Per The Times Picayune article written on the issue, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has rejected a request from six of Louisiana’s seven House members that she support a measure by U.S. Sen. David Vitter requiring the 2010 census add a question about the citizenship of respondents. Her defense on her decision?

“Sen. Vitter’s amendment is a transparent political stunt that would do nothing to address the problem,” Landrieu said. “It would require a constitutional amendment to exclude noncitizens from congressional apportionment decisions. Sen. Vitter’s amendment would not amend the Constitution, but it would cost American taxpayers an estimated $1 billion to add a question to the U.S. Census at this stage in the game. It is an egregious abuse of taxpayers’ dollars that I cannot support.”

Now, I never claimed to be the most brilliant bulb in the lamp, but from what I remember in civics class back in high school, the census was to be made up of citizens of this country.  Those that are here in an illegal manner are not citizens and are therefore not qualified to be counted in a census.

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When we lose one of the seven districts that we have in Louisiana, you can thank Sen. Landrieu and all those folks that voted for her. When are the citizens, oops, there’s that word again, of Louisiana going to open their eyes and see that the esteemed “senator” from Louisiana has more concerns with states such as California, New York and Massachusetts rather than our state?  

This won’t be the last time that she puts the screws to this state either. Let’s see how much arm twisting takes place on Cap and Trade and Obamacare and where she’ll end up standing on these issues as well. Anyone willing to fathom a guess where that will be?

Christopher J. Gary

New Iberia