Census Bureau: We’re Working With Bachmann To ‘Explain The Rules Of The Census’
Census Bureau: We’re Working With Bachmann To ‘Explain The Rules Of The Census’
In the past couple weeks, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has used her public appearances to fear-monger about the 2010 Census. In a radio interview with the Washington Times, Bachmann said that she and her family would ignore most of the survey’s questions and answer only “how many people are in our home. We won’t be answering any information beyond that, because the Constitution doesn’t require any information beyond that.”
In an interview with Fox News, Bachmann suggested that the Obama administration could use the Census data for nefarious purposes — including the imprisonment of Americans in concentration camps:
BACHMANN: If we look at American history, between 1942 and 1947, the data that was collected by the census bureau was handed over to the FBI and other organizations, at the request of President Roosevelt, and that’s how the Japanese were rounded up and put into the internment camps. I’m not saying that’s what the Administration is planning to do. But I am saying that private, personal information that was given to the census bureau in the 1940s was used against Americans to round them up.
Yesterday, Census Bureau spokesman Steve Buckner spoke to Minnesota Public Radio and said that many of Bachmann’s concerns were misguided. First, filling out the entire Census is required under federal law.
Second, Bachmann may be hurting her own constituents by not filling out all the necessary information. As Buckner said, the Census information — and the more detailed American Community Survey, which “goes to roughly 3 million addresses every year as part of a continual rolling survey” — is used to determine political representation and direct $300 billion in federal funds to state and local governments.
Finally, it’s a federal crime for any Census worker to violate the confidentiality of the Census form, punishable by a federal prison sentence of up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The information is not even shared with other government agencies, so there’s no chance that it would be “handed over to the FBI and other organizations,” as Bachmann claimed in her Fox News appearance.
Buckner also said that Census officials have been working with Bachmann’s office to clear up the misinformation:
BUCKNER: Well, we certainly are working with the Congresswoman’s office here in DC, and have already had a briefing with her to explain the rules of the Census and why they’re there, and explain some of the Constitutional law. I mean, the Supreme Court has upheld the powers of the data to be collected. But we’re not asking anything on the 2010 Census that I can see that would be intrusive in terms of the basic information.
As Buckner also pointed out, “For the most part, people put more information on a credit card application than they do on the Census form.”
Transcript:
BUCKNER: It’s very important for everyone to complete their Census and answer the questions because there’s so much at stake. First, it’s political representation for your local levels, but it also directs about $300 billion in federal funds back to state and local governments every year.
MPR: Why, though, do you want to know about income and race and commuting times and those kinds of thing? The Representative was concerned about invasion of privacy with those kinds of questions.
BUCKNER: I believe there’s two separate issues. There’s the 2010 Census, which asks 10 questions and will be completed in 10 minutes. That goes to every single household, and those will be mailed out in March of 2010. I believe the questions that are being referenced are actually a separate survey that conduct called the American Community Survey, which goes to roughly 3 million addresses every year as part of a continual rolling survey.
And what this does — these questions were typically asked during the Census once every 10 years. But Congress and the Census Bureau worked out a plan where we could ask these questions every year and provide much more timely data, rather than data that could be up to 10 years old.
There’s two separate issues. Filling out the Census form in 2010 is critical. That dictates the political representation and the distribution of our $300 billion in federal funds every year.
MPR: That’s the 10 questions. If you get the survey though, can you opt out of that?
BUCKNER: Actually, because they are part of the Census, they are required by law.
MPR: If I don’t fill out a form, will I be faced with a misdemeanor and a fine?
BUCKNER: Under federal law, there is — there are fines that could be administered if you do not answer your Census. If you don’t fill out your Census form, the Census-taker could call you or show up at your door to solicit that information. They will try multiple times to do so. Eventually, if you have some issues with those, we can certainly work with the respondents on which issues they may have issues with, and work out something to that degree.
MPR: Are there safeguards in place to protect people’s privacy? That is a concern.
BUCKNER: Absolutely. We do not share any of the personal information that you provide, to any other government agency, law enforcement agency — that information is strictly confidential, and we all have to take an oath for life, under Title XIII, to protect that data. But most of it is all aggregate statistical data. So your personal information is pretty much off of it. That oath that we take — if we violate it and release any kind of personal information, we can be imprisoned for five years and fined $250,000. So we take it very seriously. Your data is safe with the Census Bureau.
MPR: Finally, are you concerned about Congresswoman Bachmann’s statements, that they may inspire folks to not complete the Census?
BUCKNER: We certainly hope that people understand why we ask for the data, that it’s safe, and their answers are important; it does make a difference.
MPR: It doesn’t help, I suppose then, to have a congressperson talk about these issues in the way that she did.
BUCKNER: Well, we certainly are working with the Congresswoman’s office here in DC, and have already had a briefing with her to explain the rules of the Census and why they’re there, and explain some of the Constitutional law. I mean, the Supreme Court has upheld the powers of the data to be collected. But we’re not asking anything on the 2010 Census that I can see that would be intrusive in terms of the basic information. For the most part, people put more information on a credit card application than they do on the Census form.
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I wonder if the Census briefings are done by picturebook, I mean, she might have an easier time understanding if they had pictures.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:56 pm“Bachmann may be hurting her own constituents by not filling out all the necessary information. As Buckner said, the Census information — and the more detailed American Community Survey, which ‘goes to roughly 3 million addresses every year as part of a continual rolling survey’ — is used to determine political representation and direct $300 billion in federal funds to state and local governments.”
Personally, I was hoping Bachmann’s crazy rantings would inspire paranoid conservatives around the country to do the same. Their under-representation in the 2010 Census would put more federal funding in the hands of people with IQ’s higher than the average winter temperature in Alaska.
Bachmann’s voice box must have been put there by a diety with a weird, weird sense of humor.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:56 pmFor the most part, people put more information on a credit card application than they do on the Census form
Of course, for the most part people are sane – Bachman is not.
June 27th, 2009 at 12:57 pmlast night there was a monster under my bad
it was the census….
it kept going bump in the night
bachmann is right we should all be afraid of the census
THE SCARY SCARY CENSUS
ITS COMING FOR YOU NEXT!
June 27th, 2009 at 1:05 pmIf you use facts and very, very small words, Michelle Bachmann still would not understand. Her understanding comes from the Fox News/Limbaugh group of uhm, ‘patriots’, not those with any wisdom. Her constituants are as muddled and confused as she is. She won her seat through gerrymandered shenanigans and holds it using the Bush/Cheney/Rove insanity playbook. I thought those in Minnesota were smarter than this, but no they aren’t.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:07 pmIf the people stupid enough to listen to nutcase Bachmann don’t fill out the census, then they are just insuring that their district will be underrepresented and if enough do not fill it out, Minnesota will lose a seat or seats in the House.
Maybe even Bachmann’s seat.
On second thought, keep yacking away Bachmann, it would be fitting for you to have your seat removed from congress, the people in your district that were stupid enough to vote for you don’t need representation anyway. They needs to be locked in the same rubber room you should be in.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pmThe most amazing part of all of this is that someone needs to explain the process to her. Unfortunately, this is the byproduct of what happens when people manufacture a reason to be angry rather than actually expressing real concerns when they are actually angry. We spend so much time debunking people like Bachman, Rush, Hannity, etc that often times the real truth never has time to come out….. The more outrageous the lie, the more time we spend debunking it. I’d be more than willing to bet she does not believe a word that she is saying, she is just saying it for effect & to rile people up. There has to be an easier way to deal with these types of people.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:10 pmI imagine there are good reasons for finding out more information than just how many people live in each home.
But, there is an argument that the additional information will be used for social engineering.
Why does anything beyond the number of people matter?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:12 pmThis woman is simply angry that a black man is the president. The sentiment shows anytime she opens her mouth. SHE NEEDS HELP!
June 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pmAs long as I can remember we were mailed the US Census, no one came around the house and asked personal information. Michele Bachmann is a total whack job. Saying things like she is an Agent behind enemy lines. Telling Chris Matthews that there were un-Americans in Congress. Welcome back Sen. Joe McCarthy.
The Census gives an accurate accounting of the people in the United States, and were money is needed. Telling that the Government will have her phone number. Michele does not think that in 2001 she helped pass the most dangerous piece of legislation, that took almost all of our rights away; it is called The Patriot Act, and that is what is need to be overhauled.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:15 pmMs Bachmann should just drop the other shoe. The gubmint wants to count people so they know how many dinner places to set in the re-education camps.
In her case, she obviously needs to be educated before the re part would kick in.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:15 pmsee, that’s a BIG complaint i have with “our side”…
other that sites like TP, there is no real pushback and setting straight of bullshit like this…
that crazyazz woman should have been whacked with the facts before the end of the next day, for ALL to hear and know…
jeesh…
… it’s too f’n hot here to be out, but i have to do some running for my mom… later all…
June 27th, 2009 at 1:17 pmI really wish the Census Bureau wouldn’t waste its time on this mindless fool. Bachmann is going to spew whatever hits her synapses the next time regardless of reality. To take up the valuable time of GS-15 and SES employees in Census trying to help her understand that the sun rises in the east every morning will be a huge waste of taxpayer money. Instead Michelle should be allowed to continue to spew her craziness. I’ll bet she is a member of the National Rifle Associaiton and still sees commies behind every tree also.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:18 pmbatshit crazy bachmann proves once again paranoia and consipracy theories are at the heart of the modern gop
June 27th, 2009 at 1:25 pmO.T.
What the hell is this?
Obama Issues Signing Statement On War Spending Bill
Remember candidate Obama?
More “Nope” from G.W. Obullsh¡t, the ‘Constitutional
ScholarLiar.Plus, bet you didn’t know about this tidbit over the Climate Bill either:
What the hell happened to Obama’s promise to publish online bills 5 days before they came up for a vote?
This. Administration. Stinks. To. High. Heaven.
Suddenly, Obama is morphing into bush and it makes me absolutely furious, ignoring laws and procedure, except when he doesn’t.
“Transparency/Change/Ad Nauseam” my @ss!
June 27th, 2009 at 1:26 pmIf stupidity was a snowflake, Bachman would be a blizzard! She is so concerned about the legal census but not illegal wire tapping. I’m hoping her constituents elect her for laughs and not representation. If not, they fall into her category.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:31 pmHere’s the money quote from Bimbo Bachmann’s recent interview on the Glen Blechhh! show: “Do they really need to know, like you said, the date and time that we leave mental stability?”
The rest of that joke just writes itself, doesn’t it?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:32 pm“Just because I am batshit crazy doesn’t mean Obama won’t round me up and sell me as a white slave to the Crips”
- Michele Bachmann
June 27th, 2009 at 1:34 pmhanshiro. I know there is no love lost between us, but are you Southern Crescent?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pmGood luck with that, Census Bureau! The dingaling has already decided you’re the debbil. :D
Here’s a little something we have on TheZoo about this nutty woman.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pmHere’s a quick poll, everyone! Given the behavior and actions of both political parties over the last 8 years, which one do you feel would be more likely to round up people without charge and hold them indefinitely?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pmThe fact that a bureau needs to come out and inform the public that they are forced to explain things to Bachmann just speaks volumes.
Then again, how much you care to bet that Bachmann will come out blaming the Census for “re-educating” her like FEMA is allegedly poised to do?
June 27th, 2009 at 1:47 pmCome on people Michelle is doing a great job. Ever since George Bush left his job as Washington’s village idiot Rep. Bachmann has done a marvelous job. I’ll bet if she moves to Texas she’ll be elected governor by a landslide.
Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have always been very highly rated for education, Bachmann has been draging Minnesota’s average IQ down at least 10 points since she was elected.
They have no shame, they’re Republicans.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:05 pm19.backup Says: hanshiro. I know there is no love lost between us, but are you Southern Crescent?
What is “Southern Crescent?” (As I don’t know, probably not…)
June 27th, 2009 at 2:06 pmWhat’s Bachmann’s position on warrantless wiretapping?
June 27th, 2009 at 2:06 pmLike Limbaugh, O”Reilly, and Hannity; Bachmann is trying to make herself the victim. What odd straw-men (the US Census and ACORN) she has selected. In all reality, she is a victim of her own stupidity.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:07 pmI love how Bachmann qualifies her remarks with, “I’m not saying that’s what the Administration is planning to do.” The straw-man fallacy is a pretty typical conservative tactic whenever they attempt to argue anything. To wit:
“In , used the government treasury to bus chinese communists and homosexuals into ordinary peoples neighborhoods to kill their fuzzy little puppies. I’m not saying that’s what this administration is planning, though.”
June 27th, 2009 at 2:14 pmLike Limbaugh, O”Reilly, and Hannity; Bachmann is trying to make herself the victim. What odd straw-men (the US Census and ACORN) she has selected. In all reality, she is a victim of her own stupidity.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pmDamn. (I used ‘<’ brackets and the text got removed). Delete, please.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pmWhat’s Bachmann’s position on warrantless wiretapping?
June 27th, 2009 at 2:16 pmDoes Bachmann really matter in Congress anyway? Does she hold any sway and does anyone actually listen to her? I’m genuinely curious.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:22 pm21. NutWrench Says: Here’s a quick poll, everyone! Given the behavior and actions of both political parties over the last 8 years, which one do you feel would be more likely to round up people without charge and hold them indefinitely?
(via Greenwald:)
I vote “All Of The Above.”
June 27th, 2009 at 2:23 pmNote from Bush, at his retirement home in Texas, to Bachmann:
“Don’t worry about answering the door or questions, I sent your file over from my library’s HLS Copies . . .”
June 27th, 2009 at 2:24 pmstryx Says:
——————————————————————————–
What’s Bachmann’s position on warrantless wiretapping?
June 27th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
_____________________________________________________________
She passed it no questions asked, she probably was first in line to pass the Patriot Act…
The Government has her phone#, e-mail address thanks to herself and the rest of Congress! The know where she works, so they can pick her up and place her in the Internment Camps, that would be funny. I actually wonder what her IQ is?
June 27th, 2009 at 2:25 pm34. Dawn1954 Says: I actually wonder what her IQ is?
Native intelligence has never been a predictor of emotional stability…
June 27th, 2009 at 2:27 pmThe ought to put Bachmann in an internment camp for terrorizing America over the Census. This is stupid. Some republican always brings this crap up every census.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:31 pmFar more significant, “preventive detention” allows indefinite imprisonment not based on proven crimes or past violations of law, but of those deemed generally “dangerous”
So then does this mean Gitmo is going to become the summer White House? And are there really enough enough bunks for the 95% of Congress?
Just wonderin.
(Maybe Faux could set up a studio for work release programs.)
June 27th, 2009 at 2:32 pmhanshiro the antlion Says
Native intelligence has never been a predictor of emotional stability…
————————————————————
Ok do we call the men in the white coats, placing her into a nice straight jacket and haul her to a funny farm. She is a total nutcase!
June 27th, 2009 at 2:37 pmDawn1954, in a compassionate society her friends would have opted for some sort of medical intervention by this time.
In the Republican world, they cheer her on.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:40 pmIt won’t take answers on a census form to know that Michele Bachman needs to be locked up and away from any microphones or soapboxes.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:47 pmhanshiro. yeah, you’d know if you where Southern Crescent. you linked ‘the Citizen’ which is a local paper here. It’s a region south of Atlanta.
Believe it or not, it’s conservative enough that the people I interact with here frown upon many of my positions, because they are too liberal.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:47 pmCorrection noted, AmericasBack.
June 27th, 2009 at 2:58 pmLet the Repubs skip taking the census. Then the money allocated go to the states that complied. That would mean the reddest of the red get no money. Wow. I guess there goes the South.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:00 pmThey actually believe that Bachmann can be swayed by a rational, cogent explanation of how the census is used?
Bachmann is just another right-wing whack-job that never lets reality get in the way of her rhetoric.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:12 pm*Yawn*
June 27th, 2009 at 3:15 pmLet her keep Yappin.
Karma
Its a Beotch
43.backup Says: hanshiro. yeah, you’d know if you where Southern Crescent. you linked ‘the Citizen’ which is a local paper here. It’s a region south of Atlanta.
Actually, the sole reason I chose that link was the clear wording of this incident:
Objecting to the fact that 300 pages were added to the bill at 3 a.m.,
Other links were more obscure about this travesty and I wanted the outrageousness of the stunt to be clear on first review of the post. I have no affinity for the source itself.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:18 pmDo you think, finally, that the voters in her district had enough? If she were my represenative, I’d be cringing with embarassment.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:18 pmWayne Says:
——————————————————————————–
If the people stupid enough to listen to nutcase Bachmann don’t fill out the census, then they are just insuring that their district will be underrepresented and if enough do not fill it out, Minnesota will lose a seat or seats in the House.
Maybe even Bachmann’s seat.
On second thought, keep yacking away Bachmann, it would be fitting for you to have your seat removed from congress, the people in your district that were stupid enough to vote for you don’t need representation anyway. They needs to be locked in the same rubber room you should be in.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pm.
————————————————————-
For any reason she gets voted back into Congress, I actually pity a newby who is elected to the House. She could scare this poor soul who has some sanity and hearing her speak, that person might run out of Washington, D.C. screaming
June 27th, 2009 at 3:38 pmhanshiro. I get it and respect that you seem to rise above partisanship to champion what you believe is right.
I think our representatives should be given an opportunity; no, they actually have a responsibility to read the bills, before they vote on them.
I agree with what you are saying and applaud you for your effort.
But, in addition to your efforts, what is the answer? How do we get our politicians to actually make decisions based on their own judgement (the way is was meant to be) and not the herding we see within the parties?
June 27th, 2009 at 3:44 pmIf it was up to me, on Census Day I would have a Census worker and a Federal Marshall go to the Bachmann house and if the law was violated I would have her arrested.
It is good for Michele that dragonflies aren’t in positions of authority! :}
June 27th, 2009 at 3:52 pmThey really shouldn’t waste their time because Bachman isn’t gong to hear anything she doesn’t want to hear. I really do think there’s something wrong with her brain because it doesn’t seem to work like everyone else’s brain works.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:57 pmP.D. Says:
——————————————————————————–
Let the Repubs skip taking the census. Then the money allocated go to the states that completed. That would mean the reddest of the red get no money. Wow. I guess there goes the South.
June 27th, 2009 at 3:00 pm.
————————————————————-
I am from a really Blue State and the Birth of Independence, so can we get some good roads, schools and maybe a few more Malls, we love malls…
June 27th, 2009 at 4:00 pmI was hoping to get ten more representatives in Democratic states because of Bachmann’s buffoonery.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:07 pmI want them to make judgments based on what their constituency wants.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:10 pmIf you’re going to explain anything to Ms. Bachmann remember to speak slowly and use small words….pictures and illustrations may help.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:12 pmhanshiro the antlion:
I agree that Native intelligence has never been a predictor of emotional stability and in fact have marveled at some very intelligent PhD’s who are very emotionally unstable. Michele Bachmann seems to lack some Native intelligence, in my opinion.
Have you any thoughts about Bachmann’s IQ notwithstanding that she’s a nutcase? I’m not trying to start a prolonged dialog on the subject, I’m just curious for an opinion on her smarts, or lack thereof.
Many times, when the heat index is 101, a dragonfly drinks beer and gets curious about these things.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:14 pmHere’s the planned questions for 2010:
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/pdf/2010ACSnotebook.pdf
It’s not inclusive, but the survey asks for things like if your hispanic, what race you are, if you own your home, what’s you marital or partner status, how many bedrooms you have, what kind of job you have, how much money you make, if your a veteran, how many kids you have, what your house is worth and what kind of consumer goods you own, etc.
If your goal is less power in hands of the government, it makes sense to question the census.
They say knowledge is power. We are handing over information, that the government will inevitably used for social engineering, to the government.
If you trust the government to use the information wisely and make effective choices in their efforts at social engineering; the more information on the census the better.
Conversely, if you don’t have that much faith in government, to either act wisely or altruistically; limiting that information makes more sense.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:18 pmDid the explanation involve the use of Barbie dolls & accessories, & was Glenn Beck involved?
June 27th, 2009 at 4:19 pmNat. I agree. Do you think their constituency really wants them deciding on legislation they haven’t even read? Not to mention legislation that their constituency isn’t given an opportunity to read, before it’s enacted into law?
June 27th, 2009 at 4:21 pmM-O-O-N… that spells “Bachmann”!
June 27th, 2009 at 4:27 pmI do think the Census Bureau is pushing it. For example, there’s a question there…for Republicans only…that asks “How many wires are loose in your brain?” That sounds somewhat prejudicial to me.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:28 pmbackup Says:
Here’s the planned questions for 2010:
Only the first few questions are the Census. The rest are the long form American Community Survey. Not the same thing.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:43 pmgummitch. Thanks, I’ll take another look at it.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:44 pmWhat is this crap about social engineering? You mean requiring members of society to abide by the laws as laid out by the majority? Or do you mean telling people it is socially unacceptable to ignore common decency while you make sh*tpots of money?
Or maybe how members of Congress should listen to their constituents instead of the buccaneers who are giving them lots of money?
Engineers are usually focused on making machinery work in the most efficient and economical fashion.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:46 pmhoodathunk. social engineering isn’t crap. It’s often thought to be a legitimate charge of government.
Here’s from the introduction of the planned census questions I linked above:
The information from the census is used to allocate federal resources.
gummitch is right. My link includes information on the American Community Survey. That’s a different thing.
But, the census questions are there. I think they include whether your hispanic, what race you are, marital or relationship status, age, whether you live in an apartment, mobile home, or a home and if you rent, pay mortgage or own.
The question is not whether the information is being used for social engineering, it is. The question is whether you want the government to be doing that.
Again, I think each individual response would depend on how much faith you have in the government to make wise decisions with the information.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:56 pmI suggest anyone with the last name of “Bachmann” remove their name from the phonebook and any other identification they have, lest they be rounded up by the government, mistaken as “Judes”.
I suspect Ms. Bachmann was either home-schooled or attended a school in one of her own underfunded districts if this is evidence of he knowledge of history.
Asian-Americans were not rounded up based upon “Census Data” during WWII, they were identified by their appearance. Anyone that LOOKED Japanese and could not prove otherwise were interred. This includes, Chinese, Korean, and even Hawaiian/Polynesian Americans that were poor with an equally poor understanding of the English language were “rounded up”.
Someone PLEASE tell Ms. Bachmann that if “census data” *had* been used, we would of surely of rounded up “German-Americans” as well (if not moreso). We didn’t, because it is harder to distinguish someone of Germanic heritage by looking at them than to distinguish those of Asian heritage.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pmThis woman is such a f’n moron, no wonder she’s a born again idiot…and to think, she represents people from her district…who also must be complete morons to vote for her.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:03 pmthe repub fear factor
it works in a dumbed downed society
ie like ours
visit a local wal mart or a mall and ask some simple political questions. scary the answers you get.
churchhill stated spending 5 min with the average voter gives one chills as to the future of democracy. or something to that effect.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pmbackup, social engineering is crap. There is not now nor has there ever been any department of the US Government that has been charged with implementing policy to direct social development.
There have been many with the task of implementing programs designed to support disadvantaged and discriminated members of society with the hope they can develop their status.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pmConsidering that Corporate America has been collecting date on each of us and uses information from that data to market their goods and services, would you prefer them to make the “social engineering” decisions that need to be made to serve and protect the citizens. Of course we have the option to off shore those decisions too.
Now tell me, how many people will be needed to inspect the foods we eat, based on population growth projections? Do you want some entity other than our government making those decisions again?
June 27th, 2009 at 5:09 pmThere is a difference between private corporate agendas and government agendas in the US.
Private corps want profits.
Our choice is do we want a government that supports the private agendas or one that listens to the people. We are at that crossroads.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pmHoodathunktick Says:
There have been many with the task of implementing programs designed to support disadvantaged and discriminated members of society with the hope they can develop their status.
This is exactly what conservatives mean by “social engineering” and why they use the term in a disparaging way: Help the poor? The disadvantaged? No way! They should
eat cakedevelop some “personal responsibility”.If only they had the good sense of being born to wealthy parents, those dumb poor people wouldn’t have all the financial problems they do.
/sarc off
June 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pmFor those who shake their head at how stupid Bachmann is, just remember the GOP wanted Sarah Palin to be the VP of the USA.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pmBachmann has a family????????????? She was allowed to breed and now there are more like her running around. If there ever were a reason for any government to be intrusive in someones life she is the argument.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:22 pmbackup: The question is not whether the information is being used for social engineering, it is. The question is whether you want the government to be doing that.
They’ve been “doing that”, for the most part, since the 18th century or the 19th century for most of the rest. How can you turn this into a question?
Not to mention: it’s mandated by the goddamn Constitution!
June 27th, 2009 at 5:24 pmI hope Bachmann and the rest of these repugs keep spewing their stupidity. You can practilly smell victory in 2010,2012.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:32 pmThis is why it is SO IMPORTANT that the Government follow the law and the constitution.
The Bush administration ABused their Power and Deserve the Suspicion of Americans. Even Congressmen had their Phones Tapped without a Warrant. Innocent “Suspects” were wisked off to foreign countries .
If ,God forbid, McCain and Palin were in the Whitehouse Now, I’d be a lot more sympathetic to Bachmann’s Concerns.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:41 pmI bought cookie dough at Costco 2 months ago and when they recalled it a two weeks ago Costco had an automatic dialer call and tell me not to use it. And idiot Bachmann thinks the only way people can be kept track of is the census. Anyway when she authorized illegal wiretapping didn’t she say that if you haven’t broken any laws you don’t have to worry.
June 27th, 2009 at 5:42 pm.
Dear Minnesota,
That a Representative has to be schooled as to why a census is necessary and mandatory…
… Ought to make one sit up and pay attention.
And for those in her district…
… REALLY? HER? THE BEST? REALLY?
REALLY?
I MEAN…
… REALLY?!?!?!
.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:34 pmBut she wants the census to have the question, “Are you a US citizen?” thinking that it will weed out illegal aliens. She doesn’t seem to realize, first of all, that there are many non-citizens living in the US with proper visas for work, study, etc. Secondly, does she really think every person who is the US illegally will answer that question honestly?
June 27th, 2009 at 6:46 pmBTW, a friend of mine in Minneapolis says that she is a real embarrassment, however she represents a sort of redneck district.
Lots of RW websites are into this topic, so the visit from the friendly Census folks is a waste of time. I googled ‘FDR japanese census’ and there are many pages of varying degrees of clarity.
One of the benefits of having a wingbut in a national office, is folks like ME get to learn about subcultures. Like secessionists, birthers, dominionists etc. Thank you, Michele – now go hide in a bunker until 2011.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:47 pmBachman seems to be the type of person who would enjoy shooting deer and wolves while flying around Northern Minnesota in an airplane.
Bachman is Minnesota’s version of Sarah Palin. Both are dumb and ditzy.
June 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pmAs someone alluded to above…
Where was Bachmann’s concern over “Big Brother” when Bush was illegally wiretapping millions of Americans?
June 27th, 2009 at 7:02 pmLora says, “BTW, a friend of mine in Minneapolis says that she is a real embarrassment, however she represents a sort of redneck district.”
It’s hard to imagine a large area of Minneapolis/St. Paul where most of the people think and behave like Michele Bachman. That’s scary.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:07 pmTo Delafield,
June 27th, 2009 at 7:11 pmI think she represents a redneck suburb–not urban Minneapolis/St. Paul. But don’t forget that Norm Coleman used to be mayor of St. Paul, though admittedly he is not quite bat-shit crazy like Michele.
There has been a census since about 1790. And as someone pointed out on the radio, Thom Hartman I think he said, “NSA already has the information about all of us.”
This woman is the same as Sarah Palin. Stupid, so very stupid. And each week she proves it. What kind of people would elect such a nimrod? I would be so embarrassed to have her represent me, I would cringe at her every word.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:13 pmEvery time Bachmann(BSCR)MN. speaks, all I hear is John Vernon(Dean Wermser-AnimalHouse) saying “fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life!”
June 27th, 2009 at 7:43 pmYeah, I know she’s not fat or drunk, but I still hear that voice!
(I doubt it’s the same voice SHE keeps hearing)
(I’m also giving her the benefit of the doubt on the “drunk” part)
I haven’t seen a denial that the census was used to enable roundup Japanese-Americans during WWII.
So it appears to be true that the census data can be abused.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:54 pmAlejandro: You guys are silly.
We won’t use the Census to lock all the Republicans up.
We will just use the voting records.
Suckers.
June 27th, 2009 at 7:59 pmLooks like the cencus employees left alot of comments
June 27th, 2009 at 8:23 pmI can’t believe she’s allowed out anymore. Her ignorance is startling.
June 27th, 2009 at 8:30 pmMichelle, you ignorant excuse for a legislator…
June 27th, 2009 at 8:34 pmSo it appears to be true that (any government collected data) can be abused. Absolutely, without a question, however, the government must and will collect data about us. It is our responsibility to make sure our government uses the information gleaned from that data to serve the citizens, NOT the corporations.
We would be fools to not want our government to use the latest data about us to protect our “way of life”. If I have a choice of accepting a decision from Blue Cross / Blue Shield versus a government administrator, I’ll accept the decision that serves my country’s best interest over corporate profits, even to death.
June 27th, 2009 at 8:48 pmMay you all rot in hell!
June 27th, 2009 at 8:59 pmBelittling Bachmann & her racist, lying, uninformed, loser, idiot comments is like eating popcorn– you want to stop, but you just can’t, because it makes so much sense. And she certainly doesn’t.
June 27th, 2009 at 9:41 pmDear Lord, this woman is the worst, most ridiculous, most insane politician ever, and that is saying a lot. Turf her out. She’s a lying, racist, stupid jerk.
The rightwing seems to have mixed opinions about the internment of the Japanese-Americans during WWII. Bachmann is implying that it was a bad thing, while another Michelle (Malice/Malkin) wrote an entire book defending the racial profiling of Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. Maybe the two loonies–oops, I meant ladies–should have a debate on this.
June 27th, 2009 at 11:03 pmThe Census Bureau also said that they were working with Bachmann to find her a suitable resthome.
June 28th, 2009 at 3:04 amI am genuinely curious about the phrase, and concept of “social engineering”. What is it, and how is the govt doing it? Examples?
As for being concerned about the govt running our lives, I have far more concern about Wall St, insurance companies, and health care non-govt organizations running, and ruining my life. Who should I trust, the salaried govt person or the overpaid insurance company that decides my health care based on maximizing profits?
June 28th, 2009 at 7:17 amYayhoo Says:
May you all rot in hell!
Dibs on Circle #2.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:10 amThere really ought to be a law against an elected public official deliberately misleading the public.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:49 pmI live in the Cities. Shelley’s district is centered in Stillwater, and only lightly touches on the outer ring suburbs. Her district is gerrymandered quite neatly, if I can post a map I’ll do so. Her base in her district, and it is a pretty solid base, has two legs – wealthy retirees and those soon-to-be-retirees who commute to the Cities, and a shockingly large number of megachurchers, mostly followers of Prosperity Gospel and Pentecostals. FWIW, she is very representative of her district – that base, large enough to get her elected in the 2008’s, even with a last minute, big-money push at the end by us after the McCarthy comments, LOOOVES her.
June 28th, 2009 at 3:02 pmArticle V of the United States Constitution: Specifically “on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution”. This requires a lot of work, but if that amendment imposed by individual states includes wording to the effect that congressmen shall be beholden to their own state for monetary replenishment, or remuneration including all insurance funds, you may find that congressmen will stop acting on the will of the party throughout the US, and only on the will of the party within the individual state, or more at the will of the state legislation. Better yet if wages were set by state quorum you’d definitely see politicians working for their districts needs more than the needs of the national party.
we both know this will never happen but one can dream…
June 28th, 2009 at 3:35 pmFrom what a relative said who helped round up Japanese people, most of the information was provided by the immigration services at the time (I don’t know the exact name of immigration services during that time period, as it has changed since). They provided lists of immigrants and their families.
From my readings specifically of a camp diary, a boy’s father was accused of being a Japanese conspirator, when he was actually Chinese, and his mother was Japanese. They were apprehended and shipped there due to his fathers business dealings and not his ancestry.
Reports of that time also suggested that many immigrants failed to register with the census for fear of pogroms similar to Russia’s, Japan’s or China’s (under Britain). Many of the camp’s residents were unregistered aliens making them victims of occurrence and not of the census. Because of the Alien registration act, which was fundamentally apart from the census, officers were allowed to apprehend aliens who did not have registration cards, allowing them to gather data separately from any census. When the exclusions were set, forcing all Japanese Americans to flee, it did not require any personal information, as it only required the suggestion of Japanese blood, either by sight, organization involvement or neighbor complaints, which is why there were a few Chinese Americans and Korean Americans caught up in the internment camps. The whole involvement of the census was rather cursory, as it was only partially utilized by the FBI to formulate their codex, with a majority of it developed through domestic wiretaps and spying, and the US Attorney at the time put the kabosh on that codex as he said it was illegal.
For the most part the census has been a red herring in the case of Japanese internment because it has always been a source of fear mongering among hot bloods, racists and isolationists. They’ve used the fear to prevent people from being counted. they did it to black people in the South during the Jim Crow era, they did it to Mexicans in Texas, and the Southwest states, they are trying to do it to the Hispanic immigrants now, and for some reason they are doing it to themselves. They use the example of these internment camps to rouse suspicion in the unwary and uninformed, mostly because they have found that in the south there is an unequal split among the undereducated, with a greater majority of liberal sympathizers, and by keeping the whole group down they guarantee that the larger portion does not influence federal money, nor do they gain power. It’s a plan that has been used by several parties since the 1700’s including the republicans and the democrats.
The census could never be used to identify people anyways as the information is separated within the first few rounds of dissemination, and your name is theoretically no longer connected to your info. At this stage, any complaint about the census is fundamentally retarded as your credit report holds more information
June 28th, 2009 at 4:15 pmher arguments lack reason. Your credit report currently says more about you as an individual than the census report ever has. In fact, depending on the person you can identify, work, age, gender, religion, political party affiliation, economic status, dependents, as well as hundreds of other tidbits that you could not learn from the census, and I can go out and buy your credit report, I can’t buy the census information
June 28th, 2009 at 4:19 pmSorry lack of edit button and accidentally pressing return during reorganization made my post much longer than necessary
June 28th, 2009 at 4:20 pmTo the Census Bureau:
June 28th, 2009 at 7:00 pmGood luck. I suggest that you talk slow and don’t use any big words.
Working with Bachman ?
Don’t try to teach a pig to sing – it only annoys the pig.
And as the dude points out – there is a massive amount of information that the credit bureaus gather with almost no oversight.
June 28th, 2009 at 10:10 pmbuffaloeric:”I’d be more than willing to bet she does not believe a word that she is saying, she is just saying it for effect & to rile people up.”
I’ll take that bet. Bachmann is a fundamentalist fool. She truly believes her bullshit. While she was a state representative her focus was “The Gay.” In her view Gays had an agenda and her job was to stop it. There was a rally at the state Capitol once where Bachmann was caught hiding behind some bushes peering out at the “gays” gathered there.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×4258101
In another incident she filed a report saying that she had been held hostage in the ladies room at a village hall in her district. She thought that two lesbian women were out to get her. This link lists some that I’d forgotten. Its well worth reading.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:44 amhttp://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-04/rep-michele-bachmannrsquos-wackiest-moments/2/
This woman is a about 3 watts short of lit. She reminds me of a brunette Ann Coulter.
She’s worried about a freaking census but didn’t say anything when Bush/Cheney started illegally spying on 300,000,000 Americans?
June 29th, 2009 at 9:35 amNo one needs to know my race or religion or salary but me. I don’t care who agrees with me – I don’t follow politics and don’t know anything about this care about this Bachmann person. I just know I will not be providing this personal information on the 2010 Census – or on any other form I an requested to complete. I will give my name and the name of anyone living in my house – that’s all.
Even my family does not know anything about my religious beliefs and would consider it rude to ask, so why would the government need to know.
Also, I have never condidered myself as a paticular race – I’m just a mixture of other mixed generations with whitish skin, so what’s the big deal about choosing a race – aren’t we all equal?????
June 29th, 2009 at 11:25 amFirst of all, privacy is not a concern when this information is not shared with anybody but the census bureau. They use this information to help support our local communities with federal aid. This is not a proper way to thank them for the work they do. So THANK YOU census bureau.
Secondly, there are many options to pick on the racial background question and you are allowed to mark as many boxes as you would like. There is even an “other” option.
Lastly, your religious views are not the census bureau’s concern, as they are not asking a question pertaining to religious views on the 2010 census.
Bachmann is simply being using her “shock and awe” tactics get attention and thoroughly confuse us all.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:44 pmExplaining the “rules of the census” to bachmann is only slightly more difficult than explaining cold fusion to a rabbit.
June 29th, 2009 at 4:40 pmI know that we shouldnt dissuade anyone from expressing his/her opinion, however, when someone expresses an opinion that is so cleary WRONG! why is it that the Big Media journalists covering the story dont call them out on it? When Bachman is making these ridiculous comments, why is it that no journalist speaks up at that moment and calls her on it? I think if journalists would start doing this then maybe the idiots of the world would begin to quiet down. Bachman is obviously not able to understand the necessity of the census…how is it that someone that stupid is allowed to hold public office? Shouldnt there be a test for office holders, something to test their intelligence level? We could call it the ‘No Public Official Left Behind’ or the ‘We dont want anyone as stupid as Michelle Bachman in Office’ test and the results should be made public BEFORE the elections!
June 29th, 2009 at 6:21 pmThank you..
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