I got a questioniere like that over 20 years ago. It was my first census to complete and I thought they were all that way! Till this last one when we just had the short form.

How interesting! I haven't gotten one, but would be happy to fill one out. It is all about being able to distribute funding and planning for infrastructure, comparing COL in areas of the country, etc.

We got one too. They ask lots of personal questions. It warned that we MUST complete it so we did. Apparently we were selected at random.

I got one a couple years ago. When we got the "real" census this past year no one would believe me when I said I had done this other one and that it was mandatory. Ha....I filled it out as I was "scared" when they said you had to do it. So I was right.

I thought it was very nosy too...guess you have to do it. Democracy at work. c

Years ago, we got a similar one, but ours had to do with how many hours per week we worked, and it was by phone. It was random, by address, and followed the address, not the person. When we moved, the new owners continued. I think it was a 10-year census, but I can't remember now.
Dee

I'm on The Gallup Panel and do surveys online. I finally got tired of it and just stopped answering. And they still contact me but not as often.

The survey's became redundant. What would happen if you don't feel the survey out?

My mother got a phone call asking her to do that very same survey. She told them to send her some info in the mail about it. Once she read the info and realized she would have to research what her past utility bills were, she decided it was too much trouble, so she told the guy that when he called again. I don't think the guy ever told her it was mandatory and I asked her if the paperwork said it was. She said she didn't see anything, but she has been known to overlook things before. Now that you guys are saying it's mandatory, I'm thinking I may need to look through those papers. After the guy called her several times, he actually showed up at her house and tried to talk her into it. She was super annoyed by that time and told him to quit bothering her because she wasn't going to do it. He still didn't mention that she had to do it, but he did call one more time after that. It's almost to the point of being harrassment. If it is required by law, I can understand their persistence, but it sure seems like they would let her know it wasn't something she had a choice about.

So because some one paper says you MUST tell them your life you do? What will they do, arrest you for not answering their questions? Glad I've never been asked because regardless of the reasons, I'd choose to keep what little privacy I still have left.

According to this site you are required to fill out the survey if selected.

Never heard anything about it before now.

terriks - Thank you for the link. I found the website before, but couldn't find anything about the survey.

yeh, I filled it out(somewhat- left a lot blank- none of their beeswax). But didn't send it in. This afternoon a census worker knocked at the door, told me I could either give it to her if I had it filled out, or she would have to interview me. I was very happy to be able to find it and turn it in to her.
I am sure I will be getting a followup since I didnt fill it out completely.
I am not a happy camper about it- the IRS already has all of the income info anyhoo.
I thought they were allowed to count and that was it- apparently I was wrong.
somebody send me a cake with a file baked into it, willya?

We got one a few yrs ago. All the reasons why we must fill in the form, why they need the info and what they do with the data were printed right on the introduction, or cover letter, on the form.

Governments have been taking the census since time began. The US has been doing it since 1790! It is important, and not exactly hard! I cannot imagine why anyone would find it objectionable to participate..

I'm starting to hate this survey. I got to the question where they want to know gross salary from the past 12 months. I don't know! I shred prior year paystubs after I do taxes in April. This means I need to find the paystubs from this year and somehow extrapolate last year which isn't easy because Dh got a raise and then they took it away when the company was having money problems. It's a mess to figure out! And if that's not time consuming enough they also want me to calculate our dividends and interest earned for the last 12 months. If they did it by calender year I could just look it up on my tax form but it's split, part last year part this year. This is asking too much! I can't just check off boxes that I already know the answer, they want us to spend time calculating all these numbers. GRRRRR

Estimate. The answers you give here are confidential to Census and are not shared with IRS or ANYONE ELSE.

well, I think most of it was none of their business. I read the instructions,etc. Yes, the census is and always has been crucial to our representation at the national level. This was not the census.

A census is much more than a head count. It covers housing, finances, age statistics, work, consumerism, etc. It is important for governments/countries to know how their people are doing. It is also important politically to determine accurate representation.

I'm sorry you resent it and feel it is an invasion of your privacy.

This is a census. The Census Bureau conducts this survey, as well as the decennial census that you are no doubt familiar with.

You might be interested in the following, which I copied from the Census American Community Survey web site:
Why did I get an American Community Survey?

Your address was selected as a part of a sample and represents thousands of other households like yours. We randomly select about 3 million addresses each year to participate in the survey.
Do I have to answer these questions?

Yes. You are legally obligated to answer all the questions, as accurately as you can.

The relevant laws are Title 18 U.S.C Section 3571 and Section 3559, which amends Title 13 U.S.C. Section 221.

How do I benefit?

The information that the Census Bureau collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year are spent on infrastructure and services. Your answers help state and local leaders make decisions about programs and investments such as new highways, schools, hospitals, job training, community centers, and emergency services.

Data from the American Community Survey helps your community. The information that the Census Bureau collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services. Your answers to the American Community Survey help federal, state and local leaders make decisions about:

schools
job training centers
hospitals
location of new businesses

care for children, veterans, and seniors
roads, bridges, and transportation projects
emergency services
housing value

Participating in the American Community Survey is safe. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. Violating the oath is a serious crime. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.

We never reveal your identity to anybody else. The Census Bureau is legally bound to strict confidentiality requirements. Individual records are not shared with anyone, including federal agencies and law enforcement entities. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, -- not the IRS, not the FBI, not the CIA, and not with any other government agency.

All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect all information that could identify individuals. Disclosing ANY information that could identify you or your family means 5 years in prison, or $250,000 in fines, or both.

To protect your privacy, the American Community Survey NEVER asks for:

your Social Security number
your personal information via email
money or donations
credit card information

If a field representative comes to your home to help you complete the American Community Survey, he or she will ALWAYS have official Census ID.

We never reveal your identity to anybody else. Ever.

For more information, check out the Census web site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Census American Community Survey

Thank you for posting that Suero.

I had to fill it out too. It was a pain but I just estimated everything. It would have been ALOT of work to add everything up exactly.

I accidentally left a few things blank so they called to get the missing information.

I had to do a different survey last summer. I had to keep track of every penny we spent for a month - keep receipts etc and put them in a log. Someone came each week and picked them up. It, too, was required by law. The worker involved in it was very persistant.

After these two surveys, I hope I'm not randomly chosen for a while.

Our house was also selected, but our survey was for tracking crime. I ignored a mailing and had a census worker show up twice to gather info. He wanted to question DH and teenage DS, but they were never home when the census worker came by, so I answered for them!

Uh oh. I got one and tossed it. I thought it was one of the myriad pieces of junk mail I get every day. I also got a post card reminding me to fill it out. I guess I better see if it's still in the recycling bin. Otherwise, please come visit me in jail.

Dedtired, don't worry, they WILL follow up with a phone call or show up at your front door!!!

dedtired- maybe we will be cellmates!

dedtired and cooperbailey will have the best decorated cell on the block.

Okay, mine came in the mail today. Funny, it's two days after I received the postcard saying "you received the survey a few days ago." Weird. Glad I am a one-person household, which makes it a heck of a lot shorter to fill out.

Cooperbailey, did you decide to fill yours out? They really do ask a lot of personal stuff.

I keep wondering what Tiger Woods would fill in as his ethnicity? He is one quarter Thai, one quarter African American, one quarter Chinese, one eighth Native American and one eighth Dutch. At least I'm only Welsh, Polish and German. I don't think they left enough space for Tiger.

I started to, then started leaving blanks as they asked for things I didnt want to share. I think the rep will be calling me to hound me for the rest. sigh, just no rest for the wicked.