Has anyone else been contacted about this? A few weeks ago I received a letter (below), last week a Field Representative stopped by my house when I was not home and left a postcard with a business card asking me to contact her to make an appointment, and yesterday I received a phone call asking to schedule an appointment.

Are there any reasons I should not participate?

Here is the letter I received (I scanned it as a .pdf and saved it as a Word doc to copy and paste, so there may be some funky formatting):

CE-303-L1 (IL)
(7-2019)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR


A Message from the Director, U.S. Census Bureau...

We are contacting you to request your help with an important survey-the Consumer Expenditure
Survey. The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting this survey for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Your responses help update the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI is the most important tool used to measure how fast prices are rising or declining. It directly affects wages, pensions, and the cost of goods and services. Your response is a service to your community and the country.

Your participation in this survey is essential; however, you may choose to decline to answer any particular question. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by law to protect your information. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify you. We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, and Title 29, United States Code. Federal law protects your privacy and keeps your answers confidential (Title 13, United States Code, Sections 9 and 214). Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

Soon a field representative will contact you for an interview and show you an official identification card. Please welcome him or her.

On the back of this letter are answers to questions you may have about this survey. If you would like more information, please contact:

REGIONAL DIRECTOR US CENSUS BUREAU
1111 w 22H0 ST STE 400
OAK BROOK IL 60523-1918
Telephone: 1 (800) 865-6384

Thank you for your cooperation in this important survey. We appreciate your help.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Census Bureau doing? I thought they only operated every ten years.

In addition to the decennial census, we collect data on a monthly basis. We collect these data to provide up-to-date information on topics such as unemployment, spending, family income, housing, manufacturing, and business activities to track the country's economy.

What is this survey about?

The Consumer Expenditure Survey measures how people in the United States spend their money on items such as housing, food, education, transportation, and healthcare.

Why is this survey important?

The information you provide will affect wages, pensions, and the cost of goods and services. In addition, people in your community and throughout the country use the survey results for planning public services and addressing consumer needs. Your voluntary response is essential for ensuring that this survey's results are complete and accurate.

What kinds of questions will I be asked?

We will ask about expenses within the last 3 calendar months, such as utilities, maintenance and repairs, home furnishings and electronics, clothing, education, vacations and entertainment, health care, and insurance. In some instances, we will ask for details about where an item was purchased. We will also ask you questions about the people who live in your household, such as their ages, and questions about things you already own like cars and property. Collecting bills, receipts, or online statements before the field representative arrives may help reduce the interview time.


Why me? Why not interview someone else?

Through a scientific sampling process, we selected your address, not you personally. Your household represents hundreds of other households in your region, so it is important that we talk to you. Only you can accurately report how you spent your money.

What if I am retired, ill, unemployed, or just don't spend much money?

We are interested in how all Americans spend their money. We can only have a complete picture if we talk to people with different situations.

It is very important to know the purchasing habits of people of all ages and of all levels of spending. This is especially true tor medical spending and spending on entertainment.

How long will the interview take?

The average interview takes about 70 minutes.

Where can I find out more about the survey?

You can learn more about the survey or send any comments regarding the burden or any other aspect of this survey by writing to the Division of Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Room 3985,
2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20212. The Consumer Expenditure Survey Web site also has information about the survey. The address is http://www.bls.gov/respondents /cex.

This survey could not be conducted without a valid OMB Control Number. The U.S. Office of
Management and Budget has approved this survey and assigned it Control Number 1220-0050

Remember my fight with the census a while back?
My opinion is fuck them. Count me if you must but when it comes to my spending, education, vocation, vacation days and all the other shit they ask it's none of the governments goddamn business.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014