With the Census Bureau still without a Director and the 2010 Census looming, the count is facing a new threat in the form of right-wing conspiracy theories.
The Constitution requires that every citizen in the United States be counted in the Census, and these data are, according to Think Progress, used;
"to apportion the seats in the House of Representatives; 'distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year'; define local school districts; and make many other urban planning decisions including 'where to provide services for the elderly, where to build new roads and schools, or where to locate job training centers.'"
However, planning for the next count is being hampered by the claims of a number of right-wing pundits and politicians -- most notably Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) -- to the effect that the federal government will use the information to "round up" Americans.
Read the full story: Smearing the Census
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