2010 Census Data Being Released Today

The eyes of political junkies, the White House, the Republican and Democratic parties and political leaders in cites. counties and states around the nation will be focused on the US Census Bureau today.

We filled those census forms out back in early part of this year, and now the population counts and apportionment data from the 2010 US Census  has been compiled.

It will be released by the Census Bureau later today and once that's done, the fun will start in the various state houses to redraw new congressional district boundaries, state senate and house district seats, even down to county and city level.

The new districts will be in effect until 2020, and it was also why we were imploring you liberal progressive peeps to get off your azzes and vote.  This was NOT the election to sit out, and it will have political repercussions until 2020, a fact our conservafool friends were keenly aware of.  .

It will also impact the Electoral College value for each state for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential election cycles, which is why the White House is very interested to see the population and apportionment  numbers.. 



For example, if Texas gets four additional congressional seats when those new population numbers come out, it will increase our congressional delegation to 34 seats.   Electoral college value equals the number of congressional seats your state has plus your two senators.   In other words, 34 + 2 =36 and the Repugs are smiling.   Their Presidential election scenarios are based on keeping Texas red and Texas' electoral college value will have just increased by four votes for the 2012 cycle from the current 32.  

The census numbers will also impact my hometown as well.   Houston is expecting to have it confirmed that we are officially over 2 million in population and get it closer to passing Chicago and becoming the third largest city in the nation behind New York and Los Angeles. 

As a result it will trigger a clause in the Houston city charter that mandates the addition of two new city council seats and trigger a local redistricting battle as to who gets those two new seats..

The redistricting drama will play out over 2011, and the first election conducted under the new reapportioned districts will be in 2012.

 So stay tuned, this is going to get interesting over the next few months.

Why Y'all Tripping About The Prez Only Checking 'African-American' On His Census Form?

I'm chuckling to myself about some peeps getting perturbed over the fact that President Obama only checked 'African-American' in the race description section of his 2010 Census form.

After all the negativity, hatred and racist vitriol the birthers, deathers, GOP and other assorted predominately white peeps have hurled his way over the last year, if it had been me I would only be checking one box, too.

The 'one-drop rule' lives.

Many white peeps made it quite clear since January 20, 2009 you didn't care President Obama's late mother shared your ethnic background by your nekulturny behavior and racist misspelled signs you carried during the teabagger hatefests.

The interesting dynamic I've noticed when it comes to biracial folks is that whiteness is quick to claim them if they're doing something positive. But let them think, act or speak their minds in ways counter to white groupthink or get into legal trouble and all of a sudden they're back to being 'Black' again.

The dust up over Professor Gates and the predominately white backlash over President's initial comments criticizing the police officer made that quite clear.

So I'm not surprised when push came to shove, he only checked "African-American' on his census form. Y'all have done everything possible before and since Inauguration Day to send the message that Obama isn't one of you and y'all don't consider him 'white'.

Got Census Form? Fill It Out And Send It Back!

A dew days ago I received my 2010 Census form in the mail. Being that I spent a summer working as an enumerator for the 1980 Census this decennial population count has some sentimental value to me.

But I'm also aware that one of the major reasons why we do it in addition to wanting to know exactly how many peeps we have living in the states is wrapped in politics.

Congressional districts are determined by population. The more peeps you count, the more congressional seats your state gets.

That's also true about federal funding as well. The more people in your area that turn in the forms, the more of your federal tax dollars you mget back for local projects.

There's also one other benefit of it as well that you won't see for 72 years, but your ancestors will.

When I was researching my family history back in 1998, the 1920 Census data had just been released for public perusing. I was at the Clayton Genealogical Library poring through Fort Bend County data looking for my great great grandmother's name.

I then realized after two hours I needed to look in the 1910 census data for Fort Bend County, and began sifting through it.

I found what I was looking for 30 minutes later, and I began to cry when I did so.

I'd found my paternal great grandmother and great-great grandparents. In the process I discovered that my great great great grandmother was born in Kentucky.

It was another piece in my family history puzzle, and it came thanks to perusing census data.

So fill it out the census form and send it back. Not only will your community and state thank you for it, your ancestors will 72 years from now.