Friday, May 12th

File this under the header "important things that are happening while we focus on Comey."

As reported in The Guardian, "In a bill enacted last week, President Donald Trump has given the (US Census) bureau less than half its requested budget increase for 2017. The bureau asked for more money because accurately understanding the US population is expensive. The 2010 census cost the US taxpayer $13bn, which works out at roughly $42 for each of the 308.7 million people that were counted."  According to Five Thirty Eight, this budget "keep(s) spending flat in a year when, based on past 10-year cycles, it should be increasing by 60 percent or more."

 On Wednesday, the director of the US Census Bureau resigned, stating he couldn't do his job without adequate funding. Again, "The numbers from the Census Bureau underpin just about everything we know about the economy, education, health and justice in America. Without them, the US government won’t be making public policy based on public need. That’s an equation that just doesn’t add up."  

Census numbers also affect redistricting. If we want to fight gerrymandering, we must have an accurate census.  

Action You Can Take Today

Tell your members of Congress that you care about the census.  Tell the Commerce Department that you care about the census:  Secretary Wilbur Ross, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20230. 

Bonus Action:

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross made light of the dropping of 59 Tomahawk missiles on Syria by saying it was in lieu of “after-dinner entertainment” when China's President Xi visited Trump:  http://time.com/4762582/wilbur-ross-syria-airstrike-after-dinner-entertainment-donald-trump/   

Remind Secretary Ross that bombs are not entertainment: Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20230