Census Question

[gnargle2988]

I am posting this question for my mom. We filled out the census and mailed it in as directed. We were all under the impression that all you were required to fill out by law was the number of people living in the house. Well today we got a visit from a census worker who said that they did not have our response and we needed to take 10 minutes to fill it out again. My mom explained that it had been mailed in right after we got it and that all she filled out was the # of people in the house. He said she needed to fill it out again because they did not have her response. She said ok, but she was only giving him the number of people in the house because that was all she was told she was required to fill out. The guy said that he did not know if that was true but he would be marking her down as unwilling to respond, which obviously was not entirely accurate. So my question is, what is the minimal amount of questions that we were required to fill out on the census?

Just wanted to add that I do not want to start a debate about this, I just want to know the correct facts. I have googled it and received conflicting answers. Also, I seem to remember reading something about that on here at one point. Thanks in advance!

 

[disney1990]

You cannot put this out there and not expect a debate. This has been debated on this board since before the first forms were mailed out.

You are required to completely fill out the Census form. Unless you did that on the original form, you will be visited by a Census worker. If you do not give that Census worker the complete information, they will say you refused and you will then be visited by another Census worker -- this will happen up to 6 times.

Simply providing the number of residents in a home does not provide the detailed information that is needed to make future decisions for your neighborhood. How many schools need to be built and for what grades; how many people are driving age and will be using the road; how many people will be attending college in the next 10 years. Also businesses use this data to determine exactly what stores to put in the shopping centers that are built in your area -- are the people mostly shopping for elementary school aged students or are they shopping for the elderly. How many senior centers will need to be built in the next 10 years. These numbers also determine the number of representatives in Congress that your state receives. Right now, several states are in danger of losing representatives in Congress -- those states include California, New York, Texas, Arizona and Florida -- I see you are from one of those states.

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36883884/#ixzz0miGwkd2X

The information you give is totally confidential and is not released for 72 years -- except as STATISTICS. The number of residents of which ages. The race of those residents -- because people of different races sometimes shop differently.

Each time a Census worker is sent to your home to try and get this information, it cost money. And each completed Census form provides xx amount of dollars to your county and/or city. Your incomplete Census form means that your city/county will NOT receive that money.

 

[agnes!]

I suppose it could be a scammer trying to fish for personal information. Did you ask for ID?

Not to debate either, but when I've been doing historical/geneaological research, I bless all my ancestors who gave the names and ages (and later even the ancestry of the heads of household) for the people living in the house.

agnes!

 

[disney1990]

I suppose it could be a scammer trying to fish for personal information. Did you ask for ID?

Not to debate either, but when I've been doing historical/geneaological research, I bless all my ancestors who gave the names and ages (and later even the ancestry of the heads of household) for the people living in the house.

agnes!

All Census workers will carrying identification. It has been on the news, on the television and on the radio, that the door to door Census workers started going house to house today and are due to continue until sometime in July.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I sort of remember the Census form I filled out saying on it that all questions need to be answered under penalty of law, or something like that.


I don't understand why people are so afraid of the government that they refuse to give simple information that could reap benefits for their area.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I am posting this question for my mom. We filled out the census and mailed it in as directed. We were all under the impression that all you were required to fill out by law was the number of people living in the house. Well today we got a visit from a census worker who said that they did not have our response and we needed to take 10 minutes to fill it out again. My mom explained that it had been mailed in right after we got it and that all she filled out was the # of people in the house. He said she needed to fill it out again because they did not have her response. She said ok, but she was only giving him the number of people in the house because that was all she was told she was required to fill out. The guy said that he did not know if that was true but he would be marking her down as unwilling to respond, which obviously was not entirely accurate. So my question is, what is the minimal amount of questions that we were required to fill out on the census?

Just wanted to add that I do not want to start a debate about this, I just want to know the correct facts. I have googled it and received conflicting answers. Also, I seem to remember reading something about that on here at one point. Thanks in advance!

new rule

 

[Wall-E1]

If you google that question, you will get conflicting answers due to the fact that some unbalanced people are spreading false info. Here is the answer to your question taken directly from U.S. Government Census Website...

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/whole.php

Click on the first question on that page and it will state this...
Each of the 10 questions on the census form are mandatory and required by law, so please answer all of them.

Being from the official website of the U.S. Census, there should not be any room for others to debate your question.

So please fill out your form in it's entirety. It costs taxpayer's money each time a census worker has to be sent back out (also from that same page - question 6...
It costs just $.42 cents to mail back the census form in a postage paid envelop. It costs taxpayers $57 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn’t mail it back.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

If you google that question, you will get conflicting answers due to the fact that some unbalanced people are spreading false info. Here is the answer to your question taken directly from U.S. Government Census Website...

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/whole.php

Click on the first question on that page and it will state this...
Each of the 10 questions on the census form are mandatory and required by law, so please answer all of them.

Being from the official website of the U.S. Census, there should not be any room for others to debate your question.

So please fill out your form in it's entirety. It costs taxpayer's money each time a census worker has to be sent back out (also from that same page - question 6...
It costs just $.42 cents to mail back the census form in a postage paid envelop. It costs taxpayers $57 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn’t mail it back.

I actually decided not to accept the enumerating job I was offered because I was afraid of approaching a house with a radical (NOT THE OP'S MOTHER) that was not happy with me asking them "personal" questions. I would have made $13/hour, so other costs added in, it is very expensive to send someone out to collect info that could have mailed in for free! They send a prepaid envelope with it!

 

[disney1990]

If you google that question, you will get conflicting answers due to the fact that some unbalanced people are spreading false info. Here is the answer to your question taken directly from U.S. Government Census Website...

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/whole.php

Click on the first question on that page and it will state this...
Each of the 10 questions on the census form are mandatory and required by law, so please answer all of them.

Being from the official website of the U.S. Census, there should not be any room for others to debate your question.

So please fill out your form in it's entirety. It costs taxpayer's money each time a census worker has to be sent back out (also from that same page - question 6...
It costs just $.42 cents to mail back the census form in a postage paid envelop. It costs taxpayers $57 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn’t mail it back.

Yes, and that would be $57 EACH time the worker comes to your home -- up to 6 times. Also from the Census site.

How It Affects the Nation
We Can't Move Forward Until You Mail It Back


"...an accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives."

-- C.N. Le, Professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst

That's why it's so important that you fill in the form and promptly mail it back. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.

When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:

* Hospitals
* Job training centers
* Schools
* Senior centers
* Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
* Emergency services

Participation isn't just important—it's mandatory.

 

[disney1990]

http://1930census.archives.gov/FAQ.html#questions

This is the first Census that my Mom was included in. The questions are far more reaching that those on the 2010 Census. It is remarkable that I can research back information on my 87 year old Mom and my 89 year old Father in Law.

Those people that do not complete a Census form are denying future generations from researching their heritage. So sad.

 

[disneychrista]

Whats the big deal about answering simple questions. There is nothing on the census that are too personal. Name, age, DOB?

 

[Becky2005]

Not to debate either, but when I've been doing historical/geneaological research, I bless all my ancestors who gave the names and ages (and later even the ancestry of the heads of household) for the people living in the house.

agnes!

I'm so glad they were willing to fill out information. It helps when there were multiple names in lines to know which James was the father, etc...

 

[moburg]

I am posting this question for my mom. We filled out the census and mailed it in as directed. We were all under the impression that all you were required to fill out by law was the number of people living in the house. Well today we got a visit from a census worker who said that they did not have our response and we needed to take 10 minutes to fill it out again. My mom explained that it had been mailed in right after we got it and that all she filled out was the # of people in the house. He said she needed to fill it out again because they did not have her response. She said ok, but she was only giving him the number of people in the house because that was all she was told she was required to fill out. The guy said that he did not know if that was true but he would be marking her down as unwilling to respond, which obviously was not entirely accurate. So my question is, what is the minimal amount of questions that we were required to fill out on the census?

Just wanted to add that I do not want to start a debate about this, I just want to know the correct facts. I have googled it and received conflicting answers. Also, I seem to remember reading something about that on here at one point. Thanks in advance!

Answer the question(s) you want to answer. Tell the worker that is all you are going to answer. And don't worry about it.

The constitutional purpose of the Census is to count the people in order to apportion representation in the House of Representatives. None of the other questions are needed for that purpose.

The Census Bureau does not prosecute for not answering. So again, no worries.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

*

 

[manning]

I didn't read it all, but by law you have to answer all questions.

However the only way they can force you to do so is fine you $100 for each question you don't answer. The max they can fine you is $5,000.00 They cannot throw you in jail, just fine you. Hope she got the short form.

 

[IDoDis]

Once census workers have come to your home 6 times and do not give the information, they will start asking your neighbors. Just fill out the form. You drive on the roads, you may need an ambulance or hospital or fire station some day, your neighborhood may need new schools or teachers, and if you want your vote to be counted, you'll need the proper representation.

Those in the media who are telling people not to fill out the forms are looney-tunes. I also find it ironic that those same people say they stand for lower taxes, but by refusing to fill out the forms, they are costing people more money and more taxes.

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

Whats the big deal about answering simple questions. There is nothing on the census that are too personal. Name, age, DOB?

I gave them everything on the form for myself and DW, but only the ages of my kids. They can have the other personal information when the kids start to file taxes. Just a personal preference.

 

[Wall-E1]

Answer the question(s) you want to answer. Tell the worker that is all you are going to answer. And don't worry about it.

The constitutional purpose of the Census is to count the people in order to apportion representation in the House of Representatives. None of the other questions are needed for that purpose.

The Census Bureau does not prosecute for not answering. So again, no worries.

This would be an example of what I posted earlier about some people spreading false info. We actually live in a country of laws. We do not have the option of picking and choosing which laws we prefer to follow and which ones we prefer to ignore. So, by following the above advice, you will be costing the taxpayers hundreds of dollars and also be fined hundreds of dollars yourself. The above poster is obviously not a constitutional scholar, so it would be wise to ignore his/her reasoning. The constitution gave Congress the right to conduct a census. Congress then came up with a set of laws to conduct the census known as United States Code: Title 13. These are the actual laws that the census is conducted under. All of the questions on the census form are within the laws set forth by Congress.

OP - in case you are wondering the purpose for each question on the form, please see the link below. It explains the reasons for each question being asked. And yes, the info is needed. So, don't believe any people, or media organizations that masquerade as news telling you anything different.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/text/text-form.php

I gave them everything on the form for myself and DW, but only the ages of my kids. They can have the other personal information when the kids start to file taxes. Just a personal preference.

Again, a personal preference is not an excuse for not following the law. I could be wrong, but I'm going to guess that this poster gives this same Federal Government complete info about his/her kids on their tax returns each year in order to receive their yearly child tax credit. And our tax returns ask for even more info than the census.

 

[Elmo9607]

I have friends who are census workers, and yep...they started out today to collect info. They mentioned that over half of the houses they went to were "unwilling to respond" and were just generally annoyed and suspicious.

I can't understand how people could just "choose" not to do something like this. People take more time arguing about it than it takes to fill out the form.

 

[kems28]

I could be wrong, but I'm going to guess that this poster gives this same Federal Government complete info about his/her kids on their tax returns each year in order to receive their yearly child tax credit. And our tax returns ask for even more info than the census.

This is what I really don't understand about people afraid of the census. The federal government already has all of this information about you in some form or another, what's the big deal about writing it on one simple sheet?

Sorry, I'm not trying to debate the OP here, I'm just genuinely curious as to why people are so scared of it!