How I'll pay the $100 census fine.

Not just pennies, BUT un-rolled pennies. Can't we use the line that we all know too well. Our Fore-fathers would have never thought of asking about race, kitchens, and any other garbage the want to put. Hey wait there's another ?, how much garbage do you throw out a day.
 
WOW!!!

What did I miss??? My census form asked the number of occupants, the address of the occupants, if I owned or rent, and the names, sex and ages, race, and one other question that escapes me...

Took me about 5 minutes, and that was after looking for the stuff that I expected from the last one... Seriously, it was 1 page folded in thirds... I was stunned...

Then someone else says they got a 40 page booklet... Sheeeshh... Too bad it went in the mail today, I would scan it and give you a real laugh...

Well... The bottom line, this helps get your community funding, and representation of Congress, and even state districts. Not answering it could hurt you and your community... The choices are yours, but if you feel it is your responsibilty to vote and voice your opinion, then you should maintain the responsibilty in ensuring that you have adaquate respresntation in the legislature.

YMMV
 
Jaydee, Docspanky, and others who don't see what all the fuss is about:

YOU'RE ALL MISSING THE POINT!

The government is allowed BY LAW to ask only how many people live at each address. That's it. Period. Remember, what the Constitution doesn't specifically allow the feds to do, they CAN'T do.

Simple, no?

------------------
"If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance."
-- Samuel Johnson
 
Voter districts are affected by the nose count. Fine.

The rest of it is nothing but snooping. It's just none of their darn business, whether benign or not. I'm tired of "we care about yew" and "compassion" and all the rest of that BS.

I don't ask a farmer how many acres he has, nor a rancher how many cows he runs nor you as to your income or bank account or how much did you pay for your house. To do so is rude, crude, and just plumb stoopid. It's just none of my business!

Hmmm. "..rude, crude and just plumb stoopid." Sounds like Government, to me.

:), Art
 
I consider eveyone here as friends, and I hope that doesn't change, but come on folks, some of you read too many books.

As I said before, they already know everything anyway, they merely collect all the information at once to keep it in a centralized source. How anyone can think that race or sex is intrusive plagues me. I think some people are just like the NAACP, running around looking for things to be offended by. There was not this much fuss over the last census, and if anyone besides me remembers, the questions were basically the same.

If you have something to hide, i.e. illegal alien or something like that, then I can understand why you wouldn't want the government to know you haven't worked in 31 years and just sat back and lived in govt. housing and collected a welfare check.

Some people are just too easily offended. They ask nothing that's not public information anyway. Every bit of your finances are already known to God and everyone, everytime you apply for a loan they know it all. Everyone knows what race you are, evryone knows where you live. None of its anything you didn't give to the phone company to get a phone#. Or the power company, or even your ISP!

On a lighter note, I kinda wished they woulda asked about gun ownership, then we coulda not filled it out and thrown it into their faces. As it is, I will laugh when everyone gets their returns next year and $100.00 is automatically deducted for money owed in fines.

I'm truely sorry if I offend anyone, but this just seems like a pointless bickering match.

"Why can't we all just get along?"---Rodney King
 
It is too expensive to enforce. Answer as you like or don't answer at all. The choice is yours! Good luck all!
 
Rights, like muscles, atrophy without exercise.

It doesn't get any clearer than that.
"Sure, it's just a few silly questions. Some are a bit wierd, but so what?"
Well, it's a slippery slope.
It's like lending a tool to some neighbor, or letting the electrician use the toilet.
No big deal, huh?
Then five minutes later, he asks if as long as he's here he can use the phone.
Say, as long as he's inside can he have a beer and some chips?
Man, it's getting close to dinnertime?
Set another place at the table?
Sleep on the couch?

If you don't distinctly and frequently draw the lines, they are blurred and moved.
It's your freedom.
-Kframe
 
Doc, I think you're right - there may be more of a fuss this time.

Why? Well, I know in my case, I have a different perspective than I had 10 years ago. What changed?

1. Nearly 8 years of Bill Clinton.
2. Massacres, or at least gross negligence, in Waco, TX.
3. Same at Ruby Ridge.
4. Greatly increased harrassment of honest citizens via guns laws, environmental laws, asset seizures, etc.
5. Media hyperbole and hysteria run amuck.
6. Politician hyperbole and hysteria run amuck.
7. 'Zero tolerance' in public schools, that appears to more resemble zero brains.
8. Gun bigotry.
9. Greater polarization in this country than I have seen since the 60's.
10. Disclosures of government coverups with syphilus testing, nuclear testing, Agent Orange, etc.
11. Requirements to put my social security number on everything from hunting licenses to my CPA certificate renewal.

I'm not feeling terribly patriotic these days about cooperating with Uncle Sam. I feel a line must be drawn, and I'm even late in doing that. Much of this foolishness has gone way too far, and I have relatively few ways to push back.

And, as far as my failure to cooperate hurting my community ... well, to be frank, I think that is a disgusting argument. I will report the number of people in my household - that will cover the Congressional representation issue. Other than that, I really don't care to participate in a scheme designed to exchange personal information from me and others so that we can grovel at the trough for a bit of our own money back.

Thanks, but no thanks. They can stuff it.

Regards from AZ
 
Tell them you can't pay. You want to convert the fine to jail time. At the most you'll be booked and released.
 
I just filled out mine and mailed it in. All I told them was the number of people in my apt, my sex and my age... but NOT my birth date. They wanted a BUNCH of nonsense that I just left blank.

There was nothing in it about any fines OR jailtime. I looked all over it and the accompanying sheet that came with it. It said that I was required to answer these questions "by LAW." That's it!

None of their damned business,
Ben

------------------
Almost Online IM: BenK911
ICQ # 53788523
"Gun Control Is Being Able To Hit Your Target"

[This message has been edited by Ben (edited March 17, 2000).]
 
For your information - link to the census web site http://www.census.gov.

From there you can see how they are want to use the data for things like economics and reapportionment of districts, and how they have most of the data they collect for sale. http://www.census.gov/mp/www/censtore.html

and yes, information from questions similar to the ones on the long form are compiled and made available http://www.census.gov/mp/www/rom/msrom5fa.html
so, while they may not provide specific information on anyone, they do provide enough that anyone can generate a general profile of people within a certain area.
 
I don't know about demanding jail time, but I do know that at least city governments have the legal right to refuse to accept payment in the "wrong" currency. Some guy, I think in Colorado, made the Chicago news last week. He tried to pay a $15 parking fine in ROLLED pennies and the city refused to accept the payment. Apparently they're allowed to do that even though it's supposedly perfectly good U.S. currency.

As for that argument about hurting your community, they're the ones who set up a system where my community is dependent on federal money to survive, not me. If I refuse to give in to their demands and the community suffers from the lack of fed funds, that's their fault, not mine. This is the same as some guy putting a gun to your wife's head and telling you that if you don't go along, her death will be your fault. Hell, NO it won't, and not only is it a lowdown blackmailer's tactic but it's insulting that they think I'm stupid, too.
 
Well, if they insist on collecting a fine...I will be sure to eat a load of chili, cheesecake, and chased with prune juice. Upon the inevitable result, I'll wipe myself with five $20 bills and stick them to their g-----d form, and send it to them in their postage prepaid envelope.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top