White House Census Power Grab May Violate the Constitution

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I gave the census worker my name and those in my household as well as race and birthdates. The I slipped and told her i was buying, but refused to give any more information. This is the third time they've come to my house and this time they threatenned me with a $500 fine.

J.B. of CA 2:32PM April 15, 2010

That's how many people live in my home, and that's all they have a right to know. I am not going to provide information to assist in the administration of a Federal program; administration of federal programs is why we're a bankrupt nation.
All great government grabs come with assurances they won't morph into what the public fears they will become.
"The income tax will only ever apply to the top 1% of income earners." Wilson
"The Social Security number will never become the national ID number system." FDR
"Medicare will only cost $9 billion annually by 1990." LBJ
"The Social Security withholdings are to be held in a 'lockbox' that Congress cannot access."
Beyond telling them what the Constitution requires, you have the right to remain silent -- you do not have to give them all that other information.

Frank Madison of PA 11:30AM March 18, 2010

It's amazing how many people think they will be jailed for not telling all to the government! I know several people who are only answering one question on the census - # 1 question "How many people were living or staying in this house..."

Kathy of VA 10:54AM March 16, 2010

Barone, you are either a world-class moron or a partisan hack.
The "Unitary Executive" (not presidency, moron) theory of the Bush years WAS NOT that he had "ultimate authority over cabinet officers" -- that has never been in dispute. Cabinet officers serve at the pleasure of the president. The constitution-trampling many of us (including registered Republicans like myself) objected to was that the Bush administration declared it was not beholden to Congress or the courts in its prosecution of the Global War of Terror.
You know that, but you're not about to let facts get in the way of a good story, are you?

Michael Blackburn of ID 11:28AM March 12, 2010

hap.lyda of TX -
The wording of the Constitution is shown on the upper right corner of the "How It Works" section of the Census Bureau's web site (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/).
Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 2: "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."
Here's a good WikiPedia article describing the history of the Census: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Census
Get information from the source. Visit the Census Bureau web site. Paid opinionists have nothing to gain from an informed populace.

VisitorZero of ID 2:27PM March 09, 2010

I can't find the actual wording of the Constitution on what we are required to give to the census takers. Where is the law? and what does it actually say?

hap.lyda of TX 8:25AM March 09, 2010

Here's what the Census Bureau has to say about this their Q%A site:
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/whole.php

VisitorZero of ID 4:01AM March 09, 2010

I agree totally. It seems to me that the constitution requires us to count the number of individuals in our home. Period! If we believe in the constitution and expect those who represent us to stand for the constitution, then we must do the same.

Lynn Costello of WA 3:40PM March 02, 2010

Are we as a people going to go against a Document thats there to protect us from the government, to appease them is to ignor the Constitution it is our duty as American citizens to uphold the Constitution, the law is on our side. TAKE A STAND TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION, or we may never be a free people again.

A. Vigiani of NY 2:36PM February 28, 2010

The fines for not completing the form or not filling it out completely are minimal. 100 dollars last I checked. Aside from that no one has ever been fined because they didn't fill out the form or didn't fill it out completely.

T, Hager of MI 3:45PM February 03, 2010