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Well, I guess I?m going to prison

JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
edited September 2008 in General Discussion
I got something in the mail from the Census Bureau. A twenty-eight page questionnaire requiring (not requesting) most of the intimate details of my life.

They explained that I am required by law to answer all the questions and send it back. I hope it's a misdemeanor and not a felony, because I'd hate to lose my right to own a firearm over this. Maybe Mateo can get the charge reduced for me.

I'll tell them my name and how many live in my household because that's what the Constitution says I should tell them once every ten years. I haven't decided yet if I'll give them my phone number.

The last time I got one of these was in 1980. I got away with it that time. I wonder if I can pull it off again.
The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
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Comments

  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Roll the dice; you're getting up there in years, just how bad could prison be!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • savage170savage170 Member Posts: 37,446 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm planning on doing the same
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I looked it up. It's a fine of $100.00. It doesn't say misdemeanor, but with a $100 fine and no jail or prison time, I don't think it's a felony:

    TITLE 13 - CENSUS
    CHAPTER 7 - OFFENSES AND PENALTIES
    SUBCHAPTER II - OTHER PERSONS
    Sec. 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers
    (a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.
    (b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • Rack OpsRack Ops Member Posts: 18,597 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Possible $100 fine for not filling it out, at least according to this

    http://people.howstuffworks.com/question345.htm
  • Rebel_JamesRebel_James Member Posts: 4,746
    edited November -1
    Shoot just throw it in the trash and SAY you mailed it in!!

    .
  • watrulookinatwatrulookinat Member Posts: 4,693
    edited November -1
    You might end up sharing a cell with bob.

    Enzyte-tshirt-Swelling.jpg[:D]
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rebel_James
    Shoot just throw it in the trash and SAY you mailed it in!!
    That's a $500 fine. I think I'll take the $100. [:D]
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • KSUmarksmanKSUmarksman Member Posts: 10,705 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Rack Ops
    Possible $100 fine for not filling it out, at least according to this

    http://people.howstuffworks.com/question345.htm


    pffft! speeding tickets are more these days

    the time wasted to fill out a 28 page gub'ment form is more expensive [;)]
  • mateomasfeomateomasfeo Member Posts: 27,143
    edited November -1
    Last time I got one of those I faithfully filled it out AND sent in $500 just in case I said something false by mistake.

    So I have that going for me...
  • theholst1theholst1 Member Posts: 5 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Best of luck my friend
  • agloreaglore Member Posts: 6,012
    edited November -1
    It's addressed to the resident of blah blah address. Have your dog fill it out.
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I generally open my mail and pay my bills once a month. That's how I happened to come across the survey form. I just finished opening another stack of mail. I've received one reminder post card and one reminder letter to fill out the form and send it back.

    Could be the sheriff is already on his way out here. [:D]
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • drsckdrsck Member Posts: 992
    edited November -1
    Wouldn't it be more fun to make up some really good answers???? Send it to me and I'll be glad to fill it out and send it in. I'll even pay the fine, if it ever happens.
  • GotteskriegerGotteskrieger Member Posts: 3,170 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mark a big swastika on it and say "you'll never take me alive". That will give them a chuckle for the day.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    When I lived back east, I refused to fill it out period. They even sent someone to my home to try and force me to fill one out. I told her to get off my property...
  • Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 39,309 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mateomasfeo


    Last time I got one of those I faithfully filled it out AND sent in $500 just in case I said something false by mistake.

    So I have that going for me...


    You have to WILLFULLY make a false ststement to be fined $500, so it's no foul to make a mistake. Call them on tuesday and they will send your 500 bucks back. Just tell 'em it was a honest mistake.









    Been nice knowin' ya James, you criminal.
  • spanielsellsspanielsells Member Posts: 12,498
    edited November -1
    Just tell them that you're an illegal, and you've got 720 of your family and friends living with you.
  • jimdeerejimdeere Member, Moderator Posts: 25,583 ******
    edited November -1
    James, you're much the rebel. I'll bet you even rip off the tags on your mattress.[8D]
  • 1911a1-fan1911a1-fan Member Posts: 51,193 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    why do you think they can claim African Americans only make up 13% of the population?

    ask one if they or if they even know anyone that has filled it out, and i'm dead serious, i know from experience
  • beneteaubeneteau Member Posts: 8,553 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    James:

    I got one of those several months ago. Didn't reply, got another one. Finally, I filled out the basic info, as you mentioned. All of the other questions--I wrote in "none of your business"---and mailed it. Started getting phone calls from those idiots----they would not give up. With caller ID, I could recognize their 800 number---wouldn't answer the phone---so they would leave messages on my voice mail to call them. This went on for weeks----total harassment. Finally, they quit calling and I haven't heard anymore from them and I hope I don't.
    0M9InwN.gif[
  • Hunter MagHunter Mag Member Posts: 6,611 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Tell them your an illegal alien. Then they will not do anything. [;)]
  • Jacob2008Jacob2008 Member Posts: 19,528 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    mail it in with N/A filled out. when they send you your fine, send them 100.00 in monopoly money
  • mlincolnmlincoln Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You know, back in the day you could count on the good old apathetic civil servant to just shrug things off and take an early and long lunch. Funny how an unmotivated government really helped keep liberty alive and well. Now with the Department of Homeland Security, interlocking databases, and the police coming for a chat with battering rams and guns drawn, I worry about doing anything to p i $ $ off the government. What the heck happened to this country?
  • Hunter MagHunter Mag Member Posts: 6,611 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mlincoln
    You know, back in the day you could count on the good old apathetic civil servant to just shrug things off and take an early and long lunch. Funny how an unmotivated government really helped keep liberty alive and well. Now with the Department of Homeland Security, interlocking databases, and the police coming for a chat with battering rams and guns drawn, I worry about doing anything to p i $ $ off the government. What the heck happened to this country?

    Instead of "of the people for the people" it's "of the government for the government"[xx(]
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    quote:What the heck happened to this country?


    We keep voting for the collectivists that the 'machine' continually offers up. The result is inevitable, the relentless march toward totalitarianism.

    All one has to do is look, to see it.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 50,947 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Boy, live and learn, all this time I have thought you were posting from your cell...
  • walliewallie Member Posts: 12,171
    edited November -1
  • ladyhunterladyhunter Member Posts: 2,143 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    write on it you don't speak or read english and ask if the have it in spanish then turn around and do the same if they send you one
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    The last time I got one of those Census Bureau 28 page questionnaire (10 years ago or so. Can't recall for sure) I resented that I was required by law to provide a lot of personal information under threat of legal punishment. But I devised a way to, at least to a small degree, "trick" the Census Bureau and to expose them (or some government branch) for the careless, lying crooks they are. I inserted a single bit of erronous data into my questionnaire so that I could track it to see if the information I was required to give was later misused. Here is what I did.

    On the line where I was required to print my full legal name, I "accidently" inserted the letter "Q" as my middle initial. I figured if asked I could explain that "accident" away as me just being distracted by the television, or some such, during the lengthy time that was required of me to fill out that damn form. When I signed the form with my legal signature I did not provide the "Q" because that would be pretty much impossible to claim as an "accident.".

    Anyway, I did this in an effort to test the government's claim that all this detailed and personal information would be held strictly confidential. I think I know how government works pretty well and I have no confidence in their promises. And I was correct because it wasn't much more than a year that passed and I started getting junk mail sent to me with my name printed correctly but also containing the fake letter "Q" as part of my name. To me this means that obviously my detailed and personal information (not just about me, but also about my family) had either been carelessly handled, leaked or even sold to companies in order to target my household for their advertising.

    After I had several examples of such advertising being sent to me, using that fake letter "Q" in my name, I contacted and complained to two of my Congressmen. One of the didn't care and the other one wanted me to send them copies of the advertising I had received. Because of reasons I don't care to mention I decided to wait on that but I always wondered what might happen if I had followed up on my complaint. Probably nothing.

    But anyway, you and anyone else wanting to test your government might try something like this.
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
    A little old man I knew carried bricks in his trunk.

    He said they were for mailing the posted prepaid envelopes back to the junk mailers.

    That old fart saved more trees than Gore.


    Yeah, I have done that. Even mailed an entire cinder block to the local newspaper, the Kansas City Star. Seems those postage paid envelopes cover the postage, not just for the envelope, but for whatever that envelope is attached to. Regardless of how large the postage charge is. I doubt I would do it to a government agency though. They might find some way to get back at you. I'm not so sure that even a private company nowadays couldn't get you into trouble. What will all the new laws and restrictions on actions that now might be considered "terrorism", etc.
  • walliewallie Member Posts: 12,171
    edited November -1
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I relented a little bit. I gave them my name, number of people in my household, my phone number AND today's date.

    I guess I've made the big time. Not one, but two Wallie cartoons. [:D]
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • agloreaglore Member Posts: 6,012
    edited November -1
  • CutiegirlracingCutiegirlracing Member Posts: 2,595 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    At least there's girls in prison, so you can still have a dating/sex life.


    scan0129.jpg

    Better hope they have beer too and lots of it.

    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=322330
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have the full backing of my wife in this thing. She has always stuck with me through thick.

    I told her what I did, and there could be a hundred dollar fine involved. She just looked me in the eye and said "Your stupid".
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • Hunter MagHunter Mag Member Posts: 6,611 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    I have the full backing of my wife in this thing. She has always stuck with me through thick.

    I told her what I did, and there could be a hundred dollar fine involved. She just looked me in the eye and said "Your stupid".

    Did you tell her everyone here at GB already knows that? And asked what took her so long to figure that out?[:D] [8D] [:D]
  • mateomasfeomateomasfeo Member Posts: 27,143
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by JamesRK
    ...She just looked me in the eye and said "Your stupid".



    She must belong to the same club as mine...
  • dakotashooter2dakotashooter2 Member Posts: 6,186
    edited November -1
    Name,Rank & Serial number.


    Or just put your X behind every question and on the signature line.
  • grdad45grdad45 Member Posts: 5,304 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got one several years ago. Threw it and all the other cards and letters in the trash. I did answer one phone call, and was verbally abusive to the lady. Told her (in so many words) that the Feds knew entirely too much about me as it was, and that I would never, well, when Hell froze over, answer their survey. Never heard from them again.
  • tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    Last the census went around, those that got the required to complete and return forms got a visit from census workers from what I was told. Course I think the citizens who told them to get lost never got in trouble. I only heard about it third or fourth hand.
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