Thread: egregious data collection

TRX
04-02-2010

We got one of the census forms. It was one of the intermediate forms, wanting to know how far we drive to work, income, and other information that was none of their business. After due consideration of all the questions and referring to a copy of the US Constitution, I marked "02" in the box for "how many people at this address" and sent it back.

Yesterday we got a letter from the Jacksonville Wastewater Authority. It contained a five-page questionnaire, wanting to know everything the census form did, plus it wanted copies of all bank statements for the last six months, 1040s and state tax forms for the last five years, current balance in checking and savings accounts, information about credit cards and other debts, and "much, much more!"

I would have considered the questionnaire somewhat excessive had we applied for a home loan or car loan, but the capper on this is... there was no cover letter, and nothing at all to indicate what the questionnaire might be for... and they wanted us to use our own stamp to return it, too.

The return address was on the same street as the Wastewater Authority; there's not much else out there, so it's probably real, though very strange.

After due consideration, I decided to toss it into the junk drawer in case I needed a laugh someday.

The electric and gas are independent monoplies, while the WWA is part of the city government. Makes me wonder if I'll see anyone else try to snarf detailed demographic information soon, though. After the DMV started selling their data for a profit, I don't give *anyone* anything I don't think they have a valid use for.

Coils
04-02-2010

Sounds like a scam to me.

Why the hell does the wastewater department need that kind of info for?

TRX
04-02-2010

"Because they can" I assume. Unless they want to sell the information to one of the marketing places.

A lot of people get suckered into giving detailed information to job placement or car insurance scams. Just put the site up and let the CGI script build your database automatically!

It's so easy to collect and store information at it never really goes away. I've had the same post office box for thirty years, and I still get junk mail for the previous boxholder. And my wife's dad moved from this address in the 1970s, and has been dead since 1992. He still gets junk mail too.

TRX
05-27-2010

Originally Posted by leeroy
does anyone know what needs to be answered?

They need the number of people. They used to need to know whether you were Indian or Negro, from back in the days when those were counted differently, but a later amendment to the Constitution made that irrelevant.

All they *have* to know is how many people per Constitutional District; as far as I know they've always done it per residence, probably since it was simpler that way. Most people don't know who their Congressman is, and probably have no idea what district they're in. (and yes, I have no idea what district I'm in either...)

However, Congress has authorized itself to collect a vastly larger amount of data, for purposes they are vague about. They attached this mess to the Census, but it's a whole separate thing.

A friend of mine is a census worker this year. She did it before, in 1990, and said that there are far more people who have refused to send in the forms now than there were then, and the percentage of people who refuse to give them any information when they go door to door is also way higher than before.

It gave me a mellow feeling, knowing that not only do such people still exist, but they've actually increased in number.