American Community Survey-where you one of the unlucky ones?.......
 

A few weeks ago we received one of these forms from the Census Bureau....I am so uncomfortable with the questions this form contains. Did any one else get this and did you refuse to send it back?

I'm curious, what did they ask?

i'm not sure about this what does it have on it? normally census is a legal requirement to participate in, but this doesn't sound like the traditional questionaire to me

From what I can gather it's a longer more in depth form that is sent out to approx. 250,000 homes a month. When I google it I'm finding a lot of irate people who have received this and they are finding it an invasion of privacy.

This is some of the questions.....

Housing

1. A description of the building structure. For example a mobile home, one-family detached house, a building with two apartments, etc.
2. When the building was first built.
3. When did Person 1 move in?
4. How many acres?
5. In the past 12 months what were the actual sales of all agricultural products from the property?
6. Is there is business on the premises?
7. How many rooms are in the house?
8. How many bedrooms?
9. Does it have complete plumbing facilities?
10. Does it have complete kitchen facilities?
11. Is there telephone service?
12. How many automobiles are kept and used by members of the household?
13. Which fuel is used most for heating?
14. What was the electric bill last month?
15. What was the gas bill for last month?
16. In the past 12 months, what was the cost of water and sewer?
17. In the past 12 months, what was the cost of oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc?
18. At any time during the past 12 months did anyone receive food stamps? If yes, what was the value?
19. Is it part of a condo? If so, what is the monthly condo fee?
20. Is the house owned by a resident with a mortgage or a loan? free and clear? rented for cash? occupied without payment of cash?
21. What is the monthly rent? does it include meals?
22. What is the value of the property? i.e. how much would if sell for if it were for sale?
23. What are the annual real estate taxes on the property?
24. What is the annual payment for fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property?
25. Do you or any member have a mortage, deed of trust, contract to purchase, or similar debt on the property?
26. How much is the regular monthly mortgage payment on this property?
27. Does the payment include payments for real estate taxes?
28. Does the payment include payments for insurance (as listed above)?
29. Does a member have a second mortgage on the place? how much is the monthly payment?
30. If a mobile home, what are the annual costs for taxes, site rent, registration fees, etc.
31. Do you stay here year round?
32. How many months to the members stay here?
33. What is the primary reason the members are staying here?

Personal Questions

The following questions are asked of each person whose information was filled out in the 2nd section. There’s 3-4 pages for each person to fill out there own portion. Most questions start with “Is this person…”

1. born in either in the U.S. (with a fill-in for state) or outside the U.S. (will fill-in for country)
2. a citizen of the U.S. (with choices for natural born, born abroad, naturalized, not, etc).
3. if not born in the U.S., what year did you come?
4. at any time in the last 3 months did you attend regular school or college? (choices for No, Yes-public and Yes-private)
5. What grade or level was this person attending? (range of educational levels)
6. What is the highest degree or level of school completed? (ditto)
7. What is the person’s ancestry or ethnic origin?
8. Does this person speak a language other than English at home? if yes, what is it?
9. How well does the person speak English?
10. Did the person live here 1 year ago?
11. Where did the person live 1 year ago? (fill in city, town, or PO)
12. have any of the following long-lasting conditions: blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment? a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifitng, or carrying?
13. Because of physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this personal have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: learning, remembering, or concentrating? dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home?
14. 15 years or older only; because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulties going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s office? working at a job or business?
15. females 15-50 only; given birth in the past 12 months?
16. have any grandchildren under the age of 18 living in this house?
17. is this grandparent currently responsible for most of the basic needs of them?
18. how long have the grandparent been responsible for them?
19. ever served on active duty? (variety of options, active now, active in the past year, on training, etc)
20. when did you serve? (list of all major conflicts, check as many as you need)
21. how many years of active duty service (less than 2, or 2 or more)?
22. did you do ANY work for pay or profit last week?
23. at what location did you work? fill in complete address of location
24. how did you get to work (checkboxes for all sorts of transportation types)
25. if an automobile, how many people rode in the car?
26. what time did you usually leave for work last week?
27. how many minutes did it take to get to work?
28. if you didn’t work, were you laid off?
29. if you didn’t work, were you temporarily off? on vacation? illness? labor dispute?
30. if you didn’t work, have you been informed that you’ll be recalled within the next 6 months?
31. if you didn’t work, have you been looking for work in the last 4 weeks?
32. if you didn’t work, LAST WEEK could you have started a job if offered one?
33. when did you last work? within 12 months? 1-5 years ago? over 5 years ago?
34. during the past 12 months, how many week did you work?
35. during the past 12 months, in the weeks worked, how many hours did you work each week?
36. were you an employee of (private for profit, non profit, government, state, self-employed, etc)
37. for whom did you work, fill in name
38. what kind of business is this, fill in
39. what kind of work are you doing, fill in
40. what were this person’s most important activities or duties, fill-in
41. income section; wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or tips from all jobs for last 12 months (fill in)
42. self-employment incoming from own businesse, including proprieteorships and partnerships last 12 months (fill in)
43. interest, dividends, net rental incomes, royalty income, or income from estates and trusts, last 12 months (fill in)
44. Social security or Railroad, last 12 months (fill in)
45. SSI (ditto)
46. public assistance or welfare payments or from the state or local office (ditto)
47. retirement, survivor, or disability (ditto)
48. any other sources of income; VA, unemployment, child support, etc (ditto)
49. what was the total income during the past 12 months? (ditto)

WHEW!!

that is WAYYYYY to invasive. why on earth does anyone need to know this stuff. i would throw it away if it were me.

I think they are asking too many personal questions. You have to fill out the regular census form but I wonder if you are required to fill this one out. I've never heard of American Community Survey.

I would write back to them and say I have a sprained hand and will need someone from their office to come out to help me fill this out...and to be sure they send them with Starbucks & Scones for snack time!:rolleyes::D

From what I'm reading on line, they claim it is a long form from the Census Bureau and it is the law to fill it out or you can be fined. The people on line claim if you don't fill it out you will be harassed for about 90 days. Thirty days will be continuous phone calls and about 30 days of someone flashing a badge ..beating at your door and sitting in your drive way.......

I'm getting the calls now......The on line people claim no one has ever been actually fined......IDK....:confused:

Wow!

And according to one of the sections you are legally obligated to answer the questions!

About the survey:

About the American Community Survey

Here is an informational copy of the form:

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downlo...11/Quest11.pdf

There is absolutely NO WAY I'd complete that survey. If it comes to my house I may need one of my YT Family members to bake a cake with a saw inside so I can escape from my cell.

On the other hand, I could have some fun..... but I guess I'd still need the cake :D

It's pretty invasive isn't it.........They ask about a persons finances, their health and their job all that was left out was their sex life, all contained in one neat little package......Yours just may come next month......:rolleyes:

I think we start a new "game" thread - copy the survey and answer one of the questions -- of course NOT honestly :D :D :D

I bet it would be pretty funny~

Well... on the other hand, this survey is a genealogist's dream. It will be open to the public in 72 years if it follows the pattern of recent census releases. I've learned all kinds of things about my ancestors from old censuses. Only problem is some of my ancestors tended to lie to the census takers or at least not be too accurate.

It sounds like this survey is separate from the decennial census, though, and may be an ongoing thing throughout the years.

That is way to personal! As if the government doesn't already know more than they should about us!