That darned census! Too late to convince rethugs to participate??

[babylonsister]

I do find this funny; crossposted from GD.

Thank you, Michelle Bachmann, and others. :D

Conservative Lawmakers Plead for Constituents To Fill Out Census Forms

Rep. Patrick McHenry is worried about the census. Because he's a Republican from North Carolina, you might think he's worried about federal overreach or a waste of taxpayer dollars or any number of census-related things that have attracted criticism in recent months. But you would be wrong. What worries him is "blatant misinformation" coming from conservatives who are "trying to do the right thing" but instead "are helping big government liberals by discouraging fellow conservatives from filling out their census forms." McHenry cites statistics showing that conservatives are less likely than liberals to fill out census forms and census data that show that rural (and very conservative) Texas districts have some of the lowest return rates in the country. "Few things will make make Nancy Pelosi happier than large numbers of conservatives failing to respond to the census," McHenry writes. "If we do not respond, we will not be counted and if we are not counted, then we effectively will not exist. That would reduce conservatives' power in elections, allow Democrats to draw more favorable congressional boundaries, and help put more tax-hiking politicians in office." At Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall is positively gleeful: "Most rightwing bamboozlement is a no-consequences affair for the bamboozlers," he writes. "Death panels, Manchurian candidate presidents. ... It goes on and on. But it seems one old yarn from the fever swamp may have some very pernicious consequences."

http://slatest.slate.com/id/2249578/entry/3/

[MadMaddie]

1. Yea

probably should have thought about that and supporting Failen Palin with her lies.


Once again Palin has helped the Dems with her idiocy.

[4lbs]

2. The Repukes shot themselves in the face with the anti-Census talk.

It seems a few are realizing that when redistricting happens after this Census, the low turnout Republican areas might lose federal or state funding, or even disappear and the Republican Congress critters with them.

Thank you Michelle Bachmann!

:rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

13. Shhh

don't give it away :)

[Elwood P Dowd]

3. Repukes have been stepping on their dicks quite a bit lately.

:fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump:

[tulsakatz]

4. haha.....

they deserve it! If they listen to moron Bachmann, they deserve whatever they get......

[harkadog]

5. All this does is cause the Census to hire some more workers.

If there is no response the Census will send someone to the house. They will estimate if necessary. No area will be under-counted to any significant degree no matter what the response rate is.

[mkultra]

6. lets hope they dont

red states with less representation by their own hand sounds just fine to me.

[Igel]

14. I take it you don't like the idea that was floated back

about statistical adjustments to the Census to account for undercounting in black and Latino neighborhoods.

After all, that would have been less representation by their own hands.

Still, the government is all into trying to get an accurate count. Good for blacks. Good for Latinos. Good for conservatives.

[Deadgnome]

7. I hope

I hope they tag these guys and gals for the $5k fine, every last one of them. Chances are they couldn't afford it. At least those that are refusing. I do find it absurd that many of those opposed to the census also consider themselves good little "Patriots." When in actuality they are in direct violation of Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution, which in itself is a sad sight to behold as it refers to Native Americans as 3/5 of a person. At least the 14th Amendment, Section II rectified that absurd language.

[FlaGranny]

8. How about the fine

AND loss of voting rights. :)

[old mark]

11. I wonder how much of the deficit that would pay off....nt

[theothersnippywshrub]

9. The secret plan may be working.

Many of the conservative politicians, pundits, bloggers and internet posters who have encouraged republicans not to participate in the census actually are undercover agents of the UN and the Build-a-Burger fast food cabal.

[rasputin1952]

10. One of the great ironies of the position of not filling out the Census

forms, is that the Census is mandated in the Constitution these pinheads so vehemently scream to be so in love with.

To wit:

Article 1; Section 2

(Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.) (The previous sentence in parentheses was modified by the 14th Amendment, section 2.) The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five and Georgia three.

Can't get much more legal than that; essentially everyone who does not comply, cannot stand up and state they 'revere' the Constitution. The ignorance and arrogance of those that would make a point by not filling out the Census is incredible.

ETA:

<snip>

Today, the controlling law for the U.S. Census is Title 13 of the U.S. Code That law requires that the census be conducted on or about April 1, 1980, and every ten years after that. The returns must be made available within nine months in order to apportion members of the House of Representatives to each of the states. In the intervening years the law requires the Census Bureau to gather statistics about the residents of the United States for use by Congress. The decennial census is provided for at 13 USC 141.

The law states that the count done in 1980 and every ten years thereafter shall be an actual headcount. The count done in the intervening years need not be an actual headcount, but may use statistical sampling methods to get a reasonable approximations of a head count.

There are fines for non-response and for false response as well, though the amount has risen from the 1790's $20. Today failure to respond can result in a $100 fine; providing false answers is a more severe offense, and carries a $500 fine. Recent news reports, however, indicate that punishment for failure to respond is not usually enforced. The controlling section of the Code is 13 USC 221.

<snip>


http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cens.html

[Phx_Dem]

12. Census is BAAAD. I urge every wingnut to avoid it at all costs!

Democrats need to send in their socialist Census form ASAP!

}(