Are ya'll being nice to ....

[menageriekeeper]

the Census worker that's been visiting your neighborhood?

I did my training last week and started working in the field on Saturday. I have yet to run up on anyone who hasn't been courteous and cooperative. Some of my coworkers haven't been quite as lucky.

So ya'll be nice.

Hey Paul3144, how's it going with you?

 

[exscentric]

Ain't nice to nobody goin round pokin their nose in my business!!!!!!!! :tongue3:

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Hey Paul3144, how's it going with you?

It's going great. My CL and CLAs are competent, good leaders. I have plenty of work to do; I'll probably get 35 hours this week. My entire crew was well-trained and we've had no real problems. So far, most people have been courteous and willing to respond and I've been nice and polite with them as well (that goes a long way.) I did have this one woman start yelling at me about how the Census is against the Constitution. I was talking to this man outside and we got to question two on the EQ about relationships and his wife came out screaming asking why we need to know this. I started to explain and that's when she freaked out and said it was against the Constitution. Now, if someone wants to know the legal basis of the Census, I have no problem explaining it to them, but I'm not going to stand in these peoples' yard and argue with them. So, as she was trying to cut me off, I informed them that I would file a report on them and left. I noted the refusal on the EQ and filed a D-225 against them so the Bureau can do what they need to do. Because I got the number of residents and their names, they're going to be counted anyway so I don't know if the Bureau will take any enforcement action.

Right now I'm working on two AAs and one of them is half of an apartment building with about 60 non-response cases. I was able to find out from apartment management which ones were vacant. Almost 20 of them were. It took about fifteen minutes to interview the manager. I read her the apartment numbers off of my D-103.1 and she told me if they were vacant on April 1. Then, I went to their little recreational center at the apartment where they had a desk and chair I could use and spent an hour and fifteen minutes filling out EQs for every single vacant apartment listing the manager as the proxy respondent. I've also been interviewing people in the occupied apartmenta as well as working in my other AA.

Also, whoever did the address listing for this apartment messed up big time. For those of you who don't know, the Bureau had address listers verify addresses and take a GPS reading of every single front door in the country last year in preparation for the Census. That GPS data is then used to make maps for the enumerators. Each house has a map spot number that is on the house's enumerator questionnaire as well as on the map. For an apartment, they were supposed to take one GPS reading and it would show up on our maps as one map spot with the map spot number and then the number of units in parenthesis. Whoever did this GPSed EVERY SINGLE front door in the complex. The map spot numbers are supposed to be in order. These aren't even in order. Plus the computer system only puts a certain number of map spots per page. Normally that's fine because it will show a whole block and you can find houses easier based on map spot numbers. Well, I ended up with 27 pages of maps for this apartment complex.

Overall, things are going great. My CL said that I was doing a very good job.

For non-Census people:
CL= crew leader
CLA= crew leader assistant
EQ= enumerator questionnaire
AA= assignment area
D-225= form to report things
D-103.1= address list

 

[tinytim]

Hey have you heard this story? I have heard differing versions of it, and really suspect it is an urban legend... but it is still funny...

The actual story happened in Alva, Oklahoma. An older woman's son, who is mentally challenged, called his mom one night and told her to come over because he "caught a troll." The woman just let on like he was playing make believe and went to bed. The next day, she went over to her son's house and heard pounding and yelling coming from inside his closet. She removed the furniture blocking the door and the "midget" burst out of the closet screaming. He had been there for 2 whole days! Later when the "midget" understood the man's mental handicap, he decided he would not press charges. I know this story because my brother was getting his haircut from a woman who goes to church in Alva and said the old woman was there asking for prayers from the congregation for her son!

The Midget was a census worker...

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/berea-ky/TFAPSVO00HE5LUFGJ

Yep, urban legend... http://www.snopes.com/embarrass/mistaken/troll.asp

 

[menageriekeeper]

Well, I ended up with 27 pages of maps for this apartment complex.

That is too funny! Ya gotta love apartment complexes and trailer parks! I've done two of those already and got a third I'm trying to contact the landlord on. Makes me look like an over acheiver!

Tim, I don't go inside! Black belt or not, we can stand on the doorstep to answer these questions! And they won't let me carry my gun. :smilewinkgrin:

We have a good crew, what is left of us. Half didn't show up to training. So yeah, plenty of work here too. So much in fact that they are pressing us to get as much done daily as possible and have set minimum levels of EQs to be done each day. So far that hasn't been a problem though. I did my minimum (10) in just 5 hours yesterday. I anticipate today being much the same.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

I haven't seen or heard from my wife about census workers coming around. I guess they won't come to my home since I sent the form in when I got it.

My wife didn't want me to, but I personally don't care if Obama knows how many people live in my house.

 

[rbell]

If they visit my house, I'll offer them a bottled water (or iced tea), I'll be courteous to them, wish them well, and politely tell them that they have precisely the information constitutonally requested from me...and that my census form is as complete as I wish to make it.

One can be polite, while sticking to one's guns...

 

[preachinjesus]

I haven't gotten a good reply to this one around here yet...and seem to shut down threads when I voice it:

In light of the many passages of Scripture in the New Testament that command us to obey the authorities God has placed over us...how can we deny answering Census questions and submitting to the request of our government?

I am really curious to see a good, Christ honoring, Scriptural reply.

 

[rbell]

I haven't gotten a good reply to this one around here yet...and seem to shut down threads when I voice it:

In light of the many passages of Scripture in the New Testament that command us to obey the authorities God has placed over us...how can we deny answering Census questions and submitting to the request of our government?

I am really curious to see a good, Christ honoring, Scriptural reply.

I am obeying the law: The Census, by law, is to count folks for representation.

I'm giving them an accurate number.

As to some of their questions--there is no Constitutional basis for them. Furthermore, since the purpose of some questions is to gather information for more vote-buying and gerrymandering--my non-answers (for non-mandated questions) actually hold my government to a higher level of responsibility.

So, in short: I am obeying. The info I don't give them is info they have no legal right to ask.

 

[Revmitchell]

I haven't gotten a good reply to this one around here yet...and seem to shut down threads when I voice it:

In light of the many passages of Scripture in the New Testament that command us to obey the authorities God has placed over us...how can we deny answering Census questions and submitting to the request of our government?

I am really curious to see a good, Christ honoring, Scriptural reply.

Why do you even care if someone else answers it or not?

 

[Salty]

So, in short: I am obeying. The info I don't give them is info they have no legal right to ask.

But, the Constitution does not PROHIBIT asking such questions. Now, what law passed by Congress makes it illegal to ask such questions?

 

[FR7 Baptist]

I am obeying the law: The Census, by law, is to count folks for representation.

I'm giving them an accurate number.

As to some of their questions--there is no Constitutional basis for them. Furthermore, since the purpose of some questions is to gather information for more vote-buying and gerrymandering--my non-answers (for non-mandated questions) actually hold my government to a higher level of responsibility.

So, in short: I am obeying. The info I don't give them is info they have no legal right to ask.

13 U.S.C. 221 provides for criminal penalties for anyone over eighteen years of age who "refuses or wilfully neglects" to answer any of the questions on the Census. If convicted, a person can be fined not more than $100. Furthermore, all Census employees take the following oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Therefore, all Census employees are bound to support the Constitution. All federal employees take that oath, and Census employees are also sworn to secrecy for life in regards to personal information collected.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

the Census worker that's been visiting your neighborhood?

I did my training last week and started working in the field on Saturday. I have yet to run up on anyone who hasn't been courteous and cooperative. Some of my coworkers haven't been quite as lucky.

So ya'll be nice.

Hey Paul3144, how's it going with you?

I'll be polite as long as they keep their questions to how many people live in our home. After that, I'll politely invite them to leave. After that, I'll help them leave.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

13 U.S.C. 221 provides for criminal penalties for anyone over eighteen years of age who "refuses or wilfully neglects" to answer any of the questions on the Census. If convicted, a person can be fined not more than $100.

Do you have any idea how many civil liberties lawyers a lining up to represent anyone fined or arrested for not answering intrusive census questions?

Furthermore, all Census employees take the following oath:

I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Therefore, all Census employees are bound to support the Constitution. All federal employees take that oath, and Census employees are also sworn to secrecy for life in regards to personal information collected.

But if they're doing anything beyond simply doing a head count, they're not honoring the Constitution. When they ask things like our race, questions about our mortgage, etc, they're going against what the Constitution tells them they're to be doing.

If they're not going to honor the Constitution that they swore to uphold, then how can we trust them not to share the information they gather, particularly given the administration they're working for?

 

[JohnDeereFan]

I haven't gotten a good reply to this one around here yet...and seem to shut down threads when I voice it:

In light of the many passages of Scripture in the New Testament that command us to obey the authorities God has placed over us...how can we deny answering Census questions and submitting to the request of our government?

I am really curious to see a good, Christ honoring, Scriptural reply.

Given that the government only has the authority to do that which is permitted by the Constitution, there is no contradiction between the Bible's command to submit to authorities and one's refusal to submit to an illegal law.

In this case, while the government is in authority over us, the Constitution, which protects us, is in authority over the government.

 

[Revmitchell]

................It is constitutional to include questions in the decennial census beyond those concerning a simple count of the number of people. On numerous occasions, the courts have said the Constitution gives Congress the authority to collect statistics in the census. As early as 1870, the Supreme Court characterized as unquestionable the power of Congress to require both an enumeration and the collection of statistics in the census. The Legal Tender Cases, Tex.1870; 12 Wall., U.S., 457, 536, 20 L.Ed. 287. In 1901, a District Court said the Constitution's census clause (Art. 1, Sec. 2, Clause 3) is not limited to a headcount of the population and "does not prohibit the gathering of other statistics, if 'necessary and proper,' for the intelligent exercise of other powers enumerated in the constitution, and in such case there could be no objection to acquiring this information through the same machinery by which the population is enumerated." United States v. Moriarity, 106 F. 886, 891 (S.D.N.Y.1901)..........


More Here

 

[Eric B]

For non-Census people:
CL= crew leader
CLA= crew leader assistant
EQ= enumerator questionnaire
AA= assignment area
D-225= form to report things
D-103.1= address list

I did the '90 and 2000 Census; the first time pounding the pavement, and the second time, in the office. The first time, I learned that orthodox Jews have a dispute about the Holy Days, and end up keeping two Pentecosts, (two consecutive days), doubling up all the holidays like that; and it was one non-observing homeowner who explained that to me, as to why no one else in the neighborhood was answering the door.

I remember those terms, and in the office, we also had "InfoComms", and had created an imaginary person called "George Amfo", that calls and inquiries to the office were to be directed to. It may have been only my office that did that, but AMFO was an abbreviation for something.

It was also the first time I ever saw the semi-metric timekeeping system (on our payroll sheets), where the hour is divided into 100 units, and a half hour ends up ".5", for instance.

 

[billreber]

On a different thread, I told how I could not return my census form, since I never received one. Paul3144 and menageriekeeper suggested I call "my local Census office" (there isn't one! I called a regional one 300 miles away, though) to get a form. They didn't do that. They gave me another number to call to do my census form over the phone! They also gave me a website where I could look at the form (but not fill it out).

I called that number, where a very kind man took my census answers over the phone. I was very polite, but could not refrain from asking my question several times, to both him and to the person who answered the FIRST phone number. "How can I send back a form which is never sent to me?" The answer? This Census, somebody somewhere decided NOT to send census forms to Post Office box numbers, like they did in 2000! Since at least two-thirds of my town receive their mail at the Post Office, this means somebody "created" jobs by not mailing the forms.

Sounds to me like a waste of my tax dollars! I (and I assume many of my neighbors) must now be given a visit by a census worker, when the answers could have been received by mail a month ago. (BTW I realize that I will not receive a visit, having completed the form over the phone. But you get the picture!)

Potential problems with this method? I did not fill out my census form. Some unknown census worker did. WHAT IF he has an agenda and fills out the form inaccurately? WHAT IF someone tapped into my phone? My "confidential" answers are no longer confidential! MAIL ME THE FORM NEXT TIME PLEASE!!!


Another BTW. I am retired USAF. I know such things can happen, even if they are illegal!
Bill :godisgood:

 

[Revmitchell]

On a different thread, I told how I could not return my census form, since I never received one. Paul3144 and menageriekeeper suggested I call "my local Census office" (there isn't one! I called a regional one 300 miles away, though) to get a form. They didn't do that. They gave me another number to call to do my census form over the phone! They also gave me a website where I could look at the form (but not fill it out).

I called that number, where a very kind man took my census answers over the phone. I was very polite, but could not refrain from asking my question several times, to both him and to the person who answered the FIRST phone number. "How can I send back a form which is never sent to me?" The answer? This Census, somebody somewhere decided NOT to send census forms to Post Office box numbers, like they did in 2000! Since at least two-thirds of my town receive their mail at the Post Office, this means somebody "created" jobs by not mailing the forms.

Sounds to me like a waste of my tax dollars! I (and I assume many of my neighbors) must now be given a visit by a census worker, when the answers could have been received by mail a month ago. (BTW I realize that I will not receive a visit, having completed the form over the phone. But you get the picture!)

Potential problems with this method? I did not fill out my census form. Some unknown census worker did. WHAT IF he has an agenda and fills out the form inaccurately? WHAT IF someone tapped into my phone? My "confidential" answers are no longer confidential! MAIL ME THE FORM NEXT TIME PLEASE!!!


Another BTW. I am retired USAF. I know such things can happen, even if they are illegal!
Bill :godisgood:

It is the same here. Mail does not get delivered to the house so we have to get a po box. No forms were mailed out here just people going door to door.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

I remember those terms, and in the office, we also had "InfoComms", and had created an imaginary person called "George Amfo", that calls and inquiries to the office were to be directed to. It may have been only my office that did that, but AMFO was an abbreviation for something.

It was also the first time I ever saw the semi-metric timekeeping system (on our payroll sheets), where the hour is divided into 100 units, and a half hour ends up ".5", for instance.

The D-225 is the InfoComm. No George Amfo here, but we do use the semi-metric thing on our D-308 timesheets.