There was much fanfare this week as the Census Bureau unveiled the official Census figures before the end of the year, as required by law. Everyone here in Arizona was paying particularly close attention.  There was certainty that Arizona would pick up one legislative seat to nine, and who knows perhaps a 10th?

          Of course, as has been well detailed, there was a slowdown in settlement here in Arizona by illegal aliens after the 2004 proposition requiring employer sanctions for hiring illegal aliens and requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. This law perhaps single handedly derailed any opportunity, in fact most certainly prevented Arizona from picking up two additional seats instead of just one.

          What can’t be explained however, is the incredible drop in population from the July 2009 estimates from the US Census Bureau when contrasted with the Official Census as of April 1, 2010; the figures that were just released this week.  Here are the gory details:

          According to Quick Facts, Arizona’s estimated July 2009 population was 6,595,778. The population change was 28.6%, a very healthy increase.  HOWEVER, the “Official” Census figures showed Arizona’s population on April 1st this year to be only 6,392,017!  This is a precipitous drop of over 203,000 people in Arizona, and only a 24.6% change from 2000!  Now when you compare the difference for any other state in our region, or across the country, no other state had any population drop! Oops! The exception is Michigan, which did show a loss of 83 thousand people in the same time. That’s not surprising, since the auto industry has been demolished by the Obama and the Unions. Now just NW of Arizona in Nevada, the fastest growing state in the nation; in spite of the Nation’s highest unemployment rate at 14.3% STILL gained 57 thousand people in this same time that Arizona lost.  The facts don’t lie, so WHY would there be such a change? Don’t take my word for it look at the websites and compare the figures for yourself.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php     http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

          Well, obviously the answer is wrapped around the most significant legislation in 2010, SB1070, which required the state police departments and County sheriff’s offices, to verify identity and citizenship of anyone who is stopped for some other violation.  Certainly this legislation pushed the Illegal Immigration battle to the forefront of the National debate.  However, the Legislature did NOT EVEN PASS the law until April 19th and the governor signed it on April 23rd! So IF the Census bureau figures are based on April 1st population and they show such a huge drop in population BEFORE April first, ISN’T it the cruelest of April Fool’s jokes?

          Now, WHO would EVER question the integrity of the Census Bureau? Well let me remind you of one crucial fact: The Obama administration took the control of the Census away from the Commerce Department, moving it to the White House.  So I ask, WHO would EVER question the integrity of the White House!!??

          Yes, there were recent news reports that we’d lose population due to SB1070, perhaps as much as 100K  (Many in Arizona might say, ’Good Riddance!’).  But 200K? And BEFORE the bill even passed? Give me a Break!  Why should we trust a bureaucracy and the Political Party that encourages IRS to investigate Non-Profits who oppose abortion, and prosecutes actors while ignoring the Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner? This is the administration that is ready to hire over 16,000 new IRS agents to enforce the Health Care bill, threatens to shut down the Internet and demands that Fox News and Glenn Beck to be silenced. Why WOULD we trust anything they tell us?

          SO, while we were indeed in the hunt for that elusive tenth Congressional seat, perhaps even passing Washington, and having indeed passed Massachusetts and Indiana in population; this White House controlled Census now shows us losing 203K in nine short months. All BEFORE SB1070 became law. Who woulda thunk it!?