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There is nothing wrong with the question concerning the authority of the Census. You assume the authority, yet are you correct? Do you even consider it important enough of an issue to care whether you are correct? After all, you have reasoned that the questions are for our benefit, so why does it matter if the authority exists already right?
There in lies the problem with the issue. They have the authority to count as is stated and defined for what purpose specifically. They have the authority to determine by which manner they will collect this information (who will do it, how it will be collected, processed, stored, and funded).
Past that, it does not state any more and the judicial rulings on them from what I have read concerning "what" may be asked do not decide based on what the constitution specifies, but through outside of the law reasoning as to the legitimacy of additional questions. In those cases, it is not an interpretation of the law, but an addition to such which is also not within the courts authority to legislate.
It really is an interesting question and due to the very subtle nature of the issue, it is also one that may show us how the constitution is ignored in favor of convenience, or "greater" purpose. That should concern people, regardless of how small an issue this is simply because historically speaking, many great injustices have been done through such innocent approach and reasoning.
What do you think is done with the information gleaned from the census?
People can be so paranoid. I received my census form earlier this week and already filled it out and sent it off. It is 10 questions, none of them invasive. Check out census forms from other nations sometime and you will see much more invasive questions.
I noticed on the back it says census data becomes public after 72 years.
The old census records are an invaluable source of data for genealogical research. Right now 1790 - 1930 census are available. In a couple of years we will get the 1940 census released.
The only problem I had with it was the letter that was sent two days before I got my census form, telling me I was about to get my census form. Why not just send me the form? Gotta keep the post office in business? Other than that, big deal. I filled it out and had it back in the box in less than ten minutes.
I don't get the paranoid going around about the census this year. It's just stupid and shortsighted. Without them, communities can't project the coming needs for schools and nursing homes just to name one benefit. We have very few questions to answer this time around compared to those taken in the past.
W2, here's the "rub": Again, why the first major question requirement to specifically define if you are Hispanic or not? It's not a simple, multiple choice part of a general question as to race. I, for instance, am one of those much hated and typically maligned White Anglo-Saxon, ex-Brit/Scot/Irish guys, well educated, but nowadays generally asked to "siddown and shaddup" because I'm not a minority!
Tell me that doesn't happen in this increasingly PC world.
And simplicity should not necessarily be the goal, but rather to gather and better understand the demographics of our population. This Census costs each of us taxpayers real dollars, and if we're going to do it, I'd rather utilize it properly to gain the best possible information, not just how many Hispanics, legal or not, live in your house, with convenient space for up to 12! Twelve?
I'd also hope that each year, the legal population in this country is getting better educated, a few more years of school at least under their belts, and so better able to answer a few easy questions. Is any information more than just how many and their ethnicity all we can manage simple Yes/No answers for (tho' after filling in info for my "12" kids, my hand would be getting tired, I'd agree...)
But nope; it goes on page after page, up to 12 family members living in the house. What the heck's with that? Why not say "If there are more than 4 of you (or 6) please attach a list." And then add in some easy questions about education, income, etc.
It's too idiotic, and the Hispanic bias is immediately obvious. It relates specifically to funding for schools and other free government services, and where there's a big population, illegal or otherwise, of one ethnicity, the results of this absurd Census will simply re-direct my tax dollars. Unfair, biased and probably, illegal. But hey; who cares, huh? It's your government!
I have to ask: have you seen or filled in your Census form yet? Perhaps not...
First, how does race determine proper representation? By claiming it does, do we not state that for instance, a black person can better represent black people than a white person or the other way around? By what reasoning can we come to such a conclusion? Is not the role of a representative that of which to determine through discussion with those they represent their needs and then taking those needs to the table to be voiced? If we are a different race and you tell me that the schools are in dire shape in certain areas of town and by taking that concern, I bring legislation to the table which remedies such, have I not properly represented your concerns? So by what role does "race" play in this and how will attending to such racial position change the outcome of my example? Will a white person always properly represent white people? Will a black person always properly represent black people? If this is not a constant, they by what advantage does specifying such make in and how it concerns representation?
Exactly. A black home-owning taxpayer would be more similar to a white home-owning taxpayer. People living in housing projects would have more in common with one another than with the working taxpayers.
The government obviously already knows how many people it's got living off welfare and food stamps so they don't need racist questions to "hint" at any of that.
Congress can legally ask us questions about race, income, etc. Just because the census is for counting people doesn't mean it can't be used for gathering other information; the Constitution doesn't say Congress can't ask questions of us. Since we are constitutionally required to do a census, it is an ideal way to ask these other important, useful questions. The census is incredibly expensive and it's an enormous undertaking so rather than ask such questions separately, it makes economic sense to include them in the census that we are already required to do.
We can legally answer race however we wish. If some pasty white guy wants to check black, why not? If the census worker looks confused, then tell him to prove you're not black. We all descend from the same people, and probably the origins of all humans is Africa. Or just say "no hablo ingles" when they show up to your door, and they can just assume you're one of the millions illegals they want to count this time.
What do you think is done with the information gleaned from the census?
Not relevant to the issue. As I said, good, bad, or indifferent as to the use of the information, the point is the authority in demanding it.
It appears that they do not have the authority to, but due to layering of adjustments to the wording of Title 13 over the years, the focus more on the security of the information or the usefulness of it has led to the main issue of its actual authority falling to the background.
Even in that court case, the key reasoning of the defense was using "pecies" of the law to imply the proper context as well as focusing on the above as I mentioned.
This isn't anything new though. You can see this problem in many of our laws today. Be it with good intentions or bad ones, they overlook the actual authority to serve their purpose.
The thing I find most interesting is the fact that on the very first census, the government asked "How many slaves do you own?" Since slaves were considered property and not people, it is the equivalent of asking someone today, "How much credit card debt do you have?" Seems to me the questions have become broader and less intrusive over the years, not more so.
That being said, I filled mine out completely and mailed it. Every morning when I wake up and see the sunrise, I pray that I'll be around to fill out the next one in 2020.
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The problem remains
