Forceful census takers? Anyone else being bagered?

[arabianequine]

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A lot of that first set of info is invading your privacy and personal to me and some others and none of there business nor is it relevant.

 

[Southernbelle]

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Interesting.

I insisted on waiting until April 1 to fill it out and send it in, BUT after I got the census paperwork I got 2 or 3 reminder letters BEFORE April 1 reminding me to send it in , but I waiting until April 1 (because I'm stubborn like that). No one's been knocking on my door. It's just ironic they don't want it before April 1, but ask for it repeatedly, so those helpful folks that sent it in early got theirs thrown out!

2000 Census I had workers knocking. We closed on our new house April 3, so on April 1, we were living in an apartment and I was 7.5 months pregnant, so I filled out the census paperwork accordingly and sent it in. No one sent in a census for the house we just bought because it was vacant on April 1 (the previous owners were living at a home in North Carolina at the time.) Time went by, I had my baby and we settled into the house. The first 2 census workers that came by, I politely explained the situation to them both and they went away. The 3rd visit (the 1st worker came back), he said he'd talked to his supervisor and that he was told he should take our information, so he counted me, my husband AND our baby (who wasn't born until June 2000

). So we were counted twice last census.

 

[lauralou]

I'm sorry to everyone who's had trouble with this!

I'm a Census worker too. The pay is decent, and I'm glad to have the job. I think the training is better in some places than in others. We were fortunate here to have a really good training session. Plus, I've done it before in a previous Census, so I'm more experienced than a lot of folks who are doing the job.

I haven't had many problems myself with people refusing to answer the questions. It may start out that way, but I have the gift of gab. I have been to homes where people claim that I'm the third worker to be there. I totally believe them! At that point, I ask if I can just get the number of people who live in the home, the respondent's name and phone number. That's the minimum info I need so I can go away. If they don't want to give me the phone number, that's okay, I can just write in the notes that they declined to give it. Who can blame them?

I think that so much depends on attitude. The attitude of the Census taker, I mean. Rude, Forceful? Are you kidding me? I'd never do that. I try to be sweet, humble, apologetic if that seems to be the tack I need to take. And I try to explain to them why I'm the third person who's there. I know why. The maps in the areas we've been given overlap. Or in certain cases, the address is just slightly wrong, so there is the correct address, and then the one that has an error in it. If they are both in the same area binder, I can figure that out and "fix it" administratively without coming out to your house twice. If not, I don't have the code numbers that are necessary to do that. This is where the apologies come in! There have been cases where I have personally gone to the same house or apartment twice. I talked to the same person, explained the why of it, apologized profusely, and got the bare minimum info that I needed to go away. I did correct the address, and make a note, as well as filling out a certain form that brings things to the attention of my superiors, so I can only hope that they will put two and two together and figure out that those people have been counted twice.

Another thing I do that's been helpful is to let people know that they can decline any question that they don't feel comfortable answering. Age is a biggie, and so is the question about whether you rent or own your home. Lots of people are relieved to know they don't HAVE to tell me that. I also talk to people about fake Census takers, and applaud them for being suspicious. In this day and age, you need to be cautious. I don't take that personally. I try to make sure that they don't answer any question that they shouldn't. I encourage people to go with their gut feeling.

Anyway, I just wanted to give my two cents. I am a census worker, and I take my job very seriously. I put my heart and soul into it, work seven days a week in the blistering heat to make the count. I actually enjoy it. I've met a lot of nice people, and I try to leave people with a smile. I imagine that I might be the bright spot in their day, with a smile and a laugh, a compliment about something in their yard, or their children or their pet, or whatever I see that I sincerely like. When I leave, I tell people that I have to go and spread more sunshine around our little community. I wish that everyone would do more of that.

 

[aprophet]

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Interesting.

I insisted on waiting until April 1 to fill it out and send it in, BUT after I got the census paperwork I got 2 or 3 reminder letters BEFORE April 1 reminding me to send it in , but I waiting until April 1 (because I'm stubborn like that). No one's been knocking on my door. It's just ironic they don't want it before April 1, but ask for it repeatedly, so those helpful folks that sent it in early got theirs thrown out!

2000 Census I had workers knocking. We closed on our new house April 3, so on April 1, we were living in an apartment and I was 7.5 months pregnant, so I filled out the census paperwork accordingly and sent it in. No one sent in a census for the house we just bought because it was vacant on April 1 (the previous owners were living at a home in North Carolina at the time.) Time went by, I had my baby and we settled into the house. The first 2 census workers that came by, I politely explained the situation to them both and they went away. The 3rd visit (the 1st worker came back), he said he'd talked to his supervisor and that he was told he should take our information, so he counted me, my husband AND our baby (who wasn't born until June 2000

). So we were counted twice last census.

where I lived in amhearst county VA. because of local rd names, state route numbers and subdivision names it was possible to use 3 different addresses and get mail delivered to the same house most folks that lived around me just filled it out 3 times. I will bet that place looks really populated on paper at least

and with this kind of accuracy I don't really see the point the info they get is way skewed LOL

 

[manderzpants]

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it sounds like the government needs to be more organized about using our tax dollars. the overlap of maps and duplicate forms, as well as telling ppl not to send it in until a certain date yet constantly sending letters telling ppl to send it in is just plain ASININE. the census is offensive in the intrusive questions it asks AND in the way it has been carried out.

 

[DuckLady]

Folks, let be sure that while we may have frustrations, we don't threaten to do bodily harm to a federal worker on a public forum.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

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See, they must have changed things since that section I found was written. That said you have to answer any and all questions on the survey... not just #... but then they tell you guys just #... so, are they trying to get people in trouble or what?

I don't envy you that job... good pay I guess, but still.

...when there's only one race and that's mankind. We shall be free.

This is exactly why I find this census so wrong. They made the form appear to show that you're required by law to give all that information, and made it easily available to get information on the fines involved- but made the verbage vague and hard to understand, thus tricking people into information they are not legally required to give. And asking race is none of their business, and certainly not the jobs we have, the homes we own, or the money we make. Yes, they can get that information if they had to, but what we're looking at here is a compilation of information that is not readily matrixed for the government and easily searched and accessible. By creating a new census and tricking people into giving you all that information the government saves time and man hours compiling that information. Can you imagine how long it would take for them to collect all that different information and put it in one place?

Of course theyre pushing for us to do it of our own free will. And all those commercials and ads and news segments about it... its weird. Why are they pressing so hard unless its because they have an unpublicized reason for it? its not just the census takers that are pushing, its the whole census machine.

Legally you ONLY have to give the number of people in the household. Not giving the rest of the information is not falsifying it, you're not obligated to answer anything further. However, answering it with false names or false information is grounds for retribution. I looked it up too, and spoke with those in the know at my state offices.

Trying to convince people they must give all the information is ridiculous. I dont care how friendly you are as a census taker. If someone says they only are giving you the number of people, how dare they press for further information by making friendly conversation and weasling it out of them. Not good. There's reasons why people dont want to give anymore information, and they shouldnt be pressed into it by the government or is temporary employees, you dont have to be rude to over step boundaries.

They whole thing reeks of ulterior motives. My neighbor is 97, she's seen MANY census' and many census workers, many recessions and wars- and even she cant believe how strange this census and its press is. My husbands uncle is 80, he's seen his fair share of the same, and he's worried about it all as well. THAT says a lot to me- when those who have seen history come and go start to worry we should too.

 

[bakerjw]

If you want some good reading, do a Google search on American community survey harassment

It seems that the 2000 long form irritated many people so congress passed a law authorizing the American community survey. It is common for threats of fines and possible jail time to be used on people refusing to answer their questions. I got it a couple of years ago and started researching it. One of my senators staffers informed me that it was a law and I was required to answer the questions. But luckily a staffer of my representative gave me his cell phone and advises that if I was ever harassed in the least to call him and he would take it up with the department in charge of the census.

I was prepared to be belligerent on this years census if the questions were invasive but they weren't as bad as I had been expecting.

 

[easttxchick]

Same problem here-sent it in with only the minimal legally required information and they proceeded to call and come to my house on more than one occasion. The last time they came by they said they were going to put on their form that I "refused to respond to the census" and I told them that would be just fine with me and they could turn me in to the census police.
The government knows plenty enough about me to find my phone number and my home address to harass me about a census form that I had already sent it, so I figure they know as much as they need to.

 

[HLAC]

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This is what I have to look forward to. Harrassment.

I guess I could waive my 4th Amendment Rights and answer it.... but I kind of like my Rights.

The government really seems to have an interest in me this year.

I had a person from the government show up at my house to do a Dept. of Health drug/health survey in the early Spring. The person took some demographics info from me and punched that info into a handheld device which she said would randomly pull up whether I was in for the actual survey or not. I was not. That survey used a carrot instead of a stick to get answers. If you answered the survey they'd give you $30 or maybe $50 bucks. (can't remember the amount since I didn't anything.

)
Then I got the regular census, which was dutifully filled out and sent in.
Now I have this ACS form which I have not and probably will not fully answer.