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All-In [26968]
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What is the benefit of asking about citizenship
Jul 11, 2019, 9:14 AM
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On the census?
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Lot o points [155804]
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What is the benefit of being completely and willfully
Jul 11, 2019, 9:18 AM
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Unaware of the percentage of the populous who are citizens?
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All-In [26968]
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I think I can interpret your question as sort of an answer:
Jul 11, 2019, 9:20 AM
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Would I be accurate in saying your answer is "so that we can know the percentage of the population who are citizens."?
If so, what are some benefits of knowing this?
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All-TigerNet [13360]
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What is the purpose of a census in the first place?
Jul 11, 2019, 9:24 AM
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To find out who’s here... that’s the point.
What we do with that info- depends on who’s reading it. Dem- increase messican ads on tv Pubs- deport and ask for a faster wall.
I think that’s the answer no matter what the numbers say.
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All-In [26968]
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The purpose of the census it to execute the proper
Jul 11, 2019, 9:26 AM
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Apportionment of representatives in the House of Representatives, and "direct taxes," per Article I of the Constitution.
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Legend [17909]
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...and to "Direct Taxes." Well, how can one plan
Jul 11, 2019, 12:04 PM
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free medical, food stamps, etc for ILLEGALs if we don't know (a best as we can) how many to budget for?
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Lot o points [155804]
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no, I’m asking a legitimate question
Jul 11, 2019, 9:38 AM
[ in reply to I think I can interpret your question as sort of an answer: ] |
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One that seems more obvious to me than yours.
Why would not knowing that information—-information that affects government functions on numerous levels and infringes on no ones constitutional rights—be more valuable than knowing that information?
I don’t understand the angle you’re coming from.
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All-In [26968]
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What do you mean "angle"?
Jul 11, 2019, 10:33 AM
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I just asked a question.
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Lot o points [155804]
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Am I not speaking English?
Jul 11, 2019, 1:46 PM
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There's two ways to look at your question. Why would we want to ask about citizenship, and Why would we not want to ask about citizenship? I'm confused why your approach, aka angle, is the former.
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All-In [26968]
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I already know the answer to the second question.
Jul 11, 2019, 1:48 PM
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(At least I know what my answer would be)
I don't know the answer to the first. So I asked the first one.
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Lot o points [155804]
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fair enough....carry on.***
Jul 11, 2019, 1:56 PM
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All-In [26968]
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I'm closer now to supporting the citizenship question
Jul 11, 2019, 2:00 PM
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Than I was when the thread started...I think a few good exammples of federal funding appropriation issues could push me more, if your'e so inclined below.
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Lot o points [155804]
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All-In [26968]
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Thanks***
Jul 11, 2019, 5:02 PM
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All-In [26968]
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Of note, and you probably know this...
Jul 11, 2019, 5:03 PM
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This is not about the proper census, but about the American Community Survey. Indeed, however, the reasons for inclusion could be the same.
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All-In [26968]
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Wait, right there is the answer:
Jul 11, 2019, 10:38 AM
[ in reply to no, I’m asking a legitimate question ] |
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You said: "information that affects government functions on numerous levels"
That's exactly my question...if you gave me specifics on what those functions are, that would be the help I am looking for.
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All-In [34580]
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uuuuhhhh, congressional seats/erectoral college
Jul 11, 2019, 1:35 PM
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that's really all you need to know
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All-In [26968]
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Citizenship status doesn't currently affect that...
Jul 11, 2019, 1:47 PM
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I understand that you may desire that to be the case, and I'm not saying that's wrong. But currently, whether a person is a citizen or not does not impact whether they are counted for Congressional representation.
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All-In [34580]
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Heisman Winner [111519]
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I can not say I am outraged by the proposal
Jul 11, 2019, 9:30 AM
[ in reply to What is the benefit of being completely and willfully ] |
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but then what happens? I mean we have a pretty good idea that the number is around 24 million. And a census is not going to give us an exact total unless everyone participates and answers truthfully.
it seems to me the census was intended for other purposes than a head count, and possibly an issue libertarians could take issue with as well.
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All-TigerNet [12851]
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what would happen if those 24 million were not
Jul 11, 2019, 9:49 AM
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included in the distribution of house seats and electoral vote?
though only 5-7% of total population, they are concentrated in certain areas.
Technically not eligible to vote, an inflated population gives that state inflated representation.
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Oculus Spirit [93658]
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That is why California is giving illegals free healthcare.
Jul 11, 2019, 9:51 AM
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90K illegals in Cal? Chit.
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Heisman Winner [111519]
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Re: what would happen if those 24 million were not
Jul 11, 2019, 2:52 PM
[ in reply to what would happen if those 24 million were not ] |
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they would have to be registered to vote in federal elections to be counted as "represented".
some one posts an BS article that illegals can vote in our federal elections 3....2....
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Oculus Spirit [93658]
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I'd say our population is around 10% illegals now.
Jul 11, 2019, 9:49 AM
[ in reply to I can not say I am outraged by the proposal ] |
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It's probably closer to 35 million. There is only one way to solve the problem, sour the milk. Instead of spending billions upon billions deporting illegals over and over again we should start collecting the $10K fines for employing illegals.
It wouldn't take a big enforcement plan, just catch them working and drag the boss to jail. Force them to bond out and have the minimum sentence a year's probation and the $10K fine.
No tickey, no workie.
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110%er [6636]
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Re: I'd say our population is around 10% illegals now.
Jul 11, 2019, 12:43 PM
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Now that's a good idea.
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Oculus Spirit [93658]
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We'd need a law demanding employers clear...
Jul 11, 2019, 2:52 PM
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all employees with a national register which means we'd have to have a national register for citizens.
The cries of racist would be deafening.
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All-In [26968]
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I do not currently have an opinion on the proposal
Jul 11, 2019, 10:44 AM
[ in reply to I can not say I am outraged by the proposal ] |
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I was hoping to gain some insights in this thread that might help me form an opinion.
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Oculus Spirit [93658]
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Your questions always challenge the conservative view.
Jul 11, 2019, 11:37 AM
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That is at lease suggestive.
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All-In [26968]
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Well, I should hope so.
Jul 11, 2019, 12:14 PM
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I'm a conservative, and I desire to be challenged.
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All-In [26968]
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As a follow-up, I would ask you...
Jul 11, 2019, 12:25 PM
[ in reply to Your questions always challenge the conservative view. ] |
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Are you saying that including the citizenship question is a "conservative view"? What makes it so? I'd say, if conservatism is about more limited government, then not asking the question could be argued as the more conservative view.
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All-In [26968]
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As a show of good faith, I will answer your question
Jul 11, 2019, 10:42 AM
[ in reply to What is the benefit of being completely and willfully ] |
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as best I can.
I cannot think of any benefit to being willfully unaware of the percentage of the population who are citizens.
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All-TigerNet [10856]
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Re: What is the benefit of asking about citizenship
Jul 11, 2019, 9:33 AM
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Just in case a dem is elected, we have to know how many people are gonna get free health care.
or if that is offensive....
we need to know the number of people that will pay for the free health care for others.
or something like that.
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Oculus Spirit [93658]
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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Well, the census was intended to be used for two main
Jul 11, 2019, 9:43 AM
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purposes. Taxation and electing representatives. Those are the two reasons for knowing the number of people. Over the years, as the purposes have expanded and multiplied, so have the questions. As the reach and power of the federal government has expanded and multiplied, so have the questions.
The early censuses taken listed the "head of household" by name. Then all other persons, with an age range for each person and gender. Later wife/son/daughter was added. Then occupation. But generally, up until the Civil War, it was very vague, and almost useless for genealogy research prior to 1840-50 roughly.
BUT, in the Constitution, for the purposes of enumeration (which they called it), free "persons" were to be counted. Then Indians (Native Americans) were to be excluded if they were not taxed, and then indentured servants were counted, and all others (read slaves) were counted as 3/5.
Basically, for the original purposes, it is VERY IMPORTANT to determine how many people live in an area with a right to vote because that determines Congressional seats and representation. Illegal immigrants can't vote, with the exception of maybe a few places in California. Since they can't vote, if their numbers are included anonymously in a census, that skews the districting lines that represent Congressional districts. It also impacts the level at which a region receives government funds and adds a disproportionate amount to areas where there is a high percentage of illegal aliens, who otherwise are not entitled to receive those funds as they are not citizens.
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All-In [26968]
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Thank you for your answer (first one in the thread)***
Jul 11, 2019, 10:34 AM
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All-In [26968]
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I have a follow-up, if you have the time.
Jul 11, 2019, 10:37 AM
[ in reply to Well, the census was intended to be used for two main ] |
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Do you believe that Congressional representation should be apportioned based on voting-eligible population only?
And, is that currently how representation is done?
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All-In [38514]
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I believe it is by population.***
Jul 11, 2019, 10:41 AM
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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Yep. Especially important for the House of Representatives
Jul 11, 2019, 11:05 AM
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The gerrymandering issue we all hear about, which explains some odd looking districts, even THAT is based on population. The drawing of the lines to include african-americans, white people, or left-handed Armenian gypsies aside, it's still all based on population. The number of representatives each state has in the HOR is based on their population. After each census some states with population increases gain seats and others lose seats if their population decreased. In areas with a very high illegal alien population, they could be over-represented in Congress, while states without a high population of illegals, could be underrepresented. And that's just to preserve our "democracy" in Washington and keep it running fairly. Then you have the whole issue of entitlements, and federal spending, which is often tied to population, under the assumption that the population consists of CITIZENS, with a vote, who are entitled to entitlements.
Again for the OP, it's a VERY important question that should have never been removed by Obama. Democrats hate the question and are against it because their cities and states welcome illegals with open arms, and one of the perks, if the question is not addressed, is they get more House seats, more power in Congress, and more funding, above what they may even need to spend and more votes than they should have in Congress.
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All-In [26968]
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Do you believe representation apportionment should
Jul 11, 2019, 11:09 AM
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include the population of non-citizens who are legal residents?
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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That varies by state.***
Jul 11, 2019, 12:02 PM
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All-In [38514]
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Obama didn't remove it.
Jul 11, 2019, 11:54 AM
[ in reply to Yep. Especially important for the House of Representatives ] |
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It had only been asked on the long form which was only distributed to some households. In 2010 only the short form was distributed. So Obama changed the process that had been in place the previous few decades, but didn't remove the question.
Personally I don't care either way.
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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I filled out a long form in 2010
Jul 11, 2019, 12:05 PM
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I included how many toilets are in my house, where my children attend school, how many bedrooms I have, they type of AC/heating system I have, whether I use well or city water, etc. I did it online and it took a good half hour. It was well beyond the "long form" I also filled out in 2000.
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All-In [38514]
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No you didn't.
Jul 11, 2019, 12:21 PM
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You filled out the American Community Survey. It is sent out yearly to 3.5 million households.
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All-In [38514]
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All-In [26968]
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I also thought it was total population.***
Jul 11, 2019, 10:41 AM
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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It is, but that creates an equity problem with regard to
Jul 11, 2019, 12:01 PM
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representation. That's why in the Constitution its based on voters, with slaves included as 3/5. Indians were excluded. Keep in mind, back then, the country was vast, and the government's level of responsibility and power was limited. In fact, originally most states did not have a citizenship requirement for voting. Just be free, white, male, and/or an indentured servant, and you could vote. There were no significant federal resources or entitlements to pay, and there was plenty of room. Most states phased in a citizenship requirement over time.
If you are going to require citizenship to vote, and most states do, you SHOULD at least be able to delineate citizens with a vote from those who have no vote. Again assuming the original purpose was stated correctly in the Constitution. Otherwise we can toss everything out, which we already have basically. But the question should be there. We should have control of immigration. We will fail is we don't. We have perhaps the weakest border and immigration policy of any country on Earth.
It's a moot question if immigration laws were enforced.
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Hall of Famer [22387]
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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No one said "don't count". Everyone is still counted
Jul 11, 2019, 12:07 PM
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EVEN IF THE QUESTION IS ASKED.
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All-In [26968]
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Yes, but the essential question is
Jul 11, 2019, 12:20 PM
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what is the benefit of knowing the citizenship population, specifically. It's true, at this time, that the citizenship status does not impact the count for Congressional representation, though I'm sure many believe it should. So it'd have to be some benefit besides counting for representation apportionment.
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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Federal benefits.
Jul 11, 2019, 12:41 PM
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That's the other biggie.
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All-In [26968]
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Yes, and if you have time, as I asked below...
Jul 11, 2019, 12:44 PM
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I think it would help me to hear some examples of that.
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Hall of Famer [22387]
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I was responding to this statement in your post:
Jul 11, 2019, 12:38 PM
[ in reply to No one said "don't count". Everyone is still counted ] |
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"Since they can't vote, if their numbers are included anonymously in a census, that skews the districting lines that represent Congressional districts."
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Oculus Spirit [97703]
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Again, everyone is counted.
Jul 11, 2019, 12:46 PM
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But for representative purposes, voters need to be distinguished among the total population. As do citizens. Asking the question does not change anything other than making data clearer. I mean, why does the toilet count in my house matter? Or whether I have gas or electric heat? And yet somehow asking someone if they're a citizen is going too far?
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All-TigerNet [11180]
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Exclusion is the point of the whole exercise. Heck,
Jul 11, 2019, 1:10 PM
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even without the question, many non-citizens wouldn't dare fill out a census form. The fear this administration has created among immigrant populations is absurd. Put the citizenship question on there and you can guarantee little to no response from non-citizens for fear of being rounded up and jailed.
Minority census participation is lower than majority participation to begin with. Add that to non-citizens being afraid to fill it out and you get a pretty picture of white America, the rest is hazy or just plain absent.
Count everybody, without fear or doubt.
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All-In [47795]
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its time for another 3/5ths compromise?***
Jul 11, 2019, 10:22 AM
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All-In [26968]
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So far, Tiggity's response has help me...
Jul 11, 2019, 10:51 AM
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I'm not so sure I'm with him on the need to count citizens for determination of Congressional representation, as I think that's done based on total population, not voters only.
But I like his point about too much government funding going to places where people might not be eligible for such funds.
Can anyone (Tiggity obviously included) possibly give me some examples of such kinds of government funding that could be impacted by asking about citizenship on the census?
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All-TigerNet [11180]
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Municipalites and counties receive federal funding
Jul 11, 2019, 11:44 AM
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for infrastructure maintenance if US highways pass through their jurisdiction. If I-10 goes through your town, your county will receive some federal funds to help maintain it. Citizens and non-citizens use these roads.
Now, if your county also has a substantial Latino population with non-citizens, that funding will be diminished. Because there is no way any non-citizen is going to answer that question on a census, so they won't be counted.
Fair example?
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All-In [26968]
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I think that's a fine example, thanks.***
Jul 11, 2019, 12:17 PM
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Standout [345]
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Re: What is the benefit of asking about citizenship
Jul 11, 2019, 11:10 AM
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Knowing the number of citizens vs. non-citizens is useful data if you want to know the number of citizens vs. non but that is about it. It doesn't have anything to do with house representative appropriations which is what both sides are actually fighting over. Total population is used for that regardless of citizenship and has been done that way from the first count back in 1790.
The compromise to get this to pass in the beginning was to guarantee every state had at least one house member while the rest would be divided up by population. In addition, the slave states insisted on counting slaves that were non-citizens and had no rights so the 3/5 rule was added to keep them on board.
The main problem with asking about citizenship now is that it is presumed to lower the responses and therefore give you less accurate results. There is some pretty compelling data behind this view. So, if you want an accurate count, you leave it out. The attempt by the administration to add it was nothing more than an attempt to reduce response levels in areas that typically vote democratic. The leaked mail from the guy who passed away sunk their attempt to add it as his own writings indicated it was a political move to sway power.
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All-In [26968]
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Thanks. Yes, I understand and agree with
Jul 11, 2019, 11:13 AM
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the potential negative impact of including the question. What I was not as aware of were the potential benefits, which could possibly outweigh the negative, in which case I wouldn't have a problem including the question.
I don't so much want to discuss the motives behind the specific politicians involved, as I want to just address the citizenship question on its own merits.
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All-TigerNet [11180]
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There are no merits to the question if it
Jul 11, 2019, 11:31 AM
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diminishes participation, which would skew data.
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All-TigerNet [11180]
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Good ol Thomas Hofeller. Is this what y'all really want?
Jul 11, 2019, 11:29 AM
[ in reply to Re: What is the benefit of asking about citizenship ] |
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Redistricting Guru's Hard Drives Could Mean Legal, Political Woes For GOP
Updated on June 7 at 4:30 p.m. ET
The way Thomas Hofeller talked about redistricting — the drawing of political boundaries and the sifting of voters into buckets — you could be forgiven if you assumed he was speaking about a loved one or a favorite holiday.
"Redistricting is like an election in reverse! It's a great event," he said with a smile at a National Conference of State Legislatures event in 2000. "Usually the voters get to pick the politicians. In redistricting, the politicians get to pick the voters!"
A mapmaker and Republican strategist, he saw holes in the democratic system that could be exploited by technology and guile. Hofeller, who died in August 2018, saw a way to turn small vote margins into supermajorities for GOP legislators.
Now a trove of his data has been uncovered that could undo some of the work he spent decades perfecting.
The strategy
In North Carolina, after Republican successes in the 2010 election, Hofeller helped draw new maps that netted the party 10 of the state's 13 congressional seats, despite the popular vote in that state being nearly even.
Hofeller also knew the key to success in this niche field was protecting against lawsuits. He spent 10 PowerPoint slides in a presentation he gave about redistricting in 2011 just on legal issues and privacy.
"Treat every statement and document as if it was going to appear on the FRONT PAGE of your local newspaper," he implored on one slide. "Emails are the tool of the devil."
He knew the practice was unseemly, and if politicians were going to partake, Hofeller warned, they needed good lawyers. And a way to keep secrets.
"Loose lips sink ships," he said, at the same NCSL event in 2000. "Remember, a journey to legal hell starts with but a single misstatement."
All the more surprising, then, that his own files have prompted legal action.
After Hofeller's death, his daughter found hard drives and thumb drives holding close to 100,000 files, according to The New York Times. She turned them over to Common Cause, a voting-rights nonprofit. The first hint at what they could contain came in a court filing last week.
Census case offers a sliver
An unpublished 2015 report, authored by Hofeller, concluded that adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census would produce data that would help redraw political maps "advantageous to Republican and Non-Hispanic Whites."
Plaintiffs in one of the New York-based lawsuits over the question also say that Hofeller later ghostwrote an early draft of the Trump administration's request for the question. A Justice Department spokesperson called that accusation "false." The Trump administration has said it wants to add the question to help minority representation, even though Census Bureau research disputes that.
Ohio State law professor Daniel Tokaji says the Hofeller discovery is just another example of how the administration's justification doesn't hold up.
"It was not really, as they claimed, to get better enforcement of the Voting Rights Act so that Latinos could be fairly represented," said Tokaji. "In fact, there was a deliberate plan, and that plan includes the dilution of Latino votes and the enhancement of Republican voting strength."
The question now is, what else is in the newly uncovered files?
The data, as some have theorized, could potentially be useful in other partisan gerrymandering lawsuits that are floating around the country.
Attorneys for Common Cause said in court filings made public Thursday the Hofeller files reveal that Republicans in North Carolina made false statements to a federal court to avoid special elections in 2017.
Legislators repeatedly said districts that had been ruled unconstitutional couldn't be quickly thrown out because work on new ones had not yet begun. The newfound files, however, show that Hofeller had almost completely finished new maps at the time those statements were made, the Common Cause attorneys say.
Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director for the organization, wouldn't discuss what else is in the files because of ongoing litigation, but she spoke generally about the dangers of politicians drawing district lines that favor their own party.
"This is an American democracy, and we don't want a situation where, perhaps the best analogy is like Russia, where you have fake choices on the ballot," Feng said. "Where there is no such thing as true democracy, where your vote doesn't matter."
The public's view on "vote-stealing"
Public opinion about partisan gerrymandering is consistently negative. Last fall, voters in four states voted to reduce the role of elected officials in the redistricting process.
A Campaign Legal Center poll from earlier this year found that about two-thirds of likely 2020 voters view gerrymandering unfavorably.
Tokaji says the public getting a closer look at the unsavory details of Hofeller's work will only fuel those feelings.
"I think it's a little bit like the Wizard of Oz," he said. "It allows those of us who have not been in the backroom to see behind the curtain, and see the real partisan agenda behind some of these decisions."
The more the public knows and understands about the practice, the less brazen politicians may be when lines are redrawn in 2021.
For much of Hofeller's career, redistricting was considered a wonky practice that operated in the shadows of the political process.
"Redistricting is a very complex field, but I think it's a field which affects Americans a lot more than they understand," Hofeller said in 1991. "I define redistricting as the only legalized form of vote-stealing left in the United States today."
What remains an open question is exactly how much of his work will be undone by the data that have now come to light.
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Lot o points [155804]
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Let's slap on our common sense thinking hats for a second.
Jul 11, 2019, 2:45 PM
[ in reply to Re: What is the benefit of asking about citizenship ] |
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You're literally saying "If you want to know how much of something (someone) there is, the most accurate way to measure it (them) is to not measure it."
Alternatively, your logic can be construed as "If people are going to lie about something, it's best not to ask".
With all due respect, the average clear-thinking 10 year old would say that either of these are dumb.
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All-In [26968]
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I don't think it's so much that people would lie
Jul 11, 2019, 2:51 PM
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As it would discourage participation. To me, it's a very similar argument to the voter ID issue. The drawback is that anytime you are adding questions, or adding requirements, you are going to decrease participation. So it's important that any additions are of material importance.
In this case, the lack of participation leads directly to inaccuracy of the census, since the whole point is to count people, regardless of citizenship status.
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Lot o points [155804]
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There is this one thing
Jul 11, 2019, 2:59 PM
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They could refuse to answer or just lie. Census takers just write down what you tell them.
Black helicopters wouldn't show up.
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All-In [26968]
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Yes, that's true...
Jul 11, 2019, 4:59 PM
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I do think it would be wrong for people to not participate, or to lie on it. So I do not want to intimate that I encourage that. I'm just speaking to the realities of it: the question very likely would decrease participation, right or wrong though it may be.
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All-In [47795]
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I'd love to hear 3rdGen's take but he's probably
Jul 11, 2019, 11:35 AM
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forbidden from weighing in
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All-In [34580]
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geeeezus***
Jul 11, 2019, 1:32 PM
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Replies: 67
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