Census

[nmoira]

I've been reading what I consider to be some rather bizarre things on my local homeschool board and am wondering what the folks here think about the Census. Comments were prompted by recent visits from Census workers to verify addresses.

[AnnetteB]

Our ds, now 25, was sent a Census form a couple of years ago that he thought was bogus because it was "mid-decade" and asked really personal questions. He ignored it. A second form came with a threat of imprisonment/fine if he did not comply. He made phone calls to protest and verify the legality of it all. He complied in the end, but refused to vote in the primary and election after being treated like a criminal by the government. I think that the Census is out of control.

[Peek a Boo]

other:

The Census itself doesn't phase me a bit, but I don't "participate fully" in that I refuse to cooperate w/ racist questions.

 

It is one of the few expressly Constitutional jobs out there, so I'm on board w/ that.

 

I am NOT pleased or supportive of the Power Grab by the White House to oversee it. UNConstitutional.

[Hillary in KS]

When we got the national census form in 2000, it was short and VERY straightforward: address, name and ages of people in the house, etc. It took 10 minutes. I had no problem filling that out.

 

Last winter we received a long census form from the government. (Yes, they did threaten fines/imprisonment for not filling the form out completely.):glare: The form was PAGES long, and asked many intrusive questions. More details were required then are for my taxes. It took me a couple of hours to complete because I had to look up figures for them. It was intrusive and unnecessary.

 

And, like Peek-A-Boo, I dislike the recent changes made to politicize the national census. :glare:

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

During the last census, we got the long form....I filled out in a completly bogus fashion for my own amusement and the amusement of friends who were visiting. Alcohol may have been involved.

[KidsHappen]

Ok, my understanding is that the constitution allows for a census to be taken and that only information you are required to provide is how many people live in your household.

 

http://www.save-a-patriot.org/census/census.html

Edited May 7, 2009 by KidsHappen

[Crissy]

My most recent census experience was odd.

A census worker approached the house, showed her ID and asked if there were any other living structures on my property. When I told her there were none, she asked which set of doors in the front deck/courtyard were the main entry doors.

When I pointed out the front door she walked over and registered, via some GPS gizmo, the location of the entrance of my home.

 

When I questioned her, she said the Census Bureau was "mapping neighborhoods".

[Tap]

I've never seen one.

[Soph the vet]

My most recent census experience was odd.

A census worker approached the house, showed her ID and asked if there were any other living structures on my property. When I told her there were none, she asked which set of doors in the front deck/courtyard were the main entry doors.

When I pointed out the front door she walked over and registered, via some GPS gizmo, the location of the entrance of my home.

 

When I questioned her, she said the Census Bureau was "mapping neighborhoods".

According to what I have read and then experienced in my own neighborhood the Census workers are taking GPS coordinates of every front door in the country by the end of July 2009. Why is this happening? Why does the government need to GPS each dwelling? And why a year ahead of the 2010 Census? I am also opposed of the move of the Census to Rahm Emmanuel's office from the Commerce Department. It is a brazen power grab to redraw political districts.

[Lisa in Jax]

Here's why: I am a genealogy buff, and there is a wealth of information in old census records. I want my descendants to find LOTS of information about our family. So, I happily filled out every detail (and wrote in a bit more!).

 

I understand the concern about privacy, especially in an era in which government seems to be more and more a part of our daily lives. Despite that, I filled out every bit of the information on the census form.

 

Don't forget that someone 70+ years from now (census records are sealed for 70 years) may be very grateful that you filled in the form with information about your lives in 2010.

 

If you don't want to fill in the more detailed information, fine. But PLEASE fill in the names and ages of your family members so that some future genealogy geek like me can find you.

 

Just my two rupees,

 

Lisa

[Bee]

I received the long census form in the spring, filled it out and sent it in. Several weeks ago the census worker with the GPS system pulled in the driveway and when I questioned why they were there because I'd already filled out paperwork this year, she said she didn't know anything about the paper forms and maybe it wasn't legitimate (It was, since I'd also received letters and phone calls reminding me to send it back). So I wonder just how many branches of the government have this information and what exactly they are doing with it all. I'm sure it's all on the up and up but I wonder how accurate it will be if I'm counted twice.

[elegantlion]

I had someone come to the door mapping neighborhood as well. That didn't bother me, she volunteered ID and left me some info. She did not seek out my front door, of course here everyone comes to the garage door anyway.

 

I don't mind the short form, never gotten the long form. I think the government has quite enough information about me. I'm sure I wouldn't be telling them something they couldn't already find out, but I don't like disclosing information. We'll see what happens next year.

[elise1mds]

Here's why: I am a genealogy buff, and there is a wealth of information in old census records. I want my descendants to find LOTS of information about our family. So, I happily filled out every detail (and wrote in a bit more!).

 

I understand the concern about privacy, especially in an era in which government seems to be more and more a part of our daily lives. Despite that, I filled out every bit of the information on the census form.

 

Don't forget that someone 70+ years from now (census records are sealed for 70 years) may be very grateful that you filled in the form with information about your lives in 2010.

 

If you don't want to fill in the more detailed information, fine. But PLEASE fill in the names and ages of your family members so that some future genealogy geek like me can find you.

 

Just my two rupees,

 

Lisa

 

:iagree: :D

[gardening momma]

Here's why: I am a genealogy buff, and there is a wealth of information in old census records. I want my descendants to find LOTS of information about our family. So, I happily filled out every detail (and wrote in a bit more!).

 

I understand the concern about privacy, especially in an era in which government seems to be more and more a part of our daily lives. Despite that, I filled out every bit of the information on the census form.

 

Don't forget that someone 70+ years from now (census records are sealed for 70 years) may be very grateful that you filled in the form with information about your lives in 2010.

 

If you don't want to fill in the more detailed information, fine. But PLEASE fill in the names and ages of your family members so that some future genealogy geek like me can find you.

:iagree: A few years ago I did a lot of genealogy research on one side of my family, and it was fascinating! Also confusing, as different accounts and census records gave differing or incomplete information. So definitely fill it in!

[Jenny in Atl]

During the last census, we got the long form....I filled out in a completly bogus fashion for my own amusement and the amusement of friends who were visiting. Alcohol may have been involved.

 

:D

[KLynnTX]

I find it very disturbing. Why do they think they are entitled to this information? I certainly don't mind them knowing how many people live here, and even their ages, but beyond that? I don't think so. And GPS mapping, that is horrible! Big Brother is watching. And he knows a ton of details about you, and your GPS coordinates.

 

How they think this is constitutional is beyond me.

 

Sickening.

[LaxMom]

Doesn't phase me a bit. Really, I have no concern about intrusion of my "privacy" in answering questions on a form that I would, largely, answer at a cocktail party. And, frankly, the rest of the questions are just consolidating data the government already has.

 

The GPS component, as I understand it, has been used to identify inhabited dwellings (e.g. the apartment that used to be the barn at the back of a main property) for mapping potential disaster evacuation. Emergency management systems are both creating maps of potential danger zones that can be interactive models scaled to the current disaster data (if the the area gets 12" of rain that comes from a system that hit upriver areas first, where is the flood zone and how many people need to be evacuated, etc.).

 

It should be noted that I honestly do not care if some poor soul at NSA wants to listen to my telephone conversations, either, though I would feel bad for the person assigned to me... talk about dull surveillance. Nor do I care that I have an FBI file. It is what it is and there's nothing beyond the pedestrian details of my life that can be dug up. Know what I mean?

[OnTheBrink]

I've never seen a long form. What is they're asking?

 

A few weeks ago, someone did come to my door to verify my address and ask if there were any other structures on my property. Seeing as how my property is the corner of a postage stamp, I thought it was funny they asked. She didn't have a GPS, that I saw, anyway.

[phathui5]

The last time I saw a census form was 2000 and it just asked for names and ages.

[KLynnTX]

check out the long form here:

 

http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/d02p.pdf

[MomLovesClassics]

I did not realize they are asking for so many details. I assumed it was just names and addresses.

[Audrey]

I've been reading what I consider to be some rather bizarre things on my local homeschool board and am wondering what the folks here think about the Census. Comments were prompted by recent visits from Census workers to verify addresses.

 

 

"Other"

I find our census annoying. We always get the long form because we farm. They could get most of the info they ask from our tax returns. I resent having to do someone else's work for them. :glare: We participate, but not "fully." If there is an option for don't know or does not apply, we check that. And, I will tell you that we do NOT mark the language box the way some people would like us to -- we answer it honestly. :D

[Jennifer in NH]

During the last census, we got the long form....I filled out in a completly bogus fashion for my own amusement and the amusement of friends who were visiting. Alcohol may have been involved.

 

 

If only we still had rep...tears are flowing out of my eyes with laughter over this. :lol::lol:

[Hillary in KS]

If there is an option for don't know or does not apply, we check that.

 

Audrey, I hadn't thought of doing that. i rather like that idea!

 

(I will admit that I was tempted to always choose "C" for the multiple choice answers. :tongue_smilie:

[Renee in NC]

check out the long form here:

 

http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/d02p.pdf

 

Their form is not long enough for our family!:lol:

 

The long form reminds me of the quarterly retail sales form I had to fill out for our business.

[stripe]

Thanks for the link to the long form. Pretty detailed. I thought I'd seen someone's long form in 2000, but it looked nothing like this - it wasn't that long - however, mine was shorter yet. I too have benefited from the old census forms, but I never found anything that juicy about my ancestors.

 

When I filled out the form for my kids' birth certificates, I was asked some interesting questions about previous pregnancies (number of live births, abortions, stillbirths, and miscarriages) as well as my and my husband's "races"...under penalty of perjury....and then this information doesn't appear on the birth certificate.

 

I'd always wondered where they get information in the Statistical Abstract of the United States about the number of partners women have had, and so forth.

[Annie G]

I do quality control, which means that I go behind those gps mappers to check and see if they did their job. They are supposed to ask whether there are any other living quarters even if it's obvious there aren't. You'd be surpised how many people have a camper and actually house people in their back yards..or have a garage apartment. It's probably just easier to train people to ask every time rather than teach them when to ask and when not to ask.

 

As for the gps mapping, it gives them a spot to know that you've been accounted for. I've run across some addresses in which the road has two names and the family actually uses both addresses, AND has a PO box in addition. They don't need 3 census forms, and the map spot alerts us to the possibility of duplicate addresses for one actual residence.

 

If any of you already received a form from the government, it was probably a part of another survey and not the official 2010 census.

Why do all this a year in advance? To get the lists ready for mailing...it's been ten years since the last one and a LOT of addresses have changed...additions, subtractions, and so on.

 

It's been a fascinating experience for me. I took my 16 year old daughter with me to let her see more of our area. I went to places I didn't know existed...some some absolutely beautiful scenery, saw people living in homes that I would have thought uninhabitable, and met some of the nicest people ever. I think today was my last day...kind of sorry to see it end.

[KLynnTX]

I didn't like the question that was something like, what time does this person leave to go to work, and how long does it take them to get to work.

 

Why would I answer this? So someone can break in??

[Stacie]

...I am also opposed of the move of the Census to Rahm Emmanuel's office from the Commerce Department. It is a brazen power grab to redraw political districts.

 

 

:iagree: It has nothing to do with the party affiliation of the people working in the White House, but I really don't trust them to accurately and truthfully count my cats (I have none) let alone the population of the US. It has become a politically volatile mess and no one will really believe the results as statistically accurate.

[MomLovesClassics]

I didn't like the question that was something like, what time does this person leave to go to work, and how long does it take them to get to work.

 

Why would I answer this? So someone can break in??

Those are the sorts of questions that suprised me.

[elegantlion]

That long form is really annoying. I can see how one would have to have a stimulant to order to make it through. :glare::001_huh::confused:

[Avila]

I don't know why they ask what they ask, or what the government does with the info, but I am VERY grateful for the results in my genealogical research (1900 is the best!). I know things about my family that I had no way of figuring out otherwise. And the questions about how many children vs. how many living really are helpful in that arena.

[Sharon H in IL]

I have used census data to do political science research in college. The numbers allowed me to do some fun (oh, and I supposed educational) correllations between educational level and income.

[Peek a Boo]

During the last census, we got the long form....I filled out in a completly bogus fashion for my own amusement and the amusement of friends who were visiting. Alcohol may have been involved.

 

LOL!

:iagree:

this is a big reason why i take much genealogy research w/ a big grain of salt. I'm betting human nature [and humor] hasn't really changed that much, and I must have inherited it from joker of a previous relative. ;)

 

so if any future relatives are looking for research about me, gvt records are probably the WORST place to look! :D

[Nestof3]

I wasn't sure if you meant national census or local/school board census.

 

I participate in the national but not the local/school-board.

[Murphy101]

I don't know why they ask what they ask, or what the government does with the info, but I am VERY grateful for the results in my genealogical research (1900 is the best!). I know things about my family that I had no way of figuring out otherwise. And the questions about how many children vs. how many living really are helpful in that arena.

 

LOL!

this is a big reason why i take much genealogy research w/ a big grain of salt. I'm betting human nature [and humor] hasn't really changed that much, and I must have inherited it from joker of a previous relative. ;)

 

so if any future relatives are looking for research about me, gvt records are probably the WORST place to look! :D

 

:iagree:yep. they are well known to be inaccurate on anything beyond a living human was at that address to answer some questions. Not to mention the entire question of if the information is entered in correctly.

 

(for example, one of dc's birth certs lists my dh's year of birth incorrectly. according to it my dh is 10 years older than me rather born the same year as me. we've just never bothered to go thru the headache of fixing the error.)

 

frankly, I'm not thrilled to share geneology info with my own sister (long miserable story there - but NO ONE in my family will willing give her so much as a DOB anymore), so I'm not too likely to care about the possible kin 4 grand children down the road knowing much about my current life.

[Audrey]

Audrey, I hadn't thought of doing that. i rather like that idea!

 

(I will admit that I was tempted to always choose "C" for the multiple choice answers. :tongue_smilie:

 

Well, I figure that if they check up on it, I can always say I didn't know the answer. How can one refute that? The fact that I didn't know because I couldn't be bothered to take 10 seconds to think of it (or go look) is irrelevant. When I read the question I did not know. So there!

 

FTR, our census is every 5 years. Double the fun, eh? Yeah. Sure. :glare:

[stripe]

:iagree:yep. they are well known to be inaccurate on anything beyond a living human was at that address to answer some questions. Not to mention the entire question of if the information is entered in correctly.

 

...Now people are "allowed" to state their own "ethnicity," where previously the census workers would "determine" it on their own, based on their opinion (and the ever-varying federal definitions and groups).

[FO4UR]

I think there has to be better wasy to preserve our info for geneology purposes....

 

 

I will give as little info as possible. The # of people who live here is all the gov't needs to know imho. I have to ask WHY the gov't wants all that info?

[Murphy101]

...Now people are "allowed" to state their own "ethnicity," where previously the census workers would "determine" it on their own, based on their opinion (and the ever-varying federal definitions and groups).

 

yeah... don't get me started on that...

I had a nurse at the hospital do that to me for birth cert info for my 6th born. ticked me off royal.

 

and I'm as white chick as a gal can get.

 

I've always found these things annoying an intrusive.

 

She said she HAD to know these things in order to file a birth cert.

Now this was my 6th kid and I've yet to see a birth certs that lists what level of education or income or race the parent is.

 

I refused to participate in her little census.

 

So she put the thing on the table sat down and filled it out herself and walked out.:glare:

 

ETA: with 7th born - I lied. You'll be glad to know that somehow between the birth of my 6th and 7th I got a PhD and my income was 7 figures

Edited May 7, 2009 by Martha

[stripe]

Well, people tend to "see" my children differently depending on which parent they see with them. And I've gotten all sorts of inane comments at the doctor's office.

 

As I mentioned previously, I was required to state my and my husband's "ethnicity" and asked about past live births, abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths, which I was frankly surprised at.

 

I was expecting to see some of those questions on the census after reading some of the comments - about number of partners, age of first experience, and so forth. Not something I think most people would appreciate being asked.

[Murphy101]

Well, people tend to "see" my children differently depending on which parent they see with them. And I've gotten all sorts of inane comments at the doctor's office.

 

As I mentioned previously, I was required to state my and my husband's "ethnicity" and asked about past live births, abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths, which I was frankly surprised at.

 

I was expecting to see some of those questions on the census after reading some of the comments - about number of partners, age of first experience, and so forth. Not something I think most people would appreciate being asked.

 

oh my. again. I'd have to admit to a sin and say I'd lie or flat out tell them to... well that would be a sin too.:glare:

 

that's it!

 

I have a religious exception to the census!

 

"I'm sorry but it is a near occassion of or a blatent sin to participate in the census.";)

[Tutor]

"No" to the "regular school" question, huh? (Unless your state counts your homeschool as a private school.) I'd be really tempted to answer "Yes, public school"... all of the children who live in my homeschool district are free to attend. :D

[elegantlion]

"No" to the "regular school" question, huh? (Unless your state counts your homeschool as a private school.) I'd be really tempted to answer "Yes, public school"... all of the children who live in my homeschool district are free to attend. :D

 

I saw that question on the link. Technically we are a private school so I had a sigh of relief there. Who knows how twisted some of this information could become in the wrong hands.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

LOL!

:iagree:

this is a big reason why i take much genealogy research w/ a big grain of salt. I'm betting human nature [and humor] hasn't really changed that much, and I must have inherited it from joker of a previous relative. ;)

 

so if any future relatives are looking for research about me, gvt records are probably the WORST place to look! :D

 

One of our favorite genealogy census stories is the ancestor of dh's who listed his occupation as Theocrat.

 

 

On the other hand, there are some wonderful notes at the bottom of pages of Cincinnati's 1850 census. There had been a horrible cholera epidemic shortly before and the census taker made notes about how many people had died in various buildings, which buildings were on cisterns for water supply. Fascinating reading.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Sebastian (a lady)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

...Now people are "allowed" to state their own "ethnicity," where previously the census workers would "determine" it on their own, based on their opinion (and the ever-varying federal definitions and groups).

 

There are lots of military forms that ask for your race/ethnic group. It has always secretly pleased me that the group with the highest percentage of "other" is the the Marine Corps. I remember hanging around Marines and they were just insistent that there was only one color, Marine Corps Green.

[Murphy101]

There are lots of military forms that ask for your race/ethnic group. It has always secretly pleased me that the group with the highest percentage of "other" is the the Marine Corps. I remember hanging around Marines and they were just insistent that there was only one color, Marine Corps Green.

 

 

 

LOL I love that!:D

[Stacie]

oh my. again. I'd have to admit to a sin and say I'd lie or flat out tell them to... well that would be a sin too.:glare:

 

that's it!

 

I have a religious exception to the census!

 

"I'm sorry but it is a near occassion of or a blatent sin to participate in the census.";)

 

 

Oh, I love it!

 

"I'm sorry but my participating in the census' increasingly stupid questions violates my freedom to practice my religion...I'm beginning to feel compelled to cuss you out!" :lol:

[Carrie12345]

I haven't read all of the replies, but I voted for the first option, even though it isn't completely accurate for me.

 

I find the GPS aspect very disturbing.

 

I do appreciate the importance of the census. My local area has exploded over the past decade, and household incomes are quite diverse. We need to be represented and served as accurately as possible, and that needs to look a lot different than it did in 2000.

 

And many of the questions are pointless. I am an American Mutt. If you ask me "what I am", I can't give you a good answer. One day I'll answer Swedish, the next I'll answer Irish. I'm French every other weekend, and sometimes I'm Iroquois. Depends on my mood. ;)

 

When we did the pre-census survey, the man insisted I choose our heritage based on larges percentage, which really doesn't help because I'm just not that detail-oriented, lol. I told him dh would be considered mostly Native American. But we're not allowed to use that option without naming a tribe. I couldn't remember the tribe. So I made him German. Which he is, but that doesn't fit the whole "biggest percentage" rule.

 

Very, very dumb. And what do they care, anyway? The closest immigrants in our trees are 3 generations before us. Oh, and most of them were illegals. :tongue_smilie:

[Carrie12345]

I didn't like the question that was something like, what time does this person leave to go to work, and how long does it take them to get to work.

 

Why would I answer this? So someone can break in??

 

Traffic patterns?

Though I could think of a dozen better ways to figure that out!

There needs to be a half-laughing icon.