October 8, 2009
But They'll Rock at Heath Care XCIII
Not me, Cap'n Ed, worried about felon census workers:
But they'll rock at health care Posted by John Kranz at October 8, 2009 12:03 PMIf the properly processed criminal record checks are any indication, the Bureau may have let a large number of violent criminals slip through the cracks. Of the prints that were properly checked, about one percent, or 1,800 workers, had criminal records that name checks failed to identify.Of these 1,800 workers with criminal records, about 750 had their employment terminated or further reviewed due to criminal records that included crimes like rape, manslaughter and child abuse. Projecting these numbers to the employees with spoilt prints, the GAO came up with the figure of 200 census workers that may have had serious criminal records.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of turning Census Bureau workers away from our doors as we do with partisan community organizers. In their rush to hire, probably brought on in an attempt to alleviate the unemployment numbers (the money this year came from the stimulus package), the Census Bureau botched a process that private-sector employers routinely employ, and hired hundreds of felons to demand our personal information on our doorsteps.Imagine how the Obama administration will handle hiring in the public-option health-insurance agencies …
"... the GAO came up with the figure of 200 census workers that may have had serious criminal records...." Good thing we've excluded ACORN, or the number would have been higher - probably by several orders of magnitude.
"... we don't have the luxury of turning Census Bureau workers away from our doors as we do with partisan community organizers..."
The hell we don't. This census, they're getting the same answers from me that they did on the last one: "Two" for "How many people live at this address," and "none of your business" for everything else. The only difference will be that, that last time, I didn't have a sidearm with me when I answered the door.
Posted by: Keith at October 8, 2009 1:11 PMDoes this surprise us? Besides the ones who have been convicted, look at all the federal office-holders (e.g. Rangel, Geithner) who are untouched by the same laws that would put you or me in jail, had we done the same. It's the nature of the beast. The TSA has hired known criminals, because they were in such a hurry that they hired first and did background checks later. So statistically speaking, you are (or at least were until the public learned what was going on and demanded some accountability) more likely to have things stolen by TSA inspectors than you are (were) to be killed by a terrorist.
"Unfortunately, we don?t have the luxury of turning Census Bureau workers away from our doors as we do with partisan community organizers."
I do. Actually, it's not even a luxury, but a right.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at October 8, 2009 1:15 PMHaven't seen a census taker since we moved to the farm. Must be 'cause if you don't live in town, you don't count.
Posted by: johngalt at October 8, 2009 3:57 PMI don't think I've ever seen a census taker. Filled out a couple of forms, but that's all I remeber.
Posted by: jk at October 8, 2009 5:30 PMA friend here was doing part-time census work, going door to door, complete with that ridiculously designed PDA-wannabe. So it's still done, I just don't know how often.
As I've mentioned before, I live on a private road. An added benefit is: no trick-or-treaters.
Posted by: Perry Eidelbus at October 8, 2009 9:49 PMI have to admit I didn't know that we still took the Census by going door to door. I have never in my life seen a Census worker and I have spent most of that living in big cities. Like JK I have filled out a few forms but that was it. I am still amazed that we only do this every 10 years - it doesn't take a day and half carriage ride to get from Richmond to Baltimore anymore. With the increased mobility of people I think the Census is as wrong as it is right. I can search 100,000 items on Google in 0.1 second but it still takes us 10 years to count our people?
Posted by: Silence Dogood at October 10, 2009 9:06 AMWell, the Constitution dictates ten years for reapportionment. I would not like to see that increase in frequency -- they cause enough trouble once in a decade.
Funny, I'm a big technocrat but I am less sanguine than you about our ability with all technology at hand to conduct an accurate census. Many opportunities exist for graft and chicanery, plus it is a difficult problem,
Posted by: jk at October 10, 2009 11:20 AMYeah I suppose the do cause enough trouble once a decade. But, keep in mind that the Census count attributes district boundaries and level of representation. For example, next election the city of Detroit will still have electoral power even though its population may have decreased dramatically. Hey, I am just trying to make their trouble causing proportionate!
Posted by: Silence Dogood at October 10, 2009 2:40 PM | What do you think? [8]