LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to file or join an amicus brief opposing the federal government’s addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the move, saying that hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding are at stake for the county.
“Los Angeles County stands to lose a lot,” Solis said. “Our county has already been ranked as the hardest to count.”
An estimated 3 1/2 million immigrants live in the county and the concern is that many will not fill out a census form that inquires about their citizenship status out of fear of deportation, for themselves or loved ones.
Roughly $400 billion in federal funding for education, public health, transportation and other critical functions are allocated on the basis of the census data.
Congressional seats are also apportioned based on that data.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said it shouldn’t be a political issue.
“This is not about documented and undocumented. This is about getting an accurate count,” Barger said. She said “this county is not sustainable” based on local funding alone.
Immigration rights advocates and others agreed.
“This is about protecting a 200-year-old institution from being politicized,” said Efrain Escobedo of the California Community Foundation, noting that a citizenship question has not been included in the U.S. Census since 1950.
Supervisor Janice Hahn, who co-authored Solis’ motion, cited a “level of fear and mistrust in our immigrant communities” that she said wasn’t surprising given an atmosphere of “added aggression” from the current administration.
“We have seen (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents) come in and round people up, people who have lived here for 35, 40 years,” Hahn said.
A man wearing a red “Make California Great Again” hat disagreed, called the board’s action corrupt.
“The census is supposed to take note of the citizens in this country, not those who came here illegally,” Arthur Schaper told the board. “We are not a democracy, we are a republic in which the rights of all citizens are protected, regardless of who is in power and regardless of public sentiment.”
The board’s vote was 4-0. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was absent from the meeting.
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Ex AV Resident says
What’s the problem with asking people if they are citizens or not? A person who holds a green card and is here legally should have nothing to worry about. Why is the California and LA County Government pandering to illegals? What does LA County have to gain from all of the illegals that are here? Liberals should appreciate America more and illegals less.
Tim Scott says
Because people who are here legally but have family or friends who aren’t might choose to duck the census rather than have to deal with the question. That makes the census less accurate, and it makes it less accurate in a direction that hurts the state and county when population is used to determine allocation of federal money.
Of course, you probably didn’t want an answer to your question based in facts, you probably just wanted someone to join you in your GOP talking hate point based spewing. My apologies. Carry on.
Really says
Thats exactly why the question should be asked. Why should we allocate federal dollars based on an inflated number including illegal immigrants? Just because CA chose to be a sanctuary state doesnt mean federal dollars should be spent in excess here.
I will state it plainly…..
Every person here illegally should be deported! I am not anti immigration. I believe it is unfair that people with no respect for our rule of law think that they deserve to be here more than someone who is following the law.
If democrats would allow a wall to be built and other measures to stem the flow of illegals, I would be supportive of taking actions to allow some people here illegally to stay.
You hate trump but fail to realize that the failure of both parties to carry out things they have stated over and over again is why he was elected. Love him or hate him he has done an amazing job of attempting to fulfill his promises. The difference is when a dem wins they have a mandate. When trump won nobody recognized he was given a mandate by the american people.
AV Illegal says
That’s exactly why they want the question in there. Hurt the places harboring the non-citizens financially. Nothing but a simple fact.
Laughing says
Some illegals drive. That causes road wear. Census data is used to allocate funding for Federal road repairs. Therefore, inaccurate count equals less money to repair worn roads.
Just one example in a long list of funding issues including policing, and fire services.
AV Illegal says
Gimme a break…..they also suck up resources that could be used for citizens of this country, not the freeloaders working un-taxed and sending 80% back over the border from the instant money wire shops around town.
Laughing says
Which leg?
Know how to shut down that so called 8-% back to the other side of the border? Correct, do not use the services of said illegals, or of any company employing them. Simple.
BTW, used to work with legal immigrants that sent money south to their homes to support family. Often then come here, join unions as tradesman doing jobs many ‘citizens’ do not want to do because of health hazards or working conditions.
In the end, my job pays for me, partially supporting my extended family, taxes to support all the others out there legal or not. I would like to see flat taxing at a much lower percentage, zero loop holes, term limits, and mandatory military/social service for two years after high school. Ah, dreams.
Tim Scott says
You might want to reconsider that “flat tax.” “Everyone pays the same rate” may sound fair, but consider that this suggestion ONLY relates to the income tax. Literally every other tax on the books; gas tax, sales tax, licensing fees, vehicle code fines, property tax, permit fees, payroll taxes…parking meters….I’m not kidding, EVERYTHING ELSE (except estate taxes, which of course the wealthy want to do away with entirely) is a regressive structure. That means that the wealthier you are the lower the percentage you will pay towards these taxes. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Since the ONLY tax that does not go softer the wealthier you get is the income tax, the wealthy always want to talk about how “unfair” the structure of that one is. But that one does not come anywhere close to balancing out all the regressively structured taxes, so overall what would be “fair”?
Laughing says
Tim, flat tax with no loop holes is still a great idea, and then we can get rid of one or a few of the other taxes. Then with the term limits, we can get those regressive taxes leveled a lot easier. My dream is a big one…
Tim Scott says
Not to be a downer, but if you give the wealthy their flat tax, do you really think they will raise it high enough that we can then just do away with all the regressive taxes?
Alexis says
Why there won’t be any flat tax anytime soon: It’s the lobbyists and special interests. Both parties receive campaign contributions. Of course it is much more detailed (convoluted), and yet it is very simple. Big money talks, and those receiving contributions listen.
Laughing says
10%, the math is simple and the amounts collected are large. Without all of the loopholes giving them their money back, or not paying in the first place, it should provide more money then the government collects now.
The question is, how do we retrain all of those IRS agents, tax attorneys and accountants into careers with food inspection services and other helpful careers that provide a real service for humanity?
AV Illegal says
Oh, the old “I clean your toilets and hang the drywall none of you Americans want to do” talking point again…..
The left leg, the right one was blown off thank you…..
Laughing says
Thank you for your service. Sucks you lost the leg.
I was talking jobs like asbestos removal, waste management of toxic substances. Union positions, not self employed or Home Depot parking lot jobs.
Tim Scott says
10%
Soooo…raise the income tax on low wage earners, lower the income tax on the wealthy, and then pretend the wealthy will help eliminate some of the regressive taxes out of gratitude? That’s the plan?
Laughing says
Typical low wage earner pays 20% or more. Then if they file properly they may get back part of that, unless they qualify for a social refund specially setup for extreme low income.
Upper crust rarely pay more than 10% due to loopholes and tax sheltering. The rich also get kickbacks in many ways through legislative wrangling.
So far in your rebuttals you miss the comment I made about term limits. Term limits would make being a politician less lucrative. New blood would be in charge more often, as it was designed by the Founding Fathers. Stop voting rejects into office, vote a more commoner ticket and change will happen. If it does not term limits at least get rid of the paid off stooges so we can try again, before they pass on from old age.
Tim Scott says
20% or more in INCOME tax?
Using an online refund calculator and entering nothing but wage income and withholding I get this:
$30,000 income, withhold 20% $6000, get back $3522, tax rate 8.26%
$25,000 income, withhold 20% $5000, get back $3272, tax rate 6.91%
$35,000 income, withhold 20% $7000, get back $3772, tax rate 9.22%
And this is for a single person with no dependents. So, NO, low income people are not paying “20% or more” in INCOME tax. They aren’t currently paying the 10% projected “simple flat tax” suggested. So, YES, the 10% flat tax would in fact increase taxes on the least wealthy.
Alexis says
@AV Illegal…Are you a veteran?
AV Illegal says
Yes Ma’am.
Alexis says
I’m so happy that I’m not political. It’s nice to be liberal in some ways and conservative in other ways. I am curious though, how California, being a sanctuary state will affect federal funding under current conditions. Also, how many non-citizens have become registered voters through the DMV?
Tim Scott says
Unless there have been some errors or outright frauds the answer is none. If you go to the DMV and don’t provide proof of citizenship you can get a driver’s license that is clearly marked “for driving purposes only.” If you don’t check the box on the application that says you do not want to be registered to vote then you will be asked for proof of citizenship and will be issued a regular license. There is no middle ground where you can get registered to vote or get a regular license without providing proof of citizenship.
Unfortunately it took three sentences to explain that, so it is too complex for Donald Trump to understand, but I’m confident you could follow it with no problems at all Alexis.
Alexis says
Thank you, Tim.
AV Illegal says
As if the people working the polls look at ID. As if there are not any instances of voter fraud. As if every vote, Democrat or Republican were actually legitimate. It is time to step up and fix the system as we know it. You need to present identification for many things in our day to day world, but an election is not one. Either you just are allowed to vote, or you fill out an affidavit swearing you are who you say you are.
It is easier than getting a tax refund check in someone elses name or defrauding the tax system by spinning the social security number lottery wheel to work here illegally. You know, they work under your name, then you are financially responsible when the tax season rolls around.
Until January 22nd, California was still resisting the federally mandated “gold star” license. They have been dragging their feet at every opportunity for a secure identification system to protect its non-citizens. Even if they get this program implemented, they will probably disregard some provisions in the mandate to allow the program to not work as intended, just to piss off Trump.
Tim Scott says
You have to have ID to register to vote. If you already did that there’s not a whole lot of point to checking your ID again. The whole drama over voter ID is just the GOP trying to suppress turnout in any way possible because they recognize that the lower the turnout the better their chances.
So, slow down the lines, reduce the number of polling places, whatever it takes they will do…and voter ID is just part of that.
AV Illegal says
So, there is no reason to actually verify who is doing the voting right. I mean, someone showed an ID somewhere in the beginning, so…….just go with it.
Tim Scott says
There is really no reason to think that people are walking into polling places in droves, prepared with a name and address that appears on the voter rolls, and claiming to be someone they aren’t…knowing that if the person they are claiming to be has already been there they are sticking their neck waaaaaaay out there to cast a single vote that is highly unlikely to make any real difference at all.
Really says
There is most likely lots of fraud while the ca govt looks the other way. Check this out…
https://mobile.twitter.com/darksecretplace/status/982057657602260992
His wife was registered to vote and is not a US citizen
Tim Scott says
Riiiiiight. There’s a conspiracy of DMV clerks, directed from a secret office in Sacramento.
Have you ever met a DMV clerk? Do you seriously think they were risking their job by engaging in some shady conspiracy?
Wait, I guess it must be the truth since someone tweeted about it.
Really says
Then if its so far fetched you should have no problem with an audit to find out whose right. The someone who tweeted about it is a veteran and radio host on kfi. Also he doesnt love trump. The problem I have is that people like you block attempts to get to the truth. Dont think the dmv cares if someone checks a box to register to vote. They registered my vehicle as a different year than it actually is. Informed them and they said so what.
Tim Scott says
What’s your plan for this “audit”? You want to have thirty million licensed drivers resubmit their proof of citizenship? I got a certified copy of my birth certificate a couple years ago so I could get a passport…it cost me thirty bucks. I never needed one before because my military dependent’s ID card got me my first driver’s license and my own military ID before it expired when I aged out, and my military ID did everything I ever needed to do until I got out of the navy.
If I had been forced to cough up thirty bucks just to support some hair brained GOP “search for the truth” I’d have been thoroughly pissed off, and I can afford thirty bucks even for nothing. A lot of people really can’t.
As to the “don’t think the DMV cares if someone checks a box”…try it some time. They might type in the wrong year for your car, but I promise you that if they had just left it blank their spiffy computer would have kicked it immediately…just like if they try to register you to vote and they leave the boxes blank for proof of citizenship. To register you to vote in error they would have to fill in the “type of document” block with something completely fabricated and all the appropriate blocks that have to be filled in for whatever type of document they fabricate in there.
I’m not saying that there has never been a DMV clerk who would take a bribe, or that there has never been anyone who had good enough fake docs to get past a DMV clerk, but idiot D’ump and his “millions and millions of undocumented aliens voting” is quoting a ridiculous story has been going around the right wing echo chamber for years. The story consists of two facts; Californians register to vote at the DMV when they get a license, and you don’t have to be a citizen to get a license in California. They leave out the facts of the process, which debunk their premise, because…well, because the right wing echo chamber is more about riling up their followers than they are about any particular interest in telling the whole truth.
AV Illegal says
Actually, there were a couple of cases where DMV employees “risking their jobs”
This is straight from DMV themselves>>> https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/newsrel/newsrel12/2012_08
Here is another case where some other DMV employees “risked their jobs”>>>>> http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-dmv-corruption-driver-license-el-cajon-fbi-court-2014jun14-story.html
Oh, and another>>>>> http://www.capoliticalreview.com/top-stories/more-corruption-and-bribery-uncovered-at-ca-dmv/
The last one even had a Highway Patrolman involved in one of the cases. Yeah, I suppose no one would ever risk such a good job. Just like no one would ever vote illegally….
Tim Scott says
One more time for the really s l o w people. I’m not saying there has never been a DMV clerk that would take a bribe. But let’s take a look at the first case you cited…21 counts. Do you seriously think that the 21 people who paid bribes to that DMV clerk to get fake IDs CARED ABOUT CASTING THOSE 21 VOTES?
And, by the way, notice that the guy got caught and buried under the jail for his efforts long before he issued enough IDs to contribute to the “millions and millions” of fake votes the dingbat echo chamber talks about. It’s really hard to advertise yourself as “the fake ID guy down at the DMV” and not be identified by law enforcement as the fake ID guy down at the DMV. This guy got caught in about twenty. How you figure there are people getting away with millions?
The whole argument is stupid, because if you go find the origin of the story in the right wing echo chamber it is so obviously wrong.