Economist: Don't cut the budget for data

Cuts on data collection and analysis are "penny wise, pound foolish" because "knowledge helps target government spending on those who need it most." Republican congress members, led by Daniel Webster of Florida, seek to cut the census-taking budget since “what really promotes business…is liberty, not demand for information.” Some Republicans suggest the census survey is unconstitutional, a position another Daniel Webster would have probably laughed at. The Economist concludes: "In 2008 Barack Obama quipped that his Republican foes seemed to “take pride in being ignorant”. In this area, congressional Republicans seem to feel that ignorance is bliss."