Minn. lawmaker vows not to complete Census

[Hazcat]

Outspoken Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann says she's so worried that information from next year's national census will be abused that she will refuse to fill out anything more than the number of people in her household.

In an interview Wednesday morning with The Washington Times "America's Morning News," Mrs. Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, said the questions have become "very intricate, very personal" and she also fears ACORN, the community organizing group that came under fire for its voter registration efforts last year, will be part of the Census Bureau's door-to-door information collection efforts.

"I know for my family the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home," she said. "We won't be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn't require any information beyond that."

The Washington Times America's Morning News (interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann)

Audio clip
http://media.washingtontimes.com/media//audio/2009/06/17/BachmannInterview.mp3



Shelly Lowe, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Census Bureau, said Mrs. Bachmann is "misreading" the law.



She sent a portion of the U.S. legal code that says anyone over 18 years of age who refuses to answer "any of the questions" on the census can be fined up to $5,000.

The Constitution requires a census be taken every 10 years. Questions range from number of persons in the household and racial information to employment status and whether anyone receives social services such as food stamps.

Mrs. Bachmann said she's worried about the involvement of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, in next year's census.

"They will be in charge of going door to door and collecting data from the American public," she said. "This is very concerning."

ACORN has applied to help recruit workers to help conduct the census. Republican lawmakers and some public interest groups have expressed concern over their involvement.

ACORN staffers have ben indicted in several states on charges of voter registration fraud stemming from the organization's efforts to register voters last year.

Mrs. Bachmann, who is in her second term in the House, has become a lightning rod for criticism from Democrats and liberal talk show hosts for her unapologetic conservative views.

She said she considers that "a badge of honor."

"It's clear when a person speaks out against those policies they become a target, and that should be concerning to everyone," she said.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/17/exclusive-minn-lawmaker-fears-census-abuse/

Lots of comments at site

[Teresa Heilevang]

Audio is on the thread.. ( cool huh?)

That audio interview is one that the whole United Sates should listen to and pattern their census reporting after. This could very well be the first step to "THE PEOPLE" standing together! IF........ IF we can get the word out and people will understand what a step it could be to start saying "We've had enough!"

[Hazcat]

Audio is on the thread.. ( cool huh?)

That audio interview is one that the whole United Sates should listen to and pattern their census reporting after. This could very well be the first step to "THE PEOPLE" standing together! IF........ IF we can get the word out and people will understand what a step it could be to start saying "We've had enough!"

Bachmann / Palin 2012 ??

[Kid Shelleen]

Bachmann / Palin 2012 ??

I just want a Republican to win. I just want "Change"..................No not The Won kind.

[twyacht]

ACORN has applied to help recruit workers to help conduct the census. Republican lawmakers and some public interest groups have expressed concern over their involvement.

Concern? How about outrage!

They will get number of people in my house, and than can piss off.

ACORN, involved in the census, just like the BHO wanted to change the Census oversight to the White House....

The Chicago Political "Stench" that is how BHO learned to "play the game", is really starting to show....

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

Bachman is an idiot. I'm sorry, but she is Ann Coulter/Michael Moore crazy. The difference is that Coulter, like Rush, knows she's an entertainer. Bachman doesn't get that. Someone ought to inform her that lawmakers ought to obey the laws they pass.
 The bottom line here folks is that there is no conspiracy to the census. the government needs info to know how many children, seniors, farmers, commuters, un-employed, homeowners etc. are in a given area so that gov't revenue can be distributed effeciently. The census is a cost effective way to do this as the forms have to be sent anyway. Whether these programs should exist in the first place is a whole other question. Given that they do, its best that the money be spent effeciently. Administrators need info. This is a cost effecient way to get it. Thats all this is.
FQ13

[twyacht]

Hey FQ, have census questions changed over the last 2 or 3? Why yes they have. They have become more personal in nature, and whether Bachmann is an idiot or not is irrelevant.

 The bottom line here folks is that there is no conspiracy to the census. Sorry FQ, I am not taking your word for it.

ACORN has snaked their way in and is recruiting "census workers",  given that ACORN is CORRUPT founded by a 60's socialist,

and Americorp is another group involved, and a Inspector General was fired for finding misappropriation of Federal Funds, and both org's are HUGE BHO supporters, that received lots of money, etc,....etc,....etc,...

Let's use the 1850 census questions:

The Census of 1850

Go Back to Enumeration Forms Index


Schedule 1. Free Inhabitants in _________, in the County of ________, State of _________, enumerated by me, on the _____ day of ___________, 1850.

___________________, Ass’t. Marshal.
     
1.    Dwelling houses and number in order of visitation.
2.    Families numbered in the order of visitation.
3.    The name of every person whose usual place of abode on the 1st day of June, 1850, was in this family.
     
Description:
4.    Age.
5.    Sex.
6.    Color – White, black, or mulatto.
7.    Profession, occupation, or trade of each male person over 15 years of age.
8.    Value of real estate owned.
9.    Place of birth, naming the state, territory, or country.
10.    Married within the year.
11.    Attended school within the year.
12.    Persons over 20 years of age who can not read and write.
13.    Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict.
 
Schedule 2. Slave Inhabitants in _________, in the County of ________, State of _________, enumerated by me, on the _____ day of ___________, 1850.

___________________, Ass’t. Marshal.
     
1.    Names of slave owners.
2.    Number of slaves.
     
Description:
3.    Age.
4.    Sex.
5.    Color.
6.    Fugitives.
7.    Number manumitted.
8.    Deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic.

OK, we can leave out the slave section.

http://usa.ipums.org/usa/voliii/items1850.shtml

[fightingquaker13]

TW
2 points.
Do I want to see my money going to ACORN? No. But the bottom line is that a census, even if all they ask is how many people and of what ages live here, requires $7 an hour grunts to do the work. Whether the the government starts fresh, goes through temp agengies, or uses canvassing firms like ACORN or PIRG is largely irrelevant.
The second is that the 1850 census makes my case. I didn't say that all government programs are justified many, many are not. Bu they have to get info. to administer them. Ask yourself this. If every year there were a multi-milliion dollar bill to check on the number of (choose your fiscally relevant category of persons here) living in each Congressional district would you bitch? Yes. Why? Because you would ask why there wasn't a more fiscally responsible way of getting the data. The census is one of those. That is the extent of my point.
FQ13

[twyacht]

Okay than, question 13 will have to be added...

13.    Whether deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper or convict.

[alfsauve]

I thought we'd covered this in another thread, but here goes.

The census web site is located:  http://2010.census.gov/2010census/

This year all the "census" forms will be the "short form".   Just the facts, Jack.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/pdf/2010_Questionnaire_Info_Copy.pdf


All the other "info" will be collected in a separate survey, called the "American Community Survey".  It is an on-going survey, not just once every 10 years.   A sample of the population (about 20%) will be poled every year.  You can read the ACS survey questions at:

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

The 2009 survey questions are:  http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest09.pdf



MY OPINIONS:

The lawmaker should abide with the laws passed.  Well, unless congress wants to exclude itself from this law like it has with others......cause they're special.   (like smoking in federal buildings)

There is a penalty for not filling out the form (either one).  And it's not just a one time thing.  You can't "opt out" by paying the fine.  Reason:   They'll just give you another form and then another and then another, until they bankrupt you.

There conceivably could be bigger penalties, as there almost always is, for lying on the form (falsifying information on a federal form).

The government doesn't need to be in a position to have to request this info in the first place.  Head count that's all.  If we didn't have all the goverment largess then all of this would be unnecessary.

It bothers me that a polar organization, like ACORN, will be in contracted for this work.   I don't trust them.