North Carolina and South Carolina Excelling at Turning in Census

The Census Bureau is trying to get the Census forms returned by Friday, that way we don't have to pay extra for people knocking on doors. The Census says:

If 100% of households mailed back their forms, taxpayers would save $1.5 BILLION dollars.

Why turn in your form? $400 billion in federal aid is distributed according to Census data. Who would've thought that North Carolina and South Carolina would be the high achievers in turning in Census forms. See how your state is doing in returning forms here The national return rate is 71%:

North Carolina and South Carolina surpassed 2000 rates last week, and Kentucky has matched its rate.

Counties and other states in their region also are responding strikingly better than 10 years ago — much of the improvement fueled by strong participation in small towns, according to a USA TODAY analysis. "There's variability across the country in areas that have organized their communities much better than others," Census Director Robert Groves says. USA Today

Why the 2010 Census is Controversial

Census counts lead to policy changes and have political ramifications. Republicans would rather under count and democrats, over count.

Time: Why does it matter who oversees the census? In very general terms, Republicans would prefer to err on the side of under-counting and Democrats would prefer to err on the side of over-counting. The options can yield very different numbers for demographic groups and localities — and they have significant political and policy implications. This most recent skirmish is more manufactured than real, the result of willful misunderstandings. But it has its roots in an ongoing battle over whom the census counts — and how.

What's at stake:

The battle over how to count people only makes sense when you look at what is at stake. The redistricting of local districts and reapportionment of congressional seats is based on census counts — a state could gain or lose seats based on its population, and shifts within a state determine plans for redrawing political boundaries. The redistricting that took place in Texas at Tom DeLay's urging following the 2000 census — which swung six congressional seats to the GOP — is just one example of how dramatically political fortunes can shift based on the use of those crucial numbers.

Census counts are also used to determine how many federal dollars may flow to a city or state based on grants and other outlays. Democrats have long charged that the undercounting of minorities and poor Americans prevents federal funding from reaching strapped communities. Meanwhile, Republicans argue that Democrats seek to boost numbers in order to create extra congressional districts in urban areas and to bring in more federal money for their constituencies. They charge that sampling — which Democrats support because it provides estimates for communities that can be hard to track accurately — is unconstitutional because the Constitution calls for an "actual enumeration" of the population.

Did Judd Gregg Cave to Peer Pressure?

If so, it's good he's out. Apparently, the republicans have been hammering Gregg for selling out:

Gregg's out, who cares.
Writers for The Atlantic, Mark Ambinder and Andrew Sullivan, hash it out. Are the republicans resorting to survival tactics? This, by the way, is a great use of video: