2009.05.07
How do you REALLY feel about that Census worker on your lawn?
Earlier this week, I wrote a story for the paper which I also posted here about people becoming concerned about address listers from the U.S. Census Bureau coming onto their property. The story was sparked by a news release from the Census Bureau intending to explain what the workers are doing and how to identify them.
It turns out this isn’t just a matter of people being a little freaked out. Some people are really freaked out.
The day the story published, I got an email from someone named Donna.
“Matt, I don’t know about you but I am starting to get a little nervous with all this Big Brother activity. You know what they do in Irag [sic] with GPS coordinates, don’t you?”
She referred me to a few links and a YouTube video. I also did my own Google search. I found long, long threads on assorted blogs about this. Donna is not alone in her worry and accusations.
Some of the concern – and concern is an understatement in some cases – is born of confusion about why Census workers are in the field in 2009 when the census isn’t until 2010. (The answer is these people are not Census takers. These workers are checking and confirming the addressed to which the actual Census forms will be mailed in 2010.)
Some seem creeped out by a stranger coming into their yard, collecting information into a computer, and leaving without saying a word. It’s as though they’d feel better if the worker had knocked on the door and said what they were doing. It seems secretive, and therefore suspicious.
But most of the angst centers on that hand-held computer they carry – a Global Positioning System (or GPS) unit which they use to mark the coordinates of dwellings and their address as they go along.
Bloggers and commenters out there suggest this is everything from just one more obnoxious invasion of privacy by the Federal government to a plot by the shadowy New World Order.
Others commenters have responded that the GPS mapping is just a more accurate means of documenting the address list to which the census forms will be mailed, and knowing precisely where they are. Location matters, because the census isn’t just about counting people, but counting where they are. The numbers of people and their locations are used to drive federal decisions from how much federal money flows into an area to where the lines for congressional districts are drawn.
The Census Bureau itself rarely opens its mouth on any subject without mentioning its promise of security and confidentiality of the data, and that it’s required by law.
But where do you stand on this? Do you trust that the process is as benign and secure as promised? Do you think the intentions are benign, but worry about how that information could be used by others whose intentions aren’t so benign? Or do you think it really is part of an ongoing effort by the federal government to know way to much about you?
Finally, have you had an encounter of any kind with a census address lister in your neighborhood or at your home? What happened? Did you trust them? Ignore them? Worry? Run them off your property? Call the police, or the U.S. Census Bureau?
I’d like to hear. Drop me a comment here. This is a national conversation, but I want to see what the same conversation sounds like in the community where I live.
My mother was a census taker in the 50′s. All done by paper house to house. Just knock on the door and be welcomed into a home. Returning from living out of Roanoke for several years I had a census taker knock on my door in 1999. My first thought was I’m sorry you had to come to my home. I did not receive a mailing. So what’s the big deal? If citizens think that is an invasion of privacy then just wait until the LCR (License Plate Recognition System) finds you didn’t pay your property taxes and “boots” your vehicle or takes your license plate. The Optical Scanning camera reads your license plate and matches to a database and if an alarm goes off then whamo! This was discussed at Council budget session this morning as a way of collecting delinquent property taxes. You can’t run and you can’t hide.
Comment by Valerie — May 7, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
I am a mail carrier for the USPS. There are very few census forms returned to the bureau as undeliverable, because they are delivered to the addresses not specific names. So this reasoning is odd to me. Everyday millions of people in this country are receiving mail at their addresses addressed to occupant or resident. The GPS has to be a way of enforcement to participate in the census not just a way to recognize addresses! If so many companies can get mail delivered to your address why can’t the US Census Bureau? I think it has to do with the questions that will be on the new census forms. Perhaps they will ask if you own a gun?
Comment by Annette — May 7, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
I’m not sure who was behind the camera in the video, but it sounded like a kid. If so, the kid gets a pat on the back. “Who’s ‘they’?”
Regarding GPS, interesting that it is explained as a more accurate way of identifying the address. Does USPS want GPS coordinates before or after the zip code on the mailing?
Most people likely won’t know the person has visited. Our townhome is so close to a semi-public sidewalk that it probably doesn’t matter for us, anyway.
A more interesting question…Of the people complaining about the activity, how many have “frequent shopper” cards and used their real name/address? Current database technology would likely reveal just as much info about the person as a census form. Number of people in the house…kids/no kids…pets…possibly an income range…hobbies… These data may be open for sharing with “partner entities”. Heck, there may be no limitation on distribution. Maybe Kroger gave your shopping history to the census, and the guy is GPS’ing the coordinates of the house that bought the two giganto-packs of Charmin. (Extra sewer fees, you know…)
Comment by Ed S. — May 7, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
For people who live in large cities where they’re familiar with their neighborhoods, the GPS thing may seem wacky. However, as one of those “suspicious” Census address canvassers, it makes sense. I don’t think I can emphasize this enough. When you actually do this, it makes sense. The people who are making a fuss about this are making a fuss because they want to complain and play victim. (If the FBI couldn’t get Census data via a court case, then the odds of GPS data being used is far fetched beyond comparison.)
The Census strips out identifying information such as street names and building/house numbers when giving info to states for redistricting. Those GPS markers help identify where in a particular area an address is, so that yes, population data can be ACCURATE to the mile. For those of us actually doing this operation, it goes like this: You canvass Area A. The GPS on your computer shows you the exact boundaries of Area A. You have a GPS indicator that shows where you are and moves when you walk. Houses/buildings/residences that are not in Area A are not to be included on the address list for Area A. Those that are in Area A are to be included. It’s that simple.
And if I’m working next year when we’re “counting people,” it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to find places to make an in-person visit without having to drive all over to find the address.
For the Postal Worker above (Annette), not everyone has mail delivered to their address. It may be that way in the area where you live; however, there are people in rural areas that don’t receive mail at home. There are hermits who live out in the middle of nowhere in rural areas who don’t receive ANY mail EVER. Those people have to be counted too. You can’t find those old, stone cottages on a hill 30 miles from the nearest small town without knowing where it is first, unless you plan to spend hours and HOURS driving on dirt roads until you magically find it. Probably not something that will happen in the Roanoke, Virginia, area, but something that can happen in other areas of the country.
Not every neighborhood is like your neighborhood.
Comment by jessica — May 8, 2009 @ 2:20 am
Valerie, I’ve heard of that and I think they’re doing it down in Hampton Roads. My dad got caught by that, because he had his truck in the driveway, but hadn’t kept his tags updated since 2003. When they realized he still had the truck, they sent him a nice letter saying he either needed to update his registration and get things current, or remove the vehicle. They closed by saying if the vehicle wasn’t updated or removed, they would remove it for him, citing a code violation for keeping an inoperable vehicle within sight of a public right-of-way.
Comment by Other John — May 8, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
They came to my door on Easter Sunday at 2pm!!! Wanted to know how many families live there, I said only one but I had a house full of people for Easter dinner and she had a real smirk on her face. I still don’t believe she was from the “gov’t”. She probably marked down several cuase I had a driveway full of cars. Not who I expected to see on Easter Sunday!
Comment by John — May 8, 2009 @ 5:22 pm
How is putting your house on a GPS system any different than the paper maps they used last time around? Not like this is the first time ever that the government has marked your house on a map. This time it just happens to be electronic.
As for any worries, the Census Bureau is not allowed to share any personal information of any kind with any other government agency. It is merely in existence to count people. That’s it.
I’d be more worried about one of those Google cars people have seen driving around their neighborhood taking pictures of their house for Google Maps. The Census is harmless.No conspiracy here.
Comment by KJG — May 8, 2009 @ 7:29 pm
I am a little disappointed by both pieces of writing on this topic by Matt Chittum. The first was a lazy approach to the subject and the second, while I understand it is pointing out that some folks are a little on the paranoid side and seeking comments, could have included some more clarification on why GPS is being used and some more background on the Census. Seemed more like trying to stir the pot, more than anything. Not real good journalism here.
Just as KJG said, no conspiracy here. I also agree with Jessica, not every neighborhood is alike. Where I live, you need to find out if some houses are even habitable and also where they get mail if someone lives in these homes. GPS data has many errors.
Comment by Another John — May 10, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
So that’s what that person was doing in my backyard 2 weeks ago! We just moved into our new place and a strange man knocked on the door, but I didn’t answer it in time. I didn’t see that he had any type of work badge, and his car was unmarked. He walked around to the back and I thought he was photographing the house. It freaked me out! I’m glad to know he was just a Census person and not some nutjob doing something nefarious.
Comment by Holly — May 11, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
Why are people so paranoid?
Comment by Brendan — May 11, 2009 @ 4:28 pm
I deliver for a local restaurant (in my “unmarked” personal vehicle), and use a GPS to find your houses every day. On a side note, it’s amazing how many houses have lights by the front door, but nothing to illuminate the house numbers out on the front of the awning.
Oh, and Holly – if you got insurance for your new home it may have been an agent documenting the state of the property.
Comment by Mike — May 11, 2009 @ 10:51 pm
Brendan,
Which poster is exhibiting paranoia?
Comment by Ed S. — May 12, 2009 @ 10:00 pm
no poster Ed.
“someone named Donna” and the bloggers Matt refers to.
Comment by Brendan — May 13, 2009 @ 10:07 am
Gotcha Brendan.
I don’t see a problem with a healthy mistrust (or better yet, curiosity) with the data being collected.
And no, I don’t know what they do with GPS coordinates in Iraq. Well, probably find their way to base, or for targeting.
Comment by Ed S. — May 14, 2009 @ 5:05 pm
Regarding addresses that don’t receive their Census forms in the mail… I think the USPS is part of the problem. Many residences are still in that Rural Route thing, which is confusing at best, making only sense to the local post office it seems (often not even the people who live there)… and completely contarary to getting a Census count geographically. Especially when people live in one township, have their physical address (like for UPS or Fedex shipments) as an entirely different town… and then have a Rural Route address, or maybe no mailing address at all, and they actually have a PO Box in YET ANOTHER town. There are people out there with several addresses in 2 or more towns.
If Census workers can find these houses in their cars, why can’t the USPS deliver mail there? I don’t know. But the fact is, the Census Bureau obviously cannot simply depend on USPS delivery, USPS information on addresses, nor USPS information on where someone lives.
And believe me, I’m not criticizing USPS employees, as I’m friends with 2 USPS workers myself. I’m also a big fan of the USPS, I choose it over UPS or Fedex (etc) for mailing packages or having mail/internet orders sent to me. I find the USPS to provide exemplary service most of the time. I also praise the United States for having a postal system that’s not subsidized with taxes, as happens in most (if not all other) nations.
But come on, I’d really like to know who’s making these decisions about mailing addresses and rural routes where people wind up not even knowing the official name of the road they’ve lived on for 20 years? That’s what amazes me.
In light of this problem where mailing addresses do NOT accurately depict what township a person actually lives in, GPS technology certainly can help clear up that confusion. So it makes sense the Census Bureau would want to employ such a technology. And it could save thousands of work hours that our taxes pay for, after all.
And it’s important to keep in mind that ANYONE can apply for a job as a US Census taker. The only things that would bar you would be some types of criminal history or failing the entrance exam. Or perhaps some other conflicting government or political position, I don’t know.
Census takers out in the field are people hired from your own community. These aren’t politically paid secret agents out to get you. They’re regular people from your community being paid a modest wage to do a job. Ultra liberals and right-wingers, and everyone inbetween, work side-by-side. There’s nothing on the entrance exam that would betray political leanings. They’re just normal knowledge tests directly related to the actual work that’s to be performed in the position for which the person is testing.
And if these Census workers were asked to collect infomation that seemed suspicious or went against their political ideals & views, or went against the constitution, there would be at the very least, hundreds or thousands of Census employees posting on the internet about how they were asked to defy the Constitution, or collect information they believed was intrusive & unprotected. The government would never be able to keep all those mouths shut regardless of the oaths they take. Which, by the way, Census takers take an oath to DEFEND the Constitution. I’m sure if their jobs went against their oath, there’d be a lot of Census employees up in arms at the contradiction if it were so.
So frankly, I think believing that Census takers are in on some kind of conspiracy to collect information beyond what’s publicly declared, for purposes that go against the constitution is right in the same category as believing that the Apollo moon missions were faked or that Corning Glass has a secret agency of super spies in league with the British monarchy.
Is the US government perfect? Hell no. Should you trust everything that goes on in the government – definitely not. But frankly, I think if you’re going to be paranoid about the government, your concerns would be more rationally directed to the topic of CORPORATE powers corrupting it in order to pay less taxes. Not blame some low level Census taker out in the field as being a spy looking to get his fellow peers in his community to pay more taxes.
Within the oath of a Census worker is also the agreement that they not share even the most seemingly benign information with any other government agency at any level, or risk criminal action with punishment that could include jail time. That means if a city cop, or a senator, or a CIA agent, or even the President, approaches even a low level Census worker for so much as an address they have listed, the Census worker is required, by law, and by their oath, to defend that information & keep it private within the Census Bureau.
And though I’m sure there’s sociopaths & other corrupt individuals who get employed by the Census Bureau, the idea that other parts of the government would pay Robert Hanssen types working for the Census Bureau for household locations seems illogical. It just doesn’t make profitable sense. Especially when other commercial entities already have GPS mapping information that’s probably more potentially lucrative than the type done by the Census Bureau.
As for the comment about grocery store shopper cards, they’re spot on. They collect tons of information about you. And they can sell it to whoever. It’s not protected by the Constitution like the Census information is protected by law. The Census Bureau gets money budgeted from the government to collect & store information, they don’t have to show profits to stockholders. Grocery stores are in the business of making money, so there’s a real incentive for them to disseminate that information to improve their profit margin. Same goes for Google Maps. They’re a for-profit business.
I’m far more wary of those who collect information for profit. Greed is the root cause of all sorts of human rights violations.
As for the whole gun hoopla. There seems to be a real provincial attitude fueling a communication disconnect on this issue. And nowhere is it more obvious than on this issue where it’s clear that people don’t even understand that other people live in areas that are completely different from each other in ways as basic as mailing addresses.
Just like city dwellers don’t seem to always realize that not all houses in the countryside & woods have regular addresses. Country folk don’t seem to realize what’s involved in living in close quarters with your neighbors in the city.
Hunters in the boondocks & urban dwellers in the city just don’t see where the other side is coming from. The average person who wants more gun control is NOT worried about the guy in the boonies with hunting rifles shooting deer during hunting season or rabbits that invade their gardens. They don’t even care about what you’re doing out in the boonies. Most of them don’t even give a damn if you’ve got a militia base out there in the woods. It makes no difference in their everyday lives. The guns they’re worried about are the ones wielded by the criminal gang members coming into their neighborhoods and shooting up the place over drugs & whatnot. That’s the real fear in urban living that fuels gun control political views. The urban dwellers are worried that the country folk want to keep the gangs armed & murderous in neighborhoods where even the police can’t seem to patrol & control. And the country folk think the urban dwellers want to stop them from hunting & protecting their property when it’s far from police patrol. Each side seems to feel the other is threatening their security.
As someone familiar with both living circumstances (having lived in booth the boonies and in urban settings), I realize the fear isn’t about guns or lack of guns at all. But unfortunately for most people, that fear keeps the focus on The Gun.
As far as I can figure out, the Census Bureau does not care about this topic at all. The only reason a Census worker would even be thinking about who owns guns would be for their own personal safety on the job. For example a Census worker in the field might be getting nervous when they go into a known drug infested gang neighborhood, or maybe when approaching a rustic house in the boonies where they might get confronted with a nervous private person wielding a shotgun. Beyond that, guns are likely irrelevant to the Census Bureau. As far as I can imagine, the Census Bureau doesn’t have any financial motivation to care about gun ownership or location.
As far as the Census worker who visited the person on Easter Sunday. Remember, not all citizens, (and therefore not all Census workers) are Christian. If you’re not Christian, you might not even realize when it’s Easter Sunday. It’s a different date every year. And as it falls on a weekend it’s therefore not a bank holiday. Unless you celebrate it, or are close to people who do, you could probably not notice that it’s Easter Sunday. If someone didn’t realize it was Christmas, then I’d be surprised. Easter? For example, as a non-Christian, the only reason to know what day is Easter, is so I know what Monday to hit the stores for the marked down marshmallow chicks on sale. MMMMMM. Not to be disrespectful to Christians, frankly, I think about, with a sense of real awe, the crucifixion, every time I see a cross anywhere. It’s just not something I focus on during one day of the springtime season, because that’s not my religion. I do like the marshmallow chicks though.
As for taking photos… As far as I could find out, the Census Bureau is not employing photography of properties & houses. A tax assesser or an insurance assesser might employ photography. Or, probably less likely, but not impossible, a peeping tom. At any rate, if someone’s taking photos on your property without your permission without identifying themselves and their purpose there, you should call the police. Legitimate Census workers would have no problem with you calling the police because they have nothing to hide about their purpose there, because they have a legal right to be doing what they’re doing.
I believe it IS healthy to question what the Census Bureau does, and to look into how the information is protected, how it’s used, and to be concerned that there’s oversight that it’s used in a way conforming to the laws set in the Constitution regarding the Census.
Every citizen, ideally, should have a curious interest in what the Census is about.
What’s not healthy is when people spread MISinformation about what the Census is doing without actually doing any research and merely pushing supposition based on their inaccurate fear-based preconceived notions… Which is something I’ve seen a lot of on the internet.
Most of us recognize that nonsense as being on the same level with conspiracy theories about Corning Glass super spies being in league with the British monarchy… But some unwitting citizens may believe this claptrap pushed by people who don’t know the first thing about the Census, and just use any opportunity to bitch & complain about the government, however lacking in facts they happen to be.
nd I think that’s a shame. It gets in the way of actually taking a critical, rational, look at what the government, including the Census Bureau, is really doing.
Comment by watermelonpunch — May 26, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
Since I also work in Geographic Information Systems, I have a good guess at why the Census takes the geographic coordinates of each house – to simplify (and therefore reduce the cost of) data aggregation when boundaries, like congressional district boundaries, change. When these shift based on population changes and political will (as they have since 1790), the population and housing numbers within them change. Therefore, the data needs to be re-aggregated for the new boundaries. It is MUCH easier to find out which houses and, therefore, people are within the new boundaries when they are referenced with absolute geographical coordinates, than with street names (I won’t elaborate on the technical side of this).
Also, to those concerned… we don’t take pictures. All we do is verify separate housing units – for instance, an attached apartment etc.
We also don’t ask for any personal information about residents, including number, race, finances, etc. I see many blog postings saying we do – but frankly, I don’t believe this, and here’s why. I go up to each house and give the canned speech, “Hi, I just knocked as a courtesy to let you know I’d be on your porch updating our address info… (confidentiality speech)…. are there any other places here someone could live?” This is all I ask. But I get answers like, “There are 5 people named Anna, Samantha….” “I’m retired, but the two people sharing a bedroom upstairs…” “I work as an engineer at blah and make this much….” “We’ve been married 22 years…”. This is a regularly occurring response. I again inform the person (sometimes cutting them off) that I’m not collecting any personal information whatsoever, I just want to know about the housing unit (s). Usually at this point, they understand, though there are some who still persisted in airing their live’s details. Even if I wanted to record it (which would be against the law), there’s nowhere to put it in the HHC!
I think that some people don’t actually hear me talk; rather, they just see a census taker, and hear me ask whatever they expect me to ask, based on whatever they read about the Census in whatever blog they read (this particularly applies to a few quite nasty encounters – rare, but they happened). If people don’t trust the government to handle the information properly, who am I to say otherwise – I’m not a watchdog.
So for info on addresses… I just want to know what they expect us to do with the knowledge you have a basement apartment rented out, since we’re legally required to not tell anyone, including your local municipality (for this, I’d worry about your neighbors – I’ve frequently had people tell me, unsolicited, that someone on their street “…rents an apartment out of their home ILLEGALLY”).
I hope that clears up some confusion for some people here.
Comment by Former Ennumerator — June 9, 2009 @ 7:05 pm
I have No Tresspassing signs up according to State law, Type, Size ETC.
I plan on making a citizen arrest if I catch one of these Government creatures on my property, You will probably be seeing me on CNN.
Comment by David Chrisman — December 19, 2009 @ 1:12 pm
I’m one of those paranoid people who is not anxious to fill out any forms asking personal questions. I was a victim of identity theft a couple of years back.. it really put me through emotional and financial trauma, and the former FBI/ head of the bank told me that the only safe place to keep my money would be under my mattress. Apparently my PC was hacked.
I am very cautious about what information I share. I don’t exactly trust the Government either- everything you tell them is going to be put into a computer.
Comment by Beth — January 12, 2010 @ 9:41 am
The census workers in our lousy neighborhood decided to violate private property by setting up a picnic on our neighbor’s lawn without permission even though there is a public park across the street. This is exactly the thing we dislike about the renters in this area! Jeez get a clue.
Comment by marcos — May 7, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
What is about census takers that brings all the kooks out of the woodwork? Fill out the damn letter, then you won’t have to worry about them coming on your precious property. Go ahead, try that “Citizen Arrest”, and let me know how that works out when you get sued.
Comment by Hamblin Brooke — May 18, 2010 @ 10:35 am
What is about census takers that brings all the kooks out of the woodwork? Fill out the damn letter, then you won’t have to worry about them coming on your precious property. Go ahead, try that “Citizen Arrest”, and let me know how that works out when you get sued.
Comment by Hamblin Brooke — May 18, 2010 @ 10:35 am