Is it illegal to refuse to partake of the US Census?
Can an individual be lawfully arrested for said refusal?
But here’s the crux of the biscuit:
(a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100. (b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.
Looks like I’ll be $100 short sometime this year or next.
I do not answer census questions. Never have. Never will. And certainly not during this administration. Figures lie and liars figure.
BZ
Through the Census in the trash where it belongs. I too have never filled one out nor will I.
“Throw” sorry
“figures lie?”
Uh…you may be able to find figures that conform to your world view (exactly the reason I dislike polls, because they are particular to a world voew), but they don’t really LIE. They’re just numbers.
It’s not the figures that lie.
It’s the liars that figure.
B Woodman
III-per
I guess the Constitution, which allows only an enumeration, is unimportant.
I’ll probably answer, but answer with false answers. The fine is bigger, but the likelihood that they’ll catch you is much smaller.
I’ve gone through a few census cycles here in Nevada City. You’d be amazed how often my census form gets accidentally misplaced permanently.
Nickie: Nevada City? You’re pretty much across the river from ol’ BZ.
BZ
“he Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer”
This neatly invalidates the entire process, since the Census Bureau has been moved from Commerce to the White House. No employees of Commerce = no valid census-takers.
Tell them nothing.
Rev Paul: thank you for visiting, and thank you for taking the time to comment, and please come back! A very interesting take on that statute. And you are quite correct; the census now answers directly to the White House, does it not?
BZ
Miss TC Shore, Nickie and Rev Paul: thanks for visiting, it’s always nice to see some continued new faces!
BZ
*chuckles*
A couple of weeks ago a census worker was canvasing my neighborhood asking questions for the forthcoming census; That was all fine and good, at least until I asked her if she worked for ACORN…
Hey BZ…you might want to check this out.
http://daysofourtrailers.blogspot.com/2009/04/for-those-who-saw-original-g.html
Be sure and click the internal link to see the genesis of this.
All are welcome to come check it out.
I for one WILL answer the census survey. I want to be counted AND represented! If all us conservatives refuse to fill it out, the ghettos will get more representation and WE will get less! How can telling them we exist possibly hurt us?