Anyone else receive their "American Community Survey" in the mail yet?

[panader0]

From the US Department of Commerce, US Census Bureau, the thick envelope
warns that "Your response is required by law." I've filled out census reports before,
I've had census takers come to my door. It was always quick and painless.
This form is long and asks questions like "How many minutes did it take for
(person 1) to get home from work last week?" "How many times has this person
been married?" "How much are your taxes, did you use SNAP, how many bedrooms
do you have?" and on and on. This is not normal.
It seems quite invasive to me and I may have to break the law on this one........

[samnsara]

1. can we lie?

[Dr Hobbitstein]

2. It was like that in 2013, apparently.

Last edited Thu Jul 26, 2018, 07:04 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.nbc12.com/story/20543810/legit-or-scam-american-community-survey

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. "sever not found"

I would have wanted to read about that if it were a scam.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

17. Link works fine for me.

I removed the m. prefix, maybe that will help. Not a scam though.

[2naSalit]

3. I would decline

and cite the 1st & 4th Amendments, send it back.

[panader0]

4. So not everyone is getting this?

None of the three responses indicate that they have received this.
If this is selective, how can it be legal?

[2naSalit]

7. It's a random selection process...

they have the data on housing units and where they are and the last decennial info. This is the regular info gathered between the decennial census events to do stats on years in between as indicator data. If it's too personal, rejecting it isn't a crime, especially if you send it back stating so. It's not the general, decennial so I don't think there's any real harm in sending it back. they will, most likely, just select a different household in your census block or area to provide their data.

I worked the last decennial census as a supervisor so I know a little more about it but you can go to web site and read about the kind of questionnaire you've received.

https://www.census.gov/

[rzemanfl]

5. It might be fun to give really long answers-

'He had to stop for gas and groceries, he left the gas cap at the gas station and had to go back for it. Then it rained. The ice cream melted and made a gooey mess. I remember the exact time he got home. Now, about Tuesday..."

"Her first husband was a real piece of work. Drank, gambled, womanized, never..."

"My taxes are way more than I can afford..."

"I really prefer buttons although it is a nuisance when they fall off, you can never find a safety pin when you need one..."

"Well there's the one with the chintz curtains and the double bed we got on clearance at Macy's, the other one gets morning sun so we have thick curtains in there....

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Oh I love that!

I amuse myself with jacking around the now rare human telemarketers, but not to that extent.
Stealing this idea.

[brooklynite]

6. Republicans will appreciate your non-participation...

The ACS replaced the Census Long Form, and is used by Government agencies to plan eligibility for and provision of services. I use it regularly.

[panader0]

8. I was under the impression that the Census was taken every ten years.

[brooklynite]

10. The ACS is a rolling average survey, conducted annually with a smaller sample of respondents

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, educational attainment, income, language proficiency, migration, disability, employment, and housing characteristics. These data are used by many public-sector, private-sector, and not-for-profit stakeholders to allocate funding, track shifting demographics, plan for emergencies, and learn about local communities. Sent to approximately 295,000 addresses monthly (or 3.5 million per year), it is the largest household survey that the Census Bureau administers.

Efforts to obtain data on a more frequent basis began again after the 1990 Census, when it became clear that the more burdensome long form was depressing overall census response rates and jeopardizing the accuracy of the count. At Congress's request, the Census Bureau developed and tested a new design to obtain long-form data. U.S. statistician Leslie Kish had introduced the concept of a rolling sample (or continuous measurement) design in 1981. This design featured ongoing, monthly data collection aggregated on a yearly basis, enabling annual data releases. By combining multiple years of this data, the Census Bureau could release "period" estimates to produce estimates for smaller areas. After a decade of testing, it launched as the American Community Survey in 2005, replacing the once-a-decade census long form

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Community_Survey

[panader0]

12. Thanks for the info--it's new to me, I guess I was just skipped over before.

[eleny]

9. What statute do they cite?

[panader0]

11. I can find no statute cited.

I've lived in this same location since '78 or '79.
I built my house, adding on here and there.
I've never seen anything like this.

[brooklynite]

13. Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 193

Preliminary and supplemental statistics

In advance of, in conjunction with, or after the taking of each census provided for by this chapter, the Secretary may make surveys and collect such preliminary and supplementary statistics related to the main topic of the census as are necessary to the initiation, taking, or completion thereof.

[Sherman A1]

14. I had one several years ago

filled it out and sent it back.