‘I nicked the census man.’ ‘There’s a good boy.’
We’re starting to see some worry that anti-Washington sentiment may be hurting conservative states in the census. This from the Houston Chronicle:
As of Friday afternoon, only 27 percent of Texas households had filled in and returned their census forms — well below the national average of 34 percent — according to computer data from the U.S. Census Bureau….
Contrary to historical trends, some of the toughest challenges facing the agency responsible for measuring the nation’s population are 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.
“There’s a general distrust of the federal government at every level, starting with Congress and the president, all the way down to executive branch agencies,” says Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Midland.
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210 comments Add your comment
MathMan
March 30th, 2010
12:51 pm
Hey GT John,
In response to you comments about “stealing from people who work to give to people who don’t, is totally unacceptable”! Are you speaking about the folks who sipped mint juleps while others toiled their fields? Or are you talking about government officials and large corporations who “perpetrate” war to (and I know you hate this term) shift wealth form your pockets to those whose pockets are already bulging? Do yourself a favor and read THE PEOPLES HISTORY OF THE U.S. FROM 1492-PRESENT. You’ll get a clearer picture of how the bulging pockets since the founding of the U.S. have manipulated small minds like yours for their own benefit. Or read WAR IS A RACKET by decorated veteran soldier GEN. Smedley Butler to see how the rip off of taxpayers money didn’t start with your friend Dick Cheney when he got no bid contracts for his buddies at Haliburton. By the way, I didn’t hear your outrage when that started “Good Buddy”! Fact, the U.S. is $12T in debt, the U.S. has spent $12T on the military in the last decade and we ain’t any safer from a “terrorist” than we were ten years ago. If you weren’t so clueless it’d be laughable!!!
Farsider
March 30th, 2010
12:51 pm
Right wingers are following their leaders right over a cliff. But what do you expect of a crowd that does not respect our country’s institutions. They want to start everything from scratch!
Everything is Bigger and Better in Tejas.
March 30th, 2010
12:51 pm
Emma Isa sposed to count the goats and chickens that live in the house too?
ZULU
March 30th, 2010
12:53 pm
I know it won’t happen but I would love to see all of the Defense Dept. money spent in states like Texas. Since they hate the Federal government so much. Someone needs to tell the racist conservatives that the Confederates lost the Civil War. Either learn to get along with others or get gone.
US CITIZEN
March 30th, 2010
12:54 pm
WOW.. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WORD COMPROMISE. I HAVE A SOLUTION… STOP LISTENING TO LEFT AND RIGHT WING RADIO “ENTERTAINERS” PULL YOUR CONSTITUTION OUT AND READ IT FOR YOURSELVES (IF YOU HAVE NOT YET).. YOU MIGHT JUST BE SURPRISED AT WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS.
Everything is Bigger and Better in Tejas.
March 30th, 2010
12:54 pm
Pump, pump the JAM… my friends.
Everything is Bigger and Better in Tejas.
March 30th, 2010
12:55 pm
I wipe my but with the sentsus.
Patrick
March 30th, 2010
12:57 pm
@Zulu
Most of my friends are conservative and are not racist believe it or not.
DMB
March 30th, 2010
12:57 pm
I’m surprised this hasn’t caught on here. Dumb A$$es.
David S
March 30th, 2010
12:57 pm
Answer the first question and be done with it. You are counted, the constitutional requirement is fulfilled and the big-government theives are without information to help them buy votes from their favored constituencies.
Taxpayer
March 30th, 2010
12:59 pm
Maybe now we will get minority stautus, and the protections and benefits that go along with that status.
JF McNamara
March 30th, 2010
1:00 pm
Shaggy,
I agree with you in principle, but there is one recent counter example. The libs just passed the health care legislation even though they knew they would probably lose out on votes in November. They actually passed something they think it best for America while putting their self interest (somewhat) behind them.
I’m not sure that the bill will be positive or negative, and I could give a rats bottom about either side. The Dems, however, did just sacrifice votes for something they believed would be helpful to individuals.
MAE
March 30th, 2010
1:01 pm
Moderate, what does “Presbo” mean? It doesn’t sound postive, so why would you use it? Sounds disrespectful and mean spirited. Why????
Dave R.
March 30th, 2010
1:01 pm
Actually, to clear up Ben’s misrepresentation of the Constitution yesterday, the Constitution says that a count shall be made every ten years to determine “Representatives and direct taxes”. That is the reason for the census.
The “manner as they shall by law direct” that Ben tried to use as justification for any and all questions on the form goes to how the Congress determines how to go about counting people.
Why do you perform a census? To determine the split of representation across states.
How do you perform a census? Any way that Congress deems appropriate.
Constitutionally, all you have to answer is the number of human beings in your household – and nothing else.
And under race, I checked “Other” and wrote in “Human”.
100% with them
March 30th, 2010
1:01 pm
100% with those who oppose and totally distrust our government. No need to be counted…my vote does not matter to this group in Washington…remember 80% polled were opposed to the healthcare bill…they did what they wanted anyway. Only a revolution will change my hope for this country.
More government waste
March 30th, 2010
1:02 pm
Suggestion to the US government, why don’t you just add one page to our tax returns every year you would like to collect some kind of census? A few months ago, I came home to find that some one was at my house, and they left some census paper on my door. This occurred twice. I then received a letter telling me the census was coming and they wanted me to fill it out. I then got the census, and filled it out. Then a week or so later, I got a postcard saying I should fill the census out. I have lost count of how many internet and tv ads I have seen about the census. All the people, the ads, and postage has to cost multi millions of dollars. Attach it to the tax returns every 10 years, and hire some temps to sort them from the returns, and ease up on all the ad time. But knowing our country, this money saving idea is going to be flushed down some $200,000 golden toilet that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosli use.
Kevin S
March 30th, 2010
1:06 pm
Not getting counted is a really dumb thing. I filled mine out by answering question 1, How many people live in your house? Sent it back in. They don’t need to know race, age, birthday, etc. Unless they plan on distributing money based on race or age…
Drinking COFFEE from now on.
March 30th, 2010
1:07 pm
“You people have a lot of nerve talking about conservatives ignoring the Constitution when your own president (notice I said “your”…not “my” president) has totally ignored it and wants to do away with it totally. He has refused to show that he is even in the country legally, and his minions and high priced lawyers are helping him hide anything that might prove who/what he REALLY is.”
This statement pretty much epitomizes the rank stupidity that defines the Tea Party people and the average right-winger in general. Ignorance, completely unfounded accusations, an astounding lack of logic and reason and a healthy dose of rampant paranoia. And he says MINIONS! LOL!
Wow, the right is full of insane, paranoid, uneducated morons.
Patrick
March 30th, 2010
1:08 pm
@MathMan
While I agree that corporate America is greatly flawed (and I’m being generous), I would take great exception with saying we are no safer and supposition that our budget woes would all disappear if we just disbanded our military. That is beyond naive. I apologize for stooping to the pejorative, but if you really think the US should not have participated in WWII, you lose all credibility.
Are you Libertarian? If you are a liberal Democrat, then don’t throw stones at the military for gross mismanagement of federal funding. The reality is that bureaucracy is wasteful as an institution almost by design.
Steak Shapiro's Gouty Toe
March 30th, 2010
1:09 pm
Steak, I am begging you…no more alfredo, no more pastrami, no more bagels and cream cheese, no more Kevin Rathbun Ny Strips, please….the pain….the torture……self control Steak…Self control!!!!
bee
March 30th, 2010
1:10 pm
Only honest people will fill out census. crooks won’t
Jim
March 30th, 2010
1:11 pm
I cant stand all of you liberals on this sight.
Palin
March 30th, 2010
1:11 pm
I am a conservative in TX and I agree with not being counted!!!
Anything I can do to be an obstructionist is my calling!
bobcatlga
March 30th, 2010
1:12 pm
The Constitution says we are to be counted every 10 years. We should all send the census forms back with just that, a count. There are no race requirements. It was determining each states representation in Washington DC, nothing else.
Brad
March 30th, 2010
1:13 pm
Idiocy is entertaining.
Karl Rover
March 30th, 2010
1:15 pm
it’s collie pawk. not College Park
A Hopeful Voice of Reason
March 30th, 2010
1:15 pm
@Doug “How has the President highjacked the census process? Since the President is supposed to be an “empty suit” and reads from a teleprompter how is it that he that he has so many wingnuts giving him “credit” for changing so much in America in just 14 months?”
I seem to recall the previous administration’s “empty suit reading a teleprompter’ being blamed with everything from causing 9/11 to actually letting the levees in New orleans break.
Anyway, the biggest problem with the census, as I see it, is that the census form I received was more than two questions. The census should be fairly straightforward.
#1: How many people live at this address?
#2: Is everyone that lives at this address a US Citizen?
The End.
Shane
March 30th, 2010
1:17 pm
If the “Red States” secede, they will be receiving foreign aid from the UN in a few years. Most “blue states” are net donors of federal aid, and most “red states” are net recipients. Whoops. So much for that evil government.
Couldn’t have sad it better. The red states are mostly poor states that don’t really contribute much anyway. The blue states make all the money and are what makes America go.
Bursaw
March 30th, 2010
1:18 pm
As of Friday afternoon, only 27 percent of Texas households had filled in and returned their census forms — well below the national average of 34 percent — according to computer data from the U.S. Census Bureau
Since it’s reported as fact that they know they are down from 34% to 27% tells me they already know how many people there are. So why all the uproar. Is it just so bloggers have something to call each other names about???
Just Wondering...
March 30th, 2010
1:19 pm
… why ANYONE has sent in the Census form. Mine asks how many people lived in my house on April 1. Unless I missed something, that’s this coming THURSDAY. Seems to me like a lot people will be counted who died between the time their form was sent in and the April 1 target date.
Melissa
March 30th, 2010
1:21 pm
commenting on oldhippie statement…I read his/hers and no other blogs today – thinking because I too am an old hippie – I could related. Not true as the blog was insulting. Takes all kinds … true statement. I’m quite educated, extremely wise and extremely tired of government at all levels – so if not conforming to a census is someone’s way of protesting – go for it. We have very little voice left oldhippie – we have very little of anything left in the way of freedom of anything – so I’m in the corner with anyone who says “enough is enough”. This country is on the brink of something – and based on the anger, protests, and ram down your throat government – I’d say the something is not very good. What happened last week in Washington set us back as a country 45 years. We aren’t united – in fact we are more divided than we were during civil rights. We can’t debate each other in this country because the leader doesn’t want debate – he wants what he wants and he will damn anyone who gets in his way. My vote in 2008 did not give him the right to steal my freedom, nor did it give him a right to take what I earn and give it to someone else. This is not my ancestors country anymore…and I am a sad oldhippie because of it.
boots
March 30th, 2010
1:22 pm
I just wrote all over mine that the government is out of control and is taking over too much of our personal lives. I also declined to answer certain questions. They know how many live in my home, their names and ages, but that is it. Screw the government.
smk
March 30th, 2010
1:23 pm
I’m with Shaggy. You are totally disillusioned if you think the Democrats or Republicans are any different at the core. The vast majority are corrupt, care only about re-election, and worry about what will get them votes (Pork). So I say, vote out all incumbents, and keep doing it until they get it and start acting like a government and not an elite club. And grow up and quit calling people at names. That just shows you don’t have the ability to actually make a point.
LTD
March 30th, 2010
1:24 pm
PeterPunkinEater & @blackbird13
Talk about sounding racist, that is exactly how you sound! I would be happy if things even out. Maybe then whites would have the same benefits as other people. BTW, if the whites become a minority in the US does that mean white children will have the same, or possibly more, College Scolarships as everyone else? Right now it’s next to impossible for a white to get a College Scolarship…most of them are only available to “minorities”…even if they get better grades and do better in school. Like I said, I would be happy to see things even out and this racist crap stop. It should not matter what color you are…just who you are on the inside.
Meet in the middle
March 30th, 2010
1:25 pm
Texas and the tea baggers voted for Bush in 2004. Why pay them ANY attention? He was a perfect leader and representative for them and so is Sarah Palin…slow, incompetent, and hypocritical. Tea baggers aren’t an independent bunch. They’re Republican retards. I’m an Independent and detest both parties. Democrats are really dumb, but Republicans are much much dumber.
“Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize half of them are even stupider!” I’m willing to bet with America divided down the middle politically, that stupider half are Republican and Tea baggers.
boots
March 30th, 2010
1:26 pm
Shane, you are an idiot. You have no idea what you are talking about. The red states contribute a net positive. Depends on what you call a red state, but if you look to the average of the past four federal elections, those red states pay in 27% more than the blue states. California alone is a drain. Meanwhile, the red states have most of the military sites, Alaskan oil and the majority of the east coast and gulf ports. We would also control the natural gas and food producing regions. The major loss would be west coast access points along with financial institutions in NYC.
Todd
March 30th, 2010
1:28 pm
Anti-Washington sentiment may be hurt the state
Shane
March 30th, 2010
1:30 pm
Alaskan oil and the majority of the east coast and gulf ports
Alska provides 4 % of the US oil. Wouldnt be missed. The blue states would get along just fine. The red states would be teaching creationism in 2 years. Universites would fall apart and so would the red states economy within 5. Meanwhile the blue states would get along nicely without the red states drag. The proverbial weight would be lifted.
Most people in red states are on welfare. There are far more white people on welfare than black. Those are facts.
Patrick
March 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
@Melissa
Amen.
Nunya
March 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
Why do we still need a census anyway? Big Brother knows everything about us already by our taxes. The census is a big fat waste of tax payer money when much more important things need to be focused on.
SonnyFab
March 30th, 2010
1:31 pm
I’m glad so many uninformed people think that because Houston is in Texas, this must be a tea-party related issue. Houston is 38 percent Latino, which is the most traditionally under-counted group. Maybe it isn’t a tea-party thing, but the standard issue of getting immigrant populations to report to the Census. Just a thought…
xgirl451
March 30th, 2010
1:32 pm
In an earlier census, I received the long form which I found to be incredibly intrusive. The form had questions asking how much I paid per month for gas, electricity, water, rent/mortgage, car payments,etc.
I refused to answer those questions.
My understanding is that for this census that there are no long forms being mailed.
Bob
March 30th, 2010
1:34 pm
you mean conservatives are not standing in line for federal funds ? Maybe they are being consistant and figure that since the census is now just a way to dole out free money, they don’t want to be included. I would laughing at that whose lives are so pathetic that they think a census is a path to money. And since Pelosi and Reid have this ship running so smoothly, why even comment on conservatives. Texas is far better off as a state than most any governed by dems other than maybe New Hampshire, laugh at them while you wait for Obo to make your house payment.
Jeff
March 30th, 2010
1:35 pm
Blackbird13, Peter the Pumpkin eater, I welcome the news that there is a real fear that caucasians are assuming minority status. Does that mean that caucasians will also realize that they only have to support a minority of the population now. Certainly the newfound majority can take care of themselves without their help. Not……..
jrzshore
March 30th, 2010
1:38 pm
According to article, only 34% returned. Amazing that they want this info but NO INFO OR PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP TO VOTE. What a JOKE!
CAR77
March 30th, 2010
1:39 pm
Great. Less resources and infrastructure will be spent on the areas where these ignorant punks live. Enjoy your cookie cutter suburbs, hopefully they will cut off all taxpayer funded things in those areas- no street lights, no police, no schools.
ATL
March 30th, 2010
1:40 pm
80% against Healthcare!(?)… only in this lonely soul’s mind… Last I looked it was 49% for– 40% against and changing towards the for… hmm– its not easy being in the (looney) minority is it?– as right-wingers are finding out every day now…
phoenix falcon
March 30th, 2010
1:40 pm
atl12345
everybody does not do their taxes, and not everybody is on the system.
some of you people sound as if you have something to hide, do you only want to live by SOME of the things the constitution says or all of it?
in fact i’m urging all black people to tell them you have 15 or 20 kids, lol, i did mine, and i told them i have 32 kids and trips on the way
Everything is Bigger and Better in Tejas.
March 30th, 2010
1:41 pm
The Dallas Cowboys are America’s team.
Everything is Bigger and Better in Tejas.
March 30th, 2010
1:43 pm
Galveston was devastated by a hurricane some years ago.