U.S. Census Bureau 'American Community Survey' Replaces Long Form
Sunday January 23, 2005
The U.S. Census Bureau just began mailing the American Community Survey (ACS) to 250,000 households a month across the country. The ACS replaces the "long form" from the decennial census, which will allow the Bureau to report data much more frequently. Each year, the Bureau will mail the ACS to a rolling, random sample of about 3 million households throughout the country; roughly 2.5 percent of the nation’s 124 million households or about 1-in-40 households will participate in the survey each year. (By comparison, 1-in-6 households received the Census 2000 long form.)
Comments
I received 2 of these surveys and do not want to answer such questions as what time do I leave for work and how many minutes it takes to get home and does my home have flushable toilets. Too many personal questions, but says I will be fined for not sending it in or giving false answers. Fines up to $50,000! How can this be happening in America? Hey people! Big Brother is
watching Did you send in your survey?
If 2.5% of the households are being surveyed each year then it will take the dept. 40 years to complete the data for the entire country. May be people are being too paranoid about this. Its just info. collection for services.
Get a life, Victoria.
Hardly sensitive information!
The questions in the American Community Survey are virtually the same questions asked at the 1990 and 2000 censuses. I think these questions are considered to be ok, vs questions on religious belief which cannot be asked by the feds (although 70+ years ago there were censuses of Religious denominations).
The question of the 2.5% sample is quite valid, the sample at the decennial censuses had been more like 15-20%. In 10 years, we aren’t going to get the same quantity as before, particularly for small areas. But we will have valid data for large areas sooner than the every 10 years. There will be places big enough to have a yearly release of data, and others where three years worth of data collection will be averaged out – the full ACS started in 2005, so in 2008 we will have effective data published covering 2005-06-07 for smaller communities (20,000 + I think).
Reading Victoria’s comment makes me wonder why the government would want to know the information she mentions.
I too fear big brother, but those questions are quite valid. OBVIOUSLY they want to know how long it takes you to drive to work so they can estimate average commute times for your area. This indicates the need to increase road capacity, add public transportation, and/or target sprawl that is putting people further from the central business district. They want to know the flushable toilets question in order to gauge water usage. Some cities use that number to determine your water bill if they do not have “metered water.” This information is not going to be used against you, it is used to quantify American lifestyles in order to plan for the future.
Further on flushable toilets. I think this question has been around since 1940. Back then dealing outdoor privies in an urban area were a public health issue. Also, as goernments wre thinking of redeveloping deteriorated areas of cities, a thing like the lack of flushable toilets in a certain areas housing stock was used as an indicator of a lack of quality. Then as housing improved through the 1950’s and 60’s, toilets became a tracker of the housing stock.
The other thing that happened is that many areas without the basic amenities actaully began to depopulate with the old housing torn down and no new housing put back up. There are at least 5 major cities in the U.S. which have less than half of their 1950 population: Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis. So, the detailed questions on housing relate to this problem.
Victoria, this can be happening in America because like Australia where I am from it is a civilised nation which has governments who try to improve the standards that we live in. I wont reiterate what the others have said about what they may do with the information in terms of travel times and toilets but I will reiterate what has already been said that you need to get a life and stop being one of those people who always asumes someone is out to get you and the world is corrupt. Do you really think anyone cares at all how long it takes you, Victoria to get to work? They don’t, they care about you as a statistic so they can improve your roads. They have to make the fines so that people like you who think they are too busy and important and special to fill in an important form do so. Gee I wonder what the world would be like if people like you ran it. I am interested in the fact that you wrote that comment assuming everyone would jump in and agree with you and I am pleased to see that 6 other people can clearly see the census for what it is and take the time to tell you so. Go and live in China or Cuba if you don’t want to have a say in anything.
What if you use an outhouse and are unemployed?
The main objection is that the federal government has no authority to request any personal information. The government is required to perform a head count (enumeration) every 10 years. They cannot deviate from that without a consitutional amendment. The 4th amendment prohibits the government from collecting personal information without a warrant that provides probable cause and specifies what info is wanted and required. The 4th functions whether it be a criminal case or civil.
The federal government has no legitimate authority to spend 1 cent on local projects. The tax and spend clause limits federal expenditures to debts, common defence, and general welfare of the body-politic, the United States not for the debts, public defence or general welfare of states, localities, or individuals. Thus all the points the ACS makes about aiding in funding are bogus since the Feds don’t have the legitimate authority to spend on the items listed. When it comes to roads, the Feds are required to establish post roads (roads to carry mail) and implicitly to maintain those roads. The feds have no other “road” powers.
Whether or not one deems the questions high level or low level security breaches, it is not the federal government business to violate the privacy of the individual in order to continue to violate the limited authority delegated by the constitution.
JUST SAY NO TO ACS!
Victoria, You are totally correct–Big brother wants to watch us–and ultimately control us. The questions are very invasive. As far as roads, schools, etc.–decisions can be made by local and state officials based on observations and their own statistics.
How can a survey of 2.5% of America’s population be any kind of reliable representation? Are transients surveyed? Are illegal immigrants surveyed? I’m a renter and I move often, what good are my answers going to be?
Amen to BIll!!! Article I, Section II – The Constitution only allows for a “Enumeration” once every 10 years for the purpose of apportioning U.S. Representatives and taxes.
Also, the 10th amendment says the Federal government can only do what is in the Constitution and nothing more(without an amendment), everything else will be left up to the states and the people.
I think the ACS is a violation of the 4th amendment too (the right to be secure in your person, property, papers and effects against searches and seizures).
I called the census department and I very politely, but firmly told them I absolutely wouldn’t fill out any part of the American Community Survey, despite the law that threatens of a $5000 penalty (I understand no one has ever been fined). I will be happy to tell them how many people live in my house during the constitutional census in 2010. They said they would put me down as “refused to participate”. Just say no.
Everyone read the Constitution, it’s awesome and it’s only about 8 pages. If everyone knows by heart, they can’t slip anything past us.
For #8 Sophie, Ever heard of the DOT? When you say to Victoria “Who wants to know how long it takes you?” The Federal government wants to know.As for your comments on how it’s about road money ect. We already pay Government agencies to do this work.(See above).Oh yea, the whole world may not be corrupt …but all government in this country…my country…is corrupt.City,County,State,Federal,only the degree of corruption varies.If not for the out numbered good people who work in our governments across the nation,we would be looking at a dire situation.I took an oath to defend the constitution against all enemies,foreign and domestic.You people who say what’s the big deal about a little info.miss the entire point.The 4th ammendment along with the rest of THE LAW is worth while down to the smallest matter…or it’s worth nothing period.Sophie…have you ever said;or heard someone you respect say “It’s the principle of the thing”?
I’m with you Victoria. I’ll tell everyone else why. Because Americans are free, they are not slaves to government. Government has no need to know my personal habits.
Just because something was passed into law doesn’t make it constitutional. Americans have every right, unknown to many citizens, to rule in favor of the accused if they deem the law they broke is unconstitutional. It is not only their right, but duty as an American Citizen.
It says that we are required by US law to respond to this survey… sending back a blank form is technically a “response”… isn’t it?
At #6
Brian, (real name?)
What branch of the Federal Government do you work for?
Also has anyone tried to do a “Reverse Lookup” of the number at the end of the “Dear Resident” letter?
From http://www.AnyWho.com –>”We searched for 8003547271 , however, we could not find any listings to display.” Hmm weird … why is the number a secret?
In this day and age when there are so many Scams, Identity Theft is on the rise, this was seen by me as INVASIVE, INAPPROPRIATE and smelled of a SCAM. So if it’s unconstitutional for our government to be asking these questions, it’s a SCAM.
Also on a “real” Census it’s addressed to a PERSON not “Resident”
They can knock on my door and wait…FOREVER.
This a waste of taxpayer Dollars by keeping people on a steady payroll. The Ten year Census is sent out all at the same time. They hire for temp positions till the rush is over.
I’m on disability for medical issues and not because of drinking or drug abuse (where people get all kinds of free help and are spoon fed) and because I’m supposed to be able to live on just over $600.00 a month I’ve ended up homeless and have moved 29 times because of abusive landlords since April 2003 … good luck finding me a**h*****.
Heck, why don’t they just send over their surveillance aircraft and get what they want? They can count how many squares I use to wipe that way. I’ll smile and wave the bird as they go by. *wink* …. those pilots in uniform are So CUTE!
I took this advice after reading through all of the above comments and it worked..
Received letter. Called my senator in outrage. Found this website, then Tossed it directly into the trash.
Waited,Waited,Waited…
Received letter #2. Tossed it directly into the trash..
Waited, Waited, it is going on 3 months and haven’t had a call or visit.
Hope this helps, anyone out there looking for a solution on what to do with this invasion of privacy trash.
Thanks for this website.
Cheers,
I’m with Victoria–as long as you are counting Sophie.
RE: the roads issue and traffic patterns etc for building roads, dealing with sprawl etc. Anyone ever seen those traffic counter machines?
That is how they get a count of the traffic in any given area–not from a census form every 10 yrs. Knowing the time I leave for work, the time I return, and how long it takes does not account for all the rest of the traffic on the road. You know students going to and from school, people out shopping, all those retired folks, or the unemployed ones going about their business, looking for jobs, etc. Also, it does not count delivery trucks, couriers, etc.
Likewise, there is no accounting of the route I take for traffic patterns. And I have several routes. I go a different way to work than the way I go home.
So much for using the information for traffic and building roads! So why exactly do they want to know when I’m not at home? This information makes me uneasy. Making it public, announces when homes are empty–now I know my name and address will not be easily accessible, but those with a malicious purpose usually find a way to get what they want.
And again, why does the government need to know this?
If they want to know average commute times, a simple question of how long is your commute will suffice.
RE: flush toilets and water useage. I cannot see how flush toilets will gauge water usage. Are they asking how many toilets? Their age? How many gallons per flush? How many times you flush in a day? (or rather how many times you use the toilet?)
And why would they only be interested in toilet water? My toilet uses much less water than my washing machine, which some homes don’t have. What about water usage for the yard. Wouldn’t they need to know how big your lawn is & how green you keep it? And my vegetable garden takes much more water than my lawn or toilet.
I really think this was a modernization question.
And why do they want to know if my garage is suitable to adapted to housing or if it has been? That is a different type of question entirely. (short form.)
And why do they want to know how much money you have in investments? (my sister-in-law got that one.)
I would like to know why they really want this information and what they plan to do with it.
Looking over the sample census form–it looks more like a tax return rather than a census.
They have no right to ask you anything other than how many people and who are of voting age, PERIOD.
Why do they want to know if you grow vegetables?
Just take a look at the Food Safety and Modernization Act and Codex Alimentarius and you’ll know why.
I’m not filling it out and neither should you!
Read United States Codes Title 13, Sections 141, 193 & 221. Also the Federal Register that mentions the American Community Survey by name http://www.federalregister.gov/Privacy/commerce.aspx#cen10
The American Community Survey is considered a special survey authorized by the Secretary mentioned in Sec 141, you should also check out the census bureau’s website on the survey there is a link at the bottom to the actual Title 13 at the house of representatives website
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/What/What1.htm