I heard a surprisingly Libertarian sounding commentary on this topic this morning on KQED-FM Radio's Listener "Perspectives" series.
None of Your Business
Tonya Bowman is one of 250,000 Americans every month who are called on to fill out the federal government's American Community Survey. She has one answer to their many questions: none of your business.
You can hear the entire commentary or read a transcript at http://www.kqed.org/epArchive/R201006230735.
The comments posted in response are also very interesting, and a bit depressing. It is difficult to understand why so many people have no problem at all doing whatever the government asks/demands of them, without question. And the hostility they express to Ms. Bowman and her opinions also reflects poorly on our "enlightened" community.
Terry