[Talisker]

Just some legal research I've been doing... Happy Easter!

[kalee]

Thanks for posting.

[rae4palin]

I completed my census form last week. Very simple. No big deal. I entered “American” for race.

[SE Mom]

Thanks- bookmarking in case they haul me in!

I answered the number of people living at this address.

[onyx]

Bless you and Happy Easter.

I think I’ll save this.

[libertarian27]

I’ve only answered question 1 (haven’t sent it in yet)

I have a real problem with checking off the race question.
I thought the census was suppose to be thorough, you can check off multiple boxes and now I hear Obama just checked African-American? Well, that doesn’t portray the melting pot of America correctly so why bother.....;)

[rockrr]

Bump for further reference...

[tobyhill]

My only question is, if we live in a “color blind” society then why is there a need to put a question concerning race in there?

[MuttTheHoople]

I'm a Questionnaire Assistance Center (QAC) representative. So far, I haven't been asked to do anything that's unconstitutional.

That said, for some reason they're really talking up the census this year (and I've seen Censuses since 1970). I'm not sure. I do know it's 20 hours a week at $9.75 an hour. I think it's because it's helped keep unemployment numbers down (Census workers have reduced unemployment rates by 0.2%, keeping it out of double-digits). Personally, I don't look at it as a "full-time" employment job, but it IS Gubmint work so I get to rest.

[GAB-1955]

In reality, the Census taker will write down the number of people in the house and go on, based on my experiences.

[Abigail Adams]

Thanks!

[BulletBobCo]

Thanks

[ctdonath2]

Sobering note:
Within 4 days of Pearl Harbor, Census records had been used to list 110,000 citizens for groundless indefinite incarceration based on race.

Somehow I’m not buying “won’t do it again, really, promise”.

[Balding_Eagle]

I always find it interesting that this kind of information comes out immeadiately AFTER the fact.

That’s true whether it’s a new tax, TARP, the HC plan, or, in this case, the Census.

I expect the same if amnesty passes, or cap and trade. Within a week of such passage, new, and damning information will be presented.

[Radix]

Tomorrow (April 5) is the anniversary of Washington’s Veto of the Act concerning the enumeration of the population and the apportionment of Congressional seats.

It was a big deal back then and later Congress decided to simply ignore the principles behind that action.

http://www.thirty-thousand.org/pages/first_veto.htm

[EternalVigilance]

Extremely thought-provoking.

Thanks for all your hard work on this.

[NonValueAdded]

Far from an exhaustive study but I suspect the answer will ultimately boil down to this:

Since the ENUMERATION is called out specifically in Article I for the purpose of APPORTIONING THE HOUSE and that there are Supreme Court rulings plus law passed by Congress than make race a part of the APPORTIONMENT PROCESS. Therefore it would be deemed as clearly Constitutional the gathering the requisite data for carrying out the task specifically called for in the Original Document.

I place no value judgment on the above other than to say it seems a logical conclusion. All of the questions on the standard form fit with that purpose EXCEPT QUESTION 11.

But there are only 10 you say. Well, question 11 should be "Is this person a citizen of the United States, eligible to vote in a Federal election?" That is an omission that should go before SCOTUS at some point. I'll save that tirade for later.

[Pablo64]

Thanks for posting. Very informative.

[smokingfrog]

bttt

[Figment]

I answered question 1- number of people in house , and mailed it. Waiting to see what hassles are coming

[bfree]

Very interesting and a big Thank You!

Now, can anyone tell me why they need my age and my birthday? Are they going to be sending me a birthday card?

Also, why would I give them my phone number so they can harrass me?