Filed Under: Anything Peaceful
Tags: census • privacy
None of Your Business
The 2010 Census form arrived yesterday. I got an immediate chuckle.
The first thing it asks is now many people were “living or staying in this apartment, house, or mobile home on April 1, 2010″ (emphasis added.) Odd. If this is a national head count, why does the government want to know how many guests I had on April 1? Ah, that question is answered: “The Census must also include people without a permanent place to stay.” But what if I had guests who do have a permanent place to stay?
Anyway, Question 2 had me scratching my head of thinning hair:
“Were there any addtional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?” I expected a follow-up: “Well, why didn’t you include them before, you idiot? Can’t you read?”
Several categories of people are then listed, but you need only X the box next to a category, not provide a number. One of the categories is “People staying here temporarily.” Someone smarter than I will have to explain all this.
The rest of the form is for disclosing information about everyone in the house. You are required to provide each person’s sex, age, date of birth, relationship to the person filling out the form, race, and Hispanic origin or lack thereof. Hispanic origin is broken down into Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and other. It must also be disclosed whether each person sometimes lives or stays elsewhere. I expected a follow-up: “Where?”
I don’t know about you, but I find this rather nosy. That I’m threatened with a fine up to $5,000 if I don’t knuckle under is highly offensive.
Comment by Dr.Steve on 16 March 2010:
If I’m of of town on April 1 can I answer zero? APRIL FOOL!!!!!!!
Comment by Sheldon Richman on 16 March 2010:
I think you found a loophole, Dr. Steve.
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Comment by Norman DeLaHunt on 16 March 2010:
You think you have trouble with ambiguity? Imagine trying to translate this to a non-English speaker.
Comment by raymund on 16 March 2010:
Yeah, i was required to fill it up or be fine $5,000! i’m scared..
my name is not even on the letter and i just moved in to my place. anyway, it took me less than 3 minutes to complete it and i dumped it on the mailbox.
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Comment by John on 18 March 2010:
The most you can be fined for incomplete forms is $100.
On the other hand, NOBODY has ever been fined for this. I’ve refused to fill in more than the number of people living in my house for the past 3 cycles.