American Community Survey

[Alabamak1 688]

Hi:

 

Has anybody answered the gestapo style census yet? It is so intrusive, from the point of asking your income to who what and where you live, work or study. All kinds of intrusive questions i don't personally see the point of asking. 

 

Is it mandatory to answer? 

 

Thanks for any reply. Keep it simple and legal. Not interested in your beliefs of why.

 

https://respond.census.gov/acs

Edited July 2, 2018 by Alabamak1

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

2 hours ago, Alabamak1 said:

Hi:

 

Has anybody answered the gestapo style census yet? It is so intrusive, from the point of asking your income to who what and where you live, work or study. All kinds of intrusive questions i don't personally see the point of asking. 

 

Is it mandatory to answer? 

 

Thanks for any reply. Keep it simple and legal. Not interested in your beliefs of why.

 

https://respond.census.gov/acs

I threw mine in the trash. None of the governments business how many toilets I have. Legally you are supposed to answer and I did get a few follow ups, but no one has ever been prosecuted.  The give the info to corporate America for marketing . Fight the power. Trashcan it .

Edited July 3, 2018 by Nature Boy Flair

[Alabamak1 688]

Thanks, never had a survey been so direct about my personal stuff. From who lives with you, to what age they are and what is everyones income in the past 12 months.  I stopped it in the middle of the survey. 

Edited July 3, 2018 by Alabamak1

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

12 hours ago, Nature Boy Flair said:

I threw mine in the trash. None of the governments business how many toilets I have. Legally you are supposed to answer and I did get a few follow ups, but no one has ever been prosecuted.  The give the info to corporate America for marketing . Fight the power. Trashcan it .

 

14 hours ago, Alabamak1 said:

Hi:

 

Has anybody answered the gestapo style census yet? It is so intrusive, from the point of asking your income to who what and where you live, work or study. All kinds of intrusive questions i don't personally see the point of asking. 

 

Is it mandatory to answer? 

 

Thanks for any reply. Keep it simple and legal. Not interested in your beliefs of why.

 

https://respond.census.gov/acs

So why was it gestapo style?

[Unidentified 2,930]

I didn't mind doing it. I've done similar surveys online but at least there I get paid for it. 

 

But yeah, in what way is it gestapo style? Did someone threaten you? Keep you up all night? Torture you?

 

How is it illegal?

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

I wouldn't necessarily compare it to Gestapo, but I do hate those. I never fill those out. I take after my old man with my sentiments - let me work, let me pay my taxes, and leave me alone. You get enough out of me in form of taxes - you don't need to know what brand of toilet paper I buy.

 

Disclaimer (because there's always that one): I know those surveys don't question your brand of toilet paper, or other grocery related items.

[SAT 9,609]

The census is used in many ways. It's not as simple as "how many people live in your house?"

 

It provides information to all levels of government, companies, organizations. Like schools, ERs, utilities, police, fire, etc...so they can prepare for staffing, funding, etc...

 

One important aspect of it, is to determine the infrastructure and social services needed for a particular area. 

For example, in Brooklyn NY, the census will estimate the amount of seats needed in schools, and the general income of the school district. Schools where the parents incomes are lower, will be designated as "Title 1" schools, they will get more federal funding, free meals (2 meals), free after school programs, transportation, etc...

These numbers will also let the utility companies know what to expect in housing development, so they can allot services. My neighborhood's population doubled in 10 years. But it didn't reflect on the census. So now most of the neighborhood schools are overcrowded. The ERs are also overloaded. Firehouses got closed, when we actually needed more, response times for emergency calls are slower, traffic is a mess because of the increased amount of vehicles, etc...

 

So, it really does help if the census is filled out with as much info as one feels comfortable with.