# 281,421,906 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 28, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530 "2000-12-28T17:01:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/1 "2000-12-28T17:01:32Z")
The population of the United States on April 1, 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This number was arrived at via the ‘traditional’ head-count exclusively. (No sampling.) The winners and losers, according to CNN: > [@](#): > > Arizona, Texas, Florida and Georgia gained two seats in the House as the Census Bureau unveiled the first results from this year’s national head count that will be used to reassign the 435 House seats among the states. > > California, Nevada, Colorado and North Carolina will each gain one. > > New York and Pennsylvania will each lose two seats. Losing one seat each willbe Connecticut, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Missisippi. ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/2 "2000-12-28T17:07:49Z")
So we in Georgia gained 2 seats. That’s a surprise to me; prelim tallies I have seen suggested a gain of 1. In one sense this is fair since in 1990 Georgia failed to gain a seat (and many billions of $$) due to under-count. Stand by for re-apportionment. ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/3 "2000-12-28T17:10:05Z")
I demand a recount. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/4 "2000-12-28T17:16:38Z")
Our local paper said Michigan won’t lose any seats. ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/5 "2000-12-28T17:27:00Z")
[The AP reports:](http://www.newsday.com/ap/text/washington/ap265.htm) “In a surprise … Michigan will lose one of its 16 representatives after a population gain of 6.9 percent.” The same source credits these gains: Florida, 23.5%, Texas, 22.8%, Georgia, 26.4%. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/6 "2000-12-28T18:16:40Z")
Okay, what are we supposed to argue about here? ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/7 "2000-12-28T18:27:39Z")
Any guesses as to the result had sampling been used? (New York wouldn’t have lost two seats, that’s for damn sure.) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/8 "2000-12-28T18:34:26Z")
Well, contemplate that 0.0041741598% of the country are now members of this board, enrolled in the Fight Against Ignorance. (We assume that the number of registered people from outside the U.S. is approximately equal to the number of regular lurkers, to simplify our calculations.) Now, take the 1990 population and membership. (Our esteemed OP contact at the Census Bureau can provide us the former; the latter was 0, or perhaps 1 if we include Mr. Zotti). Work out the trend. Do the same for the 1995 estimate of population, again counting 0 or 1 (the AOL board was not yet up; I don’t know whether AFCA and MSD should be counted in either total). Extrapolate a trend, fairing the curve. This should indicate when a majority of the country will be actively fighting ignorance, and with the growth rate being shown I’d hazard a guess that 2015 will be the time, with every American a SD member by the early 2020s. Now, contemplate the Chicago Reader tech. staff looking at these figures. Observe as they begin bashing their heads into metal posts. Note Ed Zotti surreptitiously looking over the Constitution. Observe OpalCat in the background, wondering how many of them will get peeved and quit, and how many she can garner in her plans for world domination. Then continue the trend, plotting in the world population growth rate, and determine how long it will be before the entire world is affiliated with the SD. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/281-421-906/47530/9 "2000-12-28T19:21:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadarene \* > \*\*Any guesses as to the result had sampling been used? \*\* Nope. The results of the sampling won’t be shared until later in the spring - at least, that’s the plan as it stands at present. In the meantime, they’re keeping their cards close to their vests; even their colleagues (such as me) who worked on the traditional Census have no idea what the results of the sampling operation are, to this point. So with respect to the sampling, I’m no more of an insider than you are.