Monday, February 20, 2017

The Federal Government's Creepy "American Community Survey"



“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Liberals love to use the preamble of the Constitution to justify stealing from their neighbors to fund projects they deem fundamental for the general welfare.  The consequences are an intrusive government that has no boundaries even to the point of wanting to know what kind of plumbing you have in your house.  I am not kidding.

These past few months, I’ve received inquiries from the Commerce Department via the Census Bureau that are outrageous and creepy.  Here is what they want to know about me as listed on their brochure:

Employment

Education

Veteran

Income and Housing Cost

Commuting habits

Disability and Health Insurance

Housing Characteristics

Owner and Renters

People and Relationships


Who in their right mind would want to divulge every aspect of their life to a bureaucrat? 


When the Framers presented the Constitution to the States for ratification, detractors recognized its inherent flaws.  They demanded a bill of rights to protect citizens from a government that could justify anything through the power of the purse and the elastic clauses therein.  The pseudonymous writer, Brutus, wrote the following:


 It is well known that the subject of revenue is the most difficult and extensive in the science of government. It requires the greatest talents of a statesman, and the most numerous and exact provisions of the legislature. The command of the revenues of a state gives the command of every thing in it. — He that has the purse will have the sword, and they that have both, have every thing; so that the legislature having every source from which money can be drawn under their direction, with a right to make all laws necessary and proper for drawing forth all the resource of the country, would have, in fact, all power.


Brutus later wrote about how intrusive the general government will be including sticking its nose in your bathroom which is exactly one the provisions required in this mandatory survey.  Here is an excerpt:


This power, exercised without limitation, will introduce itself into every comer of the city, and country — It will wait upon the ladies at their toilett, and will not leave them in any of their domestic concerns; it will accompany them to the ball, the play, and the assembly; it will go with them when they visit, and will, on all occasions, sit beside them in their carriages, nor will it desert them even at church; it will enter the house of every gentleman, watch over his cellar, wait upon his cook in the kitchen, follow the servants into the parlour, preside over the table, and note down all he eats or drinks; it will attend him to his bed-chamber, and watch him while he sleeps; it will take cognizance of the professional man in his office, or his study; it will watch the merchant in the counting-house, or in his store; it will follow the mechanic to his shop, and in his work, and will haunt him in his family, and in his bed; it will be a constant companion of the industrious farmer in all his labour, it will be with him in the house, and in the field, observe the toil of his hands, and the sweat of his brow; it will penetrate into the most obscure cottage; and finally, it will light upon the head of every person in the United States. To all these different classes of people, and in all these circumstances, in which it will attend them, the language in which it will address them, will be GIVE! GIVE!


Give!  Give!  Give your money and every aspect of your daily habits so the federal government can ascertain the needs of your community.  That is what the American Community Survey is all about.

A field agent from the Census Bureau kept leaving messages on my door which I ignored.  He somehow got my cell number and called me at work.  Here is how that conversation went:


Agent:  Mr. Coston, the Commerce Department has sent you a survey to fill out.  Have you received it?

Me:  Yes and I don’t wish to participate.

Agent:  Mr. Coston, by law you are required to complete this survey.

Me:  By law, I have the 4th Amendment.

Agent:  Sir, Article I Section 2 says …

Me: I know what Article I Section 2 says and I already gave you that information in the last census. 

I then hung up.  But that wasn’t the end of it.  He kept leaving messages on my door until I finally left my own telling him to get a warrant.  He then called me again. 


Agent:  (a little perturbed) Mr. Coston, when can we set up a meeting?

Me:  I told you I wasn’t participating.  I left you a message on my door and now        I’m going to tell you what is says and that is to get a warrant.

Agent:  Oh, so you want to go to the courts?!

Me:  Bring it on!


I’ve read posts by conservative bloggers who’ve gone through this experience and they’ve handled it in a much more diplomatic way.  They’ve cited case law and all sorts of crap.  I, on the other hand, decided on a more direct manner and so far, I haven’t heard anything, yet.

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