American Community Survey - a midterm census?

[shakey1]

Recently received something in the mail called "the American Community Survey" as part of a "randomly selected sample". It looks to me to be not so much a survey as a mid-term full blown census form with many pages to fill out & send back. The familiar clause "You are required by U.S. law to respond to this survey" is also included. There appeared to be a push to encourage us to complete online, but I opted to wait to get a hard copy of the form in the mail.

I'd read thru some of the threads from 2010 on the census subject & found some varied advice in responding.

Has anyone else here received one of these?

Also, I would very much be interested in how you responded to the 2010 census.

Any input from this fine group is appreciated.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

It's really part of the census, but just with a slick marketing name. It's just the census expanding with each passing decade. It's information that company ad departments and marketing departments used to collect, but now they just use what the government collects.

I think I got one once, but pitched it. Never heard of anyone getting prosecuted over it.

Here's their website: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/



***

All this always reminds me of the funny line by Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs:

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

By the way, I heard Anthony Hopkins being interviewed years later about the role. He said he just sort of added the part where he moves his mouth in a horrid and disgusting way. Director Demme liked it and left it in. Only could a great actor like Hopkins add so much with such a small improv.

And in case you've never seen, it's fairly funny:

[oyarde]

As far as I know the only part required is the amount of people . I do not usually get one or have anyone come by . How often do they do it ? I think I have gotten one since 2000 .

[euphemia]

We got one last year. We made ourselves as obnoxious as we could. Husband filled it out sloppily in pencil and erased on every line. This is quite an evolution of thought thanks to spousal indoctrination on liberty thought. Also, thanks to a DNA test, we discovered one of us is actually, un, multiracial in a somewhat privileged group. We told the truth, and told it in a way that will make them leave us alone in future.

[shakey1]

As far as I know the only part required is the amount of people . I do not usually get one or have anyone come by . How often do they do it ? I think I have gotten one since 2000 .

Census is every ten years, so you would've gotten one in 2010... this thing I got is sometimes referred to as a census test "to allow the Census Bureau to study a variety of new methods and advanced technologies under consideration for the 2020 census", but to me, looks like a regular census form best I can recall.

[oyarde]

Census is every ten years, so you would've gotten one in 2010... this thing I got is sometimes referred to as a census test "to allow the Census Bureau to study a variety of new methods and advanced technologies under consideration for the 2020 census", but to me, looks like a regular census form best I can recall.

Yeah , I was wondering how often they send those . I have heard of them but never seen one . I heard they were about the same . I wonder how they slid money in for that in the budget ?

[oyarde]

I bet they are sending these out every yr . I wonder how many ?

[Zippyjuan]

Why did I get an American Community Survey?
Your address was selected as a part of a sample and represents thousands of other households like yours. We randomly select about 3.5 million addresses each year to participate in the survey.

Do I have to answer these questions?
ACS Questionnaires
Yes. You are legally obligated to answer all the questions, as accurately as you can.

The relevant laws are Title 18 U.S.C Section 3571 and Section 3559, which amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221.

Your answers are important. As part of a sample, you represent many other people.
Why We Ask Each Question
Find out why we ask the questions on the ACS form and how the answers are used to help your community.
Why is the ACS mandatory?
Response to the survey is mandatory because the American Community Survey is part of the decennial census, replacing the "long form" that previously was sent to a percentage of households once every 10 years. Learn more about what would happen to the American Community Survey if it was not mandated by law.

Data from the American Community Survey helps your community. The information that the Census Bureau collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services. Through the ACS, we know more about jobs and occupations, educational attainment, veterans, whether people own or rent their home, and other topics. Public officials, planners,
and entrepreneurs use this information to assess the past and plan the future.

When you respond to the ACS, you are doing your part to help your community plan hospitals and schools, support school lunch programs, improve emergency services, build bridges, and inform businesses looking to add jobs and expand to new markets, and more.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surv...-selected.html

[shakey1]

A number of folks here have stated in earlier threads the bureau is only empowered to request is the total number of occupants at a given address.

[fedupinmo]

As far as I know the only part required is the amount of people . I do not usually get one or have anyone come by . How often do they do it ? I think I have gotten one since 2000 .

That's all I filled out on the census form. Then the little lady came to my house...
I said "3". She said she needed more information... I said "3, and you are trespassing". She left...

[Anti Federalist]

Recently received something in the mail called "the American Community Survey" as part of a "randomly selected sample". It looks to me to be not so much a survey as a mid-term full blown census form with many pages to fill out & send back. The familiar clause "You are required by U.S. law to respond to this survey" is also included. There appeared to be a push to encourage us to complete online, but I opted to wait to get a hard copy of the form in the mail.

I'd read thru some of the threads from 2010 on the census subject & found some varied advice in responding.

Has anyone else here received one of these?

Also, I would very much be interested in how you responded to the 2010 census.

Any input from this fine group is appreciated.

http://www.wisegeek.com/do-i-have-to...to-the-acs.htm

According to the website above, and based on the experience of myself and others, the best course of action is to just $#@!-can the thing.

Partially filled out forms, or appeals to constitutional authority (HA!) just end up with apparatchiks of the state showing up un-announced at your home to pester you, which happened to me the first time around, back in '06 or so.

When it showed up in '12, IIRC, I just tossed it in the woodstove.

Never heard from those particular $#@!s again.

[shakey1]

http://www.wisegeek.com/do-i-have-to...to-the-acs.htm

According to the website above, and based on the experience of myself and others, the best course of action is to just $#@!-can the thing.

Partially filled out forms, or appeals to constitutional authority (HA!) just end up with apparatchiks of the state showing up un-announced at your home to pester you, which happened to me the first time around, back in '06 or so.

When it showed up in '12, IIRC, I just tossed it in the woodstove.

Never heard from those particular $#@!s again.

Thanx for the reply AF... also for bumping an earlier thread on ACS that I didn't see before. Would +rep you if I could, but it seems I'm all repped out.

[Occam's Banana]

A number of folks here have stated in earlier threads the bureau is only empowered to request is the total number of occupants at a given address.

According to the Constitution, they are only allowed to do that on Thursdays when the moon is full.

Or something like that.

(Not that they care anyway ...)

[jtap]

I am a lucky recipient this year. See you in court.

If it wasn't so much work I'd like to scan it in and post this craziness.

[Suzanimal]

[dude58677]

Probably what happens is that they send these forms out and then when they receive them put everyone on file. Then spend everyday watching porn. Then some math nerd makes up a bunch of numbers even though everyone at the office spent all their time watching porn and writes a report on the made up numbers calling them "estimates".