2010 U.S. Census - Head Count or Potential Body Count?

There is significant consternation among the population over the upcoming, outrageously intrusive, US Government Census. The Census is required - by our Constitution - to be conducted every 10 years.

Today, the controlling law for the U.S. Census is Title 13 of the U.S. Code. There is a lot of census data collected in the United States today, such as economic figures, sales and production figures, and agricultural statistics. Still, the head count is the only part of the census that is called for by the Constitution. The code for the enumeration can be found in 13 USC 141. In this code, the census is directed to be taken in 1980 and every ten years thereafter, and that the count is to be taken on April 1. The returns must be completed within nine months for use in apportionment of representatives. The code also specifies a mid-decade census be taken in 1985 and every ten years thereafter. This count need not be a head count (sampling may be used) though the data cannot be used for apportionment.

Why does the government need to know how many bathrooms I have, or what my total household income is in order to apportion representatives? Are they planning on stopping in to take a dump if they're in the neighborhood? Or, are they planning on hitting me up for a bailout loan? Apportionment of representatives is based upon population - nothing else! Given similar population numbers, the wealthy districts get the same number of representatives as the less-than-wealthy districts, and the government agents have no reasonable excuse for doing anything more than counting heads... unless there is a hidden agenda.

From the U.S. Census Bureau web site:( http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about_2010_census/index.html )

""About 2010 Census

What
Count
The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.

Who
Everyone
All residents of the United States must be counted. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens.

When
Every 10 years
Every 10 years, and the next census occurs in 2010. Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States in March 2010. The questions ask you to provide information that is accurate for your household as of April 1, 2010.

The Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. President by December 31, 2010.

The first Census was conducted in 1790 and has been carried out every 10 years since then.

Where
Everywhere in the U.S.
The census counts everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.

People should be counted where they live and sleep most of the year.

Why
The U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 2) mandates a headcount of everyone residing in the United States. The population totals determine each state’s Congressional representation. The numbers also affect funding in your community and help inform decision makers about how your community is changing. More info…

How
The Census Bureau will mail or deliver questionnaires to your house in March 2010. We will mail a second form to households that do not respond to the initial questionnaire.

Households that still do not respond will be called or visited by a Census worker. (Census workers can be identified by a census badge and bag.)""

There is a fine for failure to participate in the census - $100. There is a larger fine of "up to" $500 for providing false information. The only good news I am aware of is that they will not be using the "long form" - which was the most intrusive - for this census.

As for me, if approached by a representative of the Census Bureau, I will choose to provide nothing more than how many. Anything beyond that will be answered "Not required by the U.S. Constitution" - which is not "false information", inasmuch as the Constitution only mandates "an enumeration", which simply means how many and nothing more. Consider it to be my personal protest against Government intrusion into the lives of the citizens.

Enough is too much!

I could be totally wrong about the over-insinuation of government into our daily lives and our personal, private information... but I don't think so. Let's ALL take a stand against government intrusion!