Required by Law!
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By Jody Lee
radio host, author, political and lifestyle blogger, media consultant
Published: March 19, 2010
Just so there is no mistaking it, it says right on the envelope “Your Response Is Required By Law”.
Geez. Fine. Calm down.
The 2010 Census. My question is IS it required by law? Or is the government overstepping its constitutional boundries? And if so, how much trouble am I in if I don’t comply?
I know that the constitution says we have to participate in a head count every ten years, and I know the reasoning behind it. No problem. But my recently-arrived census form wants to know a whole lot more than how many people are living in my house.
It wants to know what kind of home I live in, my phone number, my name and sex, my age and birth date, my race and heritage, and if I sometimes stay somewhere other than at my house.
Excuse me, Nosy McNosenstein. I don’t remember any of THAT being in the Constitution!
So tell me. What exactly will happen if I only answer what I am constitutionally obliged to answer – which is how many people live here, as I understand it – and don’t fill in the rest? Any idea?
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Posted by ( justathought ) on March 30, 2010 at 11:28 am
As far as I have always known & been told, you only have to give them # of people & ages. So that’s all I’m giving. They do not need b-day, phone #, etc. Why would they?
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Posted by ( Smalltowngal ) on March 22, 2010 at 1:55 am
Also, as far as the constitution, to put it in english… The census has the right to ask any question they deem necessary as permitted by congress. Basically if congress approves it, you’re screwed.
The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, Clause 3, Sentence 2, reads:
“The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.“
The Constitution does NOT limit the information that Congress may request in obtaining their Enumeration, except when that information might violate existing Amendments (i.e.: the IV Amendment (Illegal searches), or the V Amendment (Self incrimination)).
Taken from WikiAnswers
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Posted by ( Smalltowngal ) on March 22, 2010 at 1:51 am
Luckily this year it is a short form census of only 10 questions…
Sample questions being
1)How many in your household?
2)Do you own or rent?
3)Telephone # if the need to ask you about your answers
4)Name
5)age
6)DOB
7)Race
8)How you are related to person #1 (if more than 1 in household)
Really, the long form is intrusive, but this here… your info is not made available for 72 years. Mainly they can say we have such and such # of men vs women… We have more births this year than previous…. so on and so forth.
There is an article on CBS News where a spokeswoman for the census bureau said that you can get in trouble for leaving any answers blank. ($5,000.00) The way I look at it is that the majority of the items listed above, the government already knows about you anyways…
They will not be handing out any long forms this year, however, they have renamed them to the American Community Survey (Google it, lol) and those are what the new long forms are and they are given to 3mil people every year. They ask just about everything down to your bra size! Now those are mandatory as well with a much lower fine of $100.00 but then again if it were me when it came to this one…. well that’s a whole ‘nother story…lol. I would have a lawyer inform me of exactly which questions I need to answer. I am not about to tell people what time I leave for work each day and if anyone rides in my vehicle, or if I am fertile (Yes I did just say that!) Anyhoo enough of my ranting, this is my take on it and I hope you find what you are looking for.
I tell you one thing though, if this community does get money we need to fix our roads not just when the race fans are in town!
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