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?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,749 comments Add your comment
Divinity
May 29th, 2010
2:16 am
@Emasters
You quoted the section of the legislation which reads: “The section prevents the owner or manger of “any hotel, apartment house, boarding or lodging house, tenement, or other building” from refusing to provide a list of the buildings occupants or providing access to “such premises”.”
I don’t think that this article has a “liberal interpretation” at ALL. The dubious wording is yet another FAMOUS example of the government sweeping every possibility they can into such legislation by usinggeneralized, very vague and broadly interpreted words like “SUCH PREMISES.” No it doesn’t specifically say “individual living quarters” but that’s not the concern. The problem is that it doesn’t expressly EXCLUDE such intrustions.
Surely you can’t be naive enough to believe after the countless examples of the government exploiting such ambiguities, that they wouldn’t. In fact, exploitation is just the reason why such codes are written with vague terms.
We are NOT Constitutionally required to comply with ANY “census” or “survey.” The Constitution allows for an “ENUMERATION.” That’s the word used, and that’s what’s allowed. This means that they can do a “headcount.” Anything above and beyond that is NOT Constitutionally mandated, nor is compliance required. If you don’t mind volunteering such excessive info, knock yourself out. But no one is required to provide anything other than a headcount.
Census workers can enter your apartment in your absence : Federal Jack
May 29th, 2010
2:36 am
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/bob-barr-blog/2010/05/26/census-workers-can-enter-your-apartment-in-your-absenc... [...]
ChickenLittle
May 29th, 2010
2:39 am
Barr is fear-mongering and it’s disgusting. He completely misrepresented what is in Title 13 Section 7 (notice he didn’t cite it because he didn’t want us to look it up for ourselves). That section requires property managers to allow census workers access to gated communities and apartment complexes with security doors. Census workers cannot come into private property without permission. Also, there is nothing intrusive about any of the questions on the census, and even if you do feel uncomfortable answering, it is totally ok to decline giving a response. You don’t even have to give them your full name if you don’t want to.
Colleen
May 29th, 2010
4:01 am
Completely and utterly uninformed and verges on psychotic paranoia. Census workers cannot demand access into anyone’s private home and in fact are discouraged from entering even when invited in for their safety. They are told they cant look in windows or venture into back yards. They can use legal sources like a phone directory to obtain a phone number. Like mail carriers, they are authorized to be on the property to perform their duties but do not enter gates without explicit permission and respect no trespassing signs. They are not solicitors. The questionnaire I filled out had 10 questions – I’ve had to give about that much info just to register for some websites! The Census workers I observed lived in the community and often in the same neighborhood that they worked. In general, they were courteous and respectful and were motivated by the fact that our representation in Congress is determined by the Census as well as allocations for money for schools, libraries and other community resources. I read an article on foxnews.com that reported the cost of having to follow up on questionaires. If it was mailed in, the cost per questionaire was on the order of $1. If it required a census worker to knock on the door to follow up the cost was $45-$60.
Stop wasting my tax dollars to fuel your own fear and ignorance.
Jeff Bennington
May 29th, 2010
4:05 am
I keep reading about people claiming, “IT’S JUST 10 SIMPLE QUESTIONS!!!” Apparently my place of residence has been chosen for an extended period of surveillance. I was visited by a Census Worker and he informed me that I am required to take part in this 8 month period of periodical interviews. They have been visiting me and calling me since this has began and have been asking questions regarding current employment information (where I work, what do I make, how long I’ve been there), status in the education system, race, ethnicity, age, relationship status, etc. I canvased the Census Website and failed to find any information about periodic checkups. Can a Census Worker please enlighten me on why this is necessary? I don’t feel comfortable providing information time and time again. You may see nothing wrong with this, but I ask, “Why have I been chosen for this? What good is this information going to do? Why is it that I’m the only person I know who is subject to extended interaction with the Census Bureau?”
Annoyed
May 29th, 2010
4:12 am
The purpose of section 223 of Title 13 is to prevent chuckleheaded property managers from denying access to addresses. Said managers will be impeding the execution of the Constitution by agents of the Department of Commerce. This law is a last resort to legally compel the assistance of stubborn property managers who have been asked to comply by enumerators and supervisors, exposed to official department letters requesting as such, all to no avail.
I know of one such property manager who will find himself standing in front of a Federal Marshall tomorrow morning accompanied by a Census Manager ready to write one $500 ticket per address that said ass refuses access to. That is the full extent and application of the law. Above said ass has earned himself a miserable day tomorrow.
Concerning additional questions beyond population count of an address, why do you think your name, sex and DOB are requested? To verify that people are counted properly and accurately. Representation for the people and by the people is still sacred, even if laughably applied in current politics. So please do not deny us our fair representation in the House.
All questions beyond these are the governments ONLY way and time to poll the population of its’ statistical composition. If you don’t think they are important than don’t answer them. But you will be doing a disservice to yourself and country. This statistical information is used in no less than 100 government programs to identify where and how federal, state and local monies should be distributed. So by all means go shoot yourself in the foot and deny your community some well needed social improvements.
JustaTool
May 29th, 2010
7:24 am
I’m a conservative. Been a conservative a long time for that matter. People like mahakala “If a census worker walks into my apartment without my permission he will be carried out” and Jesus “Smith & Wesson lives at my house, just try to get in!” probably think they are promoters of conservative ideas. It doesn’t seem to matter that dozens of actual census workers have chimed in to discredit the idea that census workers can just walk into your house uninvited. They still dream of an opportunity to accost another individual and hope a census worker shows up and walks into their house to fulfill it.
These not so sharp and insecure individuals allow the left to stereo type all conservatives into a dumb redneck class of people, hurting the real conservative ideas that would win the debate of ideas. In short, you’re idiots!
Not-a-RINO
May 29th, 2010
7:36 am
I am one of those “lowly” enumerators and at no time were we told we had any right to anyone’s apartment. We were encouraged to speak to a manager of a complex to let him/her know we were there and to go into the hallways of apartments to knock on doors. If, after several personal trips, we were unable to obtain information such as ‘How many people normally live and sleep at this address?’, we ask for proxies – neighbors who could tell us how many people live there and names. If someone cared to divulge a phone number, that would be great because the short questionnaire takes 10 minutes or less to complete and all information is confidential for 72 years under federal law. No one is required to give out phone numbers. At NO time are we to enter anyone’s home without their express permission. In fact, if I came to your door, and you weren’t home, I would take a rubber band to hold my NV (Notice of Visit) to your door with my phone number on it – I don’t open ANYONE’S door – apartment or otherwise.
If people talk to these “lowly” workers, you will find enumerators are actually your neighbors who live in the same county as you do. Chances are they share the same respect for privacy and respect for residents as you would. It has been my personal experience that all the people I have worked with have been professional, thorough and quite friendly. To paint Census workers as anything else is grossly inaccurate and unfair.
smarter than you democrat
May 29th, 2010
7:56 am
If that was all it was-enumeration -which is required by the consitution, no one would complain.
Asking for the birth date can easily lead to abuse of personal information and ISN’T required by the constitution.
Asking race is a racist question.
Aren’t we all human beings?
What does race have to do with it?
Now we have the anti-common sense trolls here saying *prove it.*
Search engines are your friends.
Look up the thousands of social security numbers that were published on the Census website, and personal information stolen last year and before from lab top computers census workers were using.
*Stolen* or *lost* are loaded words.
The so-called Community Survey is a cutesy name that sounds warm and friendly when in fact they want to know everything; what time you leave for work, how long it takes you to get to work , all your income from every source, the list of intrusive questions goes on and on. I think it’s about 10~ ten~ 10~ pages!
Again, all that is required from the consitution is head count~number of people in one’s household.
And again, there are resources on the internet that will give you the legal low down of the census.
It is important that you give the amount of people living in your house.
That is essential and will benefit you, but the rest of the questions are not required by the US Consitution.
Now it is funny that this is all under the chamber of commerce.
smarter than you democrat
May 29th, 2010
7:58 am
Correction- department of commerce-oh well- they both are in business to make money-
off from us ?
Dave
May 29th, 2010
8:08 am
Boys, if they come in my house uninvited, I’m going to get my $500 worth of whipa$$ and they’ll think long, hard and three times before going in a different house next time.
Angel
May 29th, 2010
8:12 am
What part of our Constitution holds more weight: The 2nd Amendment, or the mandatory census? I suppose it comes down to how itent we are to EXCERCISE OUR 2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS WHEN THIS GOVERNMENT SCUM COMES A KNOCIN’ AT OUR DOOR!! Surprise, surprise.
Please tell me this is not true (big govt) - Politics and Other Controversies -Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Conservatives, Liberals, Third Parties, Left-Wing, Right-Wing, Congress, President - City-Data Forum
May 29th, 2010
8:35 am
[...] [...]
Chris
May 29th, 2010
8:41 am
Bob,
You need to correct this because you are wrong. Federal Law cannot trump the 4th and the intent of the law is for census workers to be permitted to enter gated and/or locked communities (aka to get into apartment buildings and knock on doors).
You only give the looney left more ammunition when blatantly incorrect.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
8:51 am
JustaTool, I don’t know what’s happened to your party but it will take a major shift to return it to sanity. I think the Republican party realized that when people are afraid, they get more conservative and they’re pulling out every sleazy trick in the book to keep people sh*tting their pants.
The rise of the stupid wing of the GOP says it all. Their lies and fearmongering are acting as great distractions from their scamming but it’s turning our society upside down. I’ve seen changes in the conservatives I know, and it’s just sad. It really didn’t used to be this way.
fat guy
May 29th, 2010
8:57 am
WELL, as a non-member of any political party or system, and a Canuck, I do have a comment or 2.
I have never heard of Mr.Barr before coming to this article from a link elsewhere and I will probably never come back. My guess is that Barr let his emotions rule and posted without confirming. I also believe he is probably right in what he says. But I think that the people he refers to, who would enter a home uninvited are not the grunts out there collecting the information on a short term basis. And I also think these situations would only happen in special circumstances. I also believe that many of the comments here are made by ordinary people who let their political allegiance solor their thinking. That political loyalty that is so strong in Americans acts like blinders on a horse. Makes the horse easy to lead or drive.
Well thannks for this opportunity.
fat guy
G
May 29th, 2010
8:59 am
This article is not completely correct – their was a case in Hawaii where a census worker, who was attempting to trespass was arrested and now their is debate on some interpertation of laws at the federal level – state level -it’s illegal. At least from that is what I gathered from various state news papers online…I did not look up the case law itself. In the state of Florida, they better watch their step – our trespassing laws have changed (thank god) and we are now able to defend our property without worrying about going to prison for life, if we should end up in an altercation with a criminal. You would hope that a census worker trespassing would not be mistaken for a criminal…but mistakes do happen. Personally, the federal government hiring census workers to complete the job that their mass mailings should been able to handle is once again an example of government wasteful spending. Let’s face it, we know why they did it…these census jobs helped unemployment reported rates (temporarily) for the last quarter. Just my opinion. thx
Linda
May 29th, 2010
9:13 am
G, not everybody mails in their census form and that’s why they hire people to go out and help do that. Sending enumerators out in person also helps make sure we’ve accounted for every household. (New developments spring up all the time, and would otherwise get missed.) Also, forms are not mailed to P.O. boxes because we’re specifically enumerating physical households. All of this stuff ensures that we get complete and accurate census data.
They hire a lot of census-takers every time the census is taken; this was not an Obama conspiracy to inflate his employment numbers. Really.
smarter than you democrat
May 29th, 2010
9:35 am
Linda
You sound very mary poppins, too bad the truth is not anywhere your fiction.
I love the way you call them * enumerators* when in fact they are sent out to gather ~by hounding~ personal information from innocent citizens ( non citizens ~ since you don’t ask for proof of citizenship????)
If it was just a head count, hardly anyone would complain.
Besides, it would be their loss, since the liberals want more representations to force their radical ideals through.
I love the way you keep repeating the same lies and half truths.
Hard to brainwash, isn’t it , when hardly anyone watches MSM.
I know you do, though.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
9:37 am
The sheeple who just answer intrusive questions like its nothing SHOULD ASK THE JAPANESE AMERICANS IF THEY HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER AGAIN— WOULD THEY FILL OUT THOSE HARMLESS LITTLE CENSUS FORMS THAT (The Progressive God) ROOSEVELT USED TO LOCK THEM INTO CAMPS—-WITHOUT DUE PROCESS.
ON AMERICAN SOIL.
JUST BECAUSE IT WAS WHAT WAS “GOOD FOR THE GROUP”.
BAAaaaaaahhhh Baahhhhhh….Federalmoneyisgoooooood…ResistingisBAAAaaaaD.
Study your history, you stupid Liberal F*UCKERS.
Didn't vote for O
May 29th, 2010
9:38 am
Abraham Lincoln said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”
“These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people”
“The time comes upon every public man when it is best for him to keep his lips closed.”
“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
“I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
How many enumerators must tell you that this is all a crock, before you get it. When is it going to make sense that the information in the article is DISINFORMATION. Someone mentioned that this law has been on the books since 1952 and only NOW is it suddenly seen as a danger to the American people. You have to question why.
And you need to question why it is necessary to incite folks to riot against census workers who do nothing more than ring your door bell or leave a notice of visit.Someone is directing your hatred for an insidious purpose. It isn’t the census workers who are swallowing the kool aid.
.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
9:42 am
Um, Linda, you stupid C*UNT, my cousin (a Liberal!) is a Census supervisor and he was SPECIFICALLY TOLD to find ways to “fire and rehire” as amnay people as he could. If they are five minutes late—to fire them and rehire them a couple days after the employment count.
THIS HAPPENS and you are a stupid imbecile for gobbling up the Party line. DOn’t come knocking on my door begging bread when your Manchrian Messiah lets you down.
Fool.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
9:49 am
Ya know, “smarterthanyou”, why don’t you go hide your sorry @ss in your bunker and stay there until this whole census count blows over. Take your teddy bear and your blankie with you and don’t think about those evil people who want to know your birthday. We’ll tell you when it’s safe to come out …
God, what a bunch of wusses.
Rick
May 29th, 2010
9:52 am
Bob Barr, a former politician and part of the system, has shown no proof for the alleged statements in this article. Another example of poor research and journalism.
Bob, go back and study the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land, especially Article 1 Section 2 (to count persons ONLY, NOTHING ELSE, for the census) and also the 4th Amendment:
U.S. Constitution – Amendment 4
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but
upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized.” (Ratified 12/15/1791)
Linda
May 29th, 2010
9:56 am
Fire them “if they are 5 minutes late?” Um, our hours completely flexible and it’s not even possible to be 5 minutes late. We head out the door whenever we schedule our own route. They’ve only started letting people go now because our district is about done counting and winding down. I’d think that conservatives would understand not keeping people on the payroll if there was no work for them. But maybe I give them too much credit for brains.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:02 am
Hey Rick…..lets just go hide like Liberal Linda suggests.
IN FACT, lets just SHRUG and let their little entitlement programs dry up withot our tax dollars and see how far they get begging for bread that never comes from Obama. He hates them, and prefers they stay enslaved to convention and the victim mentality.
The difference between you and me and them is that we are not afraid of HARD WORK.
When “they foodstamps” run out and they can’t afford anymore hooch and cigarettes, perhaps the Manchurian Messiah will share “some of his stash”.
HA!
When this experiment finallly blows, I’ve got my 372 acres, Rick, you are welcome there anytime.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
10:03 am
For Bob Barr, it’s not about “poor research and journalism.” It’s about intentionally fanning right-wing fear for political advantage. That’s what conservative politicians do best.
It pisses me off seeing people dragged around by their fears like this. I keep hoping conservatives will wake up and see how they’re being manipulated. But fear is a pretty basic instinct, I guess.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:05 am
Five minutes late to TRAINING MEETINGS you stupid hole.
Unless you imbeciles crawl out of your nasty unwed mothers ALREADY KNOWING how to count, chew gum and harass people.
BPS34
May 29th, 2010
10:09 am
This article is completely untrue. I currently work for the census and census workers can’t go into your home without you being there, They can ask a landlord or a neighbor how many folks live in the residence, but they can’t enter without the residence’s permission
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:09 am
And you don’t think LIBERALS are “drug around by their fears”???????????????
WHERE DO I START>>>>>>>>
Global Warming. FEAR.
No food stamps. FEAR.
Whitey is gonna GET you unless WE (Dems) protect you and give you preferences. FEAR
Public housing cuts. FEAR
Shut your piehole, Linda and THINK about who REALLY lives in FEAR in this society.
Because, sugar….I am not afraid of ANYTHING.
And that alone should make you Liberal bedwetters very, very,VERY “afraid”.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:12 am
See…BP S34 ALREADY THINKS OF HIMELF AS A NUMBER.
Is it tatooed on your forearm yet?
Linda needs a tattoo…. Lets call her 1DUM1.
Jerry Scott
May 29th, 2010
10:13 am
criminal government ….. Fight back America
Tell them where to go… We must start by ignoring them just like they ignore us
Census forms in the shredder…. Ha Ha Ha
Linda
May 29th, 2010
10:13 am
We were told right at the beginning of training that we couldn’t miss it or we’d be fired, because too much needed information was covered in those trainings. They said it right up front, there was no surprises or manipulation there. I’m surprised that conservatives suddenly have some kind of tolerance for people who can’t show up on time.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:14 am
The sheeple who just answer intrusive questions like its nothing SHOULD ASK THE JAPANESE AMERICANS IF THEY HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER AGAIN— WOULD THEY FILL OUT THOSE HARMLESS LITTLE CENSUS FORMS THAT (The Progressive God) ROOSEVELT USED TO LOCK THEM INTO CAMPS—-WITHOUT DUE PROCESS.
ON AMERICAN SOIL.
JUST BECAUSE IT WAS WHAT WAS “GOOD FOR THE GROUP”.
BAAaaaaaahhhh Baahhhhhh….Federalmoneyisgoooooood…ResistingisBAAAaaaaD.
Study your history, you stupid Liberal F*UCKERS
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:17 am
Soooooooooooooo much to cover.
Ring doorbell.
Accuse occupant of trying to LIE to the government by not returning their form.
Threaten fines and an IRS audit.
Scribble furiously on clipboard.
Stomp back to Subaru.
How much training does THAT require?
What a DOLT you are.
big brother
May 29th, 2010
10:18 am
All of you brainless census employees have no idea what the criminals in washington are doing with the information that you provide them with.Send more money to my community? I seriously doubt it. Trying to see if we need more representatives in my community? Thats just what we need, more of those crooks with thier hands in our pockets. Why does the questionaire not ask if you are in our country legally? you drones are walking around blindly helping that idiot Obama(who is a traitor to our country) Rob us of more of our rights! You must be so proud of yourselves.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
10:25 am
Yeah, big brother, Obama got together with those founding fathers and dreamt up this population counting scheme, then jumped back in the time machine from the 1700s.
You idiots, this has been done every 10 years since 1790. I’d say why don’t you leave the country if you don’t like it, but you know what? Every other country in the civilized world does censuses too. Are they in on the big conspiracy too?
Sheesh, lose the tin foil hat, will ya?
Jerry
May 29th, 2010
10:26 am
What if you just lie. Give them only your name and maybe how many people live in the house and lie about the rest.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:28 am
I have never minded filling out the numbers of people in our home. NEVER. Even Jesus went to be COUNTED, but as for that other trash, the DAY OBAMA POLITICIZED THE CENSUS by bringing it under WHITE HOUSE CONTRAL….and that is a FACT, LIBS…. was the day I decided that NO MATTER WHAT, I would never submit to harassment on my private property.
So this isn’t PARANOID, this is a REASONABLE OBJECTION to an UNREASONABLE POLITICIZATION of the Census.
You Libs are enslaving your children for CRUMBS from The Elitist Left’s table. The sooner that you realize that ALgore rides on a G5 while telling you to buy $7 lightbulbs from his cronies at GE, the better your life will be…THE FREEEEEEEER WE WILL ALL BE.
How can you IGNORE their BLATANT HIPOCRISY?
You Libs must be BRAIN DEAD.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
10:28 am
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!, you are completely clueless and it looks like you want to stay that way. The GOP fearmongers love this, it makes their job easier.
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:29 am
Jerry>>>
Lying is preferable to being harassed. So if you feel led to do that, brother, LIE ON!
GOOOoooooo DAWGS!
May 29th, 2010
10:35 am
Go f*uck yourself Linda, and I do hope you enjoy rationalizing why it is that OBAMA, CLINTON, ALGORE and all the Elitist Left have no problem living their lives….smoking like a stack in a Federal building, gorging on Big Macs, and flying in gas guzzling private jets while they tell YOU , the stupid Leftard Sheep to do as they SAY, and not as they DO.
I’m sure your life is REALLY GLAMOROUS, Linda. Lord knows The Elitist Left wants that for you.
Perhaps if you knocked on the door of the White House , they’d just let you RIGHT IN, because, they NEVER, EVER, “check papers” at the border THERE……oh NOOOoooo….
Robster
May 29th, 2010
10:40 am
Some of the comments by Mr. Barr are simply untrue. I am a temporary NRFU for the Census Bureau. We do not have any basis, as I understand it, to demand access to a residence when nobody’s home, and we certainly were never told that in training. That’s ludicrous. We do have the right to insist on access to apartment/condo buildings for the purpose of knocking on apartment/condo doors to ask the questions. Intrusive questions? Well, yes, a constitutional case can be made that some of the questions go beyond the constitutional mandate. Increasingly intrusive questions? Balderdash. In 2000, we had the Long Form for about 10 percent of the population chosen at random, which was extensively intrusive and took a good 30 minutes or more to complete. There is no Long Form for 2010. Please get your facts straight Mr. Barr. Just one more reason I’m glad I voted for Chuck Baldwin in 2008.
big brother
May 29th, 2010
10:45 am
linda, maybe you should take off your tin foil hat, pull your head out off your a–, and open your eyes as to what is happening around you. you are a gasous windbag. the government no longer represents its constituents. All they are looking for is how to fill their pockets at our exspense. You babble sentence fragments and make no sense. I have never filled out that intrusive document and never will, I have a right to my privacy!
Rug Pilot
May 29th, 2010
10:51 am
Nobody’s getting into this building no matter how much like a house it looks. It’s been under quarantine since 2003 and the only “people” who live here are avian-Americans. They don’t vote.
Censusworker
May 29th, 2010
10:53 am
All I have to say is that this information is inaccurate. Census workers are actually encouraged NOT to go INTO anyone’s home but to conduct the interview right at the front door for one. Also, you can’t be fined $500.00, it is actually $100.00 per question. Maybe you should conduct an unbias search in order to obtain accurate information, especially before passing it on.
David K. Meller
May 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Some very well taken (if long overdue) points taken by the Libertarian Party’s 2008 Presidential candidate!.
Even if the laws (as pointed out by some readers here) authorizing access to private dwellings do not (yet) allow the use of force by census takers or their agents, it is only a matter of (a very short time) before such nuisances will be empowered to use all “necessary means” to acquire the desired information. After that, what do you think will happen when such a lawful intruder has sticky fingers and indulges his (or her) kleptomania at your–or your tenant’s–expense? What happens when “drugs” or “firearms” or “kiddie-porn” are found at your place of residence? Whose word will be believed by the prosecutor and the courts, the Feds or yours? It is certainly past time for us Americans to start to ask these questions, and others like them!!
To those who accuse Mr. Barr of “paranoia”–even paranoids, like the rest of us–have REAL enemies!!
PEACE AND FREEDOM!!
David K. Meller
seanmom
May 29th, 2010
10:55 am
“Pursuant to Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, the only information you are empowered to
request is the total number of occupants at this address.”
Really? That’s not what it says in the Constitution:
“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.” (Article 1, section 2.)
If Congress decides to ask what the natural color of your hair is, that would be a CONSTITUTIONAL requirement.
Stop accusing every census worker of being a Democrat operative. THIS Census has nothing to do with Obama. This enormous, cumbersome mechanism was designed while BUSH was president. By the time Obama could even look at it, the system was already in place. I work in an office, and I have to walk pretty far from my own section to even FIND a Democrat. The single most important factor in getting into this system was being a VETERAN. Being a veteran adds five points to your test score, and being a disabled veteran adds ten. As with all Federal jobs, the people doing the hiring are required to give preference to veterans, even when their “score” (inflated by five to ten points) is the same as that of the competitor who scored it straight.
You want to complain about how the census is run? Complain about the BUSH administration, the veterans administration, the people who designed the hand-held computers that didn’t work in 2009, the difficulty of figuring out what was built and demolished over the past TEN years, and YOU morons that write “American” for “race” (even “human” makes more sense) and staple copies of the Constitution to a computer-readable form. You don’t want to be counted? Fine. Lose your Congressman. But don’t make ME lose my fine conservative Congressman and Senators standing up and saying “NO” because YOU are too stupid or too paranoid to care that only the places where LIBERALS live will appear to have increased their populations, and therefore get MORE representation.
By the way, you probably want to tone it down. Assaulting a Federal worker is a huge mistake, legally speaking. It goes on your permanent record. And I don’t care where you live, there is nowhere in the nation where shooting an unarmed federal worker for standing on your porch or calling over your fence will get you anything but hefty prison time.
As to those people complaining that the government “already” knows who you are, NO WE DON’T. The Census cannot share information with the other parts of government that have your information. We can’t ask the Social Security Administration, the welfare department, or (ironically) the VA for ANYTHING. Do you really want them to be able to? All we know is that our maps indicate that there is a DWELLING at your address. In order to COUNT people, we have to find out MORE than just an address, and that’s why we are doing this whole process. If you get a notice of visit from an enumerator, call them, so they can find that information out and close your address out. If you call the office, we will take your phone number and pass it on to the enumerator for the same reason.
The Census does not care about you, personally. It is trying to find out numerical information to allocate national representation, and demographic information to help communities plan for their future infrastructure needs. THAT’S IT.
So, please, just answer the questions. And if you get a follow-up call asking the same questions, it’s a statistical check to make sure the data is coming in accurately, and a personnel check to make sure that taxpayer-paid workers are really doing a job that otherwise depends on their personal integrity (after fingerprinting them twice, we still want to make sure that the data is not corrupted by a bad hire.)
Please, answer the questions. It will all be over by Fall.
This is just my opinion. I do not and cannot speak for the Census or the Department of Commerce.
Linda
May 29th, 2010
11:00 am
You know, if the government were really out to get you, they wouldn’t wait 10 years, then sic us lowly census workers on you to get your harmless demographic data. Get a f*cking grip.
smarter than you democrat
May 29th, 2010
11:01 am
Jerry,
I wouldn’t lie, just passive non compliance.
Let them be the one with the bulging blood vessels in the neck.
You: passive.
How many people in the home?
The count and that’s it.
If they won’t go away; call the police.
Strangers in the house?
Call the police.