Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Boycott the Census?

We all know the government has overstepped its bounds. One place where every citizen can fight back is by boycotting the census. Why would you boycott the census? There are so many people that will tell you that it will only hurt you if you are not counted. Let's look at what the census is used for and the reasons it would hurt you if you fail to return your card.

Primary Purpose
The census is designed to count the number of people in order to proportionately divide the members of the House of Representatives. How many people actually vote for the people in Congress? How much response do you get from your Representative? I happen to like my representative, and how he fights against all earmark spending. Of course, I'll still have only one representative for me, regardless of how many we have in my state.

Secondary Purposes
There are numerous secondary purposes for the census, from a simple accounting of the population to gathering details on how you live your daily life. For a government that has shown an amazing audacity in intruding into the affairs of corporations and individuals, the less they know about me the better off I will be. My only regret would be for individuals in the future that may be seeking information for research purposes.

Only Hurting Yourself
The main proponents of boycotting the Census prior to 2010 were illegal aliens and their advocates. They were loudly told by publications like the Los Angeles Times that Federal assistance for education programs, housing, social programs, health policies, and public transportation would be cut, if they were not counted. This logic clearly identifies those who are seeking to turn our country into a welfare state, beholden to none but the Nanny Government. In fact, this money flows whether or not there is any funding for it, just like all of the other bailouts.

A more effective claim for working families is that the information will be used to allocate funds for roads and highways, provide aid to farmers, and set economic policies. While we can all agree that the highways have been a boon to the country, energy conservation policies will continue to limit the access we will have to use them. It is also obvious that Washington is awash with corruption and failed programs when it comes to farming subsidies and economic policies. These programs should be one of the first places where Congress should look to cut the current budget.

ACORN, etc.
The last, best reason for me to boycott the census is that it is being outsourced to Community Organizers like ACORN and their kind. These groups refuse to come clean on their activities and fund-raising throughout and between their organizations. If I cannot trust them with public monies, I certainly will not trust them with my private information.