On Census Day, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry has shot back at fellow conservatives who have urged people not to send back their census forms.
McHenry, ranking Republican on the census subcommittee, was responding to reports like one in the Houston Chronicle this week about a partisan "enthusiasm gap" in completing the census. Some prominent conservatives including Texas Rep.on Paul and TV host Glenn Beck have questioned the census. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has said it could make it easier for the government to round up people and them in internment camps.
"I’m worried about this year’s census," he said in a news release. "I’m not
worried about ACORN rigging the count – we already succeeded in kicking them out
of the census. I’m not worried about the President’s attempt to run the census
out of the White House – we beat that power grab back last year. I’m not even
worried about privacy – this year’s 10-question census form is the shortest in
memory. No, what worries me is blatant misinformation coming from otherwise
well-meaning conservatives. They are trying to do the right thing, but instead
they are helping big government liberals by discouraging fellow conservatives
from filling out their census forms."
McHenry, ranking Republican on the census subcommittee, was responding to reports like one in the Houston Chronicle this week about a partisan "enthusiasm gap" in completing the census. Some prominent conservatives including Texas Rep.on Paul and TV host Glenn Beck have questioned the census. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has said it could make it easier for the government to round up people and them in internment camps.
"Boycotting the census also offends me as an American patriot," McHenry wrote. "Our society spends too much time talking about what government owes us; and not enough on the duties of citizenship and the hard work required to keep our freedom.
Filling out the census is one of the few things our Constitution specifically
asks of U.S. citizens and it is our duty as Americans to take that
responsibility seriously.Anyone who tells you that this year’s census is
unconstitutional and that you are not required to fill out the form completely
is flat out wrong. ...
"We have been largely successful in keeping this count apolitical and it
would be a tragedy if some of our ill-informed friends handed Democrats a
victory at the last minute."
