It's 2020.
Do you know what that means?
Of course it's the year we have a good chance of booting Donald Trump from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
It's also a year that ends in zero, which means, according to Article one, section two of the Constitution, "Every subsequent Term of ten Years...Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers [sic]."
In other words, it's time for the census.
Most people are probably unaware official government forms don't get mailed until next month, so the Grand Old Republican Party is taking advantage of their ignorance by mailing out mock-census questionnaires resembling actual census forms.
If you're an Ohio, New York, Montana, Washington, or California resident, you may be receiving, or have already received, something analogous to the image below containing a lengthy questionnaire.
You should be aware it is not a census form--it is the Republican National Committee (RNC) soliciting for a donation.
A telltale sign: authentic census questionnaires will not inquire about respondents' political views.
Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, stated:
"This is a perversion of the normal functioning of government. Its timing is particularly objectionable because it will confuse people and discourage them from actually participating in the official census."
As Los Angeles Times reporter Sarah Wire wrote:
"[It's] designed to confuse people and possibly lower the response rate when the count begins in mid-March. Unlike the official Census form, the RNC survey is largely made up of political questions, such as whether the respondent supports using military force against Iran, thinks race relations in the country are getting worse and believes 'political correctness' has gotten out of hand."
The fear of deception is not unfounded nor to be taken lightly.
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