Census Workers (Government Spys) Won't Take No For An Answer
In particular, the Scotts did not want to answer questions they found too personal, such as inquiries about their income, when they left for work and their health. The first few requests were tolerable. A Census Bureau worker would knock on John and Beverly Scott's door and ask them to fill out an American Community Survey. But as the days passed, the visits became more frequent and the requests more urgent. Some evenings, the doorbell would ring at dinnertime, then again at 10 p.m.  It isn't that the Scotts are anti-government or are philosophically opposed to the census. The couple filled out their decennial form last year, answering every question. But they're not too keen on the American Community Survey, a more in-depth, ongoing questionnaire the Census Bureau conducts to compile information on area demographics, consumer patterns and economic issues. In particular, the Scotts did not want to answer questions they found too personal, such as inquiries about their income, when they left for work and their health. "The new questionnaire has gone way over the line," Scott said. "We have told the representative that we are not going to answer private questions, but they continue to come to our door at all hours of the day and night." The final straw, John Scott said, was when a Census Bureau employee told him he would be fined $2,000 if he did not fill out the 48-question survey.Walsh said households are selected randomly, and the information provided is kept confidential. Information is gathered in three-month cycles, meaning the Scotts would have received their survey in the mail in January, gotten telephone follow-ups in February, then been visited at home by regional field staff in March.
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