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| Census Policy on Providing Sensitive Data Is Revised | |
| 2004-08-31 | |
| The Census Bureau announced on Monday that it would no longer assist law enforcement or intelligence agencies with special tabulations on ethnic groups and other "sensitive populations" without the approval of senior bureau officials. The policy shift comes in response to weeks of criticism after the recent disclosure that the bureau had compiled detailed demographic data on Arab-Americans for the Department of Homeland Security. Findings of a Freedom of Information Act request disclosed in July showed that the Census Bureau had produced two specially tabulated demographic tables on Arab-Americans for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, a division of the Department of Homeland Security. One table provided ZIP code-level breakdowns of Arab-Americans of various national origins. The cooperation was legal and the statistics used to compile the tables were publicly available. But the assistance sparked complaints from ethnic, privacy and civil rights groups that the Census Bureau was using its powers to aid law enforcement.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #5 But the assistance sparked complaints from ethnic, privacy and civil rights groups that the Census Bureau was using its powers to aid law enforcement. However, these same groups have no problem with using slack methods of census-taking, so that the Bureau can be use to benefit them... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-08-31 8:38:34 PM |
| #4 Problem with non-defense civil service is that so many of them came to government service under Clinton and think he's still president. You can't fire the rank & file, but you can certainly clean house in the senior ranks. Long overdue. Remember these are the people who wanted to "adjust" the census numbers to account for minorities who were undercounted to make sure that these people who weren't there got their fair share of federal handouts. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-08-31 4:57:07 PM |
| #3 Then I see all the apologists and human rights specialists starting the usual litany of defensive claims, retreating from one line to the next, until there is no cover left. And shit finally happens - to them. Like a lynching, maybe? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-31 11:21:28 AM |
| #2 I note that the "sensitives" are on the job early to make certain they hinder law enforcement as much as humanly possible. I hope they are sorely disappointed and scream their bloody heads off when push comes to shove and various US agencies finally get the funding and political cover to cooperate. It sure as hell won't be easy, it's hasn't happened since WWII, but it will be made possible when some asshole kills a bunch of Americans with something other than a gun. I don't want it to happen - but that won't affect the fact that it will happen. Then I see all the apologists and human rights specialists starting the usual litany of defensive claims, retreating from one line to the next, until there is no cover left. And shit finally happens - to them. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-31 3:28:25 AM |
| #1 We can't tell you about anyone whose first and/or middle and/or last name is Mohammed, Muhamad, Mohamed, etc etc etc, lest we be accused of "profiling". Of course the NEW census employees at the NEW location outside Washington may have REFORMED opinions after the old employees are dying of radiation poisoning in a building which glows in the dark. |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-08-31 12:33:17 AM |