I had a visit from the feds yesterday afternoon

deanf

New member
The census taker was Japanese-American (has relevance later.)

Census taker: Hello sir, I'm from the census. Is this [insert my address]?

Me: Yes

Census taker: I need to fill out this census form for your household. It'll take about 30 minutes (long form.)

Me: We already filled out all the required questions and mailed in the form.

Census taker: Oh, you already filled one out?

Me: Yeah. I filled in just the constitutionally required information, which is how many people live in the house.

Census taker: So you don't want to answer any of the other questions?

Me: No.

Census taker: Would you mind telling me why?

Me: There is only one question that is constitutionally authorized. I'm not required to give any more information, nor do I want to. I'm not comfortable giving all that personal and financial information.

Census taker: All the answers are strictly confidential. Do you know about the Privacy Act?

Me: Yes I do. I also know that during World War Two, census records were used to help round up Japanese-American citizens to take them off to the internment camps.

Census taker: [displaying "I never thought of it that way before" look] Ok, thanks for your time.


------------------
"Anyone feel like saluting the flag which the strutting ATF and FBI gleefully raised over the smoldering crematorium of Waco, back in April of ‘93?" -Vin Suprynowicz
 
[sound of the Clue-Bat scoring a home run]

Nice work.

I had a similar visit a few weeks back. Nice guy, senior citizen, wanted to know why my short form only had the first question filled out. He was thanked for his time and politely shown the door.

Later,
Chris

------------------
"T.V. what do I see, tell me who to believe, what's the use of autonomy when a button does it all..."

Incubus, Idiot Box
 
I'm waiting for the same visit. I also received the short-form and filled in only the number of people living in our home. My response will be quite similar to deanf's.

Jared
 
Geez ya'll are nice to them. When one came to my house a week and a half ago I had a hard time hearing him through the storm door over my male Chow raising He!!. I simply told him to get off my property and not to come back. He left and the dog got a doggie biscuit for his part. :)

------------------
Gunslinger

TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
I wonder if he would have knocked if he knew you were the ... (da dum!) GUNSLINGER ? Hoooooee!

Good on you, Deanf!

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited May 02, 2000).]
 
I refused to fill out the long form and found a Spanish form in a public building. Being the good citizen which I am, I filled out some of the questions. High School Spanish, two decades and no practice made it challenging.
 
Being a census taker (enumerator) I would have no problem with those answers. However, I am getting a taste of what it is like being a government employee...

chant with me... it's only 6 weeks... it's only six weeks... it's only six weeks...

------------------
John/az
"When freedom is at stake, your silence is not golden, it's yellow..." RKBA!
www.cphv.com
 
If they show at my place, I'll likely be asleep. I figure they can have it the same way I give it to telemarketers -- try me when I'm awake, or you can leave your home number, and I'll call you around 3am.

That's me. Native Texan. One.
 
I live with a 'fed' :D My sister got a temp job doing exactly just this. She goes in the field , has a list of names of people who didn't fill out the form completely or at all. I asked her if our name was on there because I only answered how many people live here and the ages thats it. Well she 'tried' the lines with me about how they need to know how many kids are living in the area so we can get stuff that we need. I told her I don't trust the government. She said this information is not given to anyone. Pointless in trying to get her to believe otherwise. These people that come to your door are not really feds. My sister is a waitress and got this job with one interview. They pay her $16 an hour, half the time she comes home and sits around (now *that* sounds typical of government workers) she got her own government "ID" that she has to wear when going to peoples houses. She thinks she is so cool walking around with that badge and proceeds to tell everyone she works for the government :D hah hah . So these people are just people that have part time jobs or no jobs, I wouldn't exactly call them feds. I told her she better be careful because some people are NOT going to be happy that she is visiting, I offered to give her my mace but she doesn't want it :D. I can't wait until she shows up at our door! :) I am getting some of that government money though, I babysit her kid for pay when she is out there :D. I'm a fed babysitter LOL

------------------
Sandys' Homepage
RKBA forums
We are as one as we all are the same fighting for one cause -Metallica
 
Once the census taker gets over the iron gate, through the electronic surveilance, around two very well trained Rotts, and up to the front door...the door bell button opens a hatch underneath the "Go Away" mat and sends the critter back to the sewer system outside the front gate.

The intercom then pipes up when the manhole cover is lifted, and a computer synthesized voice says, "Thiz iz private property, pleaze turn around and leave now. A lazer zighted weapon iz aimed at your forehead. At the count of three, you will be vaporized...Warning!, Warning!...One...Two..."
 
Heck, I nor any of my neighbors have yet to be counted. We don't have mail delivery here as we live to far out in the country. Have to go into town to get our mail. At least that's why I assume that we never received any census in the mail. Have not heard from anyone regarding this. Ummmm... Question... if they don't count me does that mean I don't have to pay taxes for the next ten years? Seems only fair as I'll not have any representation.



------------------
Richard

The debate is not about guns,
but rather who has the ultimate power to rule,
the People or Government.
RKBA!
 
I intend to use any census visit as an opportunity to provide the enumerator with a significant emotional experience, as deanf did.

------------------
Slowpoke Rodrigo...he pack a gon...

I voted for the Neal Knox 13

I'll see you at the TFL End Of Summer Meet!
 
Enjoy for now.
I figure that if things don't get better, or if we are still around for the next one, there will be some dynamic census taking going down.

==============
Ragged lines of ragged grey
Skeltons, they shuffle away
Shouting guards and smoking guns
Will cut down the unlucky ones
-Music by Lee and Lifeson/Lyrics by Peart
 
Good one pack_rat! Look for "No Knock" census teams in the year 2010.
*CRASH* "United States Census Agent!! Get down on the floor!!" *RAT-A-TAT-A-TAT*

John/az2:
How is your typical visit? From what you've seen, about what PERCENTAGE out there regard the gov't efforts with some degree of suspicion/stand-off-nish. How many are educated to the (limited) extent of their Constitutional obligation?
I get discouraged when I express distrust in the gov and it seems average folks don't know what I'm talking about.
 
I was talking to a friends wife who is a field worker. She said they will try 6 times to get the info, each time a different worker.
Has any one else herd this?

7
 
7.62, the requirement is for 6 attempts, alternating physical visits & phone attempts by the same census worker, before the incomplete form may be submitted to the supervisor. Then, they plan to turn up the heat by sending 'more experienced' census workers to see you.
 
deanf,

I laughed again. More importantly, after I told my wife the story earlier today, I had her reading TFL over my shoulder and laughing.

henryb
WWVCD
 
Back
Top