House takes aim at Census look-alike letters

[lanlady]

Source: CongressDaily

The House passed legislation Wednesday to ban misleading mailings designed to appear as official business from the Census Bureau, following criticism that Republican groups were sending fundraising letters using the census name.

Under the bill, mailings marked "census" will be required to state the name and address of the sender, along with an unambiguous disclaimer that the survey was not affiliated with the federal government.

The legislation passed 416-0. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., has said he intends to move forward with legislation in the Senate.

Earlier this year, the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee put out letters that were labeled "census document." The mailings made a plea for money along with a form asking voters to identify their political leanings and top issues.

Read more: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0310/031110cdam2.htm

[global1]

1. Funny - I Have An Educated RW Friend That Thinks The Census Is........

to invasive and maintains that the government is getting to intrusive in our daily lives. He said he will not fill out the census form if he gets the long form that probes with too many questions.

Ironic that the RNC and the NRCC put out letters that were labeled "census document" and that they included questions for the respondent to identify their political leanings and top issues.

I wonder if he would fill one of these out - seeing who sent it to them.

It is probably these letters sent out by the RNC and NRCC that are causing the 'tea party' & Repug wackos to get upset with the census and they don't even know that its coming from their own kind.

[HopeHoops]

2. So called "educated" people also think FOX is a news channel.

Makes you wonder, eh?

[PatSeg]

4. The first census was taken in 1790

and was mandated by the constitution. These right-wingers love throwing the word "constitution" around until it interferes with their preconceived notion of what "freedom" means. The only part a lot of them care about is the freedom to bare arms.

[PatSeg]

5. You can tell your RW friend

that there are no long forms this year.

<The Census Bureau website states it will no longer use a long form for the 2010 Census.<2> In several previous censuses, one in six households received this long form, which asked for detailed social and economic information. The 2010 Census will use only a short form asking ten basic questions, including name, gender, age, date of birth, race, and homeownership status.<2>>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census

[sandnsea]

8. But they do, that is misleading

I have told many people they aren't using a long form this year. But it turns out they are, they're just calling it the American Community Survey. That really makes me mad because I have basically lied to people, but didn't know it. Grrr.

[PatSeg]

10. That's a crappy thing to do

Why don't they just call it the "less short form"? Just watch, all the right-wingers who are complaining about the census will get the American Community Survey and they'll go ballistic.

Surely there must be some deserted islands left in the world that these people can go live on. Clearly they don't want to be part of a society or community.

[sandnsea]

12. There is a nugget of good news

I've gone to rural Oregon, very rural Oregon, and everybody is just lovely. Only one or two dismissive crabs. If we didn't have political parties at all, I suspect the country would run a lot smoother and there would be many less people in poverty.

[PatSeg]

13. Sounds like heaven

And you need one or two crabs to add a bit of flavor to the mix. It is when they gather in herds that they become a hazard to society.

The concept of representative government is often lost when politicians start to represent a party instead of their local constituents. A republican from Montana should have a different agenda than a republican from New York. A one-size-fits-all mentality does not serve real people. Of course, public financing of campaigns would probably help, but I don't think I'll see that in my lifetime.

[The Genealogist]

9. Then your educated RW friend would be...

and educated RW criminal. Since there is no long form this year, your RW friend's little whine is pretty much moot. It may well be that he is an educated man, but he is saying, in perhaps a more polished tone, the old Libertarianish "I don't want no none gubmint knowin' my binniss." I wouldn't mind seeing all the people who won't participate in the census "cause the mean old gubmint blah blah" have no representation at all in congress.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Repubicons are soooo lacking in basic decency and honor

Verily, they are THE Latter Day Pharisees.

[Old Codger]

6. Be a good thing

Since the census data is used to allocate funds and relocate political district boundaries and decide whether or not states and districts are deserving of more representatives every rupug that doesn't fill their out is a plus for the dems... stupid is as stupid does.. if ignorance is bliss some of these right wing/tea party yo-yo's must be elated.

[sandnsea]

7. Good because it is getting confusing out there

I have had several people tell me they already did the census form, and it turns out it was one of these phony forms. Very frustrating. So far no one has sent money with the phony forms, so that's a good thing.

[PatSeg]

11. But meanwhile the RNC

has collected data on people. Now THAT is intrusive.