• Census affects funding in your community
  Census data directly affect how more than $300 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and much more. That's more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure your community gets its fair share of federal and state funding.
  
• Census affects your voice in Congress
  Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is also used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to redistrict state legislatures. More information about the 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program. . .
  
• Census affects your representation in state and local government
  Census data are used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.
  
• Census informs your community's decisions
  The census is like a snapshot that helps define who we are as a nation. Data about changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.

While bickering about this Democrat pork bill, the White House has pulled a fast one on us .. but it is something that could have major consequences for future political elections, federal spending and more.
Just last week Obama named Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg to be his secretary of commerce. This is the cabinet position originally offered to Bill Richardson, who shaved his beard for nothing. But within days of naming Senator Gregg, the White House decided to take control of the census away from him.

Usually the director of the Census Bureau reports to the secretary of Commerce. But not anymore. The director will report directly to the White House .. and in this case, Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Partisan himself, will apparently be the White House point person.

So what happened? Every ten years, the census generally causes controversy - particularly over the practice of "sampling", which the Democrats just love. Sampling is when mathematical estimates are used to count people, rather than a physical headcount. The reason the Democrats like "sampling" is because they fear that urban residents and immigrants are going to be neglected in the census count if they conduct a physical headcount. And why do the Democrats want to make sure that every urban resident and immigrant is counted? Because they more likely to vote Democrat! But more on that in a minute ....

So Judd Gregg happens to oppose sampling. He also voted, back in 1995, for a Republican budget that potentially would have eliminated the Commerce Department. And back in 2000, Gregg fought with President Clinton over a request for "emergency" funding for the census. Black and Hispanic leaders were particularly upset over this one. PrezBo or somebody in his administration didn't seem to like the fact that these minority groups were upset. So the shift was made.

Now the big question .. why do we care? Why does this really matter? Well, the census matters for a few reasons, but basically it determines the redrawing of congressional districts based on the results. I bet you that government schools teach students about gerrymandering - the politically corrupt mechanism by which politicians redraw district lines in order to maximize one party's political clout and minimize the opposition. You might remember the infamous case of Tom Delay after the 2000 census. Maybe this move from the White House is payback? But if it were up to me, this whole mess could be solved pretty easily - make congressional districts as geographically cohesive as possible. No need for this census crap. No need to count the number of Latinos or blacks or Democrats or Mormons or Wiccans. No need mangle the Constitution with this pathetic excuse for drawing congressional district.

Another reason why we need to care .. your tax dollars. Yep, the census also determines the allocation of federal funds. Your district has a large population? A lot of poor people? Immigrants? You can bet that more money will be coming your way.

Back in 2001, President Bush transferred the power to adjust population figures from the census to the secretary of commerce from the Census Bureau. The argument here was that government bureaucrats should not be making the decisions that could affect future political elections. Instead, those decisions should be made by politicians. In this case it was the secretary of commerce.

So who wins in this little power grab? Rahm Emanuel and the Democrat party. Rahm Emanuel - the man who ran the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006 and helped the Democrats regain control in Congress. That's the man who we are going to have in charge of retooling our congressional districts.
Pretty clever.

That's kind of a silly question. The Constitution is clearly just a celebratory inconvenience nowadays. But for those of you who are government educated, we are going to refer to the Constitution for a moment .. so pay extra attention. You might learn something.

The census is written into the Constitution. In Article I, Section 2 the US Constitution orders that "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."

Now, a question. Which branch of government is outlined in Article I of the Constitution? Any takes? If you guessed the Legislative branch, then give yourself a pat on the back.

Now, the next question .. if the census is set forth in Article I of the Constitution and not Article II (that would be the Executive branch) .. how did it end up under the Commerce Department in the first place? And how can the Obama White House now claim control? Is this White House power-grab as legal?