Keep the counting going on census

To the editor:

President Donald Trump has just dramatically escalated his attacks on a fair and accurate census count. In early August, he announced that the census will end one month early. That’s right. They’re planning to stop the 2020 U.S. Census early, with the final count still incomplete and millions left uncounted.

Similar to Trump’s previous attacks — like trying to edit undocumented people out of the final count or impose a citizenship question, this will hit Black and Brown communities and young children the hardest.

An undercount will mean fewer public resources — like schools and public safety — and less political representation for people already in necessary social programs. This early out on the final levels of citizen counting is not necessary.

Nobody believes that a rushed, underfunded census will deliver an accurate count — especially during a nationwide pandemic. Ending the count early poses a real risk of the census results being fundamentally illegitimate, potentially forcing a costly and time-consuming recount effort and throwing our representative democracy into chaos.

Common Cause has sued the Trump administration over its census manipulation. Trump needs to learn that the 2020 Census is off-limits to his political meddling. It is paramount to give the census bureau the time and resources it needs to conduct an accurate and equitable count.

Every avenue is being worked on to restore the integrity of the 2020 Census and get the accurate count that government agencies, businesses and charities rely on. We should all be genuinely concerned about this fight to save the 2020 Census or it will get lost in the 24-hour news cycle — and that if we don’t act, the consequences will be with us for the next 10-plus years.

Not only will the new legislative districts drawn after the census be in place until 2030, but letting the census become a partisan, political tool will be a defining moment for fair representation in this country. We cannot allow this to happen.

That’s why we must go all out — right here and right now — to protect the 2020 Census from political manipulation. Please help to eliminate Trump’s plan to end the census early, provide the full funding we need and make sure that every single person who lives in the United States is included in the final count.

Call our U.S Senators and request the count continue — Ron Johnson, 202-224-5323; Tammy Baldwin, 202-224-5653.

Edward Johnson, Clintonville