Have you been struck by the television commercials that encourage you to participate in the census? Has the pandering to those seeking government funds bothered you?
Mary Theroux of the Independent Institute, in Census Inverted: No Representation without Taxation, notes “the promotional campaign by the Census Bureau … urg[es] compliance so that each of us can get our ‘fair share’ of government money …”
Ms. Theroux’s focus is the need for tax reform. She notes that the promotion “turns the traditional purpose of a census on its head: from time immemorial, governments have counted the people in order to make sure the state got its ‘fair share’ of taxes.” Observing the evils of the current tax structure, Ms. Theroux goes on to suggest we “either return to taxation proportional to enumeration, or representation proportional to taxation.”
My focus here is the nature of government activities cited in the Census Bureau’s promotion. Consider this excerpt from the 2010 Census website, under “Why It’s Important“:
When you do the math, it’s easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
- Hospitals
- Job training centers
- Schools
- Senior centers
- Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
- Emergency services
The implicit assumption, of course, is that the federal government should be involved in these programs. The promotion thus encourages completion of the census by reinforcing misconceptions concerning not only the proper role of government in general, but also the need for, or desirability of, the federal government’s involvement in local projects or services. Many government services should be entirely eliminated or privatized, but federal involvement is the worst, partly because the federal government is the furthest removed from local realities, and also because federal involvement brings the baggage of central government command and control.
Consider each item on which the federal government wants to spend money:
Hospitals: There is no need for federal funding of local hospitals. The federal government would benefit the provision of health care by repealing its recent purported reform bill and taking the many steps discussed in recent months to disentangle itself from the health care market. States could help by freeing insurance markets through allowing interstate competition and ending coverage mandates. States also should eliminate their regulatory schemes that require approval of the construction of hospitals. Why should states limit competition, thus creating hospital shortages?
Job training centers: There is no need for federal funding of job training. The commercial and non-profit educational services industries are fully able to provide whatever training people seek.
Schools: Education should be a state and local, not federal, concern. The best way the federal government could aid education is by abolishing the Department of Education. Federal involvement means the universal imposition of bad ideas. The best approach to education is to not only end the federal involvement, but to entirely privatize, allowing a free and competitive market. If state and local government is going to continue financing education, as opposed to providing it, it can do so through tax credits or vouchers.
Senior centers: Does this look like an appeal to a special interest? If cities and towns want to pay for these centers, so be it. No federal role is necessary, and, again, between commercial and non-profit providers, no government involvement at all is required.
Bridges, tunnels, etc.: Having the federal government help finance infrastructure encourages delay, overpayment of labor, and overspending by state and local government. A better idea: privatize infrastructure.
Emergency services: Federal involvement is not needed. If state and local law enforcement agencies are stretched, this is because they are enforcing too many laws that should not be on the books. Decriminalize drugs, and let the police address real crime. As to other emergency services such as firefighting and emergency medical care, these are local services that can be locally funded. Again, there are also opportunities for privatizing much of this.
When you complete your census form, mentally reject the federal propaganda. Meanwhile, fight for “better infrastructure” and “better services” through ending federal involvement, deregulating, and privatizing. All of this would create “a brighter tomorrow.”
[Links updated: Nov. 3, 2015]
