The Census Bureau is in a Quandary.

So ponder this.  When we take the census in 2010 should we be counting everybody or just U.S. citizens?  There are non-citizens and illegal aliens in this country.  What have we done in the past and why is it important? 

First of all just in California if we excluded counting non-citizens we would lose 5 House seats in Congress.  Exclude counting illegal immigrants we would lose an additional 2 seats.  In 1990 California gained 7 seats after the census was tabulated.  The count also figures in getting federal dollars, so the number does matter.  Millions of dollars are at stake just in California.

In the past starting in 1790 citizenship was not a requirement to be counted.  Slaves were counted as 3/5ths of a person back then.  Who started this counting business anyway?  It goes back through to England and has its origins in the Bible.  So counting the populace has always been with us.  But now it has become very political with various groups threatening to take action to force a ‘proper’ counting or else they will protest.

The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce headed by Steve Gandola wants the count to include all Latinos including non-citizens.  The Rev Miguel Rivera who runs the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders wants illegal Latinos to boycott the U.S.  Census to protest Congresses inability to overhaul immigration laws.  So within the Latino community folks are divided on on this issue.  The current estimate of Latinos living in the U.S. is pegged around 50 million with around 13 million living in California.  Rivera’s goal is to get the Dems to pay attention as Latinos typically vote Democratic and if they withhold being counted the House seats would have to be reapportioned after 2010.  That would mean less Democrat seats in office after re-alignment.  So the political ramifications are huge for each party.  Rivera claims to represent 20,000 churches across the country.

The Constitition says we count ‘whole persons’ but even that is now being called into question.  In the Senate, legislation was being proposed that we only count citizens, but it was killed on Nov 5th of 2009.  So the importance of the count is significant.  Rivera says his members approved a boycott of being counted and California is one of the States targeted.  California stands to lose upwards of 7 house seats if indeed the numbers hold true.  In California where we have a greater share of non and illegals we get more representation as compared to those states that don’t have the abundance of those folks.  Plus we get more money as compared to other States, and that causes a rub in those states.

Are we in danger of complaining about illegal immigration, the costs to our economy, but then turn around and want them to be counted because of House seats in play and lost federal funds?  Isn’t that talking out of both sides of your mouth?  Do we expect our census workers to either prove the folks they count are legal or illegal?  We have this argument once every ten years and each decade the cry for “fairness” grows louder each time.  With this country quickly turning more mixed in terns of Latin origin, who is to say who is right?  Do we count everybody or just those here legally.  Don’t prisoners lose the right to vote if incarcerated and become a sub-citizen?

I thought the purpose of the census was to count everybody, but it has taken on a whole new meaning now that politicians are involved.  I would like to get your viewpoint so please leave a comment below and let me know who you think should be counted.

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