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You may not have heard of the American Community Survey,
but you will. The national census, which historically is
taken every ten years, has expanded to quench the federal
bureaucracy's ever-growing thirst to govern every aspect of
American life. The new survey, unlike the traditional
census, is taken each and every year at a cost of hundreds
of millions of dollars. And it's not brief. It contains 24
pages of intrusive questions concerning matters that simply
are none of the government's business, including your job,
your income, your physica l and emotional heath, your family
status, your dwelling, and your intimate personal habits.
The questions are both ludicrous and insulting. The survey
asks, for instance, how many bathrooms you have in your
house, how many miles you drive to work, how many days you
were sick last year, and whether you have trouble getting
up stairs. It goes on and on, mixing inane questions with
highly detailed inquiries about your financial affairs. One
can only imagine the countless malevolent ways our federal
bureaucrats could use this information. At the very least
the survey will be used to dole out pork, which is reason
enough to oppose it.
Keep in mind the survey is not voluntary, nor is the Census
Bureau asking politely. Americans are legally obligated to
answer, and can be fined up to $1,000 per question if they
refuse!
I introduced an amendment last week tha t would have
eliminated funds for this intrusive survey in a spending
bill, explaining on the House floor that perhaps the
American people don't appreciate being threatened by Big
Brother. The amendment was met by either indifference or
hostility, as most members of Congress either don't care
about or actively support government snooping into the
private affairs of citizens.
One of the worst aspects of the census is its focus on
classifying people by race. When government tells us it
wants information to "help" any given group, it assumes
every individual who shares certain physical
characteristics has the same interests, or wants the same
things from government. This is an inherently racist and
offensive assumption. The census, like so many federal
policies and programs, inflames racism by encouraging
Americans to see themselves as members of racial groups
fighting each other for a share of the federal pie.
The census also represents a form of corporate welfare,
since the personal data collected on hundred of millions of
Americans can be sold to private businesses. Surely
business enjoys having such extensive information available
from one source, but it's hardly the duty of taxpayers to
subsidize the cost of market research.
At least the national census has its origins in the
Constitution, which is more than one can say about the vast
majority of programs funded by Congress. Still, Article I
makes it clear that the census should be taken every ten
years for the sole purpose of congressional redistricting
(and apportionment of taxes, prior to the disastrous 16th
amendment). This means a simple count of the number of
people living in a given area, so that numerically equal
congressional districts can be maintained. The founders
never authorized the federal government to continuously
survey the American people.
More importantly, they never envisioned a nation where the
people would roll over and submit to every government
demand. The American Community Survey is patently offensive
to all Americans who still embody that fundamental American
virtue, namely a healthy mistrust of government. The
information demanded in the new survey is none of the
government's business, and the American people should
insist that Congress reject it now before it becomes
entrenched.
http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2004/tst071204.htm
Note: Questionnaires like these can have questions embedded that build a personality
Profile.
Personality tests:
(Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2™)
Personality Tests
Tickle Personality Test
The Big Five Personality Test
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