Deseret News | 2010 Census kickoff stresses importance of accurate count

Reader comments
2010 Census kickoff stresses importance of accurate count

Charles | 6:22 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Someone needs to tell Caroon that the "federal funds" are taxes paid by we citizens. It's not as if the money just appears out of nowhere. Maybe we should see what we can do to limit "federal funds" so that we can keep more of our money and do what we need to do with it for our families.

I know, I know...what a selfish greedy jerk I am for wanting to keep my own money....

Anonymous | 9:44 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Someone also needs to tell him that missionaries are part of the families here and should be counted

Don't Cry For Me Beehive State | 9:48 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Every state and every city claims that they were undercounted and deserve more Federal funding and representation. And every state and every city also counts every illegal alien, often more than once.

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Mona | 10:01 p.m. Oct. 29, 2009

Missionaries will be counted where they live at the time, not w/ their home families--if they're not living at home April 1 2010 they'll be counted elsewhere.

Silva | 2:44 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

The count needs to be accurate, and steps need to be taken to assure that everyone answers it. A simple $100 fine is not enough when it comes to a seat in congress and federal funds.

Imo | 5:56 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

I can understand why they need to know how many people live in my house and what ages and sex they are. However, they don't need to know who owns the place where I live or if there is a mortgage on it, whether it's rented or if I live there free. Nor do they need to know my phone number. And why would they need to know my race? The purpose of a census is to count people. What race they are is not relevant. I would throw out questions 3,4,5,8,and 9, and I probably will.

Counting illegals | 6:21 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

Census reports and forms are bogus and information is abused by government. For ever american that doesn't respond there are several hundred illegals in the count offsetting an accurate and real count. So any census is bogus and grossly inaccurate.

Surrendering our country to illegals is not worth all the money in the world. Government is more concerned about dishonest head count than preserving our country. We americans cannot be forced in to this surrendering their country to foreign nationals. Counting illegal foreign nationals nullifies all accuracy so why comply with it?

@ Charles | 7:38 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

Not getting counted correctly on the census does not allow you to keep more of your money - it actually means you get less benefit from your money because it goes to other states instead of coming back to yours.

Anonymous | 8:00 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

I'm sure Utah is a net receiver of federal funds. Don't worry, you get more than your share.

Only 2 Proper Questions | 9:09 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

I will gladly answer questions #1 (How many people...) and #2 (Were there any additional people...), but my Constitutional obligation to cooperate and answer ends there. Questions about the structure I live in, my telephone number, my name, my sex, my date of birth, my ethnic origin, or where else I may live are all out of Constitutional bounds. The government may ask, but I am under no obligation to answer. They are charged with conducting a head count in the Constitution for specific purposes and that is the extent of the authority we the people granted them.

I have been down this road before with the American Community Survey. They threatened to fine me, but then when the realized that I wouldn't back down and answer them, they said that they really never fine anyone. I would love for them to fine me, it would give me standing to properly challenge their unconstitutional actions in court.

Please excercise your rights to remain silent and keep your information private.

Participate!!! | 9:48 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

We all need to make sure to participate, another congressional seat is on the line. We've waited 10 years for this, mostly because some chose to not participate and get an accurate tally in 2000.

lost in DC | 11:47 a.m. Oct. 30, 2009

if we were a blue state and they couldn't count us, they'd estimate (with high estimates) even though that's illegal. they did it in 2000

Zadruga Guy | 12:52 p.m. Oct. 30, 2009

There are federal laws (different laws for different questions) requiring the asking of each and every question on the census.

The Constitution simply mandates that a census be taken. It says nothing regarding what questions to ask, or not ask. It leaves to the Congress the decisions about that. Thus, Congress has the right to ask whatever questions it wants to.

Just because you think that a question is not relevant to determining apportionment does not give you the right to not answer it. Congress has already decided otherwise. Answering the census is MANDATORY. There are criminial and civil penalties possible for refusing to do so. And it is our civic duty to aid the government when it asks for our aid.

Zadruga Guy | 1:01 p.m. Oct. 30, 2009

It is amazing to me that people who claim that the Constitution requires that ONLY a head count be taken are ignoring the plain language of the Constitution. Article 1, Section 2 says, "Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers... The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct."

Thus, the count is to be of INHABITANTS not just CITIZENS. So the Founding Fathers INTENDED that non-citizens be counted, and they always have been. People engaged in illegal activities have also always been counted. Those in prisons and jails have been counted.

Note that the Constitution gives the Congress explicitly the power to say HOW the Census is to be taken. Thus, there are NO limitations to what questions it is legal for the Census Bureau to ask, if the Congress has first passed a law directing the Census Bureau to ask the question.

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Stuart Johnson, Deseret News

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon hands a pin to Yoceline Nunez and other children from the Guadalupe Schools who sang at the census kickoff at Utah Food Bank Thursday.