CENSUS AND VOTING ARE ALL UP TO YOU: YOU SNOOZE, WE ALL LOSE!

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Just in case you haven’t been informed, this is not the time to be sitting back on our laurels thinking that we can coast during the rest of President Obama’s administration.

Nor can we allow ourselves to be b.s’d into the self-fulfilling prophesy put forth by the main stream media predicting that the Republicans will be able to dominate the second half of Obama’s Administration, either. Ain’t no more days like that. At least if we’re taking care of business the way we are supposed to be.

Out of 435 congressional districts, 348 belong to the 37 states with gubernatorial races this year. What that means is that we have to be at the top of our game. We have to win in each of those states, making sure that we retain a Democratic majority throughout the Obama Administration and beyond.

According to Ohio State Governor, Ted Strickland, if Republicans win those governors' races, they will also win the power to redraw the district lines to help them retake control of Congress.

I know there are those among us who say they “hate politics, don’t have anything to do with politics, don’t understand politics, don’t like politics.” Well, unfortunately, that does not stop political machinations from having a very real effect on what happens to you and your family on a day to day basis.

Like it or not, politics has a very intimate relationship to our lives, because it can change the shape of our neighborhoods, it can determine which neighborhoods get revitalizations, which areas get jobs; hospitals, schools. It’s very intimate, indeed.

Concomitant with that is the issue of the Census and the impact on that count on what we get and don’t get; what we do or don’t do; whether or not we have representation in Congress, or in Albany for that matter.

According to Gov. Ted Strickland, one of the methods by which we end up being disenfranchised is via gerrymandering. If the the voting districts are divided up to favor the Republicans, thereby disenfranchising the Democratic voters, and making us powerless to impact issues that are important to our community, city, state and nation, then to be forewarned is to be fore armed.

It means that we have to all be on point making sure that each and every avenue to retain our leadership is covered. It means that if we have to get the census numbers up, we had better be about doing that. If it means that we had better be as dedicated and determined as Gov. Strickland in making sure that the census count is up to par.

His communiqué Is entitled “REMEMBER TOM DeLAY?” It goes on to say “ Stop GOP Gerrymandering. The 37 races for governor in 2010 could decide the next 10 years of American elections. Once every decade, census results require states to re-draw congressional district boundaries -- giving those who draw these lines the power to affect elections for the next decade -- and it won't take many Republican gubernatorial victories this November to allow the GOP to retake control of Congress. I am determined not to let that happen in Ohio. I'll make sure we have an above-board redistricting process that ensures all of our citizens are fairly represented. Do you think we can count on Republicans to do the same?”

If we don’t make sure everyone is counted, in Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland -- across the US -- we're likely to lose our congressional majority. We can lose seats because of the census. And, if Republicans control redistricting, Democrats could easily lose our majority of congressional delegates to the GOP.

According to Strickland, “Tom DeLay and his cronies did it in Texas, and I'm doing everything I can to stop them from doing it in Ohio. And their first order of business will be to replace Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with Ohio Congressman John Boehner. To borrow a quote from my fellow Ohioan, "Hell no, you can't!"

My question to you, NEW YORKERS, however, is what are you prepared to do?

It would be ignominous -- no, downright stupid -- to sit back and not take the time to simply complete the census form. If you are here from other shores, you count too, regardless of whether you can vote in any of the upcoming elections, or not. In fact, it is as important that you respond to the census as it is for those who were born here. I have mentioned before that your not participating in the census is blocking the rest of us from receiving the benefits we deserve from the government. It’s time to stand up and be counted with the rest of us....Or would you like to see more governors like the former Sarah Palin of Alaska, or Arizona's Governor, Jan Brewer, who has practically outlawed immigrants and their rights?

While you are being misled by the mainstream media, Sarah Palin is busy making money to underwrite the Republicans. While you’re reading the sports pages about Tiki Barber and Tiger Woods, the Tea Party is stealing your freedom under the guise of protesting tax issues, when their real agenda is to undermine PRESIDENT OBAMA.

So Palin is not just using her 15 minutes of fame to make herself rich.  Each time she goes on Fox News, or spouts off at a rally, she sells a copy of her book Going Rogue -- a book she's used to funnel money to the Republican Governors Association. Palin's book helps fund the next wave of attack ads against Democrats. Palin has raised $12 million thus far in her efforts.

The fact that contributing $5.00 per person to the Democratic National Committee would also be a good thing, is an understatement. We know that nothing moves without money. And we all have a part to play if we are to hold things together.

But in the interim, you have to (yes I said have to) make sure that each and everyone in your church, block, schools, neighborhood has completed the census form and sent it in.

Right now Brooklyn is in the low 50’s; and Manhattan is just 1 above that. We have no right to be apathetic about this. We re responsible for sustaining and attaining the goals we say we want.

So take a census form for yourself and your friend. Make sure you who are eligible are registered to vote, and make sure that if you have friends or relatives here from other countries, that they have also completed the census forms and mailed them it. It only takes 10 seconds. It’s simple. Let’s get it done.

Get your ministers on the case and have Census Sundays; take blank census forms on the subway and ask people if they haven't already done so, to complete the form and drop them off at the post office for them. There are so many creative ways to do this.

You can also contact the offices of congress members Yvette Clarke, Edolphus Towns, Assemblymembers Hakeem Jeffries, Annette Robinson, Karim Camara, Keith Wright, Senators Velmanette Montgomery, Eric Adams, etc. to help in their districts. We've got a lot to do before July. So let's get busy.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson