Way back when I was in school, St. Sylvester's I think, we learned about the Census. The way it was explained to us was that it would be used to determine the number of representatives for a state and its citizen. There was, at that time, no mention of government handouts.
All the ads I've seen lately say that the purpose of the Census is to determine how much a state or area will receive in federal funds. Somehow this didn't seem right to me. So I checked the Constitution as written in my 2003 copy of The World Almanac and Book of Facts.
This is what it says
"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 Numbr of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians, not taxed, three-fifths of all other Persons. (The previous sentence was superseded by Amendment XIV, Section 2.) 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."
It goes on to stipulate the number of representatives for each state, with no state having less than one representative. There is no mention of giveaways based on the Census.
I've been hearing a lot about our government's overstepping the bounds of our Constitution. I think it's time to sit down and read and understand our Constitution. Just to see if all I'm hearing is correct or just propaganda.
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