Texas Gerrymandered To Create 2 New White GOP Districts

When the 2020 census was released, it was announced that the Texas population had grown enough to give the state two new congressional districts.

About 95% of that population growth was among minority populations (Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, etc.). A reasonable person would assume that since the growth was among minorities, the two new districts would be minority districts.

But Texas Republicans are neither rational nor fair. They did some serious gerrymandering, and gave the state two new districts that are predominately white.

That means that of the 38 districts, about 62% are predominately white -- even though whites only make up about 40% of the state population.

This was nothing less than an attack on racial and ethnic voters -- trying to minimize their electoral power in the state.

Here is part of how Dean Obeidallah describes this racist gerrymandering at MSNBC.com:

Texas has seen first-hand the connection between the state’s changing demographics and voting results. In 2012, presidential nominee Mitt Romney won the Lone Star state by nearly 16 pointsover Barack Obama. In 2016, Donald Trump won, but only by 9 points. Come the 2020 election, Trump’s victory in Texas was barely over 5 percent. You don’t need to have a Ph.D. in mathematics to get that these numbers put Texas Democrats closer to winning statewide elections for the first time since 1994. (The last time a Democratic presidential candidate won Texas was Jimmy Carter in 1976.)

The brutal truth is that the reason Texas and other GOP statesenacted 33 laws in 19 states since January to make it harder to vote was never about Trump’s “big lie.” It was about Trump’s “big loss.” Republicans are freaking out that people who don’t look like most of them could soon be in charge. Consequently, they're apparently using any means to preserve that power. 

The Texas GOP drafted the new voting districts to “shrink the number of districts in which eligible Hispanic and Black voters can realistically sway election outcomes,” as The Texas Tribune noted. By way of “elaborately manipulated lines to create district boundaries,” they reduced from eight to seven the districts that are majority Latino and reduced the districts where Black residents make up the majority of voters from one to zero.

In a central Texas House district in Bell County that had been trending blue (Black and Hispanic populations were nearly equal to the white population there), the district was redesigned into a doughnut-like configuration that effectively “segregated” the Black and Hispanic communities to dilute their political strength.

In the suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which also has been trending blue in recent years, the party redesigned two congressional districts, creating two new majority white districts designed to more easily elect Republicans to both congressional seats. . . .

The reason the party can be so brazen in its efforts to suppress the vote of people of color is because this is the state's first redistricting since the Voting Rights Act was gutted in 2013 by the Republican-controlled Supreme Court in the infamous Shelby County v. Holderdecision. Ten years ago, the Texas GOP would’ve needed “pre-clearance” before these new voting maps could go into effect — same for its voter suppression measures. But with that key part of the VRA gutted — and with a 6-to-3 Republican majority on the Supreme Court — the GOP is going full throttle in its efforts to maintain white supremacy.

Most Not Worried About Decreasing % Of Whites In U.S.

The charts above are from the Pew Research Center. They surveyed 10,221 adults nationwide between July 8th and 18th, and the survey had a 1.5 point margin of error.

The percentage of whites in the United States has been decreasing for several decades now, and for the first time, the number of whites actually decreased in the last decade.

Does this have Americans worried? Not according to this poll. About 76% said it was not a bad thing (15% saying it was a good thing and 61% saying it was neither good nor bad). And that includes 73% of whites (11% saying it was a good thing and 62% saying it was neither good not bad).

The Population Is Changing And The GOP Can't Accept That

According to the 2020 census, the United States is more diverse today than it has ever been. The white population has shrunk once again, and in fact, all of the nation's growth was among its non-white inhabitants. This is scaring Republicans, whose party is mostly white and whose policies are anti-minority and racist. They could just change their policies to be more inclusive, but they have chosen a different path -- to suppress the votes of non-whites and gerrymander districts to hold on to power. If those methods work for them, it won't be for very long. The demographic changes being seen in the population is not going to go away, and by mid-century whites will no longer be a majority. Sadly though, their party has been taken over by the racists and bigots, so they will just continue to pursue white privileges -- and this will only hurt their party in the future.

Here's how Jennifer Rubin describes the situation in The Washington Post:

The 2020 Census shows that while Whites remain the largest ethnicity group in the United States, the demographic decreased by 8.6 percent over the past decade. Those identifying as multiracial, by contrast, grew by a stunning 276 percent. Hispanic, Black and Asian American populations all grew at a rapid rate, too. Now, the country is nearly 19 percent Hispanic, 12 percent Black and 6 percent Asian American.

The country grew at a slower pace than in any decade since the Depression. It is also aging. Nearly all the growth took place in urban centers (up nearly 9 percent) as rural populations shrank. The Hill reports: “Fewer than half of the 3,143 counties in the United States added population over the last decade, the new census data shows. The share of Americans who live in nonmetropolitan rural areas dropped by 2.8 percentage points, the Bureau said Thursday.”

The results speak to a truism that millions of Republicans would like to ignore: America is never static. It is — and has always been — in a state of flux, whether it comes to race, religious affiliation (or lack thereof), the divide between native-born and immigrant, or the geographic spread of the population (e.g., the Great Migration of Blacks from the South in the early 20th century or the rise of the Sun Belt population over the last few decades). Indeed, that is the essence of America — a country not defined by racial or religious identity.

That reality has, of course, freaked out a significant share of White Christians who do not see “their America” as predominate. It was never “theirs” to begin with, and the assumption that something is amiss if White Christians are not in charge is the essence of white supremacy and Christian nationalism. It is also fundamentally un-American; our country is defined, as President Biden rightly says, by an “idea.”

It is easy, then, to understand why a political party based increasingly on its appeal to White Christians has adopted so many anti-American traits. The sanctity of elections has given way to a sentiment that violence is sometimes necessary (for Whites to retain power). The decline in their numbers has led to worship of totalitarian thugs around the world and disdain for a free society. The desperation for a make-believe world of yesteryear has led tens of millions down the rabbit hole of right-wing media propaganda, where their worst fears and darkest impulses are amplified.

Less remarked upon, but equally important, is that the growth of urban areas (generally more productive, more tolerant and more diverse) leaves rural Whites increasingly at odds with the national ethos. The latter are also poorer, sicker, less educated and have shorter life-spans than their metropolitan counterparts.

A rational, pro-democracy party would recognize it needs a broader base of support and move to adjust its policies to appeal to a more diverse, more secular and more urban America. That’s not the GOP game plan.

The GOP is so dependent on the right-wing media generator of White angst and resentment, and so fearful they will lose their grip among Whites, that they have chosen instead to try to hold back the demographic and cultural tide washing over them. They resort to voter suppression, assault objective reality, disdain majority rule and weaponize apolitical institutions, such as the courts or the Justice Department. Moreover, given their White, wealthy donor base, they can offer only rhetorical populism while pursuing plutocratic economic policies (going so far as to refuse to increase funding for the Internal Revenue Service to enforce tax laws).

There is no single solution to solve the growing urban-rural divide. However, unless and until Americans in rural areas demand responsible governance, embrace the true “idea” of America and reject the temptation of racism and authoritarianism, little will change.

In the meantime, urban Americans, who constitute a greater share of the population than ever before, will lose patience with anti-democratic techniques (e.g., the filibuster, voter suppression) designed to give rural Whites disproportionate power. Demography may not be destiny, but it brings the weaknesses of American democracy into focus.

2020 Census - All U.S. Growth Is Due To Non-White Minorities

This has to scare Republicans (whose policies favor whites over other groups). The number of whites in the population has actually shrunk, and for the first time is expected to fall below 60% of the population.

The following is from The Washington Post:

For the first time in the history of the country’s census taking, the number of White people in the United States is widely expected to show a decline when the first racial breakdowns from the 2020 Census are reported this week.

For five years now, the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual updates of the 2010 Census have estimated that the nation’s White population is shrinking, and all population growth has been from people of color.

The new census data, planned for release on Aug. 12, will show definitively how the ethnic, racial and voting-age makeup of neighborhoods shifted over the past decade, based on the national house-to-house canvass last year. It is the data most state legislatures and local governments use to redraw political districts for the next 10 years.

If the White decline is confirmed by the new data, that benchmark will have come about eight years earlier than previously projected, said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution.

“Twenty years ago if you told people this was going to be the case, they wouldn’t have believed you,” he said, adding that the opioid epidemic and lower-than-anticipated birthrates among millennials after the Great Recession accelerated the White population’s decline. “The country is changing dramatically.”

The United States is also expected to have passed two other milestones on its way to becoming a majority-minority society in a few decades: For the first time ever, the portion of White people could dip below 60 percent and the under-18 population is likely to be majority non-White.

Trump Likely Will NOT Be Able To Change Census Rules

The United States conducts a census count every 10 years. The most recent one was done in 2020. This count not only tells us the population of the country and each of its states, but also determines the number of representatives each state will get in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Donald Trump wanted to change the rules. Instead of counting every person living in the United States (as has always been done in the past), Trump issued an order that only citizens should be counted to determine each state's representation in Congress.

This would have substantially changed how some states were represented -- those state with a large undocumented immigrant population. 

Trump's order was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court refused to rule on the matter, saying the change had not happened, and might not happen (depending on when the census numbers were reported to the president). 

It looks like the court might have foreseen the case was moot. Now the Census Bureau is saying they cannot report the numbers by the end of the year (2020). Instead, they will probably report those numbers by the end of January 2021. That means the numbers would be reported to President Joe Biden -- not Trump.

Joe Biden will then be the one to report the census numbers, and he will report all people -- not just citizens.

It will be the final failure (among many) for the Trump administration.

Texas Is Growing Fast - And It's Turning Purple Politically

Texas is growing fast. It was one of the fastest growing states when the 2010 census was done, and it looks like it will be once the 2020 census is taken.

if the census turns out as predicted, Texas could get an additional three representatives to the U.S. Congress.

But it is not just growing. It is also changing. While some of its growth is from people moving to Texas from other states, the largest group contributing to Texas' growth is Hispanics.

Texas has had a majority in its school system that was composed of minority students for several years now. It won't be long before minorities make up a majority of the voting population (especially since most of that Hispanic growth comes from babies born in the U.S.).

Here's a recent article by Chris Cillizza at CNN.com on the growth and change in Texas:

While the world was fixated on the coronavirus, the US Census Bureau released its latest county-by-county population estimates.

And their findings make one thing abundantly clear: Texas is going to become the most important political state over the next decade.

Here's why: Growth in Texas is absolutely off the charts.

Of the 10 counties with the largest population growth in the country between 2010 and 2019, six of them are in Texas. 

Harris County (Houston) had the second largest population increase over the first nine years of the decade, adding more than 620,000 people. (Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, took the top spot with more than 668,000 new people.)

The other five Texas counties in the Top 10 in terms of population increase are: Tarrant (Fort Worth), Bexar (San Antonio), Dallas (Dallas), Collin (Plano, McKinney) and Travis (Austin).

But it's not just that these big Texas counties are adding lots of people. It's that even smaller counties in Texas are growing faster -- as a percentage of their 2010 population -- than many places in the country.

Of the 10 counties in terms of percentage population growth between 2010 and 2019, four are in Texas: Hays (southwest of Austin), Comal (northeast of San Antonio), Kendall (west of Austin) and Williamson (north of Austin).

What all that bonkers growth means is that Texas' congressional delegation -- and, by extension, its number of electoral votes -- are going to soar after the 2020 Census and reapportionment. 

Texas is projected to gain three seats in 2021, and could gain more depending on how its growth numbers match up with the rest of the country. Three more congressional seats would bring Texas' total to 39 House seats -- and 41 total electoral votes, behind only California's 53 seats and 55 electoral votes.

But -- and this is really important -- unlike solidly Democratic California, Texas is emerging as a swing state thanks to huge growth in the Hispanic community and their movement toward Democrats, particularly in the Trump era.

The Point: Combine Texas' growth with its expected increase in swingy-ness as the state and federal level and you see why it looks like the most important political state of the next decade.

Supreme Court Rules Against Government On Census

It looks like Chief Justice John Roberts really is going to be the swing vote on the current Supreme Court. On Thursday, He joined the four liberal justices (Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, Sotomayor) in rejecting the Trump administration's desire to put a citizenship question on the official 2020 census form. The vote was 5 to 4, with the court's conservatives (Kavanaugh, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch) voting to allow the question to be included.

The court said the government might have the right to include the citizenship question, but had failed to provide adequate justification for it. Since there are only a few weeks before the printing of the census forms must begin, it is unlikely that the justification could be provided in time.

Here is how Pete Williams of NBC News reported the court's decision:

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration cannot include a question about citizenship on the 2020 census form that goes to every U.S. household, giving a win to mostly Democratic populous states that said the question would discourage legal and illegal immigrants from responding and make the population count less accurate.

The court was deeply fractured on the issue, but on the section that essentially eliminated the citizenship question, the vote was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four-member liberal wing of the court.

The court's majority said the government has the right to ask a citizenship question, but that it needs to properly justify changing the long-standing practice of the Census Bureau. The Trump administration's justification was "contrived," Roberts wrote, and did not appear to be the genuine reason for the change, possibly implying that the real reason was political.

The decision makes it highly unlikely that the Commerce Department will now have time to justify the question and make it part of the census before the forms have to be printed in only a few weeks.

The ruling was a setback for the Trump administration's tough position on immigration. It was also a surprise, because it appeared in April when the case was argued that the court's five-member conservative majority was prepared to rule that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross acted within his authority to add the question.

A census is required every 10 years by the Constitution, and the results determine the size of each state's congressional delegation. The data is also used to calculate a local government's share of funds under many federal programs.

A total of 18 states, several of the nation's largest cities and immigrant rights groups sued to block the question, saying it would make immigrants reluctant to respond to the census mailer. As a result, states with large immigrant communities could lose seats in Congress and suffer cuts in government aid programs, their lawsuit said.

Citizenship questions were asked during every census between 1820 and 1950. But from 1960 on, the government sent households a short form that contained only a few questions and did not inquire about citizenship. Both the Census Bureau and the groups behind the lawsuit agreed that the question will reduce the census response rate, especially in immigrant communities. By one government estimate, as many as 6.5 million people might not be counted.

Projected Winners And Losers After The 2020 Census

We are only a couple of years away from a new census, and the changes that will bring. The bottom chart shows what happened after the 2010 census, and the top chart shows what is projected to happen after the 2020 census. The biggest winners according to this projection will be Texas (which will gain 2 or 3 congressional seats) and Florida (which will gain 2 seats).

The First Clues To The Change In Representation In 2020

The chart above, from the Wall Street Journal, shows the change in population trends of the states. This is important because it will determine what states will gain or lose representation after the 2020 census.

It's still five years until the next census, and the coming Supreme Court decision on whether districts should be drawn on total population or the number of voters will undoubtably have an effect, but there will be winners and losers when it comes to the number of representatives each state will be apportioned.

I found this early look by the Wall Street Journal on the matter to be very interesting (and thought you might also). Here is their very early prediction:

In Washington, it’s never too early to think about the next congressional reapportionment.

That’s why Tuesday’s release by the U.S. Census Bureau of state-by-state population changes sparked instant predictions about which states will gain and lose House seats after the 2020 census. That pie of 435 seats gets recut every 10 years based on whether states swelled or shrank, and the number of House seats and presidential electoral votes for the states shift accordingly.

Election Data Services, a political consulting firm in Manassas, Va., tallied the rates of state population change from 2010 to 2015 and projected them forward to 2020. If those trends hold up, 15 states would gain or lose districts after the 2020 census.

The biggest gains would come to Texas, which is projected to clinch three more House seats, and Florida, a gainer of two seats. Arizona, North Carolina, Colorado and are all poised to grab one seat after 2020.

Nine states are projected to lose districts: Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

The Demographics That Scare GOP Leaders

(Image is from the website of Paul Vallely.)

There used to be a time when the white vote ruled in American elections, and during those times the Republicans did very well in national elections. Those times are fast disappearing, and may in fact, already be gone. In 2008 and 2012, President Obama put together a coalition of huge majorities of all minority groups, along with a majority of young people and women and a minority of white voters, to easily coast to victory.

And there is a demographic trend that shows this kind of coalition may be even easier for Democrats in the coming years. That trend shows that with each presidential election there are more minority voters and less white voters -- and there is no reason to believe that trend won't continue for many more years (and elections). This is, and should be, very troubling for the Republican Party -- since they hold numerous views and policies that minorities disagree with (and find to be anathema to their interests). Look at this trend from the data compiled by the Census Bureau and by exit polling:

COMPOSITION OF ELECTORATE (CENSUS BUREAU)

Whites
2004...............79.2
2008...............76.3
2012...............73.7

Blacks
2004...............11.1
2008...............12.3
2012...............13.4

Hispanics
2004...............6.0
2008...............7.4
2012...............8.4

Asians
2004...............2.2
2008...............2.6
2012...............2.9

Others
2004...............1.42
2008...............1.4
2012...............1.5

CITIZEN VOTING (EXIT POLLING)

Whites
2004...............79.2
2008...............73.4
2012...............71.1

Blacks
2004...............11.9
2008...............12.1
2012...............12.5

Hispanics
2004...............8.2
2008...............9.5
2012...............10.8

Asians
2004...............3.2
2008...............3.4
2012...............3.8

Others
2004...............1.5
2008...............1.5
2012...............1.7

As you can see, the trend is not good for the Republicans (regardless of which source is used). The percentage of minority voters is growing while the percentage of white voters continues to shrink. GOP leaders have seen these numbers, and can read the writing on the wall. That's why they have proposed alter at least some of their policies (like on immigration reform) to reach out to minorities (especially Hispanics, who are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States).

But so far, that is not working out for them. That's because their base voters (especially the racists they invited into their party after the civil rights laws were passed) are not on board with reaching out to minority voters. They still seem to believe they can return to a white's only America, and are opposing any change to the anti-minority and anti-immigrant GOP policies -- and the teabaggers they sent to Congress are taking up that banner for them.

This is good for Democrats. It means it will be easy to keep the coalition they have built in the coming years.

Gender Gap & Other Voter Demographics

I just saw this interesting statistic from a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll (taken between July 30th and August 19th of 9,678 randomly selected registered voters, with a very small 1 point margin of error). The poll showed there is a definite gender gap in the 2012 election -- at least so far. It showed that 50% of men prefer Willard Romney and 42% prefer President Obama. The numbers among women are the flip side of that -- with 50% preferring President Obama and 42% preferring Willard Romney.

On the surface that may sound like a 50-50 split among all voters, but it's not. Remember, there are more women than men in the United States, and a higher percentage of women actually go to the polls and vote. When you consider both of those facts, then you can see that President Obama has a statistically significant edge in the election so far. According to this graph over at the site of The Omnipotent Poobah (compiled by U.S. Census Bureau Project Vote), in 2008 about 65.7% of women voted and 61.5% of men voted.

Here are some of the other voting demographics from the 2008 election. It shows the percentage of each group that actually voted in that election:

Whites...............66.1%
Blacks...............64.7%
Hispanics...............49.9%
Asians...............47.6%

18 to 24...............48.5%
25 to 34...............57.0%
35 to 44...............62.8%
45 to 54...............67.4%
55 to 64...............71.5%
65 to 74...............72.4%
Over 75...............67.8%

Less than high school grad...............50.5%
High school grad or GED...............64.1%
Associates or some college...............75.3%
B.S. or B.A. degree...............81.2%
Advanced degree...............85.5%

Never married...............53.5%
Divorced...............59.0%
Widowed...............61.6%
Married...............69.9%

Less than $20,000...............51.9%
$20,000 to $29,999...............56.3%
$30,000 to $39,999...............62.2%
$40,000 to $49,999...............64.7%
$50,000 to $74,999...............70.9%
$75,000 to $99,999...............76.4%
$10,000 and over...............91.8%

Unemployed...............54.7%
Employed...............65.9%

STATES WITH HIGHEST VOTING PERCENTAGE
Minnesota...............75.0%
New Hampshire...............71.2%
Maine...............71.2%
Wisconsin...............71.2%
Louisiana...............70.3%
Iowa...............70.2%
Mississippi...............69.7%
Virginia...............68.7%
Colorado...............68.4%
Maryland...............68.3%

STATES WITH LOWEST VOTING PERCENTAGE
Hawaii...............51.8%
Utah...............53.1%
West Virginia...............53.4%
Arkansas...............53.8%
Tennessee...............55.5%
Texas...............56.1%
Oklahoma...............58.7%
New York...............58.8%
Arizona...............59.9%
Nevada...............59.9%

Writing Is On The Wall (Demographically)

(The graphic above is from the blog of Yun S. Lee.)

Did you ever wonder why the campaigns of most (if not all) Republicans consists of nothing more than lies, divisive social issues, and voter suppression efforts? I believe there are a couple of reasons. First, their economic policies have failed miserably -- causing a vast inequality of wealth and income, and triggering the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. They can't campaign on their economic policy (which is still the failed trickle-down policy).

So they are left with lies and divisive issues (like same-sex marriage), but people are starting to see through the lies and the divisive issues are starting to turn against them (if polls are to be believed). That leaves them with voter suppression (through unnecessary things like Voter ID laws). They claim these laws are necessary to prevent voter fraud, but that kind of voter fraud is non-existent in this country. The real reason is to prevent people who are likely to vote Democratic from voting (and for the GOP that is mainly minority voters).

The Republicans can read the census figures like anyone else. And they know that the portion of the United States population composed of minorities grows with each passing year, while the portion composed of whites decreases. It is only a matter of time before the United States population has a majority of people in minority groups (Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Mixed-race individuals, etc.) and a minority of whites.

That would be disastrous for the Republicans if all these people are able to vote, since the anti-immigrant anti-minority policies of that party tends to drive away minority voters. In some states, the tipping point is approaching fast. In Texas, minority children already compose a majority of all the state's school children. And since the fastest growing portions of the Texas population are minorities (by a large margin), it won't be too many years down the road until minorities make up a majority of voters.

It is further down the road for the nation as a whole, but the same population trends are at work. The U.S. Census reports that for the first time in this nation's history, whites did not make up a majority of births. In 2011, the majority of births in the United States were minorities -- and this trend is just expected to grow larger with each passing year. There is no question that at some point in this century whites will be outnumbered by minorities -- it's just a question of how soon.

Now a reasonable person would think the Republicans should change their anti-immigrant and anti-minority policies. But the Republicans can't do that -- at least not right now. If they did, they would drive away a large part of their base (especially in the South, where the party became viable by accepting the numerous racists fleeing the Democratic Party after President Johnson got his civil rights laws passed).

That leaves them with no option but to do their best to suppress minority votes. It won't work though. It might put off the inevitable for a few years, but it can't stop the approaching demographic change in the United States.

Texas Leads Nation In Population Growth

Texas is not the most populous state in the nation -- California has that honor(?). But if recent trends continue, it could be someday. According to United States Census population growth estimates, Texas was the state with the largest population growth since the 2010 census. The Texas population increased by about 529,000, a growth of 2.1% (1.7% when adjusted to a yearly rate).

The largest segment of the growth was due to births. There were 493,650 births. When the 205,171 deaths are subtracted, that leaves a net gain of 288,479 in population. The rest of the population growth was made up of people moving into the state -- 145,315 from other states and 93,641 from other countries.

Here are the top ten states in population growth since the 2010 census:
1. Texas..........529,000
2. California..........438,000
3. Florida..........256,000
4. Georgia..........128,000
5. North Carolina..........121,000
6. Washington..........105,000
7. Virginia..........96,000
8. Arizona..........90,000
9. Colorado..........88,000
10. New York..........87,000

Only three states have lost population since the last census. They are Michigan (-7,448), Rhode Island (-1,265), and Maine (-173).

The Poor Get Poorer And More Numerous

The sign being carried by the woman in the picture above may seem humorous right now, but the congressional Republicans (and their Blue Dog friends) seem to be bound and determined to make it a reality. While demanding more government giveaways for the rich, they are systematically dismantling the social safety net for the poor, the disadvantaged, the elderly, and the unemployed. And their nefarious plan is working -- the rich are richer than ever while the poor are getting poorer and their numbers are growing.

Yesterday I posted about how worker wages are falling -- a drop of 1.2% just in the last year. But the situation is much grimmer for those who are unable to find a job. Many of them are slipping into poverty, and the number of people living in poverty is growing each year. And with not enough jobs being created to even keep up with the number of new workers entering the job hunt and social programs that could help them being slashed, they are left with no place to turn.

The United States Census Bureau has just released its latest report on poverty in American, and it paints a very stark picture of what is happening in this country. Here are some of the unpalatable facts it reveals:

* The number of people living in poverty in America increased from 42.9 million in 2009 to 46.2 million in 2010 (an increase of 3.3 million people). Percentage-wise that's an increase from 14.3% to 15.3%.

* Not a single state showed a statistically significant drop in their poverty rate.

* In the last year, thirty-two states showed an increase in the number and percentage of people living in poverty (and for twenty states this was at least their second year in a row to show an increase).

* The people who live on an income of less than half of the poverty level increased from 6.3% in 2009 to 6.8% in 2010 -- showing that the poor are getting even poorer.

* The percentage of people whose income is less than 125% of the poverty level increased from 18.9% in 2009 to 20.1% in 2010. That means another 4.8% of all Americans are in serious danger of slipping into poverty.

Here are the 10 states with the most and least amounts of poverty (but even the states with the least amount have a far too high rate of poverty):

10 STATES WITH THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATES
Mississippi...............22.4% (643,883)
New Mexico...............20.4% (413,851)
Alabama...............19.0% (888,290)
Kentucky...............19.0% (800,226)
Arkansas...............18.8% (534,898)
Louisiana...............18.7% (825,144)
South Carolina...............18.2% (815,755)
West Virginia...............18.1% (326,507)
Texas...............17.9% (4,414,481)
Georgia...............17.9% (1,688,932)

10 STATES WITH THE LOWEST POVERTY RATES
New Hampshire...............8.3% (105,786)
Alaska...............9.9% (69,279)
Maryland...............9.9% (557,140)
Connecticut...............10.1% (350,145)
New Jersey...............10.3% (884,789)
Hawaii...............10.7% (142,185)
Virginia...............11.1% (861,969)
Massachusetts...............11.4% (725,143)
Minnesota...............11.6% (599,516)
Delaware...............11.8% (103,427)

AND SOME OTHERS
District of Columbia...............19.2% (109,423)
Puerto Rico...............45.0% (1,659,792)
New York...............14.9% (2,821,470)
California...............15.8% (5,783,043)
Pennsylvania...............13.4% (1,648,184)
Ohio...............15.8% (1,779,032)
Illinois...............13.8% (1,731,711)
Florida...............16.5% (3,047,343)
Michigan...............16.8% (1,618,257)
Arizona...............17.4% (1,094,249)
Oklahoma...............16.9% (616,610)
Missouri...............15.3% (888,570)
Tennessee...............17.7% (1,095,466)

After looking at these atrocious numbers (and they are all atrocious), I think any politician who suggests that the social safety net be further cut to provide the rich with more tax cuts should be charged with a crime against humanity. Is it any wonder that Occupy Wall Street's call for economic justice has struck a chord with the American people?

Perry Gets Lukewarm Reception From Hispanics

Rick Perry is thinking of running for president in 2012, but he might want to rethink any idea of trying to get significant votes out of the Hispanic community. Perry went to San Antonio and spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and his reception was anything but enthusiastic. Perry tried to win them over by bragging about the amount of Hispanics he has appointed to government positions (a barely adequate amount) and the "success" he has had in job creation (maintaining an 8% unemployment rate by increasing the amount of minimum wage jobs by 150%).

The conference attendees were suitably unimpressed. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the "Hispanic leaders applauded politely after the address. A few stood, but the remainder stayed seated." It's pretty obvious they were letting Perry know they are not real happy with his performance as governor -- especially in pushing a "sanctuary city" bill and getting a Voter ID bill passed (which will impact minorities more than whites).

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio), chairman of the Texas Mexican-American Legislative Caucus, said, "Latino voters will look at actions but not words. When Latinos scrutinize the actions that have been taken in this state, they'll look for another choice."

This doesn't speak well for Perry (or any of the extremely white selection of candidates the Republicans are offering this year -- with the exception of Cain who doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting the GOP nomination). Because many expect Hispanics to turn out in record numbers for the 2012 election and cast about 12.2 million votes -- an increase of 26% over 2008 (and about 8.7% of the total vote).

And the Hispanic percentage of the national vote will just continue to grow over the next few decades. If the Republicans had any sense they would reconsider the anti-immigrant, anti-minority positions their party has reveled in taking recently. According to national census figures released recently, the majority of babies in the United States are now minorities (whereas just 10 years ago whites made up 60% of all babies).

By the middle of this century (less than 40 years) the United States population majority will be composed of minorities. And it will happen a lot faster than that in states like Texas (where a majority of school children are already composed of minorities). Unless the Republicans rethink their racist policies, they are going to find themselves becoming more marginalized with each passing decade.

And the fastest growing group in this country is the Hispanics. Ignoring them or trying to legislate them out of the political process is going to be a sure way to lose elections in the very near future.

2010 Census For Amarillo

We finally have the census results for the city of Amarillo. I knew the city was growing and I had estimated that it had topped the 200,000 mark. I was wrong, but not by much. The official 2010 census result for Amarillo is 190,695 -- a 9.8% growth over the 2000 population of 173,627. The city has been growing at a rate of about 1% per year, and that means it will top 200,000 in population around 2015 or 2016.

I'm sure the city leaders heaved a sigh of relief. If the population had been over 200,000, the city would have lost a large chunk of federal dollars for mass transportation (city bus service).

As with the rest of Texas, Hispanics made up the largest sector of the population growth -- growing by 44% since 2000. But unlike the rest of Texas, non-Hispanic Whites still make up more than 50% of the city's population. But the percentage of this segment is near the tipping point, and with Hispanics growing fast while young Whites move away from the Panhandle (and older Whites die off), it is very likely that the 2020 census will show non-Hispanic Whites to be in the minority.

Here is the official population breakdown for the city:

Non-Hispanic Whites..........99,122 (51.98%)
Hispanics..........54,881 (28.78%)
African-Americans..........12,632 (6.62%)
Asians..........6,072 (3.18%)
Others..........17,988 (9.43%)
Total Minority..........91,573 (48.02%)
Total Population..........190,695

While the city, and the Panhandle area in general, did show some growth, it was not nearly the huge growth experienced by larger urban areas (particularly along the I-35 corridor). Amarillo retains its status as the 14th largest city in the state, and due to the state getting four new U.S. Representatives, it is doubtful that the areas federal representation will change much.

However, the huge growth in large urban areas in other parts of Texas will probably mean the area will lose a seat in the state House of Representatives, and the state senate district may grow to include more counties. Perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, State Rep. Warren Chisum has already said he may seek a seat on the Railroad Commission after this legislative session ends. That would keep the Pampa Republican from having to run against Amarillo Republican Walter Price in a larger combined district.

But I would suggest the Republicans in this very red area of Texas enjoy their dominance while they can. As the population growth numbers suggest, the area is on target to become much more Hispanic and much less White over the next 20 to 30 years. It won't be too long before the Panhandle (and West Texas) is looking like, and voting like, South Texas.

The Changing Face Of America

Demographers have been predicting for a while now that the United States will someday be a country in which whites no longer make up the majority of the population. But the 2010 census shows that this may be happening even faster than was previously thought.

In 2000, there were six states where whites were the minorities in nursery schools, preschools and kindergartens. There are now eight states plus the District of Columbia -- Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Florida, Mississippi and Hawaii. And there are three other states that are right at the tipping point -- Louisiana, Georgia and Maryland.

And the number of whites has dropped significantly as a percentage of overall school enrollment. In 2000, whites made up 64.6% of all school enrollment. That has now dropped to only 58.8% of all school enrollment. That's a drop of 5.8%, and with minorities growing at a faster rate than whites, they could actually make up a slight majority of all students in another 10 years.

And the group showing the biggest growth is Hispanics. While the number of whites grew by 9.7% in the last 10 years, that paled in comparison to the 37% growth of the Hispanic population. Hispanics actually made up about half of the population growth in the U.S. in the last 10 years. In 1989 Hispanics made up 10% of the children in kindergartens. By 2000 that had climbed to 18%, and in 2009 it was at least 23%.

This goes a long way toward explaining the recent actions of the Republican Party. For a virtually all white political party, this has to be a very scary prospect. It tells us why they are screaming to fence the country in, deny citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants, and opposing a path to citizenship for immigrants. They are trying to maintain their white majority and white privilege.

But racist and anti-immigrant policies are not going to do anything but cause bad feelings and further alienate the party from the majority of Americans. The cat is out of the bag and no one's going to get him back in that bag. The future is coming and it's going to be made up of a much more diverse population.

If the Republicans want to survive as a viable political party, they need to start now revising their policies and making them much more acceptable to minorities. They can still be economically conservative, but the xenophobia and racism has to go. If it doesn't, they might find themselves going the way of the Whig Party -- to extinction.

Poverty Figures Are Higher Than Previously Thought

According to the Department of Agriculture figures, we recently learned that 14% of the total American population is now on food stamps.   That would make sense given that the latest government figures for those considered to be living in poverty is about 14.3% (or about 43.6 million Americans).   That makes it look like most people in poverty are receiving government help.   Sadly that is not the case.

The new census figures show that there are more people living in poverty than the government admits.   This is because the government definition of poverty is based on "a 1955 cost of an emergency food diet and does not factor in other living costs."   When the other living costs are figured in, especially out-of-pocket medical expenses, the number of those currently living in poverty rises significantly.

The new census shows that there are actually about 47.8 million Americans living in poverty (or about 15.7% of the total population).   That's an additional 4.2 million people.   And a lot more of the elderly in this country are living in poverty than previously thought.   Government figures had about 8.9% of the elderly classified as poor, but the new census nearly doubles that figure -- the actual number of the elderly living in poverty is 16.1%.   This shows just how ridiculous the talk of cutting Social Security benefits really is.

And cutting other programs designed to help the poor would also be very destructive to this country.   The census shows that doing away with food stamps would raise the poverty rate to 17.2%.   Eliminating the earned income tax credit would raise the poverty rate to 17.7%.

Here are the poverty rates by region of the country:
West...............19.2%
South...............16.1%
Northeast...............14.3%
Midwest...............12.5%

There are those who say that the poor will always be with us, but in a country as rich (even in recession) as the United States it is inexcusable for nearly 15% of out total population to be living in poverty.   Even more inexcusable is the fact that politicians talk about cutting government programs while giving the rich massive tax cuts.   Cuts to programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Unemployment benefits and others would not only be disastrous for those already in poverty (about 1 in 6 Americans), but would throw millions more into poverty.

Of course the politicians still tell us that the millions they are giving to the rich will someday trickle down to the rest of America -- even though it has never done so in the past.   Is it any wonder that many voters are disgusted with both political parties?   The Republicans care only for the rich, and the Democrats are too spineless to live up to their ideals.   Where are the poor (and those on the edge of poverty) to turn?

Texas Is Big Winner In Census Lotto

The United States Census Bureau released their initial statistics for the 2010 census yesterday, and in the representation sweepstakes it looks like Texas is the biggest winner.   The Lone Star State will get an additional four representatives in the U.S. House.   According to the new figures, Texas now has 25,145,561 people living in the state.   That's a 20.6% increase over the number living in the state in 2000.

The media seems to have assumed that all the new representatives will be Republicans, but I'm not so sure.   Most of the growth has been in the urban areas and in South Texas -- areas where Democrats get most of their votes.   If the districts are drawn even sort of fairly (and I admit that's a big if) then Democrats may wind up with one or two of those new seats.   But to accomplish that, the Justice Department will have to keep a sharp eye on redistricting efforts to make sure the Republicans don't gerrymander minority areas.

Texas currently has 32 representatives.   It will have 36 after redistricting is completed.   While the Texas legislature goes into session in January, serious redistricting efforts can't take place until the Census Bureau releases its breakdown of where people are living within the state.   That population breakdown won't be released until early February.

The second most new representatives will go to Florida.   That state will get two new representatives, making a total of 27 representatives (the same as New York).   The following states will each get one new representative -- Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.  

The biggest losers are New York and Ohio, both of which will lose two House seats.   The following states will each lose one seat -- Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.   California still has the most representatives at 53, but for the first time in its history it did not gain a House seat.

Here are a few other interesting facts from the 2010 census:

* Only one state has declined in population since the 2000 census -- Michigan.
* The fastest growing state percentage-wise was Nevada (35.1%).
* The least populous state is Wyoming (563,626).
* California is the most populous state (37,253,956).
* The population growth by region was -
South..........14,318,924
West..........8,747,621
Midwest..........2,534,225
Northeast..........1,722,862

Revealing The Left-Wing Census Conspiracy

The blogger over at Zero Energy Construction has (with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek) revealed the ultra-secret left-wing conspiracy involving the 2010 U.S. census. I know all you liberal, socialist, pinko, progressive, commie, leftist, bleeding-heart, gay and minority-loving, tree huggers will find it hard to believe that our secret has now been exposed to the blinding light of day, but it is true. As proof (and with my own tongue planted in my own cheek), I am hereby reprinting the treacherous post below. Enjoy!

Dear Tea Party Friends,

I have a confession to make, a confession that may shock and alarm you. I am a liberal Democrat, and at the last strategy session/homosexual blood orgy, I became aware of a dastardly plot being perpetrated by my fellow socialists. As many of you in the Tea Party have correctly guessed, the census is a trap. Let me repeat that for the search engines: the 2010 census is a trap. Porn, porn, porn.

Whatever you do, do not fill out and return the census survey. Yes, it’s only 10 questions, and it only takes 10 minutes, but that’s not counting the years you will spend in forced labor camps once Nancy Pelosi rounds up everyone who bought Going Rogue and puts them to work in the medical marijuana fields. Think of your children, who will be confiscated by liberal shock troops (black liberal shock troops) and used to feed the giant underground blast furnaces that President Obama has installed beneath the White House to power his…

Okay, I’m still working on that part.

Some people, even a few in your own party, will try to tell you that the census is just a benign headcount that collects demographic information about the country. Some may even say that the census is an important way to make sure you are fully represented in Congress, and that if you don’t fill it out, your party might lose seats when the congressional district lines are redrawn.

It is very important that you hit these people with sticks.

The 2010 census is an unprecedented conspiracy of epic proportions, way worse than the 2000 Census or the 1990 Census. It’s a complicated plot, with layers upon layers of deception and misdirection, but let me see if I can explain it as simply as possible. The census process is composed of three steps:

Distributing the census survey to every home in America.
Encouraging all Americans to complete and mail back the survey.
Race war.
This is the truth they don’t want you to know. Whether you’re a Republican, a Tea Partier, an NRA member, a Texan, or you just plain hate the Jews, it is very important that you do not, under any circumstances, complete the 2010 census.

Army of bat robots. That’s what the underground blast furnaces power. The ones Obama is going to feed your children to. For real.

I’m just asking questions here, people!