We are all slaves
I just received a copy of the American Community Survey from the US Census Bureau. Think it's voluntary? Think again. I must fill out the form (28 pages) to the best of my knowledge in a timely manner as required by federal law (Why do I even bother keeping a copy of the Constitution? It's not even a consideration for the feds anymore).
OK. So I have to provide personal information to government bozos, information that I do not share with even my closest friends. Now, why do I have to do this? According to the accompanying letter from Steve H. Murdock, director, US Census Bureau, the survey results help communities "decide where new schools, hospitals, and fire stations are needed."
Hey Steve, Wal-Mart and Target can plan just fine without my coerced responses. What's wrong with local governments?
As a bonus, the "information also helps communities plan for new kinds of emergency situations that might affect [me] and [my] neighbors, such as floods and other natural disasters."
For this they need to know where I work, my salary and other income, utility costs, marital status, whether I can dress without assistance, etc? And, I'm to believe that this info is going to help in the event of a flood or other natural disaster? Do they really take me for such a fool?
According to the bureau, the form will take an average of "38 minutes to complete, including the time reviewing the instructions and answers." What about the hours spent ticked off that government has first claim to my free time? Time I'll never get back.
Government protects Liberty. Huh!
Comments (19)
Kyle
"Wal-Mart and Target can plan just fine without my coerced responses" ---> This is not true. They purchase all of the data that you've supplied to the US Census Bureau from companies such as MapInfo or ESRI and incorporate it into their planning. Local governments also do the same thing. On a side note, it's fun to learn about your neighbors. Check out http://bao.esri.com/esribis?command=zipcodelookup
Published: June 26, 2008 11:33 PM
indignant
Don't f..g fill the survey! Have no guts? Whining is not enough!
I tore it up and promptly forgot about it. If you fear the consequences, maybe you should reconsider living in a fascist country... or just get some mettle.
Published: June 27, 2008 2:52 AM
Mr.huh?
Actually Jim's complaints could be good ammunition in a court of law. Asking the judge and jury what good most of that information would've done in an emergency such as a natural disaster would be great questions to ask.
Published: June 27, 2008 3:04 AM
Inquisitor
Kyle, you're deluded if you think it is not the price mechanism that actually guides Wal-Mart and other firms. These surveys are supplementary for them. For government bureaus, they are all they can rely on. Anyway, they have no right to this. The only "right" the government has is to shrivel up and die.
Published: June 27, 2008 6:11 AM
Matthew Graybosch
I agree with Inquisitor regarding the one right the government has, but I would have phrased it a bit more harshly. F--- off and die, Uncle Sam.
Published: June 27, 2008 7:55 AM
WY_Not
They say you must fill it out? Whatever. They can say the sky is green but that doesn't make it so. Frack them. Tear it into tiny pieces, put it back in the envelope, and send it back to them.
Published: June 27, 2008 8:12 AM
Yancey Ward
Indeed, tear it up and put it in the garbage can. I have never filled out the census forms, and I never return their calls.
Published: June 27, 2008 8:32 AM
Brad
C'mon people it is in the Constitution - the Commerce Clause. I just hope that it isn't ever perverted someday to be all out of proportion and used as an excuse for the federal government to do just as it pleases to glorify itself and give it a reason for being altogether larger than was ever intended when the clause was put in. I firmly believe that filling out this questionaire is necessary lest Virginia and Carolina go to war.....would you want that on your conscience?
Published: June 27, 2008 9:40 AM
George
indignant -
I did the exact same...so should we all.
Published: June 27, 2008 10:12 AM
Mike Schwing
Do what I do. Every time I get one of these things I respond with nothing more than the following:
"2"
("2" happens to be the number of people living in my house - all the info the census is legally able to require, as far as I'm concerned.)
Published: June 27, 2008 11:14 AM
Jeffrey Henderson
When farmers own cattle they keep records on them so they can maximize their ROI.
The govt looks at the people like cattle too, cattle that will tell on each other and inform on themselves.
People today are so pathetic I'd almost say we deserve it.
I'll do my census at the same time I file my taxes, fucking never.
Published: June 27, 2008 11:17 AM
Scrab
Brad, thank you for pointing out the single article that was the greatest enabler of federal power.
Published: June 27, 2008 11:23 AM
Chaos Motor
One hundred and twelfthing the "tear it up and throw it away". We only live in a fascist nation because we are too scared to stand up for ourselves.
Published: June 27, 2008 12:09 PM
Dave
Throw it away. They'll send another copy, then a threatening letter or two, and call you a few times, and then it will go away.
How do I know? 'Cause that's what I did.
Published: June 27, 2008 12:17 PM
Dan M.
Although I agree with the assertion that Census should not be required by law, the Census data itself can be extremely useful. What's ironic is that I'm sure this site has used Census data before to either reinforce or negate one argument or another. It's required by law to encourage completion, if you really think the coercive power of the government is aimed at assuring complete Census forms, you might be overestimating competance. If you don't want to fill it out, or disagree with it, don't fill it out; but also remember, don't use that data for any papers either. You can't have it both ways.
Published: June 27, 2008 1:50 PM
Roderick T. Long
I've always ignored the census, without any consequences so far. The Census Bureau isn't nearly as motivated (or as powerful), as, say, the IRS.
For those who care about the Constitution (I don't all that much any more), all it does is authorize the Fed. govt. to conduct a census (just as any private org. could conduct a census); the ability to coerce responses is not implied by the Constitution, it's just something the govt. arbitrarily claimed for itself.
I disagree with Dan M. -- we use data all the time from private polls that have no power to coerce response, so why should the Census be any different?
Published: June 27, 2008 2:20 PM
WY_Not
Dave,
That is why you send the pieces back to them. Did that the one time I got the mailer and have not heard a single peep from them since; no calls, no letters, nothing. Of course I also included a personalized letter basically telling them to go take a flying leap (I wasn't quite that polite though.)
****** Dave Wrote ********
Throw it away. They'll send another copy, then a threatening letter or two, and call you a few times, and then it will go away.
How do I know? 'Cause that's what I did.
****************************
Published: June 27, 2008 3:37 PM
Dave
"That is why you send the pieces back to them"
Nah, not worth my time. I see your point, though.
Published: June 27, 2008 6:04 PM
Robert C.
I agree with Brad as to the constitutionality of this nonsense. The "Commerce Clause" and the "General Welfare Clause" together act as an escape clause that renders the rest of the Constitution null and void. I'm not sure if the founders included these clauses as a matter of malice or stupidity, but on my better days I give them the benefit of the doubt and assume the latter.
The other thing that annoys me about debating the Constitutionality of an immoral government action is that this implies that the action would be okay if it were Constitutional. In that case, all that is necessary to solve the problem would be a Constitutional amendment. If that wouldn't quell one's distaste for the government's actions, then the popular "argumentum ex constitutionem" (?) is a waste everyone's time.
Published: June 28, 2008 4:54 PM