I live in a deep red state - what if I rip up the census to counteract the right wing?

[groundloop]

I was thinking about the census and the fact that tRump will likely manage to get his citizenship question included (legally or otherwise). Since I live in a deep red state I may just toss my census in the trash so as to help out blue states who need more House seats.

[Skinner]

1. No, that's what they want you to do.

House seats aren't the only thing that depend on an accurate census. Your state legislative districts depend on the census. Many different federal programs that help people in your state depend on an accurate census. If you want to counteract the right wing you fill out your census.

[marybourg]

2. They'll come to your door if you don't return your form,

and if you don’t cooperate, they’ll fill the form out for you based on their own observations.

[SCantiGOP]

6. It can also lead to a conviction and fine

for not filling out the form correctly or even for advising others not to comply with the census.
I doubt that has been enforced in the past, but we are not living in normal times.

I plan to simply ignore any question I do not think should be on there. They can't penalize you for being careless.

[Honeycombe8]

12. It's not a crime not to fill out the form.

It's optional, isn't it?

[TreasonousBastard]

15. No, it's not-- it is required to fill out the form, and if you don't...

they keep bugging you, but almost never arrest or fine. It is not, however, required to answer every question.

However, if you cause trouble by starting a trend to, say, toss the form, they might go after you.

[Honeycombe8]

19. I would either fill it out entirely or not at all.

I live in a red area. If I partially fill it out, my census goes to add to the "red" district count, doesn't it?

So if I live in a red area, I would NOT want to fill it out, but WOULD want to fill it out (even partially) if I were in a blue district?

[TreasonousBastard]

24. Try not to overthink this...

The Census will be counting over 350,000,000 people around the country. Any effect a few people here and there might have while trying to game it would be minuscule.

[Honeycombe8]

26. Same thing about that citizenship question, I guess.

Some people never fill out the census.

[Runningdawg]

3. Fill out the form ignore the citizenship question

[Corgigal]

5. I think

all 300 million of us should just answer yes.

[fescuerescue]

22. They will probably default no answer to "not citizen"

[mitch96]

28. That's what I was thinking... or

If you live in a red state and red county, just put on the form you are not a citizen. That would fuck 'em up.. no?
m

[samnsara]

4. I'm making myself into whatever group they are trying to silence..

[Tanuki]

7. Don't rip it up...just leave the census question blank or write in "none of your damn business."

That's what I plan to do if the census question makes it onto the form.

[Honeycombe8]

13. They'll still count it as a person to give money for....red money. nt

[AncientGeezer]

8. That leaves you uncounted in your state..doesn't help a Blue state

[former9thward]

9. What if Republicans in CA or NY rip it up to deny those states votes?

Maybe the country will end up losing population in 2020...

[tirebiter]

10. Just don't respond to any questions you don't want to answer

[lunatica]

11. They will follow up with a census taker contacting you to

help you fill out the form. They will call you and they will come to your door.

Filling out the census is pretty important. You’d be surprised how much information having to do with counting Americans is used to benefit and to inform Americans. Where do you think all those statistical studies and figures we see every day come from?

It’s not like polls. Polls take fluctuating information, like taking someone’s temperature. Census takes in depth information much like taking all kinds of tests, MRIs, x-rays! Etc. to see a complete picture.

[cwydro]

30. You know, it's kind of odd. I have never been contacted by a census taker except one time.

I lived in Florida, and a woman came by just as I was going to work.

I can’t remember if she left the form with me or what, but she did ask a time that was good, which I told her. Never saw her again.

I’ve lived in several states, and for some reason, I’ve just never been contacted.

[lunatica]

31. that sounds a bit odd for sure.

Did you send your census answers late, or even at all?

Census takers don’t do their own counting nor do they contact anyone unless the census bureau tells them to. And they only offer to help fill the census out if the customer needs it. Like they don’t speak English or some other valid reason. Maybe the census taker confirmed you speak English.

[ArcticFox]

14. Very small potential penalty vs. good potential for change

The max fine for failing to respond is $100.00. For answering falsely: $500.00.

What you propose would tend to increase democratic standing on the national level as opposed to completing the census form by decreasing your state's apparent share of the national population. However, the calculus should include what type of district you occupy within your state too.

If you happen to be in a Republican district within your state, your effect would be greater. Less counted people in a Republican district might result in redistricting more favorable to Democrats and more Democrats in power.

If you are in a blue district of your state, it is probably better to be counted. The local effect would be stronger than the federal effect.

The "if I do it the other side will too" caution is based in a logical fallacy. What the other side does has nothing to do with your choice whether to return the form.

It is doubtful enough resources are allocated to track down all who don't return the census form by mail. And the less people return the form, the less likely that becomes.

Yes, you may cause some loss if federal funds, but is your state allocating those funds to the people, or is it enriching the 1%? And if more Democrats are in power, we might see better policies.

[marybourg]

16. This is ridiculous and spreading such tripe

can only cause more disintegration of our society.

[ArcticFox]

17. Any support for your opinions?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Fill out the form.

Although if you don't, you will be helping provide employment for someone working for the Census next year to go to your house and get you to fill it out.

And to all who think ignoring that question is a good idea, I somehow suspect that any unanswered citizenship question (if one is actually on the census) will be counted as a no answer. So if you think undercounting citizens is a good thing, go ahead and don't answer.

Why no one seems to be advocating coaching non citizens to answer yes to that question puzzles me.

[SCantiGOP]

21. Most federal forms have a statement right before the signature line

That says "fines up to $10,000 and 5 years in prison, etc" for providing incorrect information.

[mainer]

20. Maybe red state dems should not complete form but blue states should

If they allocate representation by how many complete their census forms, the fewer red staters who complete form, the better.

[fescuerescue]

23. The government will spend money to send someone to your door

Money that could be spent on other good things.

If you refuse to talk to them, they will estimate how many live at the household and count you anyway. Possible overestimating the number of residents in your home.

[Gothmog]

25. Turn your form in

[LiberalFighter]

27. Insert another question.

Is the current president a crook? Yes or No

Where possible answer questions in different languages.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Everyone who thinks fucking with the census is a good idea

ought to take one of the temp jobs with the census.

It's quite interesting. I had one in 2010. I was simply working with the forms that arrived in my local office. These were from the enumerators who were out tracking down those who hadn't already sent in their forms. The irrational obstinacy of some of those people was breathtaking. Don't be one of them.