"The train leaves the station at 7:50, so close the door." That was Dean Arthur L. Beeley's rule as he started each class at the University of Utah. And I know because, as teacher's pet, I sat at the front of his class and was the one to close the door. No one entered once the door closed. He lived by the rules and expected everyone else to do the same.

Apparently, Sen. Robert Bennett and Rep. Jason Chaffetz didn't sign up for any of Dean Beeley's classes; otherwise, they would not be trying to pass legislation to reprint new census forms. The Census Bureau announced the final print last July. Sorry, but the census train left the station four months ago; the senator and congressman should have been on it. Rules are rules. But then it seems to be OK to break the rules for political gain since it's only taxpayer dollars that are at stake. Maybe TARP money could cover that, too. Somehow politicians who claim to be fiscally conservative lose sight of that when they are in the automatic campaign mode.

There are politicians who say, "Rules are rules," but in reality, there are rules and then there are their rules. Rulemaking and violations by politicians are at their peak around campaign season, even among those who are viewed as honest. Sometimes those in office succumb to the temptation of exploiting the fear people have about their future. They turn to the tactic of using the most vulnerable people of the time as scapegoats for their political gain; years ago it was the "welfare mothers" who misused their food stamps, and this time it's the "illegal immigrants."

To use the "undocumented immigrant" issue as a reason for reprinting the 2010 Census forms four months after the deadline is hardly subtle; it's seen as a move to gain political support while sacrificing the good of the nation as a whole. If making sure undocumented immigrants were counted is considered critical, then the proper changes should have been made a year earlier. To bring the matter up so late seems irresponsible and only adds to existing public fear. Yes, getting the census right is important for voter representation, but so is the government's ability to plan so our policymakers can make decisions for the public's good: how to allocate $400 billion a year to communities for transportation, education, public health and safety, to name a few. To try to fix one part of a problem at the expense of the overall welfare of the nation only reaffirms the view many voters have that politicians are more concerned about getting elected than promoting the nation's interests.

Our country is crying out for leaders who have the will to act with vigor and who call upon the best within us, rather than on our fears. We need leaders who inspire us to pull up our sleeves to work together to solve the serious problems our nation faces. Redoing forms is not one of those problems. Getting our elected officials to act as statesmen is vital. Our nation and world are undergoing dramatic changes and our institutions are slow to respond to those changes. The problem is not the census forms; it's our immigration laws that need fixing. That's what all our elected officials should be doing.

Our nation is hurting. We need leaders who have the ability to have a vision of what needs to be done and rally us to achieve it, rather than showing up after the train has left the station.

A Utah native, John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations; been on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch, served on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards; and filled White House appointments, including deputy assistant secretary of labor and as a member of the commission on Hispanic education. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net.