Just received a weird survey -what do you think???

[EllisWyatt]

I just received a strange survey in the mail........the "American Community Survey"

Fisrt question - my name (so NOT anonymous), age and birth date
Same question for every one living in the house

Then it gets weird:
Value of house, mortgage payment, cost of taxes, cost of insurance, type and cost of fuel used to heat and cool the home, etc...
Education level, majors in college, adcanced degess received and when.....
Income (in detail)- salary, dividends and intrest, self-employed income, employers name and address, how long you have worked for the employer, job duties.....
Number of miles you commute, how many minutes it takes to commute, when do you leave home to go to work, type of vehicle you commute in....
If married, how many times, date of last marriage...

This is just a sample. The survey is 27 pages long! and they want all the above information (and significantly more) for every person living in your residence.

First thought - this is a scam. NO WAY I'm providing this information to ANYone.

But no, it really is the "American Community Survey" from the Census Bureau.

According to the information included and the web site, failure to accurately fill out and reurn the form is punishable by fines and jail time.

Fines: $100 for every blank not filled out, $500 for intentionally incorect information. Maximum fine of $5000.

All of this - to me - falls so squarely into the "None of your (fill in the blank) business, that there is NO WAY I fill it out and sent to the Feds.

I wonder if filling out "None of your Business" in each form would be considered inaccurate?

Guess I'd better budget for a $5000 fine and jail time.

 

[rescueme]

Gee - mine must have gotten lost in the mail ....

 

[Nuiloa]

Use of a lot of "don't know", "varies" and "not applicable"

Canada did away with the census "long form", although I don't think it was every quite that detailed.

 

[GrayHare]

AFAIK, the US Constitution provides only for a Census survey of the number of people in order to properly allocate Representatives. Any other Census data collection is not supported by the Constitution.

 

[MichaelB]

This, along with other Census Bureau surveys, are used to distribute much of the money that is transferred to local communities. Answering incorrectly or not responding might result in your community receiving less.

 

[ChiliPepr]

It is a real detailed survey by the US census bureau. American Community Survey

To determine if you’ve got a real survey, call the Census at 800-354-7271. Have the code number from the form handy so you can verify its authenticity.

 

[rescueme]

This, along with other Census Bureau surveys, are used to distribute much of the money that is transferred to local communities.

So you are saying they are bypassing our local elected federal representatives in this matter?

 

[ziggy29]

My mom got one of those last year and I had to have her give me enough information on it so I could confirm it was legit.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Oh yes, it's legit.

Called the number you mentioned and was told in no uncertain terms that is was legit and MY DUTY to fill it out accuractely or there would be serious penalties (evidently, I'm not the first person to called - the "SERIOUS PENALTIES" statment was part of the canned schpeal.

Short conversation - no need to discuss it or question it with them.

Sort of amazing.... this morning, I was sitting at home a lifetime law-abiding citizen, and now the Feds are threatening me with fines and felony charges if I don't tell them every intimate aspect of my life....

 

[Alan]

Like the US, the UK uses census data to allocate money and determine numbers and locations of elected officials.

While we were in the UK last year for 7 months renting a house, we got to fill in a long census form. This was also the last census that the UK will have. The current government has cut out future census taking to save 10's of millions of $. They argue that in this day and age they have access to plenty of other sources to construct census data, so it is a waste of money using an archaic method of data collection.

They also announced the results of an independant group that had been set up to streamline electoral boundaries, re-drawing them into a quite tight geographic grouping of ~60k persons per parliament seat, resulting in a reduction of 55 MP's, down from about 650 today.

 

[easysurfer]

Oh yes, it's legit.

Called the number you mentioned and was told in no uncertain terms that is was legit and MY DUTY to fill it out accuractely or there would be serious penalties (evidently, I'm not the first person to called - the "SERIOUS PENALTIES" statment was part of the canned schpeal.

Short conversation - no need to discuss it or question it with them.

Sort of amazing.... this morning, I was sitting at home a lifetime law-abiding citizen, and now the Feds are threatening me with fines and felony charges if I don't tell them every intimate aspect of my life....

Just did a lookup on the survey on Wikipedia - the Bible of official or not

American Community Survey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If I had received it, I would have thought is was a scam too.

You should have repsonded back in bold letters, "check my Facebook for all the info...so there George Orwell!"

 

[ls99]

I'd plead abject poverty, in all areas. Maybe that would maximize the redistribution of wealth to the local politicians.

 

[donheff]

I was selected for the in depth deal a few years ago. A Census worker came by the house several times during the year to go over a detailed set of questions. I had no problem cooperating since I understood what they were doing. The Census worker said a fair number of people reacted very negatively and that it was a downright dangerous job in some locales.

 

[EllisWyatt]

I understand what it is for, I just have a problem with being required by law to report when i get up in the morning to go to work, what my finances are and various and sundry private and personal details - especially under threat of imprsionment.

And I will be polite to the census worker if they come to the door - they're just doing thier job and following orders. (wait a minute - I don't think that was accepted as a defense.....never mind)

 

[Bestwifeever]

For me this would fall into the category of "things I can't do anything about even if they're annoying and not fair" and I would just complete it and mail it in. Done--not worth your time to fret about it.

Now give us all your passwords so we can be sure you reported everything accurately .

 

[Brat]

I think the Census Bureau makes a big mistake by sending out such daunting questionnaires. Better to sample more people with shorter forms and get a higher response rate.

Along that line I got a political survey call on my cell phone the other day. I hung up on it.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Bestwifeever : LOL!!!

That is probably the most perceptive and, correct assessment of the situation I've read.

Although it obviously torks me, I'll probably cave in and comply - probably didn't help that it arrived while I was working on this year's taxes, which will be painful.


Thanks for the reality check

 

[braumeister]

I just looked at the form online:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/questionnaires/2012/Quest12.pdf

It appears to be pretty much identical to the old "long form" census form, and I don't see anything I would have a problem with.

OTOH, it is only offered in English and Spanish, so I might be tempted to ignore it and have some fun with the Census worker who came to follow up. Here in the Midwest, there really aren't that many fluent speakers other languages, and my Brazilian Portuguese has come to my rescue more than once.

 

[mickeyd]

Sort of amazing.... this morning, I was sitting at home a lifetime law-abiding citizen, and now the Feds are threatening me with fines and felony charges if I don't tell them every intimate aspect of my life....

Don't make any sudden moves, you slacker! They have men with long guns and dogs that will bite you just outside of your back door...

 

[EllisWyatt]

As long as they bring in the infamous "black Helicopters" I think I'll be alright.

 

[ERD50]

I guess if you give them a hard enough time(1) over the short form, they won't even try to lay the long form on you

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f52/2010-census-qs-contradictory-49225.html

So maybe something positive did come out of unwillingness to be a good sheep?

(1) I didn't give the census taker himself a hard time, I know he was just doing a job, and he understood where I was coming from, and we joked about it a bit, but I did call the regional office and told them in no uncertain terms that I did not appreciate being threatened with prison and fines if I failed to fill out their stupid form with improperly worded questions 'properly'.

For me this would fall into the category of "things I can't do anything about even if they're annoying and not fair" and I would just complete it and mail it in. Done--not worth your time to fret about it.

Now BWF, if everyone thought that way, we'd all still be British subjects.

Like the US, the UK uses census data to allocate money and determine numbers and locations of elected officials.

... This was also the last census that the UK will have. The current government has cut out future census taking to save 10's of millions of $. They argue that in this day and age they have access to plenty of other sources to construct census data, so it is a waste of money using an archaic method of data collection.

They also announced the results of an independant group that had been set up to streamline electoral boundaries, re-drawing them into a quite tight geographic grouping of ~60k persons per parliament seat, resulting in a reduction of 55 MP's, down from about 650 today.

Hmmmm, so maybe that wouldn't be so bad?

-ERD50

 

[EllisWyatt]

Now ERD50, Bestwifeever had finally gotten me "wound down", and here you go appealing to my righteous indignation all over again........

 

[Alan]

Now ERD50, Bestwifeever had finally gotten me "wound down", and here you go appealing to my righteous indignation all over again........

I think you should follow ERD's advice and rebel. Refuse to fill it in and let us know how you get on.

We'll cheer you on while you still have internet access

 

[ERD50]

Now ERD50, Bestwifeever had finally gotten me "wound down", and here you go appealing to my righteous indignation all over again........

Glad I could be of service. Now go get 'em!


-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

This was also the last census that the UK will have. The current government has cut out future census taking to save 10's of millions of $. They argue that in this day and age they have access to plenty of other sources to construct census data, so it is a waste of money using an archaic method of data collection.

On a more serious note, this is one of the things that got me worked up enough to start that other thread. We were being bombarded by commercials (lots of our tax $ spent) talking about how important this data was. It was insulting to our intelligence. That data is available through other means. They would actually create this scenario of a crowded bus, and say that w/o the census data, they wouldn't know how many buses we need! Huh? How about the fact that the bus is reaching capacity on that route? And how the heck would you mine this from the short form census data? Oh, and a census is every ten years - like nothing would change in that time?

Does the long form ask you which bus routes and which times you plan to take them... over the next ten years?

-ERD50