leave and come back with the cops.
TheChairman
May 28th, 2010
8:29 am
Most of these census workers are temporary hires who just needed the extra money in this economy. Yes, there are some bad apples (just like at TSA)… but most just want to work.
In fact, even the enumerators are getting the run-around from the Census Bureau bureaucrats.
My partner would never think of entering an unoccupied apartment; she merely asks the landlord if the unit is occupied and how many.
The little publcized fact is, if you don’t want to answer any of the other questions then politely decline… the enurmerator will simply enter ‘N/A’ and move on to the next question.
They’ve hired 3 times as many people as are needed, my partner only gets 10 hours a week.
Again, it is OBAMA and Democraps who are exploiting our census to pad employment numbers.
Get A. Grip
May 28th, 2010
8:30 am
Temporary Census Employee A: They told me I can never enter a resident’s home!
Temporary Census Employee B: They told me I can only enter if invited!
Maybe — just maybe — you should look at the law instead of just spouting off based on what some pencil pushing lackey told you you could or could not do during your orientation.
Dave
May 28th, 2010
8:31 am
If one happens to be a nudist, it might cause a bit of discomfort on the part of a census taker demanding entry….
Bob LeBlah
May 28th, 2010
8:31 am
Oh you all mean Mr. Barr is blatantly trying to mislead, similar to the way the media and libs have mislead about the Arizona illegal immigration bill?
Crazy Conservatives
May 28th, 2010
8:31 am
I would find it hilarious if it were not so sad that people find the Census so intrusive. These folks think this is a joke because they do not have the intelligence to appreciate the level of planning this information will supply for the next ten years. US and State governments rely on this information to determine redistricting (google it if you don’t know what it means) and educational facilities to name just two of many. So go ahead, laugh at this “intrusive” survey and fill in false answers, just don’t complain when the government fails to add a class or school or reforms your district in accordance with your responses.
I have never seen so much disrespect for the office of the Presidency or so many people angry at our government for reasons they don’t know and/or based on false information. Only three things in life are certain, death, taxes, and Sarah Palin’s low intelligence level.
Danielle
May 28th, 2010
8:32 am
The intrusiveness comes when they call you even though you filled out the form and sent it on time. They are asking me if I am quite certain that none of my home’s residents were in a nursing home or in jail. They keep asking if anyone else lives here, yes/no questions and they want every one answered. Any infants? Any foster kids? Any step-children? Any this? Any that? And when I try to tell them that the people on my form all live here and only here and nobody else lives here, they say I have to answer yes/no to every stupid scripted question or I’m not complying. Even though I sent it in!
Annie
May 28th, 2010
8:32 am
The census worker that came by my house actually misrepresented herself to my 13 year old son, saying that she was my friend, thereby making my son think it was OK to give her my home phone number! Yep, right here in America, the land of the free. Where government officials may lie, cheat and steal to obtain their information. And then we were tricked into thinking we had to disclose more information than just a head count. Later finding out that all we were required by law to disclose was the amount of persons residing in the home on April 1st. I think it’s a big April Fools joke myself. When you speak of allocating funds to states: let me tell you, they are not allocating funds: they are allocating DEBT since we are 13 trillion dollars in debt to date! wake up!
Gang Stalking World
May 28th, 2010
8:33 am
[...] Census workers can enter your apartment in your absence by Bob Barr May 26, 2010 [...]
Jean
May 28th, 2010
8:35 am
Concerned Mom, If you are getting phone calls at that time of night, report it to authorities. Probably a scam-fraud. Ask them to come by during the daytime and show crediticals. Remember, great time for scams. I would never answer questions that I am uncomfortable with whom I am talking to.
QueenBey
May 28th, 2010
8:35 am
I know people who SENT their Census papers in, and they came to their house without identifying themselves and so they didn’t open the door, and the worker started trying to look through windows and jiggle door handles. The next day he came back, the homeowner cracked the door to basically tell him to go away and thats when he identified himself at Census and started asking all of the questions. I thought they only needed a number, but they need your name, age, income, whether or not you are the homeowner, birthday,
Joe
May 28th, 2010
8:36 am
you’re only “free” in this country if your a QUEER, an ILLEGAL HISPANIC ALIEN, or run a fake “advocacy group” and are funded by the government… If you’re a TAXPAYER or a HARD WORKING CITIZEN, you exist to be abused, raped, and stripped of your liberties.
Spongegirl Circleskirt
May 28th, 2010
8:36 am
You are a fear monger and a liar. Shame on you. You give no proof whatsoever on these claims. Go kill yourself now and save us from your stupidity.
Logical1
May 28th, 2010
8:37 am
So comforting to know since recently we have leaned that some of obamas “census takers” are aparently felons. I’m not happy thinking that one of these government criminals can demeand entry to my home while I’m not there. But what do you expect from an administration that is composed of criminals, liars and cheats. Remember, remember, vote out these criminals on the 2nd of November.
Paul
May 28th, 2010
8:37 am
Does the government provide moving vans for the census workers too? Wouldn’t that just be another facet of Obama’s wealth redistribution?
Annie
May 28th, 2010
8:37 am
Crazy Conservative: you are the one with the low intelligence level. You think the President is so great? Well, just wait a minute because he isn’t done making our country a laughing stock. Schools? Programs? Are you serious? If one was intelligent, you would stop thinking the government owes you something and pay for it yourself. If you want government monies: you will get government CONTROL. Take their money, their programs, etc. And explain to your children and grandchildren why they are now slaves to debt; debt created by your parents whom had their hand out for government welfare.
Marc M
May 28th, 2010
8:38 am
To the census workers in this article.
You state that you weren’t trained or told to do this and that may be true but the point of this article is that they COULD do this.
You however showed no proof that what Bob has stated actually isn’t true, most likely because it is.
The census has become nothing more than a political tool for the left to redefine voting districts to their advantage and you KNOW IT.
George
May 28th, 2010
8:39 am
I want to see them try to enter my home. I dare them to. Thats all I have to say about that.
An American Census Worker
May 28th, 2010
8:39 am
Barr, you are a buffoon. The next time you write about the US Census, please do some, just a little, homework. You might just find that the questions that are asked are unintrusive and the answers are held in confidentiality for 72 years. You should be fired!
Monica
May 28th, 2010
8:40 am
Scary! Remember when we had rights and it was OK to say no? Those were the good ole days!
John W
May 28th, 2010
8:40 am
Fox Newsers – What? Thou hast no retort? Let me see you nuzzle your ba-ba…..hehe
Carl
May 28th, 2010
8:40 am
Mark Levin calls it Soft Tyranny and I agree. Each day our freedoms being taken by an over zealous federal government. The Progressive in the Oval Office and many others in Congress are “Fundamentally Changing America” and will not stop.
todd
May 28th, 2010
8:40 am
A government worker would never steal anything. All government employees are angels.
BREEEE
May 28th, 2010
8:41 am
Why hasn’t Barr retracted this article yet? He’s been corrected by numerous census employees. The message of this article is a LIE, plain and simple. This is not the result of confusion, but DECEIT. It makes me sick reading all the gullable, paranoid comments by people who simply assume that Barr is telling the truth here (many of them contain anecdotes regarding their harrassment of their neighbor enumerators — what thugs! If you pull a gun on your neighbor doing his job HE has the right to shoot YOU). And, of course, I’m a lying “liberal” if I point all this out. I’m genuinely disgusted by the ignorance.
AGNOSTIC CONSERVATIVE
May 28th, 2010
8:41 am
STAY OUT OF MY LIFE AND STAY OUT OF MY WALLET!
Census has been doing the same thing forever and the conspiracy theories have circulated for the same period.
My race? 5TH GENERATION AMERICAN…Color? Red White & Blue
Fed Up!
May 28th, 2010
8:42 am
Alinsky’s “Rules For Radicals” is being followed to the letter by Obama and his thugs. Wake up sheeple!
John
May 28th, 2010
8:43 am
I worked for the census this year as an enumerator. Nowhere during training did it state we could enter a person’s home. I wouldn’t want to do that either. It was just a 3 to 4 week temporary job for me that is done now.
I was probably the most chill census taker in the country. If they didn’t want to answer any questions I said fine and marked that down then left.
Rick Durkin
May 28th, 2010
8:43 am
When they force their way in they will get shot as trespassers!!!
Marc M
May 28th, 2010
8:43 am
BREEE, he should retract his article because some people claiming to be census workers have posted replies here? Are you kidding me?
Perhaps you could link us to a page or document that does describe in detail the census takers authority to disprove what he stated?
I’m waiting.
Still waiting.
Crazy Conservatives
May 28th, 2010
8:44 am
Logical1: Right. Let’s vote back in the party that stripped every American citizen of their freedom to privacy by allowing wiretapping of phones, turned over the names of deep cover agents for political points, fought for the detention of AMERICAN CITIZENS without representation, got us into the Iraq war, allowed for lax regulation which led to the collapse of both the housing and financial markets, and turned the biggest economic surplus and turned it into the biggest deficit.
Albert
May 28th, 2010
8:45 am
Bob
“May 26th, 2010
6:40 am
But Bob, according to the commercials, the country would come to a stand still if gov does not know who to pass the money around to. Isn’t that more important than civil liberties ?”
Bob, how about the government sticking to the limitations placed upon it by the Constitution and allow you to keep the fruits of your labor, so that you can decide how best to spend your money?
This is the crux of the issue. Not only does government fleece us, but they fail to limit their overreach. To fund their excesses they borrow from the Chinese. Singapore, one-eight the size of Delaware, has a GDP of $220 billion. When Hong-Kong was incorporated into China, it raised the GDP of China by 29%. East Germany and North Korea are another example of how government cannot create prosperity. Hong-Kong’s tax regime is extremely small. Still, the HK administration has no debt.
The less you tax and the smaller you keep governement, the more the people prosper. Congress has no desire to adhere to this principle. The Clintons and Bushes love to redistribute your wealth and run up debt. GO GREEN. RECYCLE CONGRESS.
Cold Warrior R390
May 28th, 2010
8:45 am
I still haven’t figured out any valid reason why the census would need to know the names of residents. If you’re simply counting people, the names are unimportant.
John W
May 28th, 2010
8:46 am
Monica – I think it has more to do with the fact that most people have been taught that it is somehow ‘not right’ to exercise your rights.
I always tell my sons that they will only have to stand up to a bully once…because they don’t have the courage of conviction to withstand someone who won’t be bullied.
Until “We the people” start exercising our rights, others will continue to try and trample on them.
Jon
May 28th, 2010
8:48 am
Census workers have the right to enter my home, and according to local law I have the right to shoot them if they should forget to announce who they are. Once again the Fed abuses power without thinking the issue all the way through. Considering that I have already sent back THREE of their racist forms (How many residents are hispanic? What about Germans , Irish, Italians, Asians, and Native Americans?) I guess they are small enough voting blocks not to matter to the racists running the program.) forms, and the last time I got multiple forms some ding-a-ling census bureau, temp employee, showed up at my door demanding I answer question, even after I explained that I had already completed three of the mailed forms. I have to wonder, not only about the competence of the temp employees, but the allegedly competent Federal Bureaucrat that sent them out in the first place.