2010 Census is about to begin.
 

This information is being distributed by the Dallas / Ft. Worth IBM
Organization to warn its thousands of members of fraud associated with the
2010 Census (some pre-census activity is already underway). However, this
warning is for ALL citizens, so you may want to pass it on to everyone you
know.

2010 Census Cautions
by Susan Johnson - August 3, 2009 12:07 pm

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers

With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a
victim of fraud or identity theft. The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census
is underway as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households
across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will
count every person in the United States and will gather information about
every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and
other relevant data. The big question is - how do you tell the difference
between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following
advice:

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a
handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice.
Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their
questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into
your home.

** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address
information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or
banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the
U.S. Census. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, it will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in
person at home. However, they will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census.

Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are
supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.

another note is you DO NOT have to allow ANYONE including census workers into your home. You can talk to them through the door, or in the yard. You have the right to ask them to return at a later time, when someone will be home with you.

Didnt the government just fire the people that were supposed to do the census for them?

ACORN was one of several thousand groups that the Census Bureau was planning to use to help them. They terminated their association with ACORN, but have many other organizations still signed up to help them.

yes, the Acorn folks were just taken off the contract. I am going to try to say it without this spining into a political debate. it was a matter of a "difference in opinions" according to both parties. Acorn has had several issues over the course of time, and the census folks need to be trusted, and didnt want the distractions that came with their organization. They are hiring "private" workers to do their census activities now.

My momma growing up said her family used to run off the census man. Felt it was none of his business who lived in their house. I always thought that was funny. What do you care if the government finds out that you have 4 kids instead of 8? She would quip "aint none of uncle sams business." sheesh mom!

Ok, I was thinking I'd read somewhere that they had other people aside from the ACORNs doing the census taking...because if they fired ACORN and didnt have anyone else to do it, that could be a problem.

Maybe I should have tried to get a job doing the census? I wonder if I can still do that?

They are looking for census takers. see your town hall or selectmen for information. I am sure they would love to have the help. :hug:

I might do that...maybe I can do some filing...I used to love to do filing.

I have used census lists in the past to research family genealogy, and was grateful it was available.

I understand why they have a census, but during the last census I was working out of town and had a huge problem with them.

I have no problem giving info on whether I have a job, what I do, a general figure as to how much I make, how many people live here, etc BUT:

I got hit with the long form of the census, mailed to me since I wasn't home when they came. It was page after page after page of intrusive questions. It was waaaaaaaaaay more info than I was willing to give. I avoided the guy who came back at least ten times, as if he had the plague or swine flu. I didn't answer the huge questionnaire.

I waited until I was at work at my second job out of town and a guy came by and I reported the minimal info. They gave up after I told them I already answered the other guy.


I have no problem with the short form but I am NOT giving them any of the extra info that they asked for. It's none of their freakin' business and I don't care what they threaten me with. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Back in 1990 I was a Census Enumerator. Sheesh, and you all thought it was a Census Taker! :D

I thought I did a really good job, but they wouldn't hire me and another lady when 2000 rolled around. *shrug

I think it is an invasion of our privacy. I give name, address and total number of people living in the house.

That should be it, IMO. Counting heads, not finding out a ball park on what people make, or other information that they don't need to know.

They probably want to know who has health care this time around, what kind and how much. Also if you are working or home collecting funds and from what source. I won't budge and give them any move then the above mentioned.

That is all I am ever willing to give anyone. People could have 20 people living in a two room house and lie anyway. People could lie about anything they want so why do they ask us?
My three cents..and counting..:)

I agree. The information is only as good as what folks give out. Could be true....could be false.

I understand the need for the info, but at this point in time, with the way the economy is, I think the money used for this could be put to better use.

I agree to tell

how many live in my house
that we are retired

END OF STORY!

yes, I understand that someone out there is using these statistics to make a profile of each town, and how many folks are HS grads vs college grads, and how many are above/below the poverty line...they will have to do it without me.

I love some of these surveys that ask what level school you made it through, and how much your household income is. I always click the lowest. That way, they wont see me as a target to sell their crap too later on.

You know - I've never participated in a census...

In 2000, they probably thought we still lived in Florida. In 1990, they probably thought we still lived in Ohio. In 1980, I was saying "noch ein bier, bitte!". I wasn't in the country. In 1970, I didn't talk to anyone over 18...

Maybe they'll get me this year.

Tom

Actually the more people counted in a state, the more Federal funding that state gets for its use.

Also it is to decide how many Electoral votes that state will have, and how many Senators and House of Representatives members ( Congressional seats) it can have for that state.

Of course with more people in the state, the more the Fed money has to be spread around, to give them all services, programs, schools, taxation, etc. So head counting has many good reasons too.

So giving a correct head count is really a good thing for your Gov.'s and Mayors. The statistical data gets analyzed.

I just don't like them getting nosey into other matters that I don't think they should be in.

BTW,
The cost for the last 2000 census in the U.S. was estimated to be $4.5 billion, more than $15 per counted person.

I wonder what this one will cost us?:rolleyes:

I don't mind if they know how many people are in my house, but like others said, that's all they need to know. What diff does it make to them what our education is? Or our income? Our race? Next they'll want to know if we buy Skippy or Jiff.

And you're right; peple lie. What does that do? Well, I'd guess skewing the results one way would give some areas more money. But it would probably also drive home values down.

Seems to me there has to be a better (and easier) way of doing the census. Relying on everyone to be honest is, well, ridiculous.

Do they include illegal residents in the count that determines the funding each state gets?

Why don't they just use SS numbers......or SS numbers plus school enrollment records......or something that's already being done. This is a huge amount of money to get a less than accurate count.

Just seems like a total waste of money to me.

I don't think they've counted me for years..:D:D

Since they don't ask for proof of citizenship, when taking a census, then States like California, etc., that have a large population of Illegal residents, will get a large Federal funding budget.

They can't use SS #'s because many people have died, many babies are born so the SS #'s are incorrect. People don't get always get SS#'s for their children, unless they have to do an income tax form or travel. Even with those numbers the Gov has sent stimulus checks to people who have passed away. They are not accurate be any means.

Door to door counting cost time and lots of money. Even that can be messed up.

Maybe a helicopter with infrared heat sensors flying over each house, car and Mall would prove more accurate a count. :D Okay I'm a bit science fiction and space oriented, but with the technology of today you would think there would be a better way then ringing a door bell.:rolleyes:

Btw, the census people can come back to a non-answering home up to 10 times before they send a letter in the mail. What a waste.

For the life of me, I can't understand why people these days act like our government is somehow our enemy. It's so WEIRD to me.... especially when everyone partakes on many levels, of services our government provides.

Anyway, I have no problem filling out the census. I've been doing it for years. It's mandated by the constitution (a good thing - the constitution - right????) and participation is required by law.

The government isn't doing anything sinister or nefarious with the info. The population totals determine each state’s Congressional representation, numbers and data affect funding in your community, it helps policy and decision makers better understand how your community is changing. The data (the statistical, not your personal data) feeds a multitude of organizations. I want my stats in the mix. I count.

I can only speak for myself.......but all I was saying is there must be a better, more efficient, way of taking the census. I don't know what it is. But it just seems it's time for a different method. Seems to me like they're using an abacus when a calculator is right on the desk.

Thanks Kitty, but I wasn't referring to the 'there's gotta be another way' kinds of comments (because about that I agree ;)). I just don't understand why average folks don't want to answer the questions (I can understand why someone here illegally might mistrust it but that's another story).

One good thing though - and maybe this will set some fears aside - every household is getting the 'short form' this year. I think there are only 7 questions we need to answer about everyone living in the household ...it's pretty straightforward. The long questionaire isn't part of the census any more (at least not for 2010); it's sent out in a separate survey that happens annually to a few million homes...

Just so you know, i'm here legally.

:cool:

My prob is this - why do they want to know?

How many people are here? Okay, I'll tell them that. They do not need any further info. That's just MHO.

Why do they care if I'm under 30 or over 50? Or how much we make? Or what race we are? None of their bee's wax, I say.

There's a website where you can check all the stats of any town - pie charts and all. Everything you want to know about the town and the people who live there. Real interesting. Level of education, ratio of men to women, break down of age groups and income levels, how many own vs rent their homes, etc.

Pretty neat if you're thinking of moving TO someplace, but a little creepy knowing your own town is disected that way.

I'm sorry I don't care to be a statistic.

People got all freaked because you can see your house via satelite on the internet. Well, this is the same kind of invasion to me.

Again, why do they want to know? They are not just using this info so they can give money at equal amounts. For one thing, you know they base what they say where on this kind of info. They know certain ideas, words and phrases play better with some crowds than others - and that helps candidates win.

Maybe because of my past profession of working inside prisons I became extremely protective of my information. Maybe because I have a sister who is a drug addict, will rob you blind, and can work a Social Service system like no ones business, I have chosen to not share my info, even with family. I have locked down my private, personal information many years ago. yep, I get that they want to know how many live here. They can have a general age group, but not a specific number of age. As for what I make per year, I dont feel the need to disclose that information to any agency other than the IRS, and only then because its the law. My own mother doesnt know how much I make. My children dont know how much I make. My husband knows because we file jointly on taxes. My information, is exactly that, MINE. I dont have to share it if I chose not to.

I understand that someone, somewhere is using such information to make a "profile" of my town. Breaking up voting districts, and how many reps we need in the house, and senate, and how many electoral votes this area should be entitled to. I understand that its all just a bunch of number crunching that happens behind the scenes, but since I have no clue where, and who all of this information ends up in front of...they can have the basics from me.

If that labels me...so be it. I think the governement already knows way too much about me.

They want to know for the same reasons they wanted to know 220 years ago when they first began taking the census.
You can google it anywhere but here's a trusty source:
http://www.census.gov/

There are only 7 mandatory questions. Do you know what they are?
Name, sex, age date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship to the head of household and whether the home is owned or rented .....It takes about 10 minutes to complete.

See the thing is, you're a citizen of the United States. The rights you're accustomed to are granted by this Democracy. You are governed. You agree to be governed, it's what you do in exchange for citizenship. You're not entitled to rights in the USA simply because you're a human being, you're 'entitled' to them because the government (we elect) defined those rights and upholds them FOR you.

In order to be a citizen, you agree to hold up your end of the bargain. In this country, that includes filling out the census. It also includes paying taxes (do you find those intrusive? The IRS knows more about your financial situation than will ever be gathered in a census, and we gladly or grudgingly (depending on your situation) provide that to our government because them's the rules and that's how we keep things moving along and get the stuff we depend on (or.... take for granted again, depending on your situation)

If you really don't think the governing body of your chosen country has any right to gather information about the citizens it supports, provides services for and defends, I struggle to understand how you expect that country to be successful at any of it.

my two pennies.