Re: Census Bureau

Lacey1 · ‎03-09-2010

Besides being inconvenient and intrusive, (try working night shift and having these people knocking on your door, while you're trying to sleep).

The less uninvited people on my property, the better. What happens if a census worker falls on your property? I think there would be a lot of self-serving people that would sign up to be a census taker, just so they could fake a fall on an expensive property.

Also, those same self-serving people would gain a lot of information about which homes have alarm systems, high incomes, which homes have elderly people living alone, etc.

Sound paranoid, you bet. If there's a way for criminals to gain more information about what's inside your home-believe me-they will take advantage of it.

SnowPink · ‎09-20-2014

On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
Why all the paranoia?

Some people have the weird notion that the government doesn't need to know every single minute detail about every single citizen of the United States. Some people enjoy their privacy and freedom.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/11/2015 SnowPink said:
On 1/11/2015 brii said:
Number of people that live in the home and ages should be all that's required. I will not answer more than that.

Yep. That's all the Census is supposed to be for.

The census is used (in part) to allocate federal resources in a fair and efficient manner.

If people refuse to answer questions (ex.: Do you have running water and indoor plumbing) - the state and it's citizens will suffer.

We need to know as much as possible to be able to pinpoint problems and issues.

That only makes sense.

brii · ‎06-20-2010

On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/11/2015 SnowPink said:
On 1/11/2015 brii said:
Number of people that live in the home and ages should be all that's required. I will not answer more than that.

Yep. That's all the Census is supposed to be for.

The census is used (in part) to allocate federal resources in a fair and efficient manner.

If people refuse to answer questions (ex.: Do you have running water and indoor plumbing) - the state and it's citizens will suffer.

We need to know as much as possible to be able to pinpoint problems and issues.

That only makes sense.

Running water and indoor plumbing? That's what they need to know? LOL

Ms X · ‎09-13-2012

On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/11/2015 SnowPink said:
On 1/11/2015 brii said:
Number of people that live in the home and ages should be all that's required. I will not answer more than that.

Yep. That's all the Census is supposed to be for.

The census is used (in part) to allocate federal resources in a fair and efficient manner.

If people refuse to answer questions (ex.: Do you have running water and indoor plumbing) - the state and it's citizens will suffer.

We need to know as much as possible to be able to pinpoint problems and issues.

That only makes sense.

Another poster pointed out that states and municipalities have that information. Certainly, each city, town, and even state knows what percentage of their residents have indoor plumbing and a whole lot of other things. It would be cheaper and more accurate for them to compile the info that way. The census was never meant to be a pages-long form asking for all kinds of info, some of it very private and intrusive.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/11/2015 lacey1 said:
Besides being inconvenient and intrusive, (try working night shift and having these people knocking on your door, while you're trying to sleep).

The less uninvited people on my property, the better. What happens if a census worker falls on your property? I think there would be a lot of self-serving people that would sign up to be a census taker, just so they could fake a fall on an expensive property.

Also, those same self-serving people would gain a lot of information about which homes have alarm systems, high incomes, which homes have elderly people living alone, etc.

Sound paranoid, you bet. If there's a way for criminals to gain more information about what's inside your home-believe me-they will take advantage of it.

If a census worker falls on your property????? How laughable. Maybe you should refuse to receive mail too - the post office worker might hurt him/herself. Or the UPS of FedEx man? You should stop their deliveries too.

Why not answer the questions the first time so they won't have to come back repeatedly (and subject you to possible lawsuits)???

These questions were not considered intrusive and difficult to answer in the past...EVERY generation has had a census.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/11/2015 Ms X said:
On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/11/2015 SnowPink said:
On 1/11/2015 brii said:
Number of people that live in the home and ages should be all that's required. I will not answer more than that.

Yep. That's all the Census is supposed to be for.

The census is used (in part) to allocate federal resources in a fair and efficient manner.

If people refuse to answer questions (ex.: Do you have running water and indoor plumbing) - the state and it's citizens will suffer.

We need to know as much as possible to be able to pinpoint problems and issues.

That only makes sense.

Another poster pointed out that states and municipalities have that information. Certainly, each city, town, and even state knows what percentage of their residents have indoor plumbing and a whole lot of other things. It would be cheaper and more accurate for them to compile the info that way. The census was never meant to be a pages-long form asking for all kinds of info, some of it very private and intrusive.

FYI - Believe it or not - there are laws against collecting data from other sources.

By law, we have no national data on gun violence - or even on police use of force in the line of duty.

The national census has been around since the Founding Fathers.

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/11/2015 brii said:
On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/11/2015 SnowPink said:
On 1/11/2015 brii said:
Number of people that live in the home and ages should be all that's required. I will not answer more than that.

Yep. That's all the Census is supposed to be for.

The census is used (in part) to allocate federal resources in a fair and efficient manner.

If people refuse to answer questions (ex.: Do you have running water and indoor plumbing) - the state and it's citizens will suffer.

We need to know as much as possible to be able to pinpoint problems and issues.

That only makes sense.

Running water and indoor plumbing? That's what they need to know? LOL

Census data is what led officials on where to place the national highway system roads...and the TVA project...and other necessary infrastructure projects.

Lacey1 · ‎03-09-2010

""The national census has been around since the Founding Fathers.""

There are many things that have changed for the better since then-do women enjoy voting?

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/11/2015 Ms X said:
On 1/11/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/11/2015 Ms X said:
The census form is beyond intrusive, IMO. I filled out my form with just the number of people in the house and sent it back. The Census then sent a woman to the door to pester me. I spoke to her through the door and told her I sent in the form. She would not leave and kept asking me questions, so I finally yelled, "Get off of my porch!" She left and never came back. Some time later, one of my neighbors mentioned that she was afraid of me because I yelled at her when she wouldn't leave when I told her I returned my form. Good.

For the census before that, I didn't participate at all. The worker kept coming to my door for it seemed like months. As a result, I would keep the shade down on the window by the front porch. Once I was eating right near the window when she came and just sat there and ignored her as she rang the bell and hung around.

If they want cooperation, they must scale back all the intrusive questions they ask. It is none of their business.

Why all the paranoia?

Perhaps you can tell us why you are implying some conspiracy among those who don't want to fill out the entire census (and never have, so there goes your theory about objections being new). Why are you paranoid (and not civil in debate), terrier?