The next census is coming up and I have decided I don't to tell the gov't anything.

I am going to answer one questions:

How many people were living or staying in this house,
apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

I was reading through the "community benefits" of the answers and, frankly, none of them seem to benefit me.

I am not interested in putting my child in public school, I am not Hispanic, I am not African-American or any other minority, I am not needing social services, I am not a veteran, I am not old, I provide my own medical insurance, I don't get govt supported housing.

None of the "benefits" of the govt knowing my info were giving anything to a self-sufficient, caucasion female who doesn't have a hand out and isn't asking for special treatment.

My apologies to all the geneology hobbiest in the future.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

DH has always had a prob w/answering the census, at this point in my life I can better see his viewpoint..
I wouldn't mind if the only questions asked pertained to population (census) but IMNSHO, all the other crud is BS.
We don't take handouts, and if we needed to I may feel differently.
MZ

You are required by law to answer the census. The 2010 census asks if the housing unit is owned or rented, your telephone number, how many people live in the residence and if any additional people who lived at the residence. For each household member is asks name, sex, date of birth, relationship, race, and if the person sometimes lives or stay somewhere else.
http://www.census.gov/2010census/pdf..._Info_Copy.pdf

None of them? Do you vote? Or drive?

The 2010 Census helps ensure that your community receives its fair share of political representation and government funding. Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to local, state and tribal governments - that's $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Data about how our communities are changing are crucial to many planning decisions - such as neighborhood improvements, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, public health, education, transportation, senior services and much more. (source Census Bureau Home Page)
Your holier-than-thou attitude is astounding. Anyone’s life could be devastated in a blink of an eye and you are certainly not immune.

when was the last time there was a census? i dont ever remember doing it before? i dont have a landline i just have a cell phone and the account is a family account and its not in my name. do they call or mail these things? or are they gonna be coming door to door knocking? I hope they dont knock on my door, I would rather just go online fill it out and be done with it.

steph

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The Census is required by federal law (Title 13, United States Code Sections 141, 193, and 221). There is a $5,000 fine for refusing to answer the questions.

The Census determines how many Senators each district gets as well as where new schools, hospitals, etc go. The Census determines if something is missing in an area (i.e. no electricity or plumbing) and then something hopefully gets done about it.

I highly recommend completing the Census. If not you will face the possibility of a $5000 fine as well as being constantly annoyed by the Census Rep. Their field office will not allow them to stop coming to your home. They will call your relatives, your job, and your friends (there is a PI that assists in these matters).


First a Census form is mailed to your home. If you don't answer a rep will be coming to your door over and over again. Your neighbor or relative can answer for you. Do you really want that?



You benefit from the spending of tax dollars now do your civic duty and complete the census.

You don't have to answer the income questions you can just say "that's private" or "I'd like to skip that"


NOBODY has a good reason to skip the Census. The only reasons are being stubborn, being a criminal, ignorance based on misconception of what the info is used for, or just plain thinking you are doing something to piss the govt off. That is laughable.

Just do your Census and be thankful you live in a country where they ask these questions.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I did the census a few years ago. I have no problem with it at all. I don't see what the big deal is about answering the questions. When I did the census they came to my house and then there were follow up questions that I did over the phone. No big deal

Jen

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Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!

mykentuckykids -- the census is done every 10 years

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

I have mixed feelings about it.

They use a lot of those statistics that they gather to pull of some social architecture that I don't agree with.

However, not responding has some negative (but minuscule) consequences. For instance, if too many people in my district did not respond we would end up underrepresented in congress.

Admittedly, I don't know much about this because I wasn't paying close attention, but what's this I hear about them just doing some random sampling in some areas, rather than actually trying to get hard numbers?

Not participating in the census is the silliest form of civil disobedience I've heard of recently, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

I have no problem with answering the questions. I'd like to have better representation in Congress. Maybe they could split my district and I'd be rid of my buffoon of a congressman.

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Reading is Fundamental.

I always have and always will participate in the census... Peace. Catherine

If you don't want funding for your local Fire Dept, Police, Schools, etc....Then find don't fill out the census. Also, prospective businesses and factories look at the census to see if their businesses can be supported by the population of the area.

I worked the census in 1990 and I'll tell you every home address including apartments and those the have Certificates of Occupancy for renting out a basement or what-not are going to be listed.

If you do not fill out the census they will send someone to your house to help you. It was my job to go to the homes that did not fill out the census to help them. And sometimes it was scary.

Talk about the deficit. Can you imagine the cost of sending people out to get thousands of censuses that were not turned in?

For once I totally agree with truble!

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Mary

does the census happen everywhere ever 10 yrs? b/c i swear i've never done a census before. and i've live in my house for 17 yrs, so i've not been anywhere...lol

steph

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Just an FYI - If you are looking to make some good money for working about 3-4 months look into working for the census.

I don't remember exactly what I got paid, but it was quite a bit more than minimum wage, at the time. Plus you get a generous car/gas allotment if you go out to collect censuses.

You get paid more for collecting censuses, but there are also other jobs where you don't have to go out.

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Mary

In reading the title of the post, my first response was "why wouldn't you?".

I can say that because of census from many years ago, we've been able to trace our family tree. While that might not seem like much to some, it's been an enormous help to my family.

Furthermore, it's not like they ask you highly personal questions. And, the results do benefit you whether you realize it or not.
I think refusing to participate in the census is ignorant and very short-sighted.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I won't have the terminology correct, but there are two forms of the census. Ten years ago I got the long form and was told it's a very small percentage of households that get the long form. I did find the long form very invasive. Very. A couple of points I remember were asking if I had indoor plumbing, then if so, how many bathrooms, how long my commute to work was, what I make, how much we are worth, etc. In actuality, the government knows the answer to most of those items from my home assessment for taxes to my income tax disclosure.

The long form is invasive and to me, another form of government in my personal business.

dl

Curious, how could you trace your family tree due to the census?
(and btw, I posted in another, the long form DOES have personal questions, there are 2 types of census)

dl

[


None of them? Do you vote? Or drive?

The 2010 Census helps ensure that your community receives its fair share of political representation and government funding. Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to local, state and tribal governments - that's $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Data about how our communities are changing are crucial to many planning decisions - such as neighborhood improvements, emergency preparedness and disaster recovery, public health, education, transportation, senior services and much more. (source Census Bureau Home Page)


Since my area has a huge population of illegals, the census will only serve to help them. I can think of nothing in the census which would be of help to me.

I will complete the census as required, but be as evasive as possible with my answers.

When looking at census from many years past, it included names, DOB and country of origin of the people who lived in a residence.

So, while it's usually fairly easy to trace back a few generations, sometimes the waters get muddied (so to speak) the further back you go. For example: You know that your great, great, great, great Grandfather was John Q. Smith, and he lived in Tennessee for a while. If you can track down the census for the time when he supposedly lived in Tennessee--you may be able to find that John Q. Smith had other children from a first marriage, or that John Q. Smith's parents were Bob and Mary Smith, and they had 5 other kids and they had come from Ireland. In our case we found a distant relative who was married to a Native American (unfortunately we have not been able to trace her "maiden" name), thus we are of Cherokee lineage. Census from many years past are just another tool for tracing your family history. I'm sure there are geneology experts who can explain it better than I did.
Another good place to look, if you suspect you have Native American Heritage are the Indian Rolls from the time that the Cherokees were relocated to Oklahoma....

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

You know. . .I think Iast time someone came to the door and asked just a few brief questions. . .how many people lived here, etc. I do remember on the news last time there was a story about bogus census takers going to homes and trying to get personal information from people. . .targeting the elderly, etc. In this day and age of identity theft. . .just be careful. I would feel more comfortable just filling out the form, but I really can't remember ever getting one.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

While you are correct in that the 'government' probably has all that information about your home, at least in my case, it's the *city* government that knows how many bathrooms I have (for the purposes of taxing my property), but I don't think they interface with the *federal* government about those things.

I'm really torn, because on the one hand, I don't think it's the government's business.

On the other hand, I've made really good use of the information provided through the census. Knowing that the average household income in my area is lower than the national average, etc., helps me make a good case to organizations that give to causes that I'm trying to help. And if our state government can see that certain things are happening in one part of the state that aren't happening in another, they can assess whether the disparity is an issue they are in a position to help - or if it's something that isn't any of their business or isn't their fault.

On a PERSONAL level, it's not the government's business. But knowing statistics can be helpful and empowering.

The scary part about that, though, is that it's not uncommon for the questions on the census to be constructed in such a way that they become political. The Obama administration has moved the census duties from the agency under which it has traditionally been taken to a position that reports directly to his office. I don't understand why, and have a feeling it's because there are political reasons behind some of the things he wants to find out about 'us'.

Homeowner taxes here are on a county level. I see no reason why they need to know if I have indoor plumbing, and then how many bathrooms via the census. It's not the government's business to know everything and give away everthing. It's not like they are going to come and install plumbing!!! Even for the part about possible redistricting, it's on everyone's federal tax return how many people are there. Yes, I know the kids are in college in another area, yes, I know some don't file taxes. Those are small portions of the equation that for the most part remain a variable, yet constant.

People could also answer incorrectly or with a slant, so the census has a lot of room for being inaccurate.

It's all political. And the long form is just too invasive, imo.

dl

In the past most households received the short form and a certain percentage received the long form. Now all households receive the long form. The correct name is the American Community Survey and as stated every single household must complete it every ten years. In the interim years a random sample of households selected by scientific method will also be selected. This is because communities do not change every ten years they are constantly changing.


It is important to note that HOUSEHOLDS or ADDRESSES are selected not people.

Also, it is a fallacy to think there is some government computer somewhere that has all your information in it. The IRS has some info, the CIA maybe some for some people, the Census Bureau some, and whatever govt entities you have interacted with or have business with will have a piece of your info but there is not a magical govt computer that has all anyone's information in it.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Short "opinion" video that explains the "politics" behind the upcoming census
This was posted on Marketwatch from the Wall Street Journal today.

Obama Wants Control of the Census - MarketWatch Video

yes I will

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Laura
Please visit my blog
http://mylifeinlaurasworld.blogspot.com/

This year’s census will be short and easy see the link on post #3. In previous years 1 in 6 (or so, I can’t remember the exact number) households completed the ‘long form’ which asked questions such as income. The longer surveys have been replaced by a yearly "American Community Survey". The census is required by the U.S. Constitution to be done every 10 years. .

This is incorrect. The American Community Survey is a yearly survey conducted by the Census Bureau. All households will receive the short census form. The American Community Survey is not sent to all households...it's a sampling
American Community Survey (ACS)
.

ACS is just another name for the "long form".

If anyone has any questions or concerns about the Census call your regional office. For the West Coast that is Seattle 800-233-3308

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

The long form has been replaced with the ACS, you can receive the ACS any given year.

Sorry to those of you that disagree but I do think it is a big deal that the government wants to know
what time I leave for work
whether I carpool
the amount of my mortgage
how much I pay in electricity
my race
and tons of other info.

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Raising my baby RIGHT!!!!!!

All the cool babies are wearing cloth!

I did not participate in the 1990 census, for the same reason that many of you gave above - I was 20 years old and was uncomfortable with the government "knowing my business".

Fast forward a few years. I became extremely interested in genealogy and learned how to use the census information to track my family tree. Since 1850, the US census has listed every person in a household, by name. The 1890 census (most of it, anyway) was burned in a fire, and therefore we do not have access to it, but if we did, it would certainly answer some questions I have about missing ancestors. The actual census (the printed copy showing how each head of household filled out the information) isn't released to the public for 72 years, and the 1940 census will not be available to be viewed by the public until 2012, but I can't wait to see it. It will be the first census which lists my mother, who died about 14 months ago. Something about seeing her name on a census will just thrill me, I know.

Anyway...what I'm trying to say is that I understand some of you don't want to answer questions that you think the government will misuse...but in future generations, your descendants may be "looking" for you...and it's so sad for a genealogical researcher to spend years trying to find an ancestor only to discover that he or she is not there to be found. The census tells a story that may not be told in any other way. For example, when I look at a census record, I try to imagine what life may have been like during that particular day, and write a paragraph in my research based on the record. Here's an example of what a researcher can tell about a census record that's 110 years old:

"June 20, 1900, State of Kentucky, Carter County, Magisterial District 3, District 24, Household 552
James Felty was born January, 1851 and is now 49 years old. He was born in Kentucky, his father was born in Virginia, and his mother was born in Kentucky. He is working as a farmer on a rented farm, and cannot read or write. His wife, Lucy, was born in September, 1857, and is now 42 years old. She cannot read or write, and was born in Kentucky, as were both of her parents. They've been married for 27 years. Lucy is the mother of 11 children, only 8 of whom are still living during this census. Their son George, born March 1887, is 13 years old and is working as a farm laborer. He cannot read or write. Daughter Jennie was born September, 1889 and is 10. She also cannot read or write. Son Jesse, born February of 1895 is five years old. Son Leonard born July, 1898 is 1, and son "Exworth" (should be Eckworth) was born in February, 1877 and is 23 years old. His occupation is listed as "U.S. Soldier" and he can read and write."

Personally, I find it to be a fascinating view of American history.

Yes I will. I don't have any problem with it.

I fill them out but will not put down income. If they really want that info, they can look it up from my taxes. I have no idea how many hands that census passes through and I too find the questions too personal.

For those of you who use the census to find family history. HOW do you do it? Is there a link or do you have to go to the library or what? I ask because we know my grandparents and their parents were form OK but beyond that...nada. Poor farming people with a ton of kids most likely (grandparents were from families of 7 and 8 kids to work the farm). If I could supply my mom with her heritage (beyond OK), it would be great.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Check ancestry.com and those places, you may find someone that has your line to your grandparents. I have a book that has DH's line to his parents.

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Books just wanna be FREE! See what I mean at:
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My other favorites
www.paperbackswap.com
www.wheresgeorge.com
www.geocaching.com

I googled my Grandpa's full name and one of the pages it took me to was the old Census page.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

I worked the census in 80,90, and 2000 but probably won't be doing it this next time due to other committments. It was a wonderful experience and more often than not I would only need to go to about every 5th home because one neighbor would know everything about about everyone around them. No one ever thought or appeared to think I was prying into their business.

Actually my forms would have all of the info already on it and my job was just to confirm and then update any changes since the last census.

Maybe it's just me but I'm the kind of person that complete strangers will come up to in a store and tell me their life story. So this job was a perfect fit along with the local community being very quaint and tight knit.

I look forward to someone coming to my door this time. I'll be more than willing to assist.

Do they send you out alone or in pairs? I was thinking of applying for a job, but if they'll want me to go door to door alone, I don't think I'd be comfortable with that.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

I don't remember ever doing a census...but then maybe we have always gotten the short form and fileld it out without realizing. I have no problem filling it out.

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Join the Relay for Life

Is there a way to view the census page without paying ancestry.com to view it? Every site I try to go to sends me back to ancestry.com

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Some libraries offer free access to Ancestry.com and/or Heritagequest.com if you have a library card. You can also search The National Archives in person at their Washington D.C office or one of their regional offices Census Records. A local historical society or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family History Center may have some census records available too.

thanks for the info. Won't be in DC so I guess I'll inquire at the library

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I don't understand.

Even if fifty "pairs of hands" see your income, why would you care?

I guess I just have never understood why people's income is such a big secret.

I don't share that kind of information with family members because it could cause hard feelings, but I have no problem with strangers knowing it.

I don't like strangers knowing it. I guess it's just me. I think it has to do with that at jobs such as my DH's, you are not allowed to discuss how much money you make with anyone else in the company (except your spouse obviously). You can get fired. I have my own business and no, I do not want people to know how much I make. I once got asked by a close friend about my income and boy...do I regret sharing. It's hard to explain but we make more than people think we do. We spend less than people who make less than us. We don't drive new cars, we don't have debt. It makes those who make less and spend more look at you differently. I think they feel guilty and/or bad about their habits and they take it out on you. My "close friend" isn't even a friend anymore. Her financial issues were suddenly mine and "could I pick up the tab?" because her credit cards were too high. Uh, why did you say you would go out if you couldn't pay? I can talk about saving money all day but no, I don't want people to know how much I make just from personal experience with it.

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I know this is off topic but in my opinion the only reason companies don't want people to discuss their pay is because of the way the companies do it. If it were transparent they couldn't screw people for dumb reasons like the woman getting paid less or the minority person or whomever for whatever dumb reason.

Lots of people that answer the Census just say "that's private" when they get to the Census questions.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Oh, I know that Anna People would be asking for raises and equal pay and they don't want that

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I work at a County agency that receives Census information (all census data is aggregated and NOT individual statistics on any household). We use the info to plan for public transportation routes, decide where to offer low interest housing rehabilitation funding (for those areas where a large percentage don't have indoor plumbing), senior programs, fire and police services, etc. It seems foolish and frankly, paranoid not to particpate.

Word, nightowl!

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Reading is Fundamental.

Smurf there is the genweb.com I think that is te website and some volunteers for each state sometimes have the census transcribed.

If not I have a paid membership at Ancestry.com and would be willing to look up information for you, might take me awhile due to being busy with tax season. I have found nine generations of my mom's family and there is more to come from other records when I get the bug to go further. My Dads I have went back 4 generations now.

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
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Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

According to the Census bureau website ..."By law, individual records cannot be released to the public until 72 years after the census in which they were collected."
However, you might find some help under the "Genealogy" section on the website.
Census Bureau Home Page

Also for more information on the 2010 census there is another website
2010 Census

You can view the questions that will probably be on the census. Also has information about applying for a census job .