Brave new world arrives at doorstep in the form of a very nosy survey

CITIZEN-TIMES.com

Brave new world arrives at doorstep in the form of a very nosy survey

Barbara Hunter
August 1, 2006 12:15 am

We have been favored (maybe because our house is new) with the Census Bureau’s mid-decade “American Community Survey.” The booklet runs 24 pages and requires us to spill virtually every detail of our personal life to the feds. I checked to see what would happen if I refused to answer what I consider to be a bunch of nunovyerbizness questions, but I discovered it would cost me a $100 fine. Nothing about what would happen if I still refused. Would they keep piling on the fines until I relented? There is no provision for prison time, so at least I can remain a free woman no matter what.
So what does the government do with the data? I checked on-line and was informed that in excess of $185 billion in “federal funds” (remember my July 4 column about there being no such thing as government money?) are “awarded” each year to American cities on the basis of this survey. One paragraph could pass as the definition of chutzpa: “Answering the census creates new jobs (sorry, government can’t “create” jobs, unless it means government jobs) and ensures us the delivery of needed goods and services.” (Translation: Your taxes will be transferred to the federal bureaucracy, and whatever is left will be handed out according to the government’s definition of “need.”) The paragraph continues, “Private businesses use census data to plan locations for new shopping malls, residential housing developments, factories, offices, theaters, and restaurants.” (You will be pleased to know that private businesses are now incapable of conducting their own investigations and doing their own planning without the benevolent hand of government telling them what to do and where to do it. How far we have come!)
The survey deals with one’s dwelling and the people in it. After filling in the name, sex, age, and date of birth for whomever you designate as Person 1, you must now describe the same information for the other people, including their marital status and their relationship to Person 1. I remember when that was the total information asked of each household, as provided in Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, so the members of the House of Representatives could be correctly apportioned.
What else are we required to tell the government now about each person? In a separate question, we are asked whether each person is “Spanish/Hispanic/Latino.” According to the accompanying guide for filling out the survey, this refers to the person’s “ancestry,” not what the person considers himself or herself to be. As far as the feds are concerned, the term has ethnic significance, even though the survey’s question about race is separate. The race question itself divides us down to a gnat’s hair, with 15 categories and further fill-in-the-blank subcategories.
Now on to your dwelling. The questionnaire asks what kind of dwelling it is (ten categories); when it was built; when Person 1 moved in; the lot size; how much money you earned from agricultural products in the past year; whether there is a business on the property; how many rooms the house has; the number of bedrooms; whether there are plumbing facilities that include hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower; whether there is a kitchen with a sink having running water, a stove, and a refrigerator; whether it has telephone service; how many motor vehicles you have; what fuel you use for heating; your most recent monthly cost for electricity and gas; your past year’s expenditure for water, sewer, and heat; whether anyone received food stamps; whether your dwelling is part of a condominium; whether your house is owned or rented; the property value, real estate taxes, and insurance payment; all about the mortgage, if any; whether there is a second mortgage, and the payment amount; whether you live there year-round or only part of the year; and, if part time, why.
Now on to the people themselves. For each person, you must answer 42 separate questions covering citizenship; education; ancestry; physical, mental, or emotional difficulties; military history; work status; and every detail about the person’s income in the past year.
The guide assures us that everything will be kept confidential. That’s what they say about the IRS, which has violated confidentiality thousands of times.
As Ronald Reagan said, the most frightening words you can hear are, “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help you.” Welcome to the brave new world of the American Community Survey.
Barbara Hunter taught chemistry at Hofstra University among other career stops. Most recently, she was an application specialist in the IT department of a large law firm. She lives in Black Mountain. Her columns appear on alternate Tuesdays and she can be reached at brhunter@aol.com.