What's the big deal with the census?

[turbo]

Ironically, Backmann's state is on the population cusp, and could lose a Representative this year, especially if her constituents fail to participate. My understanding is that her district is the most gerrymandered of all, and would be a prime candidate to be broken up and melded with bordering districts. Wouldn't that be fun! Backmann scares Michigan Republicans into not filling out the census, she loses her district and seat in Congress...oh the hand-wringing, liberal conspiracy stories, and victim tales she'll be able to spin. She can join Palin on the lecture circuit, trading stories about Death Panels and Internment Camps.

 

[Proton Soup]

Ironically, Backmann's state is on the population cusp, and could lose a Representative this year, especially if her constituents fail to participate. My understanding is that her district is the most gerrymandered of all, and would be a prime candidate to be broken up and melded with bordering districts. Wouldn't that be fun! Backmann scares Michigan Republicans into not filling out the census, she loses her district and seat in Congress...oh the hand-wringing, liberal conspiracy stories, and victim tales she'll be able to spin. She can join Palin on the lecture circuit, trading stories about Death Panels and Internment Camps.

so who is she trying to scare off, her own constituents, or those "illegal aliens" ? if hers is so gerrymandered, i assume that means they don't have many "illegal aliens".

 

[calculusrocks]

It's not just Federal spending that's at stake, but Federal representation and state representation. Districts are apportioned using census data. Of course, if you give out personal information and the government finds out you are an illegal alien, Michelle Bachmann warns that the Feds will swoop in and send you to an internment camp.

Pffff. Complete lie here. Michelle Bachmann merely pointed to the census in the 1940s that lead to http://www.seattlepi.com/national/cens17.shtml" during the war.

Ironically, Backmann's state is on the population cusp, and could lose a Representative this year, especially if her constituents fail to participate. My understanding is that her district is the most gerrymandered of all, and would be a prime candidate to be broken up and melded with bordering districts. Wouldn't that be fun! Backmann scares Michigan Republicans into not filling out the census, she loses her district and seat in Congress...oh the hand-wringing, liberal conspiracy stories, and victim tales she'll be able to spin. She can join Palin on the lecture circuit, trading stories about Death Panels and Internment Camps.

I have no doubt that the democrats want to rework the districts to get Michelle Bachmann out. I'm sure they are on top of that.

 

[calculusrocks]

Anyway, I'm not giving them my phone number. I just filled in one of my senator's phone numbers instead.

Filling it out is not voluntary for citizens. There are hefty fines if you don't. I may have to pay a fine for filling out a phony phone number, but whatever.

 

[turbo]

Pffff. Complete lie here. Michelle Bachmann merely pointed to the census in the 1940s that lead to http://www.seattlepi.com/national/cens17.shtml" during the war.

Complete lie? Thanks a pile. She repeatedly brings this up, presumably to scare Hispanics and other non-whites that the census can be used against them. Why would she continually rant about this? Are we trying to purge Japanese people? No, the big GOP boogeyman is Hispanics who may be here illegally, even if they trim your trees and mow your lawns.

Three Republican Reps joined together to ask her to stop ranting against the census, and she ignored them, so they went public.

We share Ms. Bachmann's concerns about ACORN's involvement in the 2010 Census and will continue pressuring the Bureau to follow their own guidelines for partnering organizations and dump ACORN. However, we can not emphasize enough how important it is for every individual to fill out their census forms.

Every elected representative in this country should feel a responsibility to encourage full participation in the census. To do otherwise is to advocate for a smaller share of federal funding for our constituents. Boycotting the constitutionally-mandated census is illogical, illegal and not in the best interest of our country.

The unfortunate irony is that Ms. Bachmann's boycott only increases the likelihood that ACORN-recruited census takers will be dispatched to her constituents' homes. Anyone who completes and returns their census form will remove any need for a census taker to visit their residence.

Furthermore, a boycott opens the door for partisans to statistically adjust census results. The partisan manipulation of census data would irreparably transform the census from being the baseline of our entire statistical system into a tool used to wield political power in Washington.

 

[calculusrocks]

Complete lie? Thanks a pile. She repeatedly brings this up, presumably to scare Hispanics and other non-whites that the census can be used against them. Why would she continually rant about this? Are we trying to purge Japanese people? No, the big GOP boogeyman is Hispanics who may be here illegally, even if they trim your trees and mow your lawns.

Three Republican Reps joined together to ask her to stop ranting against the census, and she ignored them, so they went public.

You're welcome. Your own quote shows that it was about ACORN administering the census, a highly politicized non-profit that has drawn media criticism for corruption and election registration fraud.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/11/census-bureau-severs-ties-acorn/

***After ACORN was thrown out of the mix, the boycott was off. So yes, lie.***

 

[turbo]

You're welcome. Your own quote shows that it was about ACORN administering the census, a highly politicized non-profit that has drawn media criticism for corruption and election registration fraud.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/11/census-bureau-severs-ties-acorn/

After ACORN was thrown out of the mix, the boycott was off. So yes, lie.

Please dig up the recent Glenn Beck show when Backmann was on and watch his response to her rants. Even he couldn't take it, and cut her off.

If you have a really good explanation for why she keeps bringing up the internment camps, bring it up. Otherwise, we should assume that she's trying to panic Hispanics, many of whose residency situation is complex. And it is not a really good idea to keep calling people liars on this forum without any substance on your own part.

 

[WhoWee]

I love the last question on the form.
"Does this person sometimes live or stay somewhere else?"

 

[lisab]

Conversation with a Census worker

<ding-dong>

me: Hi, can I help you?
Census worker: Hi, I'm from the Census...
me: Oh we mailed our forms in, I'm sure..
Cs: Yes you did, it's about your neighbor there. They did not send in their forms, and won't answer the door.
me: Doesn't surprise me, he's the biggest jackass you'll ever want to meet.
Cs: I see. Does anyone live with the jackass?
me: No, even his cat left him.
Cs: Would you mind being a proxy to state the jackass lives alone?
me: <shrugs> Sure, why not.
Cs: <takes pertinent information, gives short spiel about why an accurate count is important>
Cs: Thank you and sorry about your misfortune.

 

[Proton Soup]

asking neighbors to act as a "proxy" (what's a 5-letter word for "informant"?) just seems a little creepy to me.

i had a census worker ask me what the correct number was for two houses next door (not on the mailbox). so i suggested to her that she try either the post office or google maps. she persists and i tell her i just don't know. seriously, why would i? my guess is no better than hers. maybe before, when it was simple and every house on the circle was numbered 1 thru 13, but a few years ago USPO got a bug up their rump and decided to give every address in town its own special number. still, why census workers would not have basic tools available to complete their mission seems a little too frugal.

 

[Evo]

Conversation with a Census worker

<ding-dong>

me: Hi, can I help you?
Census worker: Hi, I'm from the Census...
me: Oh we mailed our forms in, I'm sure..
Cs: Yes you did, it's about your neighbor there. They did not send in their forms, and won't answer the door.
me: Doesn't surprise me, he's the biggest jackass you'll ever want to meet.
Cs: I see. Does anyone live with the jackass?
me: No, even his cat left him.
Cs: Would you mind being a proxy to state the jackass lives alone?
me: <shrugs> Sure, why not.
Cs: <takes pertinent information, gives short spiel about why an accurate count is important>
Cs: Thank you and sorry about your misfortune.

That's hilarious. I don't know why people fear the census, there is nothing in there to be concerned about. And if you are concerened about someone knowing how many people live in your house, the information is not publicly released for 72 years.