House of Reps votes to eliminate ACS. WTF!!!!!!!!!

[Ѕenator Αverroës]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/house-votes-cut-census-survey_n_1504748.html

The House voted Wednesday to eliminate the detailed surveys of America that have been conducted by the Census Bureau since the nation’s earliest days.

House Republicans, increasingly suspicious of the census generally, advanced a measure to cut the American Community Survey. It passed 232 to 190.

The survey is not part of the constitutionally mandated population count, but some version of it has been done by law as part of the decennial survey since the time of Thomas Jefferson to assess the needs of the nation. It’s generally considered a vital tool for business.

Republicans, acknowledging its usefulness, attacked the survey as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy, arguing that the government has no business knowing how many flush toilets someone has, for instance.

“It would seem that these questions hardly fit the scope of what was intended or required by the Constitution,” said Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), author of the amendment.

“This survey is inappropriate for taxpayer dollars,” Webster added. “It’s the definition of a breach of personal privacy. It’s the picture of what's wrong in Washington, D.C. It's unconstitutional.”

This is the most upset that I've been by any Congressional vote in recent memory. Is it because I feel particularly attached to the American Community Survey? Is it because this bill seems emblematic of all the worst trends in American politics? I don't know. Anyway, I'll repost my comments from Facebook:

Ridiculous. Kathy Hochul voted in favor of this measure. I highly encourage anyone registered to vote in her district to contact her about this. If she's not willing to change her position, she doesn't deserve your vote in November. (ATTN terminally ignorant: If you're registered to vote in Geneseo, Hochul represents you in Congress.)

Three other members of the Upstate NY congressional delegation voted aye: Buerkle, Reed, and Hanna. The same applies to each of them.

The bipartisan group of legislators from Upstate NY who voted against this (Hayworth, Hinchey, Higgins, Gibson, Owens, and Tonko) deserves major praise.

[For Oklahoma]

[Senator Clarence]

Taking after me a bit- 20RP12?

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Taking after me a bit- 20RP12?

At least she's dressed conservatively.

As for the vote, utterly ridiculous.

[For Oklahoma]

Taking after me a bit- 20RP12?

Only slightly

[shua]

This is not something that could pass the Senate, even with Republican control.

[Ѕenator Αverroës]

Of course not, but for me this vote is deeply demoralizing.

[crypto-fascist superhero]

Good.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

I'm sure this will help to fix the economy.

[Bacon King]

Even if this passed, it wouldn't accomplish anything the Republicans say it will. It would just cause the Census Bureau to go back to the long-form, which is more expensive and nosier than the ACS (fun fact: only a third of people who get the ACS and don't send it in are contacted for follow-up, and nobody has ever been even been threatened with the fine for not completing it).

[Frodo]

Even if this passed, it wouldn't accomplish anything the Republicans say it will. It would just cause the Census Bureau to go back to the long-form, which is more expensive and nosier than the ACS (fun fact: only a third of people who get the ACS and don't send it in are contacted for follow-up, and nobody has ever been even been threatened with the fine for not completing it).

That is exactly the purpose of this vote -to force census workers to use more intrusive questions, thereby incurring more ire among ordinary citizens against the federal government.  Feeding the fire, so to speak.  For Republicans, it is a win-win.   

[IDS Legislator Alfred F. Jones]

This is obviously an extremely important issue for our nation.

F*** Upstate.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Let's see.

Illegal warrantless wiretapping? Good.
Illegal indefinite detainment of suspects? Good.
Waterboarding? Good.
Voluntary Census surveys? Bad.

Makes a lot of sense.

[Svensson]

I suppose it was too much to think Congress actually had something useful to do.

[Senator MaxQue]

Next week:
Elimination of the National Weather Service, because saying which how the weather will be on the lawn of someone is invading the privacy of owners, which are the only to know the weather on their lawn.

[Bacon King]

Next week:
Elimination of the National Weather Service, because saying which how the weather will be on the lawn of someone is invading the privacy of owners, which are the only to know the weather on their lawn.

I bet you thought you were joking.

As it stands today, the public is forced to pay more than $1 billion per year for the NWS.  With the federal deficit exceeding a trillion dollars, the NWS is easily overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. It may actually be dangerous.

Relying on inaccurate government reports can endanger lives. Last year the Service failed to predict major flooding in Nashville because it miscalculated the rate at which water was releasing from dams there. The NWS continued to rely on bad information, even after forecasters knew the data were inaccurate. The flooding resulted in 22 deaths.

The massive bloat in government should not get a pass just because it’s wrapped in good-of-the-community clothing. NWS services can and are better provided by the private sector. Americans will invest in weather forecasting because if there is one thing we can be certain of, people will want to protect their property and their lives.

[Governor Scott]

Dumb.

[President Marokai]

Even if this passed, it wouldn't accomplish anything the Republicans say it will. It would just cause the Census Bureau to go back to the long-form, which is more expensive and nosier than the ACS (fun fact: only a third of people who get the ACS and don't send it in are contacted for follow-up, and nobody has ever been even been threatened with the fine for not completing it).

That is exactly the purpose of this vote -to force census workers to use more intrusive questions, thereby incurring more ire among ordinary citizens against the federal government.  Feeding the fire, so to speak.  For Republicans, it is a win-win.

We have a winner.

[Beet]

If no one has ever been threatened with a fine for not completing it, then they simply could have passed a bill to eliminate the fine, but keep the ACS. I don't see how a voluntary survey can be a problem.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Next week:
Elimination of the National Weather Service, because saying which how the weather will be on the lawn of someone is invading the privacy of owners, which are the only to know the weather on their lawn.

I bet you thought you were joking.

As it stands today, the public is forced to pay more than $1 billion per year for the NWS.  With the federal deficit exceeding a trillion dollars, the NWS is easily overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. It may actually be dangerous.

Relying on inaccurate government reports can endanger lives. Last year the Service failed to predict major flooding in Nashville because it miscalculated the rate at which water was releasing from dams there. The NWS continued to rely on bad information, even after forecasters knew the data were inaccurate. The flooding resulted in 22 deaths.

The massive bloat in government should not get a pass just because it’s wrapped in good-of-the-community clothing. NWS services can and are better provided by the private sector. Americans will invest in weather forecasting because if there is one thing we can be certain of, people will want to protect their property and their lives.

So finding the next Katrina to protect Americans is a waste of taxpayer money, but blowing a trillion dollars invading some country for no reason is an important use of money for national security. Republican logic is only for idiots.

[Pacific Councillor LiberalJunkie]

What a bunch of idiots

[Tender Branson]

Whut ?

[So the Heroes Fall]

Reminds me of this: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=114021.0

[greenforest32]

Didn't the Conservatives in Canada do something similar with their census?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_2011_Census#Voluntary_long-form_survey_controversy

We cannot afford realistic and useful data. Just like Newt wanting to abolish the CBO.

Let's budget by faith

[Senator Sbane]

WTF