Byrum warns about GOP census forms

State Rep. Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga) wants Michigan citizens to be wary of anything they might receive touting itself as a census document. The reason? The real United States Census, mandated every ten years by a clause in the Constitution, is not due to begin until March 1, but the Republican Party is sending out a questionnaire and fundraising packet that could easily be confused for the real thing.

“I just want to make sure everyone is aware the U.S. Census is not to come out until March and it is a 10 question survey,” Byrum said. “It is imperative everyone fill out the survey so we don’t miss out on any federal dollars.”

This issue has been raging all over the country because the document contains elements that could cause confusion. As MSNBC points out, the questionnaire is sent out in plain white envelopes marked “Do Not Destroy, Official Document” and is labeled “2010 Congressional District Census.” It also includes a “Census Tracking Code.”

But there are clear differences as well. The document asks questions such as what a person’s political affiliation is, what media outlets are watched, and whether the Obama administration is working. Those questions, Byrum said, would not be found on the real census form.

“It will be a 10 question survey asking how many people live in the house, whether you own or rent, that sort of thing,” Bryum said. “Not political questions.”

Calls to the Michigan Republican Party’s spokeswoman Jennifer Hoff were not returned, but the RNC has defended the mailer, telling MSNBC that the document “clearly indicates that it is an RNC mailer.” The U.S. Postal Service has also concluded that the mailer did not violate the law.

But whether it’s a technical violation or not, Byrum worries that some less attentive people might fill out the false census form for the GOP, then be less likely to respond when the actual census documents arrive from the federal government. That, she said, would cost Michigan tens of thousands of dollars per person.

The Census is used by the government to apportion Congressional seats and distribute funds for programs such as health, housing and transportation. The higher the census numbers are, the more money the state becomes eligible for under federal funding formulas.

And her concern does not appear to be merely hypothetical. Byrum said that at one of her district coffee hours last Friday, she had an elderly woman approach her with the RNC document. “She was honestly a bit confused. She didn’t know if she was supposed to fill it out,” Byrum said of the constituent. “I think she was skeptical.”

The GOP document is the only census related situation Byrum said she knew of, but worried that unscrupulous people could run scams using the idea in the future. “This could be the tip of the iceberg,” she said, noting that the GOP mailer asks the respondent to provide bank account and credit card information. That information could be used by scam artists to steal some one’s identity.

Byrum encourages anyone with questions about the U.S. Census to visit the website at 2010.census.gov.