Concordia res Parvae Crescunt
by Walter E. Williams
The Census Bureau estimates that the life cycle cost of the 2010 Census will be from $13.7 billion to $14.5 billion, making it the costliest census in the nation’s history. Suppose you suggest to a congressman that given our budget crisis, we could save some money by dispensing with the 2010 census. I guarantee you that he’ll say something along the lines that the Constitution mandates a decennial counting of the American people and he would be absolutely right. Article I, Section 2 of our constitution reads: “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.”
What purpose did the Constitution’s framers have in mind ordering an enumeration or count of the American people every 10 years? The purpose of the headcount is to apportion the number of seats in the House of Representatives and derived from that, along with two senators from each state, the number of electors to the Electoral College.
The Census Bureau tells us that this year, it will use a shorter questionnaire, consisting of only 10 questions. From what I see, only one of them serves the constitutional purpose of enumeration — namely, “How many people were living or staying at this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2010?” The Census Bureau’s shorter questionnaire claim is deceptive at best.
The American Community Survey, long form, that used to be sent to 1 in 6 households during the decennial count, is now being sent to many people every year. Here’s a brief sample of its questions, and I want someone to tell me which question serves the constitutional function of apportioning the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives: Does this house, apartment, or mobile home have hot and cold running water, a flush toilet, a bathtub or shower, a sink with a faucet, a refrigerator, a stove? Last month, what was the cost of electricity for this house, apartment, or mobile home? How many times has this person been married?
After each question, the Bureau of the Census provides a statement of how the answer meets a federal need. I would prefer that they provide a statement of how answers to the questions meet the constitutional need as expressed in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.
The Census Bureau also asks questions about race, and I want to know what does my race have to do with apportioning the U.S. House of Representatives? If I’m asked about race, I might respond the way I did when filling out a military form upon landing in Inchon, Korea in 1960; I checked off Caucasian. The warrant officer who was checking forms told me that I made a mistake and should have checked off “Negro.” I told him that people have the right to self-identify themselves and I’m Caucasian. The warrant officer, trying to cajole me, asked why I would check off Caucasian instead of Negro. I told him that checking off Negro would mean getting the worse job over here. I’m sure the officer changed it after I left.
Americans need to stand up to Washington’s intrusion into our private lives. What business of government is the number of times a citizen has been married or what he paid for electricity last month? For those who find such intrusion acceptable, I’d ask them whether they’d also find questions of their sex lives or their marriage fidelity equally acceptable.
What to do? Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household. The census taker might say, “It’s the law.” Thomas Jefferson said, “Whensoever the General Government (Washington) assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.”
Walter E. Williams is the John M. Olin distinguished professor of economics at George Mason University, and a nationally syndicated columnist.
Copyright © 2010 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
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August 17, 2010 and a senseless (census) worker just showed up at my door. I told him how many people live in my home. Pushy bastard tried to ask my name. I told him, "2 people live here; that's all you need to know." Shut the door in his pasty face.
Wonder when I'll get the $100 fine...
Recently, I found the 2010 Census form hanging on my door. As I began filling it out, I came across a dilemma. The U.S. government wants to know if my children are adopted or not and it wants to know what our races are. Being adopted myself, I had to put “Other” and “Don’t Know Adopted” for my race and “Other” and “Don’t Know” for my kids’ races.
Can you imagine not knowing your ethnicity, your race? Now imagine walking into a vital records office and asking the clerk for your original birth certificate only to be told “No, you can’t have it, it’s sealed.”
It is time that the archaic practice of sealing and altering birth certificates of adopted persons stops.
Adoption is a 5 billion dollar, unregulated industry that profits from the sale and redistribution of children. It turns children into chattel who are re-labeled and sold as “blank slates”.
I am of mixed heritage! From doing my genealogy, I have too many too list! My mother's family is German, Swedish, English, Swiss, and more immigrants who came in the 1800's. My father's family were the original settlers of California sent into CA by the Spanish Crown, known as "Californios" who established CA in the early 1700's. So #8 Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin I marked "Yes", but where it asked to specify, I said, "Californio"! Hahaa, because that's what's I am! (Also, have American Indian, Mexican too)
And some Under some other race "Mixed American". For my son, there is Croatian, Cherokee, Scottish, geez, I'd have to get on my ancestry account and research for hours just to fill out this damn form.
But I want to know, do they NEED to know if you OWN your home outright or hold a mortgage as they ask in question number #3? Seems pretty intrusive to those of us who pay our bills and aren't looking for redistribution of wealth! I am of mixed heritage! From doing my genealogy, I have too many too list! My mother's family is German, Swedish, English, Swiss, and more immigrants who came in the 1800's. My father's family were the original settlers of California sent into CA by the Spanish Crown, known as "Californios" who established CA in the early 1700's. So #8 Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin I marked "Yes", but where it asked to specify, I said, "Californio"! Hahaa, because that's what's I am! (Also, have American Indian, Mexican too)
And some Under some other race "Mixed American". For my son, there is Croatian, Cherokee, Scottish, geez, I'd have to get on my ancestry account and research for hours just to fill out this damn form.
But I want to know, do they NEED to know if you OWN your home outright or hold a mortgage as they ask in question number #3? Seems pretty intrusive to those of us who pay our bills and aren't looking for redistribution of wealth!
~Patriot Dawg On Duty
http://blog.dawgonduty.com
I'm so love this blog, already bookmarked it! Thanks.
Yowie Zowie! I just filled out our Census form. What fun!
How many people live here? I began to write "03" in the blanks, but I decided to scratch that out and write "Three (3)" on the blue area next to the blanks: it's always best to avoid responding on an official form. Now that I think about it, I should have written my answer on a separate piece of paper and mailed it back with the (blank) form.
I also 'x'ed" off the box that says no additional people live here. That one worried me because how can I be totally sure? Meaning I've never been able to get a good count of the little people who I sometimes see in the garage and basement, and I can't really say whether or not they sleep here, or if they even sleep at all. But I didn't worry too much because I noticed no place to sign the form (not that I would have), let alone sign under penalty of perjury, etc. Which brings up another very interesting point. The envelope the Census form came in had a big bold announcement "Your response is required by law." I wonder about that because if that was true, wouldn't it say WHICH law (USC blah blah), and wouldn't you expect to be notified of the penalty for not responding somewhere? My final question is this. Does throwing the danged form into the circular file cabinet constitute a "response?" I contend that it does, but I decided to have mercy upon their souls and send in our form filled out as described above. May the gods save our Republic!
This is the most paranoid crap I've ever read in my life. Please start taking your meds. NOW.
I filled out my form last night, put in for the phone number None of Your Business and did not fill out the names at all, it is none of their businness! I don't recall the consitution requiring the names, just the head count. As for the race I filled that in, but again it is none of their business, big brother can go into all the records for this address and figure that out. The governement is now a Solicalististic form and I do not and will not support them that want to attempt to have us give up our freedoms and liberties.
While I agree that collecting names is unnecessary, it is required by the constitution. The part that every one is referring to only talks about the number of people, true. However, if you keep reading, and reading, and reading...etc, it does say that any other information deemed necessary by the secretary of commerce must be given. Since names were "deemed necessary," you are required, by law, to give them.
"not an idiot tbagger"? no, your not a "tbagger"... your obviously too much of a tool. willing to fall in line to get your free government cheese..... moron
I appreciate your concern over the census, and granted you are entitled to your opinion - and are also NOT required to fill out anything - do not that you cannot with a straight face quote Jefferson, saying that you will only do what is constitutionally required of you, if in fact Jefferson himself wanted to make quick work of the constitution to let time find it's imperfections, so that it could be further amended - and it in indeed has. The congress has the power to create laws - and they indeed then have the power to change questions on the questionaire.
At least, this year it is a short form, with less intrusive questions than the last one. Just remember that much in way of aide for every sort of public establishment is determined based on the answers on your census.
I just filled out the census for our house. I told them how many people are living here and on race I put down "American" That is all they are getting. As far as counting people twice, the form has your address on it with a bar code. They do not need names, ages, race etc.. It is none of their f****** business and I am not telling Obongo any thing more. Period!
Read "The Nazi Census is a book of great historical originality and considerable topical urgency. The authors provide a chilling historical perspective to contemporary preoccupations with the logics and limits of identity registration and documentation. Unrivalled as a political history of population statistics and identity documentation in Nazi Germany, the book is also not afraid of controversy
Oh, didi you know IBM is once again conducting this Census along with, Lockheed Martin, GPS, and the 2010 Census, From April 1st, 500,000 census workers, part of a $700 million taxpayer-funded contract, will travel all known streets and roads to identify every living quarter where people live or could potentially live. Each structure also will receive Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to make sure it is recorded in the right location.
Yes, there are more than one function of the US Census Bureau.
Yes, they do an ongoing survey, that tracks employment, race, etc. which is different than tracking unemployment.
Yes, this year's Census is only the short form. The 10 questions come down to who lives here. They need to know where "here" is, in order to know where to draw legislative district lines. They need to know who, so they know they aren't counting the same person twice. They ask questions of race, in order to meet Voting Rights Act requirements.
Stand up for your Constitutional rights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"They need to know where "here" is..." - how did it get in my mail box? As far as any of the other information, don't you thinks it's in our tax records? I don't plan on making easy work of their million dollar attempt to waste more tax payers money. But, it's just like everything else congress does, they 'piggyback' something on every document they ram down our throats.
I received the American Census survey twice in the mail in the past couple of months and received numerous phone calls, I talked to them once on the phone and have since been getting rings on my home phone but no messages. I am sure it is the census. Today, a census worker with a name tag and a lap top computer with the census label on it came to the door. She said she was here regarding the 2 census forms they had sent and wanted to ask me some questions. I gave her our names and ages in what I informed her was a single-family residence and told her that we were caucasion. After she asked, I told her our educational levels, college and elementary school. When she asked if anyone had been in the military, I told her the government already knew that. She asked more questions but I told her that I had already answered enough for demographics. She said okay, I will just put down that you refused. I politely told her I did not refuse, and she told me her computer would not accept "information not available" which is what I told her to put down. She said multiple times that she would put down that I refused, and I countered each time that I am cooperating and not refusing. She then went into her spiel that the government used the information for all kinds of things, schools, roads, housing, etc. Her computer seemed to jam up after I gave our names and she seemed to not be able to get to the correct screen she needed for the questions. She appeared to type in our names after I spelled them for her and our ages, but then after she talked about what the government did with the information and how useful it was for the area, she told me without our ages she had no useful information. I reminded her that I had just given her our ages and educational levels, and she says, oh, yes, you did. I don't know what she typed in or if our information was retained. Then the census worker started talking about unemployment figures in the media being garnered from the survey, which surprised me. I asked her why they did not get that information from the unemployment office. She said that wouldn't be an accurate picture, because some people didn't bother to sign up for unemployment or their benefits ran out. She then said she had some people who were unemployed she went back to month after month, in one case for 8 months, asking them again and again if they had a job yet. So I asked her, you just hit on people (randomly) who do not happen to have jobs and then follow up with them? She said they also said they interview people with jobs, too. The interview ended then, with her telling me that another worker would probably contact me and ask me the question were we ever in the military. The way I see it, each question was going to lead to another question being asked. She said she was not a worker for the other census, the 10 question census, and it appeared that she did this job full time all year round to me.
NAME----RANK----SERIAL NUMBER!! 3 in this house.ALL U NEED 2 KNOW.
Ya Well we need a count on all those aliens 10-15 million ? Who knows? ask the well fair office.
"We The People", Must continue to exercise our right's! Every time one of us bends, and gives those bastard's (The present Administration) an inch, they take your next born child! I for One "VOTE" F-No! on letting those Bastard's have what I and so many other's SERVED our Country for!!! In fact, I'm willing to bet that not one single U.S. Serviceman, whose in harm's way right now!!!, is thinking, Go Obama, Crush our Country! Nobody want's your "socialistic politics "!!!! The party of "NO" is actually staving off our demise. When those BASTARDS ram this crap through, They are really telling the AMERICAN PEOPLE, you don't matter anymore!! So, if you ask any questions other than, how many people live here?, Your wasting your worthless breath!!! It's non of your F'ing Biz!!! "We The People" can reclaim AMERICA a hell of alot faster than you progressive IDIOT'S can!!!! LAY OFF OUR FATHERS, FATHERS,FATHERS, Freedom! "OUR COUNTRY" (2 People live here!)
Mr. Williams wrote: "Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household.? I would argue that the names of the people in the household has absolutely nothing to do with the constitutional purpose of the census so they are not entitled to that information.
The names of people in the household has been asked ever since the census of 1850.
“Neither branch of the legislative department [House of Representatives or Senate], still less any merely administrative body [insert Census Bureau], established by congress, possesses, or can be invested with, a general power of making inquiry into the private affairs of the citizen.” Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168, 190.
defundanddisobey.com
The census taker will get only one answer and then be told to get of my private property.
Been through this before. IT makes them really mad, but I just gave them the legal requirement and then quoted them USC 13 and the legal requirement and that was all I had to say. I am not telling them any personal info of anykind. I complied with the law(not what they said it was but the Us Code itself) and did not more than that. Very often what they tell you is a color of law issue to try and get you to give them what they want. Just dont do it. Give them only what the law requires, what are they gonna do take you to a FEMA CAMP;) BUY MORE AMMO
what is this USC 13 and where can I find it?
USC stands for United States Code... 13 merely refers to a particular title. If you have a lot of free time on your hand Title 42 is very interesting Here is the link to the main page http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html
"Its the law"...correct but its constitutional law that we follow! Not any federal legislation that they happen to pass. I'm only answering one question and that is how many people live here.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
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