Census: DOJ argues the Constitution requires a count but not that it must be accurate.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

[C_U_L8R]

1. It didn't say it couldn't be in pig latin either

These magats have all the argument skills of a second grader

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Then why the hell have a census at all? What's the point of counting anything

if you don't care whether the count is accurate? What a fucking stupid argument.

[Thekaspervote]

4. Exactly! Definition..census: an official count or survey of a population

[Volaris]

17. Biden is going to have to ask for the resignation of every single lawyer at DOJ...

and then NOT give most of them their job back. What fucking judge is going to tolerate this nonsense as actual argument in their courtroom?!

[Iterate]

3. If only I'd have known to use that argument when taxes were filed.

[Thekaspervote]

5. Oh good one!!

[Volaris]

18. Well, if it applied to trumps accountants, why would he expect less from his lawyers?

[dalton99a]

6. In other words, 2 plus 2 equals 3 is okay

[Nevilledog]

7. Or, don't count blue states.

[Faux pas]

8. Kickin' with disgust!

[greenjar_01]

9. Awaiting imminent condescending approval of this position from the Conservative Lawyers Alliance

[Chainfire]

10. The way the current administration does everything else

half-assed.

[struggle4progress]

11. Original text: "...Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States ..

according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by .. the whole Number of free Persons ..."

14th amendment: "... Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state ..."

Census Bureau webpage: "... The plan was to count every person living in the newly created United States of America, and to use that count to determine representation in the Congress ..." https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/census-constitution.html

[Historic NY]

12. The idea is to strive for an accurate count.

I worked for the census in 1980 we used a variety of things at hand from public records, tax records, assessment records, neighbors, landlords, building supt. the mailmen were always the best, a calling card, the public library usually have city & town directories then. You could even get a voter list from the board of elections.

It came down to verifying the data collected. The knowns and hitting the unknowns. I know Covid-19 upended things in someplaces more than others but still having a war room and a game plan is essential.

Today there is the internet

[TheBlackAdder]

13. So, that would mean that every household's requirement to fill it out is more of a suggestion?

.


It's the rounding that'll get us every time.

Oh, this county only has 495,000 residents. Were rounding to the nearest 1 Million, so there are 0 residents.

.

[Takket]

14. Hi, I'm a car maker.......

You said we have to put in seat belts, but not that they have to connect to anything

Hi, I work for the zoo. you said we had to feed the animals but you never said it had to be food that wasn't poisonous.

The requirement to "do something" as mandated by law intrinsically implies that you are required to do it to a reasonable level of accuracy and quality. otherwise there is no sense having the requirement.

[Mr Gerrity]

15. 1870 Census had a second enumeration due to large under-counting

The 1870 census had serious problems with under-counting in the south as well as the two largest cities in the northeast at the time, New York and Philadelphia, as well as Indianapolis . President Grant ordered a second enumeration in those cities that occurred in Jan of 1871.

[Volaris]

16. 'It cannot be the case that accuracy, in and of itself....'

Oh, goodie, now trumps accountants are his lawyers.
It's a twofer!!!