February 12, 2009
Does One Plus One Equal Three?
Vol. 4 Issue 1
Will
the 2010 Census be the biggest Quid Pro Quo
in the history of the United States?
In 2010 the U.S. will conduct the next
census, just as it has done since 1790. The
original census
was conducted by U.S. Marshalls.
In 1902, Congress established the Census
Bureau as a permanent Federal agency.
By law enacted on October 5, 1978, census
records are sealed for 72 years.
Article I, Section 2 of the US
Constitution states: "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."
The Congress, by law directed that: "The
Secretary of Commerce shall perform the
functions and
duties imposed upon him by this title, and
may issue such rules and regulations as he
deems
necessary to carry out such functions and
duties, and may delegate the performance of
such
functions and duties and the authority to
issue such rules and regulations to such
officers and
employees of the Department of Commerce as
he may designate." The way I interpret it
the
Director of the Census must, by law, be
within the Department of Commerce and under
the
direction of the Secretary of Commerce, who
then reports to the President. Is there
something
I’m not understanding? What am I missing
here? I believe it is straightforward.
It is a simple process. The Bureau of the
Census under the direction of the Secretary
of
Commerce counts every living person in the
United States, reports its totals to the
Secretary to
establish the accurate count for election
and Congressional districts. Then locks up
the results for
72-years.¹ Based on the count Congressional
Districts may be re-proportioned.
However, a wrong or manipulated count
could lead to gerrymandering.
Now for the first time in the history of
the U.S. the administration plans to bypass
the Commerce
Department and have the Census Bureau report
directly to the White House. This is in
direct
violation of the law and may be
unconstitutional.
The director of the Census Bureau will
report directly to the White House and not
the Secretary
of Commerce, according to a senior White
House official.
The decision came after black and
Hispanic leaders raised questions about
Commerce Secretary
Nominee Judd Gregg’s commitment to funding
the census.
The real question now is who will conduct
the count. Will it be the Census Bureau or
will it be
the Association of Community Organizations
for Reform Now (A.C.O.R.N.). If it is
A.C.O.R.N.
will the count be as accurate as their
handling of voter registration. Will we see
names and
addresses taken from the telephone
directories or newspaper obituary columns as
we did during
the election? Will Mr. & Mrs. Mickey Mouse
be counted in Orlando along with their
cousins
Donald and Daisy and their dog Pluto?
However, the questions remain.
Will gerrymandering be the operative word
in the 2012 election?
Will this be the biggest Quid Pro Quo in
political history?
Will one plus one equal three?
And, that is my opinion.
Michael Solomon
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