For the first time (I think), the Census bureau is giving forms to the students at the college I attend, Virginia Tech in Blacksburg Virginia. Makes sense, considering I live here more than I do at “home.”
I’ve already turned my form in (good thing, 'cause they were due yesterday), but several times they threatened that “failure to fill the Census form out may result in a hefty fine” and other times they threw the word “federal fines” in there.
Huh? I was always under the impression that the problem the census bureau has was that it wasn’t mandatory, and they couldn’t force people to do it.
On the other hand, I know someone who’s working as a census enumerator this week, and says his supervisor can quote exactly what the fines are.
So what’s the deal? Were those idle threats, or can the Census Bureau really fine people for not turning in their forms?
yes the census bureau does really fine you if you do not send in the form. but before they do, they will send someone to your address to collect the information.
Why would the fines be unconstitutional? I would think that you could only get fined after going through the legal system first. Presumably, Congress passed a law which made refusing to answer Census questions a crime of some kind. Perhaps it’s just a civil penalty.
Someone more knowledgeable of the law should know.
The constitution requires there to be an enumeration for the purposes of redistricting. The only questions necessary for that are your name and maybe your address (to help avoid duplication). All those questions about how much money you make, or how many bathrooms you have or whatever they are, are not needed for the purposes of redistricting. Personally, if I were filling out a census form, I would skip those questions.
I read somewhere that they’ve never actually fined anyone for not filling out the census form. If a person refuses to answer, the census worker makes estimates for the answers.
OK, so there’s a fine. Who they gonna fine? How they gonna collect it. … Suppose the census taker comes to my house and I say “I rent here” and shut the door. To whom do they send the citation? They don’t know my name.
Hmmm. I just got the form at my dorm today, if someone promises to pay the fine for not sending it in, I’ll be happy to skip it. And if there is a law if anyone willing to pay for my lawyer to fight it, I’d be happy to be a test case
He who is truly wise is the one who knows how much he has yet to learn.
Wait a second. If they already know you live there, why do they need you to send in the census form? The only way they can cite you is if they already know you exist, and if they know you exist then there’s no need for the census.
I am refusing to give any info except name and age. I threw the form away and I’m waiting for somebody to knock on my door. I figure if I request a jury trial I should get 3 months in jail but I could use the free food.
Ryan: I’m sure they also want to know statistical information on memy age, my race, and, well… that’s about all they asked.
Now that I think about it, though, I have no way of knowing who put “Scott Schneider” on my form. It could have been the Census Bureau themselves, or the people at my university who work for the Bureau, and would have access to the list of who’s living in what dorm.
Now a residential address would be different. Next time I e-mail home, I’m going to ask my parents if their census form was addressed to them, and didn’t just have an address.
OK. OK. I finally settled on being a member of the human race with an ethnic backgound best described as ‘American’ and I’ll send it in on Monday. Am I gonna live?
Seems crazy that people refuse to give the census info but everyday you give the internet far more personal info.
Well to my fellow Chicaogans I say when the CTA cuts service again because we only have 2 million instead of 3 million people those of you who failed to answer your forms should be the first to volenteer to step off the trains so others who did can ride it.
Not all people fail to fill out the census form because they’re worried about giving out personal info. Many don’t fill it out due to procrastination. If they made the fine bigger and added some jail time the government might get a better response. It works for the IRS!
A couple of points here:
A Federal Circuit Court recently ruled that people cannot be coerced (warned that they will be fined) into answering some of the questions on the “long form.” But this was in, I believe, the Tenth Circuit (I live in the Ninth Circuit); so I don’t know whether a fine imposed outside the ruling court’s jurisdiction would stick.
The questions about income, employment, etc., appear in only one out of six forms, and are to be amassed for statistical sampling: Federal agencies can know where they should and shouldn’t concentrate various public programs.
That hyperlink about the “penalty” resembles something the Funny Times (or maybe even Cecil! :D) might come up with…
