Govt Survey: "Your Response is Required by Law"

[Frisco06]

I'm still living in Arizona. Tonight I got a large envelope in the mail:
U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. Census Bureau
...
The American Community Survey Form Enclosed
YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW

I don't believe in government surveys. From http://www.mises.org/story/2589:

Not only do statistics gathering and producing go beyond the governmental function of defense of persons and property; not only are economic resources wasted and misallocated, and the taxpayers, industry, small business, and the consumer burdened. But, furthermore, statistics are, in a crucial sense, critical to all interventionist and socialist activities of government.

I have half a mind to:

• write a short protest on the survey form and mail it back (but not fill out the survey) or
• write "Refused" on the envelope and put it back in my mailbox (I have yet to open it).

Does anyone here know how much trouble I could get in for not filling this out? I haven't done any real civil disobedience thus far, but the Census Bureau isn't notorious the way IRS, DEA, and BATFE are.

[Roycerson]

I would be surprised if you got in a shred of trouble over that. 

What I would do would probably depend on my mood.  Throw it away, right a letter telling them where they can stick it (I can think of about ten reasons off the top of my head as to why they can stick it their, maybe include most or all of them), as them how an obligation is created for you to fill it out....  your call.

[KBCraig]

I ignore them. Acknowledging that you've received it invites them to demand compliance.

[David]

I agree with KBCraig.  This has been discussed elsewhere as well.  If you don't respond, they will send you one or two follow up letters, and as far as I know, they leave you alone.  They never got a response from me.   

[error]

They never mailed me one, as far as I know.

I suggest you not contact them, but instead have yourself filmed burning it.

[Frisco06]

I suggest you not contact them, but instead have yourself filmed burning it.

I like this idea 

[Pat McCotter]

I received three mailings of this crap. Then I got two visits - the first while we were not home and they left more crap. The second visit I answered the door and the guy actualy said "I'm with the federal government..." When he said he was with the census bureau and following up about the survey I said we don't do surveys and closed the door. We haven't heard from them since.

[EJinCT]

Another alternative would be to fill it out with all comically false info. and maybe brighten some desk jocky's day a lil.

[J’raxis 270145]

Ron Paul wrote an article about this survey: "None of Your Business!"

[Raineyrocks]

They never mailed me one, as far as I know.

I suggest you not contact them, but instead have yourself filmed burning it.

That's a great idea Error!

[Raineyrocks]

I ignore them. Acknowledging that you've received it invites them to demand compliance.

Exactly!  Now what about jury duty letters?  How can they prove you received one, right?  I've thrown them away too!   Rick checked the mail one time and got one of my jury duty letters and faxed them a letter stating that I was homeschooling and couldn't do it.  
It was nice of him but I like throwing them away instead.

[Jim Johnson]

All it says is that you have to respond, no is a responce.   

[Checkpoint]

After receiving the survey myself last summer, I dedicated a section of my website towards the American Community Survey Interrogation at:

http://checkpointusa.org/Census/Census.htm

The Census Bureau targets 250,000 households across the country every month to participate in this intrusive survey.

Two copies are mailed to a targeted household during the first month. If the Bureau doesn't receive a response after the two mailings, it forwards your contact information to a commercially contracted call center that will spend the next month attempting to browbeat you into filling out the form over the phone. If the incessant phone calls don't get you to comply, there's a one in three chance you'll be targeted for in-house visits by a local field agent during the third month of enforcement action. If you survive the visits by the field rep without responding, the Bureau will drop the matter and move on to their next victim.

To date, the Bureau hasn't attempted to prosecute anyone for failing/refusing to fill out the survey even though many people have refused to comply. Technically the Census Bureau has no enforcement authority. They can only refer a non-respondent to the DOJ for possible prosecution. No cases have actually gone to court to my knowledge but then again the survey is only a few years old.

A lively discussion forum populated mostly by folks who have refused the survey, along with an occasional government troll who tries to convince folks of the error of their ways, can be found at:

http://www.survivalarts.com/archives/001095.html

Here you'll find many stories from folks who have survived the three month onslaught by the Census Bureau and their contracted corporate lackeys.

After I was targeted last year for mandatory participation in the survey, I ignored it for the first two months. During the third month however I was chosen for in-house visits by a local field rep. I wasn't home during the first three visits but was out working in the yard during the fourth on a Saturday morning. The conversation didn't last long however. After he told me I was required to fill out the form, I told him he wasn't welcome on my property and that if he didn't leave, he would be trespassing. He turned around and left and I haven't heard from him since.

Anyway, my website on the subject contains links to online articles, commentaries, discussion forums and government documentation. It also has a sample copy of the 2003 survey for those who want to see what kind of personal information the federal government thinks it has a right to force you to divulge to it. 

 


 

[Raineyrocks]

After receiving the survey myself last summer, I dedicated a section of my website towards the American Community Survey Interrogation at:

http://checkpointusa.org/Census/Census.htm

The Census Bureau targets 250,000 households across the country every month to participate in this intrusive survey.

Two copies are mailed to a targeted household during the first month. If the Bureau doesn't receive a response after the two mailings, it forwards your contact information to a commercially contracted call center that will spend the next month attempting to browbeat you into filling out the form over the phone. If the incessant phone calls don't get you to comply, there's a one in three chance you'll be targeted for in-house visits by a local field agent during the third month of enforcement action. If you survive the visits by the field rep without responding, the Bureau will drop the matter and move on to their next victim.

To date, the Bureau hasn't attempted to prosecute anyone for failing/refusing to fill out the survey even though many people have refused to comply. Technically the Census Bureau has no enforcement authority. They can only refer a non-respondent to the DOJ for possible prosecution. No cases have actually gone to court to my knowledge but then again the survey is only a few years old.

A lively discussion forum populated mostly by folks who have refused the survey, along with an occasional government troll who tries to convince folks of the error of their ways, can be found at:

http://www.survivalarts.com/archives/001095.html

Here you'll find many stories from folks who have survived the three month onslaught by the Census Bureau and their contracted corporate lackeys.

After I was targeted last year for mandatory participation in the survey, I ignored it for the first two months. During the third month however I was chosen for in-house visits by a local field rep. I wasn't home during the first three visits but was out working in the yard during the fourth on a Saturday morning. The conversation didn't last long however. After he told me I was required to fill out the form, I told him he wasn't welcome on my property and that if he didn't leave, he would be trespassing. He turned around and left and I haven't heard from him since.

Anyway, my website on the subject contains links to online articles, commentaries, discussion forums and government documentation. It also has a sample copy of the 2003 survey for those who want to see what kind of personal information the federal government thinks it has a right to force you to divulge to it. 
 

Wow, they actually came to your house, amazing!  Thank you for the info and I hope they stay away from you after you told him he was trespassing!  + for you.

[dEadERest]

isn't the simple answer Amendment XIII, Section 1,
The Constitution of the United States?