Let me see if I understand this correctly...by knowing how many toilets are in my house, the Federal government will help my city plan for sewer needs. The same government that couldn't build a decent levy in New Orleans will help with my city's sewers ???? I'LL PASS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Also, there is absolutely no legitimate reason why the government needs to know my race. Are funds allocated now based on skin color? Kind of defeats the "all inclusiveness" America is supposed to stand for. For your information, I go to the bottom, check off "Other" and wrote in "HUMAN".

Betty-Please explain to me how knowing who owns my residence or what my name is will have ANYTHING to do with how much money this area receives or doesn't receive in federal funds. Bet I can answer for you---NONE.

Dear Gary, Congratulations on receiving your Census form! I'm glad to hear you have no problems with any of the questions. Texas and Waco will benefit from your sending in a completed form. It's been good talking to you!

Dear Betty, I'm pleased to report that I just now received the form and don't see anything that I have a problem with. So, you won't have to send the Gestapo to arrest me after all.... (I commented about Communist China as in lack of freedom, not census taking.)

Dear Gary, Since you mentioned communist China, it may interest you to know that they do not conduct a Census in China. Any time a baby is born, someone dies, or the family relocates, you have to go to your local police station to report the change. As you probably know, they monitor pregnancies closely to make sure families are not having more than one child, with few exceptions. Thus, there is no need for a Census. The police keep very close tabs on changes in the population. Thankfully, we only have a few questions to answer once every ten years, and the data are used for the most benign purposes. Best wishes!

Dear Gary, if you had read your newspaper closely, you might have seen that the Census Bureau has severed all ties with ACORN. At no time did the Census Bureau intend to send ACORNers to people's homes. They were just helping with some low-level logistics, nothing to be alarmed about. And, no, I am not a member of ACORN; so I will have to pass on the opportunity to KYA! Last time I looked, Texas was still part of the U.S.A. and bound by the laws of the nation. No one is going to arrest you for not answering all the questions. It's like speeding. Most of the time, you will get away with it. However, Texas and Waco are likely not to receive their fair share of federal dollars if you do not answer all the questions. That's what it comes down to. It's still a free country, and you can make up your mind as you see fit. Just understand that there are consequences for your state and your community.

Dear Betty, if failure to give out my personal information TO ANYONE makes me a criminal, then ARREST ME! Last time I checked the map, this is still Texas inside the USA, not communist China! Besides, I said that I will volunteer whatever information is needed for the CENSUS, which is something that verifies the people exist, not something that collects all of their personal information for some database! And if you are part of ACORN, you can KMA!

@ Bill G.: I agree that jury nullification is a legitimate tool. Jurors may choose to acquit a defendant either because they disagree with the validity of the prosecuting statute in general or because they disagree with the prosecutor's exercise of discretion to enforce the law in that particular case. In our nation's history, there have been examples of laws (some already mentioned) which were obviously (at least in hindsight) unconstitutional because they treated different groups of citizens differently. However, even as late as the 1960's, African Americans were often stymied in their efforts to seek redress in our nation's courts. Today, however, there is nothing which prevents any person (rich or poor) to file a suit to challenge a law they contend is unconstitutional. (Your odds are substantially improved if you have a lawyer, but most of the people who have commented on this article appear to be above average in intelligence and could fare well in litigation even if they represented themselves).

That's your decision, Gary. But just be aware that you are breaking the law if you do not answer all the questions. You are also potentially denying your community its fair share of $40 billion dollars of aid that is allocated on the basis of Census data (not just the population count).

I haven't seen the actual form yet, but my plan already, and firmly, is to comply with whatever information needed for the census only. Whatever does not pertain directly to the census is "none of their damn business" and will not be freely given!

To Bill G.: In your post of 3:26 yesterday, you said that an unconstitutional law is unconstitutional from the date of its enactment; but in a later post, you referred to a "potentially unconstitutional law." You can't have it both ways. It is only in hindsight that a law is understood to have been unconstitutional from the time of its enactment. While it is considered to be a law and while it is enforced as a law, it is not understood as unconstitutional. You seem to be saying that something about "Census law" is and has been unconstitutional and is only waiting to be declared so by the courts, i.e., potentially unconstitutional. This line of thinking is all hypothetical. Until the unlikely time that Congressionally mandated Census questions are declared unconstitutional, people are required by law to answer them. Not answering them is a form of civil disobedience, that will end up costing the tax payers (you) more money because Census takers will be sent to every residence that does not return a Census form. The Census Bureau is hiring 700,000 people to do this work. Hiring them and sending them out is a huge expense that could be avoided if everyone would just calm down and do their civic duty.

@ John: So does taking other people's money (the ends) justify overstepping the Constitutional autority (the means)? That smacks of "spread the wealth around" to me.

you folks do realize that by leaving most of the census blank, you don't reduce the amount of tax money, you just increase the percentage sent to New York and California.

you folks do realize that by leaving most of the census blank, you don't reduce the amount of tax money, you just increase the percentage sent to New York and California.

There is no way that knowing who owns the residence I live in, has anything to do with how the area is apportioned for representitives. They got how many people live in my household, and that's all they got. If they want to arrest me, come get me. I'm too old to worry about it. I'm 64 years old , and this year is the first time that I have ever seen one of these census forms.

Ed is right...for the most part. However, there are indeed tools that private citizens can use to combat unjust and potentially unconstitutional laws. Jury nullification is one of those tools. In his 1998 book "Jury Nullification: The Evolution of a Doctrine," Clay S. Conrad defines “jury nullification” this way: “Jurors in criminal trials have the right to refuse to convict if they believe that a conviction would be in some way unjust.” The doctrine of jury nullification rests on two truths about the American criminal justice system: (1) Jurors can never be punished for the verdict they return, and (2) Defendants cannot be retried once a jury has found them not guilty, regardless of the jury’s reasoning. This may sound radical, perhaps even subversive, but jury nullification serves as an important safeguard against unjust laws, as well as against the unfair application of well-intended laws. It’s also steeped in American and British legal tradition. From the Fully Informed Jury Association, "The primary function of the independent juror is not, as many think, to dispense punishment to fellow citizens accused of breaking various laws, but rather to protect fellow citizens from tyranical abuses of power by government. The Constitution guarantees you the right to a trial by jury. This means that government must bring its case before a jury of The People if government wants to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property. Jurors can say no to government tyranny by refusing to convict." Citizens must realize, we really do have the power to affect great change. Educate yourself on jury nullification.

If you believe a federal (or state) law is unconstitutional, then challenge it in court. If citizens decide for themselves which laws are constitutional or unconstitutional, then anarchy is not far away. The judicial branch was established by the Constitution to resolve these issues. Use it!

PS, one of those freedoms is evident as we type, the freedom to speak in an open forum without fear of loosing any body parts, :), remember: glass half full, :)

Yes, Ms.V you are right I don't live in Waco, it sounds like your issues there stem from some officials and the decisions or lack of decisions they are making. So I am assuming your not being thrilled about helping a neighboring community is actually referring to your own Waco neighbors until you can see some of it coming home to your neighborhood too. I wish you all the best of luck in motivating your officials in Waco, get all the people on board that you can, numbers sometimes help since most officials are in elected positions which means you are paying their wages / salaries, remind them of that if that is in fact the case. Best of luck, :) and God Bless. William R, You ask: explain freedom in America? You have evidently not traveled or lived in another country ever or not for long, we in America are spoiled quite rotten with our freedoms, unfortunately we take them all to often for granted, if you ever doubt your freedoms here, travel, see the world, if you open your eyes while doing so you will undoubtedly come home and kiss the good old American soil and say thank you. Oh just an FYI, I always see my glass half full and never half empty. :) Have a Great Day, God Bless.

"Of course unconstitutional "laws" have no force of law, but how do we know that they are unconstitutional if they have not been tested in the courts?" Betty, you've answered your own question. Jim Crow laws were enforced until they were challenged in the courts. The legislative branch of government does not operate in a vacuum, nor does it decide what is Constitutional. Perhaps it's time to challenge the Census laws in court. Some argue that precedent challenging the Constitutionality of the Census has already been established in case law. Griswold v. Connecticut is a fine example. “The Fourth and Fifth Amendments were described in Boyd v. United States, 116 U.S. 616, 630, as protection against all governmental invasions of the sanctity of a man’s home and the privacies of life. We recently referred [381 U.S. 479, 485] in Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643, 656, to the Fourth Amendment as creating a right to privacy, no less important than any other right carefully and particularly reserved to the people.” GRISWOLD v. CONNECTICUT, 381 U.S. 479 (1965)

Bill G.: Of course unconstitutional "laws" have no force of law, but how do we know that they are unconstitutional if they have not been tested in the courts? You sound like a lawyer. If you are one, you should know that many laws that were declared unconstitional later were enforced as law for many years. How about the "Jim Crow" laws in the South? They were unconstitutional but they were enforced as law. It was only after many years, when they were tested in the courts, that they were found to be unconstitional. What about Brown vs. Board of Education, which found that laws requiring segregated schools were unconstitutional. It took the National Guard to come out and enforce the true law of the land. Every question on the Census form is derived from the Constitution, either directly or indirectly. The Census Bureau does not ask anything that has not been mandated by Congress, the duly elected representatives of we the people. If you want to change something on the Census form, you need to make your case and elect enough representatives to bring about a change in the law. As a lawyer, if you are one, you should know this.

Why can't they get the "count" from the IRS Tax forms, you have to list all of your dependents. Oh, I forgot, we have scores of people living off of the government (you and me) but not paying a dime in taxes. Maybe if they don't contribute they don't deserve to be counted or to vote for that matter.

Would you money moochers get your hands out of our pockets. UNCONSTITUTIONAL IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL! It will take me 2 seconds to tell our employees in Congress what they need to know. The entitlement mentality is a stupid excuse for bankrupting the Nation anymore.

From Betty Murphy: "What makes someone think that they can obey the Constitution yet ignore laws passed by Congress? Unless a law has been declared unconstituional by the courts, it is the same thing as part of the Constitution! Some people need to extend their education beyond the fourth grade. Saying you will follow the Constitution means you will also follow the constituional laws passed by Congress. It's the law, stupid!" Actually, Betty, unconstitutional laws have no force of law. The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be In agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. This is succinctly stated as follows: The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of it’s enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it… A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the lend, it is superseded thereby. No one Is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.” 16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256

this is what i suggest to every American,when you get the form in the mail take the form and wipe your ass and mail it back in.we the American people better wake up,and it would help if you have a spine.Do you?

background check and take a confidentiality oath. Right and we know what that is worth remember Obama is pretending to be president and how is his Oath working for the constitution. When an oath means something again then tell us again.

Why are you giving publicity and credibility to these wackos and their amusing "constitutional interpretations?"

What makes someone think that they can obey the Constitution yet ignore laws passed by Congress? Unless a law has been declared unconstituional by the courts, it is the same thing as part of the Constitution! Some people need to extend their education beyond the fourth grade. Saying you will follow the Constitution means you will also follow the constituional laws passed by Congress. It's the law, stupid!

my hat off to Jeff Johnson,its about time i read something from someone who knows something,for all you others stop buying video games and romantic books,start reading something which contains the truth.does anyone know the reason for the gold fringe on the US flag in the courtroom?this is a good place to start.

The feds are using "color of law" with the census to collect information that is not mandated by the Constitution. Last year they also used the same "color of law", in the guise of the census to GPS mark every front door in the country. Sorry guys, I don't drink the Kool-Aid. They'll only get what is constitutionally required from me & nothing more.

It is not true that Native Americans can be counted only if they give a tribal affiliation. Naming a tribe is OPTIONAL on the Census form. You can still indicate NA ancestry without naming a tribe. For those who say the number of people is the only Constitutionally mandated question, over the years Congress has passed many laws expanding the scope of the census under the Constitution. All of the questions asked are Congressionally mandated. The question about time you leave for work on the American Community Survey is meant to help transportation planners with their job of allocating resouces for commuters. Each of the question on the Census and the American Community Survey can be traced to a law passed by our Congressional representatives, who are doing the work of the people of the U.S. As one Census slogan goes, the Census is America finding out what America needs.

Ms. Strever, I agree with you to a certain extent, but you must not live in Waco? Waco has done improvements to every aspect of Waco except where they need it the most. Then they use the excuse that they shouldn't appropriate money into improvement projects in East Waco because it's nothing over there but Black people and they'll just destroy it. They've been "TALKING" about revitalization of Elm St. now for years but all that's been done is "Talk." The "all for one and one for all" is fine, but it goes both ways, not just to help improve west waco, and hewitt and the only one's getting any benefit out of it are the one's who live out there.

this is another example of what i have been saying for years.Ms L.Strever explain to me about freedom?when i go fishing i have to have a permit,owning a gun,need a permit,travel down the road,need a permit.soon we will need a permit to wipe our ass.

Go to "ancestors.com." Besides, Rick Perry's campaign commercial says he doesn't want government money, he's a conservative. So what's the purpose if your governor keeps refusing government money? For example, the federal government has a program through HUD that helps disabled people buy their first home and those are the main stipulations. You have to be disabled as defined by the social security administration and you are a first time home buyer. Well Texas doesn't have the funds for this program. This program will asst. the buyer with closing and down payment, but there are no funds for it. Why aren't there any funds for it, disabled first time home buyers deserve to be able to buy a home. If they're disabled through the SSA and receiving their SSDI obviously they've worked and earned it and now for whatever reason they can't work anymore. Why shouldn't they deserve to buy a home?

Lisa, I don't think it's a matter of having anything to hide. It's a matter of the answers to the questions in the ACS are just none of the government's business. Besides the decennial census is the only thing authorized by the Constitution. It nobody's business how much money you make, the source of your income, how many cars you have, how much they're worth, how much you pay in rent or mortgage, if you're on food stamps, your highest level of education and on and on and on. These are just a fraction of the intrusive and unconstitutional questions in the ACS. You wouldn't give that information to a complete stranger, but you're supposed to give it to a census worker walking around the neighborhood going door to door? No thanks. If you ask me, I don't have a problem with the 10-question census form. I think it's blatantly racist, but other than that, the rest of the data they want is already public information.

Just a question to Ms. V. This is America we are one for all and all for one I believe and that is what we found so many of our beliefs on including freedom in America. So why not help out someone else's community? I mean does it hurt to help out our neighbors? If we all remained more caring and giving maybe we could get back some of the strength America has lost over the years due to people becoming self centered. Hugs and Love to all, God Bless and hold out a hand to your neighbor, you never know when you may need them to hold out their hand to you.

People need to quit being so suspicious. As a family historian, people don't realize that correct census is the only information some people can find about their ancestors. I intend to fill my form out completely. What do these people have to hide?

The census commercial says to fill the form out and send it in so money can be appropriated for your community's needs. I haven't seen any money coming into my community and I've been back in Texas for over 6 years. The only thing I've seen is a new playground and that's nice, but my daughter's are grown. Why should I fill out a form and have my information help someone else's community's needs.

I've been looking around the Defund & Disobey website and am very impressed at what they have put together. It seems like their big push is for Constitutional spending. Did you see their Defund Pledge that they're trying to get politicians to sign? I think it could solve a lot of problems if we held our reps to high standards like this. “I solemnly pledge to my constituents that I will consistently vote to defund, or vote against appropriating any money for, any federal department, program, or activity not specifically authorized by an enumerated power in the United States Constitution.” “For any federal department, program, or activity I do vote to fund, I will provide the specific enumerated power constitutionally permitting it.”

Defund & Disobey is not anti-government, it’s pro-Constitution. Everything that they have discussed on the website has its basis in Constitutionalism. It’s only radical if you think the Constitution is radical. What Ms. Culp failed to report is that one of the co-founders of Defund & Disobey is a former Reagan advisor named Jack Wheeler who is credited with developing the policies that formally became known as the Reagan Doctrine. He, along with several other close friends who have worked in high levels of the Defense Department, are responsible for the effort. If Constitutional issues are considered “out of the mainstream,” what does that tell you about the mainstream? I wince every time I hear justification for the census revolving around communities “getting their fair share of funding.” I believe this illustrates the increasingly pervasive entitlement mentality that is destroying the fabric of our Republic. We do not need Washington bureaucrats determining what we do or do not need in our communities. Maybe we should change the song to say, “Praise Washington from where all blessings flow…” If Chairman Tolbert’s sentiments are accurately reported, then that too is troubling. “While the questions might seem intrusive, each serves a purpose.” This is clearly an acceptance of an ends-justify-the-means approach, even if the means are unconstitutional. Hey, Enuff, if you had any idea what you were talking about, you'd know that Mr. Attas is a commercial realtor and does not work in any way in residential real estate. Therefore, he is not profiting from anyone taking advantage of the current homebuyer tax credit. BG

GEEZ. the census asks only 10 simple questions and having looked at the census form online, they have nothing to do with going to the toilet or what time one leaves for work. COMPLETE your census form and return it!!!! it's not difficult at all!

Everyone needs to understand there is a Decennial Census which takes place every ten years for counting and then there is the American Community Survey which goes on all the time. These are two separate functions and the form that comes out this week is the Decennial Census for counting and does not ask all of those questions. But even if I get a long form at some point from the American Community Survey, I will simply fill it out and send it back. Good gosh, the information is only used for research purposes. Now if a salesman knocks on my door after and questions me about my toilet or my car, at that point, I will then refuse to fill out any more surveys and so should everyone else.

I am glad this article was posted! I am a genealogy researcher, and I use census records in my research...but as a private citizen I agree there is no need for the questions...such as regarding what time persons leave for work, or number of toliets used....thats got nothing to do with the purpose of the census....and has no place in using for funds for projects!! The head of household, ages of household members, sex, nationality and others not part of the household, is all that is needed to do an accurate head check. Maybe a question about number in school...but the one question that maybe needs to be put in, that I dont think has ever been asked on a census before....are you unemployed? Why not use the census to get the actual count? Anothe pet pev of mine is the nationality questions not just on the census records....Native Americans and decendants of...not all decendants are affiliated with tribes....many ancestors were either forced away from tribes, or removed...now their decendants cant be counted as native american, unless they are affiliated with a tribe....that is bull!! Even the schools wont acknowledge native american unless associated with tribes. NA are NA whether they are part of a tribe, and it is time to straighten the problem out!! Sorry for the rant!! Not really!!

to your reply"it is what it is" i have been studying Constitutional law for 25 years,i am very well educated.i think you are just another squirrel looking for a nut.are you going out to buy you another video game today?

I wonder how much Attas profited off the first time home buyer credit. I wasn't going to use the word idiot, more like hypocrite. An idiot would be someone who uses him for an agent now. Will he be representing you or supporting his political agenda? But really, the Robinsons will tell you......2010 census Democratic president, 2000 census Democratic president. Coincidence? I don't think so!!!!! We better remove the word democratic from our text books before this gets out of hand!

Perhaps it is what it is, William Rudd, because you grew your spine AFTER they determined the questions which would be asked. What exactly did you do to influence those decisions over the past ten years? Tell us about it.

Harryette says: "Everyone who has a brain knows that Jason Attas is an idiot". Attacking the person rather than the argument is an act of intellectual surrender. It says that one can’t win the argument in its merits, so resorts to attacking the person, not the argument.... attacking the messenger, so to speak. The messenger is not the message. Would “Harryette”, who may be very bright in many areas, be considered an “idiot” if she was simply wrong on a particular issue? Does Harryette actually know Jason Attas? If so, then she would know that Jason Attas is anything but an “idiot”. If she doesn’t know him, but declares him to be an “idiot”, then she’s making the case that she doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about, or, has another agenda.

it is what it is,hmmm this is exactly what i am talking about,another splineless american

Have you ever heard the expression, "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face"? If you truly do not like government spending, fill out the form completely and send it in so there is no need for the additional expense of followup. How real of a splash are you going to make by causing aggravation for some hourly-rate employee that is doing no more than the job he/she is paid to do? If you have a beef about the census, take it up with those that make the rules - your elected representatives. You have ten more years to work on it appropriately and much more effectively. Like it or not, this is the system we have in place to determine things beyond representation, such as funding for roads, parks, schools, libraries and other public services for the greater good and that includes you. Even private industry uses this information to make business and marketing decisions, which in many cases brings jobs into communities and increases real estate sales and values. Since I have already paid my taxes, my preference is that my money comes back into this community rather than going somewhere else. Therefore, let's be sure everyone is counted. Two more expressions come to mind for those who think this is a good opportunity to make an anti-government statement: "There is more than one way to skin a cat" and "There is a time and place for everything". Go find another more effective (especially cost effective) and less ridiculous way to do it.

when are you bunch of spineless Americans going to wake up and stop being a slave?

"Even with the more extensive American Community Survey, there is nothing to fear, Tolbert said. While the questions might seem intrusive, each serves a purpose. For example, the question about the number of toilets help cities plan for sewage needs, he said." Do people use the bathroom more because they have more toilets? Wouldn’t this simply go back to head count (no pun intended) not toilet count?

@CPD Yes-provided the politicians don't get in the way too much. I'm not saying the Federal Government is perfect. I'm also not saying State and Local Goverments do much of a better job, either. It's the system we have, and it's a better system than most people in the world get.

Well fill out the form ,the people in the article said Mclennan county have spoken,roll over rover,then empty your pockets and take out more taxes from my check so they can send it to a area that have more "subgroups"

Thomas Lopez Jr.: "Clearly the Federal Goverment has no interest in your answers personally, but rather is interested in using the information to get a relatively accurate idea of what the country looks like in order to make IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED, RATIONAL & MEASURABLE POLICY DECISIONS. Nutjobs." I think you're the nutjob if you actually think this will happen. You do realize this is the Federal Govt. we are talking about. Right?

So,if Federal funds are distributed by the number of people in your household, the more people you put down, the more Federal money is sent to Waco, .....

So let me get this straight, these people would rather their federal tax dollars be spent in other states, on projects that do not or minimally impact them, rather than answer some questions providing statistical data? That makes sense. "It asked about income and health," Like something the CDC or NIH would find useful in combating public health issues such as heart disease, obesity & diabetes? "what time family members leave for work" Like something that the Dept. of Transportation or Commerce or Energy would use to find out how much time & money we are wasting on traffic, or energy use patterns etc.? "how many toilets the home has." Like what the EPA or Dept. of Interior would need to make decisions regarding water usage? Or to determine what kind of impact all those low flow toilets are having? Clearly the Federal Goverment has no interest in your answers personally, but rather is interested in using the information to get a relatively accurate idea of what the country looks like in order to make informed, rational & measurable policy decisions. Nutjobs.

I will only give the information as required by the constitution on mine and encourage everyone to only do so because they only need to know how many people exist.

Down here in Falls county the census guy came by w/ a short from - it was just the number and names of who resides in my home - to be mailed in (so this guy was not running around w/ my info) that was it. Is there more?

At Attas's website you can purchase an Organic Toddler T-Shirt or a dogfood dish for $23.99.

"that advances a number of political concepts outside the mainstream. They include the idea of states resisting federal laws they deem unconstitutional" ... "and jurors voting to acquit guilty defendants if the juror disagrees with the law." Our country and its judicial system was founded in principle and in practice on the above, and those things do still happen today. These concepts may seem alien to you, but they are not that far outside the so-called "mainstream," whatever that is.