Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 21:42:12 -0700
From: apfanning@psn.net ("Alan Fanning")
Subject: [lpaz-repost] Census Scam
To: lpaz-repost@onelist.com ("lpaz-repost"), Activist-talk@list.LibertarianActivist.org ("Libertarian Activists")
Such a hoot! Maybe he's serious.
--Alan
URL: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/garris1.html
The Census Scam
by Eric Garris
San Francisco, 1980.
A friend drops by my house. He is a middle-level Democratic Party
activist who has been appointed as a middle-level census supervisor. He
lights up a joint. As he passes it to me, he explains that he is
"working" at that very moment counting people for the census. "I don't
understand. I thought the counting was over." He explains that he is
doing "spot counts" of people who were not counted in the regular
tallies. I ask him how he knows whether someone has already been
counted.
"Well, we can ask, but usually we just make a judgment call. For
example, I just saw 5,000hispanics on a bus who I am sure had not been
counted." He went on to explain the benefits of systematic overcounting.
"We get more money for government programs and more representation in
Congress." I asked him how pervasive this was in the census system. He
told me that it was virtually policy, at least in San Francisco. He went
on to explain that, according to some estimates, there were actually
50,000 less people living in San Francisco than the number used to
figure money and apportionment. I told him that I had not been counted,
since I had burned my census form at a protest on the steps of the
Federal Building. He said, "You are Now!" We continued to smoke and he
continued to count imaginary people as the numbers on the budget
continued to mount up.
The census is the largest remnant of the spoils system remaining in the
federal government. All high-level census officials are chosen by the
White House. Middle- and lower-level officials are chosen by
Congressional offices. While some lower-level employees are chosen out
of the pool who apply, rest assured that any ruling party hack who wants
a job gets one.
A close friend of mine applied for a census job last year, when they
were doing the initial "scouting." She got a 94 on the test, which is
clearly excellent. She made several calls but was never given a job.
Last month, she called again and reactivated her application and test
score. After many calls, she finally got a supervisor who explained that
she would be hired, "if a neighborhood supervisor chose her." She asked
if this was totally up to the neighborhood supervisors, she said that it
was. Her next call was to her Congressthing. She was able to speak to
one of the Congressional staffers who, coincidentally, earned extra
income as the local census supervisor. The next day she was hired.
It is clear to me that the census isn't a little bit corrupt it is a
total scam. I would not be surprised if there are 50 million less people
in the country, although it may not be that much less. It is clearly to
the advantage of the people running the census (political hacks and
officeholders) to pad the numbers as much as possible. It is illogical
to expect them not to cheat.
Given what I know, I now look at the census advertisements in a
different light. What I hear now is, "remember to fill out your census
EARLY AND OFTEN AND WITH BIG NUMBERS. It is our future.
I would never want to advocate breaking the census laws, but consider
the stakes. Our only defense against this gross inflation of the numbers
is to deflate them. The following are not recommendations, just
observations of actions that people wanting to deflate the numbers would
take:
If there are 4 people living at your house, some people might forget
about the others.
If someone doesn't fill out their form the worst they can do is fine
them $100 (a rarity). When the follow-up people come to someone's door,
they may accidentally say that they are asleep but live alone and
goodbye. Under census procedures, this would result in a count of one
and no return visit.
Some people just leave a note on their door saying they live alone and
don't bother me, I have tuberculosis (or some other virulent disease).
Some people invite the census-taker in and offer some Great Spotted Suck
Toad Soup.
Some people answer the door in their Hannibal Lecter costume.
I am not going to answer and am willing to pay the $100. But my first
plea will be self-defense.
March 30, 2000
Eric Garris has been a political activist for 33 years and has friends
all over the political spectrum. He is currently Webmaster for
Antiwar.com and LewRockwell.com.
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