I haven’t posted anything of worth in the last couple weeks. Most of you have me on Facebook and know at least one reason for that.

In the next few weeks most people in the United States will receive census questionaires. As you might have already heard, they want a lot more information than many people are comfortable with. This video by Jerry Day is a little presumptive but it does make some very good points:[Video removed by owner on YouTube]

The Census Bureau derives its power from the United States Constitution. Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 states:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons [Modified by Amendment XIV]. 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. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative;

Quite frankly, the Bureau wants a lot of information when it only needs to know how many representatives each state receives. If the Census Bureau is doing the representing for the representatives, why do we still need them?

I wouldn’t even give my representatives some of the information that the Census Bureau wants. I attended a small meeting with one the other night. At least he was able to tell me that derivitives of REAL ID will stop the illegal requirement to provide a Social Security Number (ie. Texas Administrative Code, Title 37, Part 1, Chapter 16, Subchapter B, Rule §16.40.c vs. 5 USC Section 552a, and check the dates on the Texas legislation) before you can legally drive on the road.

I still don’t trust him, or Real ID.

UPDATE: According to the SSA, what I was told by my representative is inaccurate. The REAL ID Act requires verification of social security numbers. They also say that the “Tax Reform Act of 1976” allows DMV to require SSNs. Great. Something else for me to read.