Posted on 12/25/2010 11:42:19 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Edited on 12/26/2010 7:43:24 AM PST by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
California officials estimate that the U.S. Census Bureau failed to count 1.5 million of the state's residents, a discrepancy that if true could cost the state billions of dollars in federal aid over the next decade and perhaps an increase in its representation in Congress.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.latimes.com ...
I would like to know how it breaks down in the U.S. I bet the long held Democrat states are the receivers!
Once the camel's nose is in the tent, it's the beginning of the end. U.S. education springs to mind -- those old purse strings always come with conditions.
California still has over 50 seats and gives a huge advantage to whoever California votes for in a presidential election. They act like they are deprived or something. Texas is next but still has a small amount compared to California.
There is a simple way to balance the books: send 1.5 million illegals back to Mexico.
What would really puy an end to it would be to stop sending the money to Washington in the first place. Leave it in the community. If they don’t have enough money, that’s their own fault.
Nice that the citizens of seven states now have less representation because of this decennial kabuki dance called redistricting.
435 is not chiseled in stone!
I'd agree, except how do you avoid the "Yankees" syndrome -- the wealthiest districts get the most gain, which they reinvest in advancing their attractiveness to business, which makes them more wealthy, which they reinvest . . . you get the drift.
Another suggestion? RUN A BUDGET like real businesses do.
After paying for the necessary stuff -- defense, law enforcement, debt reduction, salaries, etc., tally up what's left.
Divide the amount among the congressthings -- senators get X amount, representatives get Y amount.
Each congressthing then has fairly wide latitude to put the funds to use in his or her district or state -- OR, combine the funds with those of other congressthings in the same, or neighboring, districts or states (senators could cooperate with representatives) to accomplish bigger things for mutual benefit.
Polticians would truly have to be statesmen, rather than robber barons.
They would have specific moneys to work with, rather than what taxpayers' money that they used to buy and sell votes.
Pork would become pretty much a thing of the past.
If the U.S. budget ran a deficit, then not only would the congressthings not get taxpayer money to play with, why not also dock their salaries and office funds by a percentage equal to the portion that the budget deficit was of the GDP?
So if the deficit equaled 15 pct of the GDP, each congressthing would lose 15 pct of their salary, office funds, staff support -- why not cut their retirement and perq values, also?
If the census was done correctly (I know, pretty big 'if', but you gotta start somewhere), then it would indicate that the citizens of those 7 states (California being one, apparently), were over-represented, and having less representation was actually a correction to an error.
Given the condition of California, I'm thinking that tossing the government and putting the state in receivership might be a better start.
Let them have representation back when they get their debt sorted out.
Stop juggling the 435! 435 is nowhere in the Constitution as two Senators per state is. Reduce the districts to 100,000 people each, get 3,000 reps down there and nothing would “get done”... Perfect.
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. - (I.2.iii)
OK, California, instead of 37.3 million people, you've got 38.8 million people. You can fork over $383 billion for the next ten years.
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. - (I.2.iii)
OK, California, instead of 37.3 million people, you've got 38.8 million people. You can fork over $383 billion for the next ten years.
Nope, CA wasn’t happy even staying at zero. They wanted to gain.
I wouldn’t count on that.
Sounds like Cal wants another 1.5 million illegals counted
“It cuts away at our share of the $400 billion a year that the federal government doles out to states.”
That’s the new American way - if things don’t work the way you want them ton sue. Really though, how could Californians elect such a dolt? That statement alone should have had him committed to the Home for the Critically Insane!
News flash to Monnbeam: Lay oof the stash before speaking in public. The federal overnment has ZERO money to “dole” out. If you want more money, don’t send it to Versailles on the Potomac in the first place. Secondly, by wanting more “doled” out money, you are making the state subservient to the federal government; instead of the constitutional reverse. Lastly, you want redistribution; you got it.
I notice they call them residents, not citizens.
???
Who's juggling?
I didn't mean to imply that the reps from one state were re-allocated to another state. Your reply indicates I seem to have come across that way, and if so, I apologize for the confusion.
Reps are based on population, so if the population goes down, the number of reps go down; that doesn't translate to a corresponding increase in an equal number of reps in another state, unless that state has coincidentally increased in population.
But I think you're right -- sometimes, it would be better to just have the gridlock of a rediculously large number of reps, than the 'accomplishments' of fewer.
FDR effectively took us very far down the road toward nationalism away from federalism.
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