Tuesday
Oct202009
Civil Rights Organizations React To Possible Census Question Over Citizenship
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 5:48PM
John DuBois, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Numerous civil rights organizations united today to join New Democrat Network to oppose an amendment proposed by David Vitter (R-La.) that would include a question on the U.S. census inquiring if the taker is a U.S. citizen.
President and Founder of NDN Simon Rosenberg said he felt the change in the study could undermine the census as a whole.
“It will undoubtably disrupt the orderly execution of the count itself. It will also politicize the census, causing some to sit out, making it less accurate,” said Rosenberg.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights President Wade Henderson went even further, charging that the question could ultimately obstruct the study.
“Sen. Vitter comes in now at the last minute proposing an amendment that on its face appears innocent but has the impact ... of bringing the entire process to a halt," said Henderson. "Inflaming public attitude about the illegal immigration issue is ... terribly unhelpful to the country as a whole.”
Numerous civil rights organizations united today to join New Democrat Network to oppose an amendment proposed by David Vitter (R-La.) that would include a question on the U.S. census inquiring if the taker is a U.S. citizen.
President and Founder of NDN Simon Rosenberg said he felt the change in the study could undermine the census as a whole.
“It will undoubtably disrupt the orderly execution of the count itself. It will also politicize the census, causing some to sit out, making it less accurate,” said Rosenberg.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights President Wade Henderson went even further, charging that the question could ultimately obstruct the study.
“Sen. Vitter comes in now at the last minute proposing an amendment that on its face appears innocent but has the impact ... of bringing the entire process to a halt," said Henderson. "Inflaming public attitude about the illegal immigration issue is ... terribly unhelpful to the country as a whole.”
Struggling Economy Will Take Center Stage In November Say Experts
Sarah Mamula - Talk Radio News Service
Former Commerce Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Robert Shapiro expressed confidence Thursday that the Democratic Party will continue to hold the majority in Congress after the midterm elections.
According to the NDN, a progressive think tank and advocacy organization, the focus for the midterm elections in November is the struggling economy. President of NDN Simon Rosenberg said issues such as the clean energy and comprehensive immigration reform will creep just below the public’s radar.
Rosenberg believes that if the GOP were to gain seats in Congress, Republicans would need to adjust their current economic policy of “do nothing” and come up with alternatives.
“I don’t think this set of leaders, Boehner and McConnell, have the intellectual capacity [for] a real economic strategy because they have utterly failed to do so in the entire time they’ve been in office,” Rosenberg said.
Polls indicated that people voted for Obama and Democrats in 2008 due to the policies he planned to implement to revive the economy, but Shapiro said that economic progress made by the government will aid Democrats come September.
“The economy is certainly in much better shape than when the president took office,” said Shapiro.