Government Fines & Harassment For People Who Refuse To Answer Intrusive Survey Questions

Government Fines & Harassment For People Who Refuse To Answer Intrusive Survey Questions

www.blacklistednews.com

Three million Americans are being forced to answer intrusive questions about their private lives under threat of home visits and fines by the government in the guise of The American Community Survey.

The survey, which is sent to 3 million random homes each year, is in addition to the census but demands far more invasive information from citizens, such as how many times they have been married, if they have a toilet that flushes, and how much is left outstanding on their mortgage.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The U.S. Census Bureau claims the survey helps them “determine where to locate services and allocate resources.”

If the person refuses to respond to the the survey or merely skips one question, then the Census Bureau promises that they will be fined and harassed until they do, a process that includes telephone calls and home visits.

This is outrageous. If I wanted them to know that sort of information, I would tell them. The federal government has gotten way too large and way too nosy. And the fact that people can be fined and harassed if they refuse to answer is just one more indication of the type of totalitarian regime we're heading toward.


TA


www.blacklistednews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 5-8-2009 by TheAssociate]

reply to post by TheAssociate


I agree this is out of control for the government to start demanding you answer some questions about your private business.

I must say I miss your old avatar. I always got titilated at viewing that fine behind.

reply to post by grapesofraft


Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, my information is on a need-to-know basis and I just don't see exactly how the government needs to know these things.

I'll switch back to my other avatar soon, I just like to change it up now and then.


TA

reply to post by TheAssociate


Many stores ask for your zip code when your at the cashier

I never give it

reply to post by TheAssociate


Yeah it is none of their damn business.. at least that is how I see it.

I cant wait until you switch back.

reply to post by TheAssociate


Sometimes i gotta LOL at all the propoganda & lies across the pond!!!!

Get a grip or you'll never go anywhere or see anyone again..... and that's not a threat from the US Government

reply to post by TruthxIsxInxThexMist


How exactly is this propaganda and lies? The Census Bureau itself states that penalties can be imposed for not answering the survey.


TA

wow

is there a more reliable source available?

I kind of find this hard to believe
Sounds like how North Korea must have started to become what it is now

reply to post by TheAssociate


I saw the actual questionnaire somewhere. I'll try to find it. They even ask you when you left for work (no joke). It goes way too far.
Here's the link to the PDF on Sensus.gov

Please read the PDF! Here are a couple questions from it.

What time did this person usually leave home to go to work LAST WEEK?

How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? If this person usually used more than one method of transportation during the trip, mark (X) the box of the one used for most of the distance

How many minutes did it usually take thisperson to get from home to work LAST WEEK?

How many automobiles, vans, and trucks of one-ton capacity or less are kept at home for use by members of this household?

What is the monthly rent for this house, apartment, or mobile home?

My personal belief is that they are going to use the answers on these questionaires to ferret out people that have given false information to other agencies. You have to read the questionnaire to see how this is possible, but the questions are numerous, invasive and very specific. They have nothing to do with counting the number of people.

However, it’s all hot air as no one has ever been charged with a crime for refusing to answer the ACS survey, and indeed several members of Congress have denounced the invasive questions as a violation of the Right to Financial Privacy Act.

Above quote is from OP article.

I don't agree with the government doing this unless it is purely voluntary. I do doubt they will enforce any penalties though. It would cause such a huge stink they might have to stop the program all together.

They actually do need this kind of information, but no doubt they could find a better way to accomplish it than through threats.

Their is another way one can handle this questionnaire.

Have fun with it.

IF they ask if you have flushing toilets do not check yes or no but instead write in your answer as "ELVIS".

If they ask what the remaining balance of your mortgage is write in "MONTANA"

If asked how many cars you own respond with "PineCone"

Do you see where I am going with this?



They ask for answers to their questions. Their is no rule that says your answers must by logical or even relevant to the questions. When expected to answer to the best of your abilities AFFIRM that you DID.... to the best of your abilities.

Not only can you have an Extreme amount of fun, but you can also throw a monkey wrench into the system at the same time

My husband received a strange phone call yesterday. The women on the other end of the phone said that my husband(and she said his full name) had put in a request about government money. My husband was like, "Lady I don't know what your talking about." Then the lady proceeded to ask for our address to which my husband replied, " Hey, when you want to send me some free money, then you can have my address." Then he hung up on her. We wondered about that phone call. Especially since she had said his full name. Things that make you go hhhmmm......

reply to post by titorite


A star for you. That is beautiful. Can you just imagine the guy typing that into the computer going WTF?

reply to post by j.r.c.b.


That happens here in Northern California a WHOLE LOT. Obviously you wouldn't answer but some people do! It is an ad agency I looked up all of the numbers that where calling me with the same scam and turned them in for harassment;because they where calling out of the legal hours of operation for my state... That means they got fined Don't have very many of those calls anymore now

As far as the questions on the secondary questionaire...they do seem invasive as in perhaps gathering more Intel than they need. BUT they can easily say they need them to allocate financial resources for roads etc. just by how the questions are worded.

[edit on 5-8-2009 by xoxo stacie]

MY bad... Replied to wrong thread....

Wow first time for everything.

Thanks for the star Grapes.


[edit on 5-8-2009 by titorite]

reply to post by titorite

Their is another way one can handle this questionnaire. Have fun with it.

Shucks,You beat me to it.

The USDA send out one of these "fine" surveys. How farmers handled it is rather instructive.

According to a gal who interviewed at the survey office.

"...The ag census surveys are being mailed out; anybody not responding after two mailings will get a visit from a NASS representative to fill out the survey with them. The survey consists of 51 very detailed pages of questions (though not all pages will apply to all farmers, it will depend on what crops and livestock species they have). Still, I asked how long to expect to spend with each farmer; she said time would vary depending on a lot of factors, but anticipated average time (actually printed on the survey booklet) is 105 minutes (that’s an hour and 45 minutes!).

Farmers figure they are trying to pick which farms are worth the most for the USDA to confiscate or get a list of assets they can use as collateral for the international banksters. Once they started talking about mandatory tagging our livestock and "premises ID" they got some VERY rude feed back according to the survey gal I chatted with. And yes they WILL harrass the heck out of you. I just stuck the $100 bill to pay the fine in a kitchen drawer so when they showed up I would stuff it in their face. AFTER they filled out the PUBLIC SERVANT'S QUESTIONNAIRE .

PUBLIC SERVANT'S QUESTIONNAIRE Public Law 93-579 states in part: "The purpose of this Act is to provide certain safeguards for an individual against invasion of personal privacy by requiring Federal agencies...to permit and individual to determine what records pertaining to him are collected, maintained, used, or disseminated by such agencies." The following questions are based upon that act and are necessary in order that this individual may make a reasonable determination concerning divulgence of information to this agency.

What is very interesting is farmers created such a ruckus, they backed down on the visits. I got a phone call and thats it. I wonder how many agents got to fill out the form will following the farmer around as he shoveled the chicken $h!t out of the hen house? Or rode the fence line (through the briar patch) looking for breaks in the bull's pasture fence. As one guy said "I’ll enjoy a mid-winter beaver dam check with some company!"

Another comment:"...unless they send the survey via registered or certified mail, they can’r fine you, because even though they mailed you the survey, they can’t prove that you actually received it." This one I loved "...The constitution limits the governments access to your “papers”. Some people might send a copy of the bill of rights with the 4th amendment hilited back to them… some people might use their survey in the outhouse too, that might answer their question of how many times kids use the bathroom !"

For the Ag Survey

From the enforcement section:
(d) Enforcement
(1) Fraud A person over 18 years of age who willfully gives an answer that is false to a question, which is authorized by the Secretary to be submitted to the person in connection with a census under this section, shall be fined not more than $500.

(2) Refusal or neglect to answer questions A person over 18 years of age who refuses or willfully neglects to answer a question, which is authorized by the Secretary to be submitted to the person in connection with a census under this section, shall be fined not more than $100.

(3) Social Security number The failure or refusal of a person to disclose the person’s Social Security number in response to a request made in connection with any census or other activity under this section shall not be a violation under this subsection.


(4) Religious information Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to the religious beliefs of the person or to membership of the person in a religious body

SIGH, The fines for fraud take all the fun out of it so a copy of the Constitution with the appropriate sections highlited sounds good.

reply to post by ModernAcademia

is there a more reliable source available?

CBS News

Census.gov

Google

Google

(not being a smart ass with the Google links, there's just too many to list).

From Census.gov:

The American Community Survey is conducted under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Sections 141 and 193, and response is mandatory. According to Section 221, persons who do not respond shall be fined not more than $100. Title 18 U.S.C. Section 3571 and Section 3559, in effect amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221 by changing the fine for anyone over 18 years old who refuses or willfully neglects to complete the questionnaire or answer questions posed by census takers from a fine of not more than $100 to not more than $5,000. The U.S. Census Bureau may use this information only for statistical purposes. We can assure you that your confidentiality is protected. Title 13 requires the Census Bureau to keep all information about you and all other respondents strictly confidential. Any Census Bureau employee who violates these provisions is subject to a fine of up to $250,000 or a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.

TA


[edit on 5-8-2009 by TheAssociate]

reply to post by titorite


I agree with that statement completely.
I did something like that on a mandatory work survey.
I gave 12 seemingly illogical answers.
If I was forced into something like that, I would add that I only give out personal information in the form of code, of which is only decipherable by me.