# For the love of your country, fill out your census form! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713 "2010-03-17T00:55:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/201 "2010-03-31T03:13:21Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Oops… Let’s hope Texas loses about 4 congressional seats because of the utter stupidity of its residents. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/202 "2010-03-31T03:19:05Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Let’s hope Texas loses about 4 congressional seats because of the utter stupidity of its residents. It’s not because they’re stupid, it’s because The Man is out to punish patriots. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/203 "2010-03-31T04:53:43Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Let’s hope Texas loses about 4 congressional seats because of the utter stupidity of its residents. I live in Texas, and I think this would be…wonderful! ETA: And I live in Randy “Baby Killer” Neugebauer’s district. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/204 "2010-03-31T23:33:45Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > … I just bang at the keyboard with my penis, leaving my other hand free for filling out the census form. Makes tabbing back and forth from the porn to the Avatar threads less painful, anyway. Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe et c. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/205 "2010-04-01T15:14:48Z")
I think they should do it the old fashioned way. Everyone should have to go back to their place of birth to be counted. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/206 "2010-04-01T15:16:38Z")
Atride an ass. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/207 "2010-06-08T03:38:31Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > My favorite story is the dipshit who saw my badge while we were in line at Rite Aid. He insisted that the Census is unconstitutional. :rolleyes: I’ve got more, but I can’t share them. I too am an enumerator this census season. Just today I had a non-respondent tell me he’s refusing because he doesn’t want to play into Obama’s schemes. :rolleyes: I told him the census was non-partisan, primarily to find population distribution for congressional apportionment, and seconarily to help distribute funds where census figures indicate people are that need it. He didn’t want Obama spending any more money. We’ll OK then, seeing as you’re not being counted, you won’t get any government help. And the funny thing is, once they’ve said they’re refusing, I’m free to try and find a proxy that knows about their household. And since it’s just a matter of talking to the apartment manager (who understands the legality of my assignment), I’ll find out everything they didn’t want Obama to know. So the gummint spent $0.28 sending you a post card reminding you to watch for the census forms, $0.44 sending you the form, and was willing to spend another $0.44, for a grand total of $1.16, so that they could get your headcount for your household. You didn’t send it in because you don’t want Obama spending money. (?) Then I have to come to your door twice (you weren’t home the first time) just to find out you’re a Beckian, then another trip to the office to get the info anyway. So I get about $3.50 in wages just dealing with you, which you could’ve **saved** the government by just filling out the form by April 1. Whatever… :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/208 "2010-06-08T15:33:21Z")
What’s bothering me is that we sent it off, and there’s still someone coming by and knocking. I sleep during the day, so there is no way I’m going to answer it. Is there a way to get them to see the only numbers they actually need, and not keep coming out here for no reason? One that doesn’t involve still having the original census form since we already sent it out? For example, could I tape a note to my door telling them the information they need? Or is there a place I could send the information to stop them? ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/209 "2010-06-08T23:45:52Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What’s bothering me is that we sent it off, and there’s still someone coming by and knocking. I sleep during the day, so there is no way I’m going to answer it. Is there a way to get them to see the only numbers they actually need, and not keep coming out here for no reason? One that doesn’t involve still having the original census form since we already sent it out? > > For example, could I tape a note to my door telling them the information they need? Or is there a place I could send the information to stop them? The first time they went there, they should have left a NV (Notice of Visitation) with their phone number on it. You would then give them a call and fill it out via phone. 5 minute process. You could also call your local census office and talk to someone there about it. Maybe some googling would get that number. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/210 "2010-06-09T00:47:59Z")
I wish to confirm the above information. As an enumerator I’ve left many, may Notice of Visits. Not only did they have my cell phone number, they also had the number of the local Census office. You can either call the enumerator who left the notice, and they’ll take the info over the phone, or the local office, and they’ll either take it then or have someone who can take your info call you back at a time you find convenient (yes, even at 2 or 3 am - we have staff working round the clock). If you don’t have any of those numbers look up “Census” in the white pages or call information or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/211 "2010-06-11T02:13:54Z")
> [@](#): > > When I saw the big ol note “US Census Form Enclosed YOUR RESPONSE IS REQURED BY LAW” on the envelope, I just knew it would send the conspiracy nutters into a frothing frenzy. > > But… really, Census Bureau? You want to imply that you’ll arrest people who don’t fill out their census form? Really? Not arrest, but fine them. From US Code, Title 13, Chapter 7, Subchapter II, Section 221: > [@](#): > > (a) **Whoever** , being over eighteen years of age, **refuses** or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, **to answer** , to the best of his knowledge, \*\*any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census \*\*or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, **shall be fined not more than $100.** > > (b) **Whoever** , when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, \*\*willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500. \*\* > > (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713/212 "2010-06-11T03:37:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What’s bothering me is that we sent it off, and there’s still someone coming by and knocking. If you don’t answer the door, what makes you think it is the census rather than someone trying to serve a subpoena? Or someone letting you know that your house is on fire? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-love-of-your-country-fill-out-your-census-form/532713.md?page=10)