Happy Census Day!!!!

[Clio the Leo]

In honor of http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x257024">Rachel Maddow's Birthday the founding fathers declared long ago that we should stand up and be counted ... then the founding mothers pointed out that it was hard to write standing up, so everyone agreed that we could sit down and be counted.

WHY is it so important that we fill it out? Here's what happens if you DONT fill it out (no Rahm will not come and attack you wearing nothing but a towel while singing that annoying census commercial song, it's actually much worse)

Census conspiracy theories backfiring on GOP
by Dante Atkins
Tue Mar 30, 2010 at 10:52:03 AM PDT

Remember how Republicans were frantically attempting to get Michelle Bachmann to tone down the census conspiracy theories because they needed as many anti-government conservatives as possible to turn in their census forms to ensure maximum federal funding and conservative representation in Congress? (Yes, let that paradox sink in for a bit.)

Well, it looks like it may not have worked: per Taegan Goddard's Political Wire, distrust of the census could end up costing Republican seats:

Contrary to historical trends, the Houston Chronicle notes one of the toughest challenges facing U.S. Census officials is "not from counting the traditionally undercounted groups such as African-Americans and Latinos. Instead, a new and growing threat to an accurate national head count is coming from anti-government conservatives who may not fill out their forms to protest against 'Big Brother' in Washington."

<snip>

Meanwhile, Democrats are the political group most motivated to complete the census and fill it back--and Republicans are following leaders like Ron Paul and Michelle Bachmann in refusing to fill it out. Some conservative counties in Texas have a response rate as low as five percent:

Polling by the Pew Research Center finds Democrats are more likely than other Americans to view the census as “very important” to the country. Seventy-six percent of Democrats call this year's count very important, compared with 61 percent of Republicans and independents.

In Texas, some of the counties with the lowest census return rates are among the state's most Republican, including Briscoe County in the Panhandle, 8 percent; King County, near Lubbock, 5 percent; Culberson County, near El Paso, 11 percent; and Newton County, in deep East Texas, 18 percent. Most other counties near the bottom of the list are heavily Hispanic counties along the Texas-Mexico border.

And as sorry as some of us may feel that Texas would not be receiving its fair share of Congressional seats or federal dollars, I'm sure we would feel much worse if the Governor weren't an ardent secessionist.

But the real question is, when did the GOP abandon all sense of long-term perspective just to ensure maximum fury regarding the here and now?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/30/852353/-Census-conspiracy-theories-backfiring-on-GOP

President Barack Obama fills out his 2010 Census form in the Oval Office, March 29, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


Do you think the Obama family form showed up with "to the resident of, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" stamped on it? :)

[Jennicut]

1. Rethugs are idiots but who am I to want to correct them on this?

I hope they lose some seats.

And LOL at Obama filling out the census form.

[FirstLight]

2. uhoh...it's due TODAY?

i feel like a kid who missed the homework assignment...

I *promise* I'll take it to the post office by noon! oops!

and ya,it is very cool to see the pres doing the deed too...

[Clio the Leo]

3. Nah ...

... I think they wanted it back by today. But you're not going to be in trouble. They may start calling soon though. (but dont answer! It's a trap! It's really the death panels!!! :) )

[City Lights]

4. Chicago's return level is below the national average...

Chicago’s census response rate among lowest in country
In Chinatown, activists push for a big response to bring resources into overcrowded community

By Antonio Olivo and Dahleen Glanton, Tribune reporters

8:32 p.m. CDT, March 31, 2010

For months, a relentless door-knocking campaign has unfolded in Chicago-area communities to get as many people as possible to return their U.S. census forms by the end of Thursday, officially designated "Census Day."

Yet, in an embarrassing show for a coordinated effort held up last year as a national model, Chicago's mail response rate so far is among the country's lowest. Only 38 percent of households have responded, census officials reported Wednesday, compared with 52 percent nationwide.

To understand how that could hurt the city, consider why census promoters have been especially active around Chinatown's overcrowded library and public elementary school.

The modest-sized library on South Wentworth Avenue is so packed with 1,000 daily visitors that Chinese immigrant students often do their homework on the floor, while a flock of senior citizens vies for available seats in the "adult area."

more... http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-census-chinatown-main-20100331,0,4570371.story