Republicans Wimp Out On Opposing The Census
Our founding fathers designed for us a representative federal government, with one house of the legislative branch of that government popularly elected (the Senate was originally, and still should be, appointed by the states). In order to ensure that the House of Representatives remained proportional in its representation of the people of this country our founders provided for a national census every 10 years. That census would determine the number of people living in the nation’s various states and districts and then apportion House seats accordingly.
From that, the US Census has morphed into a colossal government information grab complete with commercials (paid for at our expense) telling us that we need to fill out the Census so that our children don’t get sick and die (or something like that).
After all, our government needs to know all about us in order to take care of us right? Of course, those who don’t want the government to take care of us are our of luck.
There’s been a lot of rancor among conservatives about the census, and rightfully so, with people such as Michele Bachmann leading the charge in talking about how the census has far exceeded its constitutional mandate. But when a resolution urging Americans to take part in the census came before the House of Representatives only one member of Congress voted against it.
Ron Paul.
It’s more than a little disheartening to see Republicans, who are ostensibly proponents of limited government, supporting an unconstitutional census that per the government’s own advertising facilitates the sort of expansion in government programs that has led to the current bankrupt nature of our national budget.
And this is no small matter. Refusing to participate in the census doesn’t just mean that you may lose some of your representation in the government, they can actually fine you $100 per question you refuse to answer up to a total fine of $5,000. And if you refuse to pay the fine you can be put in jail.
This is exactly the sort of overbearing government activity Republicans should be opposing. Sadly, far too many of them are too busy joining the Democrats in thinking about all the new spending the census count will let them do in their states and districts.
At the very least, the other census questions not having to do with the constitutionally-required head count should be entirely optional. And if proponents of the census status quo want it to be otherwise they should amend the constitution.
I really hate our government!
Opps, I haven’t had the cencus police show up!
Neiman, first thank you for providing information in your answer rather than sarcasm. I had read this article before sending in my question. Second, I am not a lawyer, but this article does not clearly state that the fine would be $100 per unanswered questions or $500 for each false answer. This does not mention a maximum nor jail time. Is there a reference to jail elsewhere? The site that Brent referred to was referring to the 2007 Economic Census. That is not the same as the the Census for Enumeration that is in Article I Section 2 of the Constitution, correct?
I have actually received and returned my Census. I live in a rural area, so they were hand delivered vs mailing(I have no idea why).
I filled it out, but I was irritated about the race question. That doesn’t matter when it comes to COUNTING every American. It seems nowadays that every piece of paperwork including the new patient forms we filled out at the doctor and dentist when we moved want to know your race, and there isn’t any reason. If you come to the doctor with a medical condition that is common in certain races, but uncommon in others, THEN you ask, but this blanket “what is your race” greatly irritates me.
I live in an area that has alot of summer cabins vs full-time residents. He was unable to understand that my neighbor doesn’t “live” there. He was trying to figure out how to classify them.
I would have thought they were trained on that kind of situation, since there are going to be many, many people who might own their house, but have walked away or are in the middle of a foreclosure, and lots of summer cabins, etc.
Just an fyi, from all that I have read, they have never enforced this…
Brent, your bhs.econ site refers to the 2007 Economic Census which has as its purpose to collect and produce the most comprehensive and useful business info. It is the law requires it to be done every five years. The fines or penalties written in that article are different from Title 13 Section 221 that refences the 2010 Enumeration Census. Not being a lawyer and wondering if I have to answer the other 6-9 questions on the census form, I am looking for the answer.
I thought it was a fine of not more than $100 for not answering all the questions and $500 for false information. And the answers are to be to the BEST of the person’s ability. How do they determine my ability? How can it be up to $5000 if there are only 10 questions?
I received the full meal “census survey” and returned it with only the number of people living in my house. I received four phone calls after that wanting more information. I declined their requests. Finally they gave up. So far I have had the census police show up.
That’s the Census Concentration Camp or CCC for short Woof.
It is a document under oath? If not, then can I say I am a Black, Muslim, American and not be fined? If so, why not just lie on every question? You answered them, just not under oath!
I think it is probably a good idea to start with the assumption that if you fail to answer multiple questions, you could very well get fined $100 per question.
My guess is that the fines go to $5000 because if you falsely answer all 10 questions, for $500 a pop… = $5000.
Is my math right?
And by the looks of Neimans post, we have to answer all of the questions or face a fine.
TITLE 13
§ 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers
(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.
If you skip the race question (which I usually do), you find it interesting to know that in cases related to financial transactions, the person collecting the form from is REQUIRED by law to give their best guess as to your race.
Neiman,
The law is complex. The Census Bureau Spokeswoman is the one who told members of Congress, including Rep. Bachmann, that the fines go up to $5k.
And the Census Bureau itself confirms the upper limit is $5k.
http://bhs.econ.census.gov/ec07/SUR1_1.html
Don’t blame the messenger, I just posted the law as it is – quit picking on me
The number of persons resident at this address is x…
Oh I’m certainly not picking on you. I think the problem is that the Census Bureau is trying to have it both ways, deliberately being ambiguous about what the law really is (assuming they even know!). They want the fine to seem sort of small in order not to appear draconian, while at the same time being able to realistically threaten you with large fines. One thing is for certain and that is that it will be more expensive to fight them in court than it will be to pay the fine.
Is there a penalty for not answering questions on the Census? Just because it asks does it mean you have to answer? I personally like to feed the paranoia of the wing nuts. You know the census is nothing more then a double check. They implanted a chip in you at birth . THey know where you are, they know who you are. sarc.
On the radio , a man representing the census. If you do not fill out the answer they will try to contact you. If they can’t contact you by phone they will come over to your house up to 5 times. Now I have no reservations in filling out the census. You will most likely give out more personal info for a loan or credit card but After 5 times they will go to your neighbor and try to get the information from them. In the end they will rely on a best guesstimate from the neighbor.
Do you have to fill in the form while in federal census prison?
They spent 52 million to send us the letter letting us know we would receive the census in a week.
750,000 people?
(The U.S. Census Bureau expects to add up to 750,000 workers to its payroll by May, a hiring binge that could knock the unemployment rate down by as much as a half-point.)
Hires for the 2010 census are temporary and part-time; the average employee works 19 hours a week for six weeks, according to Wendy Button, chief of the decennial recruiting branch of the Census Bureau.
Almost all of those hired will be doing “non-response follow-up work†that involves going door to door to collect information from people who did not return their census forms.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
Thomas Jefferson
It’s well past time that we instill the fear of the people in our elected government officials, and their toadies, the entrenched bureaucrats. Their high-handed BS and unConstitutional activities must stop. We the people have the ultimate power in this country – the power of the ballot. Vote the corruptocrats of both parties out – it’s time for the America to find it’s soul again, or lose it forever.
There is also a group incouraging us to fill in “American” rather then race. Guess they’ll get the answer they want either way.
If you’d bothered to actually read the post you’d know that there’s a $100 per/question fine for not answering, up to $5000.