ctpp-news February 1999

ctpp-news@mailman.chrispy.net

4 participants
15 discussions

by Ed Christopher

********** C E N S U S 2 0 0 0 B U L L E T I N ********** Vol. 3 - No. 4 Feb. 25, 1999 The following statement on Census 2000 was read by Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt at a news conference Wednesday (Feb. 24, 1999) at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.: "I will make a few general observations and then take your questions. "I start with a word on recent history. The results of the 1990 census did not please the Census Bureau, or the Bush Administration, or the Congress, or governors, mayors, and other state and local officials, or a large number of private and public sector data users, or the American public. It was a costly census; it was less accurate than what the country has a right to expect. The Census Bureau was charged to design a more modern census, one that would reduce the number of Americans who are missed -- either because we cannot find them or because they won't cooperate. It did so. That design, however, quickly became mired in political disputes, was litigated, and a month ago was set aside by the Supreme Court. "The Census Bureau had, of course, planned for that possibility. It had presented an alternative design to the Administration and the Congress in mid-January, before the Court ruling. Based on our recently completed evaluation of our Dress Rehearsal experience, we have further refined that plan. Its principal features are the subject of this press conference. "The Dress Rehearsal tells us two things. "First, however hard we try and whatever the level of resources available, Census 2000 will not count everyone. Moreover, this 'undercount' will not be equally distributed across demographic groups. There is what we refer to as a differential undercount. For instance, in 1990 we counted nearly all white Americans, but only approximately 95 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics, and an even lower rate of Native American Indians. Insofar as these less well counted groups are concentrated in some states, not others; in some cities, not others; in some neighborhoods, not others -- these states, cities, neighborhoods do not get their fair share of either the political or economic benefits allocated on the basis of census numbers. "Second, the Census Bureau's design should include a procedure -- described in the updated summary as the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (ACE) -- that will identify the magnitude and distribution of the differential account, and correct for it. The Dress Rehearsal confirms the statistical soundness of this procedure. Consequently, I have today informed the Secretary of Commerce and the Congress that it is feasible for Census 2000 to include this procedure, and that by doing so we will produce a more accurate and complete census than would otherwise be the case. "Because the Supreme Court ruled that this more accurate number is not to be used for apportionment purposes, our design also includes a major, labor intensive (and expensive) effort to find and enumerate as many Americans as is humanly possible in the time-frame available. In pursuit of this goal, our first and most important effort is to put a census form in the hands of every single household in America. Census 2000 features many improvements and technical innovations not available in 1990 -- for example, a completely re-engineered Master Address File, the most comprehensive ever constructed in U.S. history; first-ever use of paid advertising; intensified partnerships with tens of thousands of local governments, tribal organizations, private groups and non-profit organizations nationally and locally, a census-in-the-schools initiative. "This plan is operationally robust, and will be conducted with complete dedication by the Census Bureau professionals. This said, the apportionment counts are not likely to be an improvement on the 1990 accuracy levels. How can this be? How can you spend more money, mount improved operations, and yet not increase accuracy? Because all the factors that made it difficult to count Americans in prior censuses are today even more present. In more American families, both parents work, making it difficult to find anyone at home. Transient lifestyles are on the rise. People are busy. More people live in irregular housing. Greater numbers of people are linguistically isolated. Large immigrant populations avoid government officials. Census forms must compete with huge flows of junk mail. More persons are cynical about -- or actively hostile to -- any of the works of government. Census 2000 must overcome decreased levels of civic engagement by the American people. In short, the Census Bureau has to work harder to stay in place. We will produce the best apportionment counts that we can; they will not include everyone. "Allow me to summarize the points just covered, so as to leave no ambiguity. Between the 1st of April and 31st of December, the Census Bureau will count (and assign to an address) everyone it possibly can. The results of this effort will meet our obligation to present apportionment counts without the use of modern statistical methods. But the work will not then be finished. Census 2000 will continue its work with an Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation in order to produce more complete and accurate numbers, which will be ready prior to April 1, 2001. It is the task of the Census Bureau top produce the best numbers possible, not to decide how they will be used. The more complete census counts will be made available in a form that allows them to be used, if it is so decided, for redistricting purposes, for determining the allocation of federal funds, and for ongoing statistical and program purposes. Some may describe this as a 'two-number census,' but it in fact is a census that is progressively more complete, more accurate. "I conclude by reminding us all that the census clock ticks -- relentlessly, ceaselessly. In just 372 days the first Census 2000 forms get delivered. Given the lateness of the hour, we must acknowledge the hard reality that we no longer have the luxury of debates about alternative designs, or substitute procedures. No matter how well intentioned, we cannot now take a chance on untested operations or late additions. The largest peacetime mobilization in U.S. history must go forward based on the considered professional judgment of the career scientific and operational experts at the Census Bureau, who stand with me here today. We are up to the task, but only if we are allowed to do the task." For further information about the Census 2000 Bulletins, contact J. Paul Wyatt in the Public Information Office on 301-457-3052 (fax: 301-457-3670; e-mail: pwyatt(a)census.gov).

25 years, 10 months

Census 2000 News Alert

by Ed Christopher

From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Sampling Opponents Criticize Revised Census 2000 Plan; More Litigation Looming over Use of Sampling Opponents of sampling in the census harshly criticized the Census Bureau's revised plan for Census 2000, unveiled at a press conference yesterday by Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt, while supporters of scientific methods said the Bureau must be allowed to implement its plan without further interference from Congress. House Census Subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller (R-FL) called the new plan "irresponsible" and "a recipe for disaster." He said the publication of two sets of census numbers - one at the state level for congressional apportionment and a second, more detailed set corrected for undercounts and overcounts measured by a quality-check survey, will "confuse and confound the American people. The Census Bureau is peddling snake oil and they're headed for your neighborhood," Rep. Miller said at a press conference following the Bureau's announcement. The chairman suggested that the "second, manipulated number[s]" would trigger increased litigation, but said "Congress remains ready to work with the Administration and Congressional Democrats on ways that will help count the American people, not create a new field of litigation - census law". After the Supreme Court ruled 5 - 4 that federal law barred the use of sampling methods to compile the state population totals used for congressional apportionment, Rep. Miller proposed several enhancements to the traditional census design. The census subcommittee, without any of its Democratic members present, approved one element of that proposal - a nine week review of preliminary household counts by local governments - two weeks ago. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the subcommittee's senior Democrat, praised the Bureau for "a blue print for obtaining the most accurate count possible" in 2000. She said the Supreme Court ruling prohibited sampling only for apportionment but required the use of scientific methods for all other purposes if the Bureau considered it feasible. Saying the Republican majority in Congress wanted to "spend billions more for a less accurate census," Rep. Maloney described opposition to the plan as "something out of 'Alice in Wonderland' - you put in more, you get less." Other congressional reaction to the revised Census 2000 plan was similarly divided. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), a former census oversight chairman, said he was "disappointed that the Clinton-Gore Administration apparently will not allow the professionals at the Census Bureau to actually count everyone." The Speaker accused the Census Bureau of a "political flip-flop on census guessing," noting that the Bureau's original plan called for one set of census numbers to avoid confusion and controversy. House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) called the plan "an important step toward the goal of carrying out the most accurate possible 2000 census." He said the Bureau "should be permitted to go forward without unwarranted political interference from Republicans in Congress." Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said the redesigned quality-check survey (called the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation, or ACE, program) "will ensure the numbers used for non-apportionment purposes in 2000 are the fairest and most accurate." Civil rights advocates would work with grassroots organizations, Mr. Henderson said, to encourage support for the new plan. Supreme Court litigant vows return to court: Matthew Glavin, President of the Atlanta-based Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF), said his organization would take "swift legal action against this administration to prevent the unconstitutional use of statistical sampling" in the 2000 census. Mr. Glavin accused the President "and his allies" of trying to "achieve by political fiat what they could not accomplish by legal means - the skewering of American representative democracy for partisan expediency." He said SLF would seek a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to prevent the Bureau from producing census numbers based on sampling for intra-state redistricting. The high court granted standing to Mr. Glavin, co-plaintiff Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), and other individual litigants in their legal challenge to the Census Bureau's original plan to use scientific techniques in the census. The Court's ruling did not address the constitutionality of the proposed sampling methods. Interested stakeholders can obtain more information about SLF's census litigation on the organization's web site, at www.southeasternlegal.org http://www.southeasternlegal.org. Census legislation: Rep. Carrie Meek (D-FL) has reintroduced a bill to widen the labor pool for Census 2000 by waiving income earned as a temporary census employee in determining eligibility for certain federal benefits and payments, such as food stamps, Medicaid, and pensions for military and federal retirees. Census subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller (R-FL) and the panel's senior Democrat, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), are both cosponsors of the Decennial Census Improvement Act of 1999 (H.R. 683), which was referred to their committee for consideration. In a letter to her colleagues seeking support for her bill, Rep. Meek said that H.R. 638 would help the Bureau recruit and hire enumerators who live in the hardest-to-count communities. To expand the labor pool for the 1990 census, Congress passed legislation to waive provisions of law that penalized military and federal retirees who returned to work for the federal government by reducing their monthly pension benefits during the period of employment. Clarification: In the February 24 News Alert, we inadvertently listed next week's hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Census for Tuesday, March 1. The correct date is Tuesday, March 2. We apologize for any confusion. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at <terriann2k(a)aol.com>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

25 years, 10 months

Where is TAZ-UP?

by Murakami, Elaine <FHWA>

We are running a little behind on the production and distribution of TAZ-UP. We expect that we will start shipping packages around March 12. (Both Jerry and Elaine will be at the Boston Transportation Planning Applications conference from March 7-11). Because the Census Bureau does not yet have a complete set of TIGER, the shipping of TAZ-UP will flow as the delivery of the TIGER files to us. TAZ-UP REQUIRES the use of TIGER/Line 98. However, if you already have a shape file with your TAZs defined with another geographic BASE, you can bring in the file as a reference to help you define the TAZ using TIGER/Line 98. We are trying to set up a ONE phone number for CTPP and will let you know the number as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience. Hope to see you in Boston. We mailed copies of the CTPP Status Report last week. Elaine my phone is 202-366-6971

25 years, 10 months

Census 2000 News Alert

by ed christopher

From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Census Bureau Unveils Revised Census Plan In Wake of Supreme Court Ruling Cost Estimate Not Finalized, But News Reports Suggest Sharply Steeper Price Tag Tomorrow: Reaction from Congress and Stakeholders At a press conference today in Washington, D.C., Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt unveiled a revised plan for Census 2000 that "is progressively more complete, more accurate." He called upon Congress to help the Bureau move forward with "a consensus census," saying that the Bureau "no longer [has] the luxury of debates about alternative designs, or substitute procedures." The plan would produce one set of state population totals based solely on traditional direct counting methods that will be used to apportion the 435 seats in Congress among the 50 states. The Bureau must report those state numbers to the President by December 31, 2000. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in a case challenging the Bureau's original plan that federal law prohibits the use of sampling to compile the population numbers used for apportionment. After counting "everyone it possibly can," Dr. Prewitt said, the Bureau would then conduct a quality check survey - named the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation, or ACE - to measure the accuracy of the initial count and provide the basis for correcting any undercounts and overcounts. The survey would cover 300,000 households nationwide, down from the 750,000 household post enumeration survey the Bureau proposed in its original plan. The corrected set of numbers, which Dr. Prewitt said will be more accurate than the direct count, will be available for geographic areas as small as census blocks by April 1, 2001, the legal deadline for the Bureau to transmit detailed counts to the state legislatures for the redistricting process. Director focuses on accuracy concerns: Despite an "operationally robust plan," the Census Bureau believes that the numbers produced for congressional apportionment "are not likely to be an improvement on the 1990 accuracy levels." Dr. Prewitt cited busy or transient lifestyles, irregular housing, language barriers, fear of government officials by immigrants, and decreased civic engagement as continuing and growing factors that make it harder to count accurately. "The Census Bureau has to work harder to stay in place," the director said. The Bureau also released more results from its 1998 dress rehearsal, showing higher undercount rates for racial minorities than for non-Hispanic Whites. Dr. Prewitt said the overall net undercount in the Columbia, S.C., area was 9.4 percent; for non-Hispanic Blacks, the rate was 13.4 percent, compared to 6.3 percent for non-Hispanic Whites. The Bureau used only traditional counting methods in the Columbia site, but conducted a quality-check survey to measure the accuracy of the results. In 2000, the redesigned quality-check survey (or ACE) will not estimate undercounts and overcounts for each state based only on the sample households within that state. Instead, information gleaned from the survey for various demographic subgroups will be "pooled" with data from other states in the same region. Dr. Prewitt said this design would produce "more robust" measurements of accuracy for smaller geographic areas, since data on less populous demographic subgroups in some states could be combined with data on the same subgroups from sample households in another state in the same region. In response to questions from journalists, Dr. Prewitt said the revised plan is "not a two-track design," but rather a census that relies on a range of methods "to produce more complete data." He noted that the Bureau has produced one set of numbers for apportionment and a second set for other purposes, including redistricting, in the past. In 1990, for example, military and federal civilian personnel, and their dependents, stationed overseas during the census were included in the state population totals used for congressional apportionment only, shifting a seat in Congress from Massachusetts to Washington. Their numbers were not included in any other census tabulations. Dr. Prewitt also referred to statements made in the past by House census subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller (R-FL) that suggested sampling could be used to produce different numbers for the allocation of federal aid. Dr. Prewitt said the Bureau is still working on a cost estimate for the new plan, which he said will cost much more than the Bureau's original plan. The cost increase, he noted, is attributable to the need to contact all households that don't respond by mail, instead of a sample of those households as originally planned. The Bureau estimates that 61 percent of the nation's 120 million households will respond voluntarily by mail. It cost $25 million to follow-up with each one percent of households that don't mail back their forms, Dr. Prewitt said. He also said that the ACE survey will account for a relatively small portion of census costs, disputing charges by some opponents of sampling that the quality-check procedure will drain resources from the traditional count. News articles today in The Washington Post and The New York Times quote unnamed sources familiar with the plan as saying it will cost $2 - $3 billion more than the original $4 billion price tag. Hearing on Commerce budget postponed: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and The Judiciary has postponed a hearing originally scheduled for tomorrow, February 25, to review the Commerce Department's budget request for Fiscal Year 2000. Secretary Daley is likely to appear before the panel next week. Next week's planned appearance of Dr. Prewitt before the same subcommittee, to discuss the details of the Census Bureau's funding request, will likely be pushed back another week, as well. Oversight hearing scheduled: The House Subcommittee on the Census will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 1, to review the status of census planning and preparations with Dr. Prewitt. The hearing will begin at 2:00 p.m. in room 2203 Rayburn House Office Building. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at <terriann2k(a)aol.com>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

25 years, 10 months

Census 2000 News Alert

by charlie bartsch

Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Congressional Committee and Advisory Committee Debate Need For Post Census Local Review Program OMB Issues Draft Guidelines for Tabulating Multiple Race Responses Over the objection of panel Democrats and the Census Bureau, the House census subcommittee approved legislation to require a Post Census Local Review (PCLR) program in the 2000 census. The February 11 "mark-up" of H.R. 472, sponsored by subcommittee chair Dan Miller (R-FL), followed a hearing on the measure that featured testimony from several local officials and the Census Bureau's director in 1990, Dr. Barbara Everitt Bryant. (Please see our February 9 News Alert for a summary of H.R. 472, the "Local Census Quality Check Act".) In opening remarks, Chairman Miller called the Census Bureau's decision not to include PCLR in the 2000 census "unfortunate," saying the failure to allow local governments to review preliminary housing unit counts "breeds distrust in the Census." The chairman said he was "amazed that there is anyone at all testifying against" the bill. Noting that "we won" the "fight over sampling in the Supreme Court," Rep. Miller called for "concrete proposals that will help give the Bureau and local communities the resources and tools they need to get an accurate count." In brief remarks at the start of the hearing, the Committee on Government Reform's senior Democrat, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), registered a strong objection to the subcommittee's consideration of the bill so soon after its introduction and the hearing. The swift action, Rep. Waxman charged, indicated that the panel's majority members were not interested in evaluating comments and concerns about the local review program in order to develop the best solution. Democratic members were also upset that consideration of the legislation was taking place without Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the subcommittee's senior Democrat, who was attending a conference in the Netherlands. Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) called Post Census Local Review "an old issue with a troubled past," and suggested that efforts should be focused on "count[ing] all the people" instead of on housing units only. He then read a letter to the panel's chairman from Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt, expressing concern that the Bureau had not been invited to present its view on H.R. 472 to the subcommittee. Rep. Davis listened to testimony from the four panels of witnesses, but refused to participate in the mark-up that followed the hearing. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), a new panel member, refused to attend both the hearing and the mark-up, saying the process appeared to be partisan. Several witnesses representing municipal governments or their associations said they supported reinstatement of a Post Census Local Review program in 2000. Palm Beach (FL) County Commissioner Carol Roberts, emphasizing the high growth rate in her community, said that PCLR offers the "best opportunity [for local governments] to correct miscounts" in the census. Ms. Barbara Welty, representing the National Association of Towns and Townships, said that smaller communities need 45 working days to review preliminary housing unit counts, as proposed in H.R. 472, because of limited fiscal and personnel resources as well as less technical expertise. She said that many smaller local governments are not participating in a pre-census review of census address lists and maps (called the Local Update of Census Addresses, or LUCA) due to lack of resources or time, making a post-census review more important for them. Mr. Lanier Boatwright, President of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), suggested that the Census Bureau should provide financial assistance to smaller governments that could not afford to review pre-census address lists or preliminary housing unit counts during the census itself. He noted that most of the nation's 39,000 local governments served fewer than 3,000 people. Expressing doubts about the benefits of a lengthy PCLR program, Richmond (VA) Mayor Timothy Kaine said that the 1990 PCLR was not cost-effective and that it did not address "two significant problems that produce an inaccurate census: systemic undercounting of people within households that are counted, and over counting." The U.S. Conference of Mayors, he said, believed that sampling methods were the best way to address those problems. In the 1990 census, local officials reviewed preliminary counts of housing units, but not population. Evaluations showed that about 70 percent of the people missed in the 1990 census lived in households that had been counted; among African American households, the comparable figure was 80 percent. Dr. Bryant called the 1990 PCLR "well intentioned but ineffective" and noted that the program added only 0.08 percent of all housing units counted in that census. She said the review was effective in identifying housing units or entire subdivisions that had been counted in the wrong location, but said that those geographic coding mistakes were corrected in the permanent mapping database. Former Commerce Under Secretary Everett Ehrlich, now a member of the Census Monitoring Board, compared Chairman Miller's proposal for PCLR in 2000 to the game "Beat the Clock." The legislation, Mr. Ehrlich cautioned, gives 39,000 local governments a chance to review and challenge their census counts without leaving enough time for the Bureau to evaluate the claims before the December 31, 2000 deadline for submitting state population totals to the President. Immediately after the hearing, the subcommittee's Republican members approved H.R. 472, without any amendments, by a 5 - 0 voice vote. The Government Reform Committee is expected to take up the measure in the near future. Census Advisory Committee debates merits of local review: Several members of the Commerce Secretary's 2000 Census Advisory Committee expressed disappointment both with the Census Bureau's decision to eliminate any form of post census local review and with Congress' efforts to pass legislation mandating such a program. Those who voiced their concerns generally agreed that an opportunity to review housing unit counts before they become final could help identify glaring mistakes in the geographic location of neighborhoods or group facilities. However, most of them also opposed requiring a specific Post Census Local Review program through legislation and said they did not advocate a repeat of the 1990 program in 2000. The comments were made at the committee's final meeting on February 19, where stakeholder organizations discussed their report and recommendations to the Secretary concerning the 2000 census. In its report, the committee unanimously endorsed a post census review of address or housing unit lists, as well as a large post-enumeration survey to provide the basis for correcting measurable undercounts and overcounts. The Advisory Committee agreed to establish a working group to address disagreements about the local review process between the Census Bureau and local governments. The Secretary of Commerce is expected to renew the committee's charter so that it can continue to provide guidance during final preparations and the census itself. We will provide a more comprehensive summary of the Advisory Committee meeting in a future News Alert. Draft Guidelines Issued for Race and Ethnic Data: The Office of Management and Budget issued Draft Provisional Guidance on the Implementation of the 1997 Standards for Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (formerly known as OMB Statistical Policy Directive 15) on February 17. The draft guidelines were developed by an inter-agency task force to provide guidance on tabulating multiple responses to the race and ethnicity questions in the 2000 census and other federal data collection activities. The new standards issued in October 1997 include several other changes to the race categories. OMB is seeking comment on the draft guidance and expects to amend the document after additional research and analysis. The agency will issue the final provisional guidance at the end of April 1999, after a two-month discussion period. Interested stakeholders may obtain further information from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (the division of OMB responsible for federal statistical policy) at 202/395-3093. Appropriations hearings scheduled: House and Senate appropriators have signaled the start of the annual funding process by scheduling hearings to review Fiscal Year 2000 (FY00) budget requests for the Commerce Department and Census Bureau. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and The Judiciary, chaired by Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY), will hear testimony from Commerce Secretary William Daley on February 25, at 10 a.m. in room 2358 Rayburn House Office Building. Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt will discuss the Bureau's funding needs at a hearing on March 4, at 10 a.m. (room TBA). The counterpart Senate appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), has scheduled a hearing on March 11, at 10 a.m., in room S-146 The Capitol, to review the Commerce Department's funding request. Congress also must pass, and the President must sign, legislation to keep funds for the current fiscal year (FY99) flowing to the Census Bureau and all other agencies covered under the Commerce, Justice, State, and The Judiciary budget account by June 15, 1999. Census Monitoring Board activities: The presidential appointees to the Census Monitoring Board will hold community forums in San Antonio, TX, and Miami, FL, to assess how the undercount in 1990 affected these communities and to hear local concerns about the 2000 census. On February 24, Board Co-Chair Tony Coelho will convene a forum from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the University of Texas/San Antonio Downtown Campus, 501 West Durango St., Buena Vista Street Building, Lecture Hall 1.328. On February 25, a Presidential Board appointee will hold a forum from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in the Miami-Dade Public Library, Main Building, First Floor Auditorium, 101 W. Flagler St., in Miami. Both events are open to the public. Census stakeholders may obtain information on the activities of the Board's Presidential appointees by calling 301/457-9900. The Board's congressional appointees may be reached at 301/457-5080, or through their web site at www.cmbc.gov <http://www.cmbc.gov>. The presidential members plan to establish a web site in the near future. New publication: The Population Reference Bureau has issued a report entitled, "The 2000 Census Challenge," authored by Dr. Barry Edmonston, director of Oregon's Center for Population Research and Census. Dr. Edmonston discussed the report's highlights at a briefing sponsored by the National Press Club on February 18. After reviewing concerns about rising census costs and diminished accuracy, the author concluded that fundamental reform of the census process was needed to obtain a more accurate count of historically-undercounted groups. Dr. Edmonston also co-authored "Modernizing the U.S. Census," a 1995 report issued by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council pursuant to a legislative mandate. Copies of the new report are available from the Population Reference Bureau, at 202/939-5417 or rsilvis(a)prb.org <mailto:rsilvis@prb.org>. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at <terriann2k(a)aol.com>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

25 years, 10 months

latest newsletter

by ed c

our latest newsletter "CTPP 2000 Status Report" is now available on line. It can be found at http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/newsltr/sr0199.html you can also reach it through our main page at http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census

25 years, 10 months

Census 2000 News Alert

by ed c

From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Census Advisory Committee Readies Final Report; House Panel to Vote on Local Review Bill The 2000 Census Advisory Committee will present a final report to the Secretary of Commerce next week that includes recommendations on outreach and partnership activities, the paid advertising campaign, efforts to improve the count of historically-undercounted populations, and the use of sampling. The report's recommendations were "unanimously approved" by the committee, which comprises organizations representing local and state elected officials, civil rights advocates, scientific disciplines and data users, community service providers, veterans and senior citizens, and businesses. (See below for information on the advisory committee meeting.) The report emphasizes the importance of locally focused activities and the need for "flexible field operations" to increase participation among hard-to-count and distrustful populations. The Secretary should evaluate the paid advertising campaign's "creative message" and change it, if necessary, the committee suggests. The panel also proposes expanding plans for language assistance and school-oriented materials, as well as the availability of 'Be Counted' forms in public places. The committee recommends a "post-census local review" that would allow local officials to review housing unit, but not population, counts before the numbers are finalized. Communities that formally participated in a pre-census address compilation program (the Local Update of Census Addresses, or LUCA) should receive a detailed list of responding addresses and group facilities for review, while other communities would receive only summaries of household counts for each block. Noting its previous support for statistical methods if testing demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing the undercount, the committee advises the Secretary "to conduct Census 2000 as accurately and efficiently as the most current scientific knowledge and operational feasibility allow." If sampling is not allowed for reapportionment purposes, the panel said, the census should include a sufficiently large post enumeration survey (PES) to measure census accuracy down to small geographic areas. "The Secretary should direct the Census Bureau to prepare and release, on a timely basis, counts corrected for the PES estimates of coverage errors," the report also states. Census subcommittee schedules hearing and "mark-up": The House Subcommittee on the Census will hear testimony on legislation authored by its chairman and then vote on (or "mark-up") the measure at a meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 11. The "Local Census Quality Check Act" (H.R. 472) was introduced last week by Rep. Dan Miller (F-FL) and seven cosponsors. The bill would amend the Census Act (title 13, United States Code) to require a "postcensus local review" in every census, giving local governments an opportunity to review housing unit counts and boundaries before the final census numbers are tabulated. During the census, local officials would receive block level maps and address lists by August 1 or within 30 days after the follow-up visits to unresponsive households are complete, whichever is earlier. They would have 45 days, excluding weekends and holidays, to review and challenge the information; the Census Bureau would then re-canvass the challenged areas and notify the local governments of any resulting corrections to the housing lists or maps by November 1. Among the witnesses invited to testify are the mayors of Scottsdale, AZ, and Richmond, VA, the National Association of Development Organizations, and Census Monitoring Board Co-Chairman Kenneth Blackwell. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in room 2247 Rayburn House Office Building, followed immediately by the mark-up. Census Advisory Committee meeting: The 2000 Census Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, February 19, to present its final report and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce. The committee's charter is set to expire but the Commerce Department is expected to renew the panel's authority. The February 19 meeting, which is open to the public, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1900 Diagonal Rd., Alexandria, VA (tel: 703/684-5900). The census and civil rights: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a briefing for its members on the civil rights implications of the debate over census methods. The meeting will take place on February 12, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Commission's offices (624 9th Street, N.W., Room 540, Washington, DC) Among those invited to present information are the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, National Congress of American Indians, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Matthew Glavin, president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, whose lawsuit against sampling led to last month's Supreme Court ruling that the Census Act bars sampling to count the population for purposes of congressional apportionment. Senate bill introduced: Senators Daniel P. Moynihan (D-NY) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced legislation last week to allow the use of sampling methods in compiling the state population totals used to reapportion Congress. S. 355 responds to the recent Supreme Court ruling that the Census Act bars sampling for apportionment purposes. Sen. Moynihan said in a statement "sampling is vital to achieving the goal of the most accurate census possible." Rep. Carolyn Maloney sponsored a companion bill in the House (H.R. 548). Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to TerriAnn Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at <terriann2k(a)aol.com>. Please direct all requests to receive News Alerts, and all changes in address/phone/fax/e-mail, to the Census 2000 Initiative at <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> or 202/326-8700. Please feel free to circulate this information to colleagues and other interested individuals.

25 years, 10 months

Re: TAZ-UP Trivia

by ed c

Earnest Lloyd wrote: > Please update me on what the TAZ-UP program does. check out this: http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/newsltr/taz0698.html and articles in this: http://www.mcs.com/~berwyned/census/newsltr/sr1098.html ed christopher

25 years, 10 months

TAZ-UP Trivia

by ed c

Regarding the TAZ-UP program all MPOs have been accounted for. The final tally is: 166 - MPOs have ArcView 3.1 and only need TAZ-UP 130 - MPOs need both ArcView 3.1 and TAZ-UP 6 - MPOs are will have their DOT delineate their TAZs 9 - MPOs want to use other GIS export files 22 - MPOs do not want TAZs and will use Census geography 8 - MPOs want to use "paper" maps for their TAZs Total: 341 MPOs

25 years, 10 months

Census 2000 Bulletin

by ed c

***** C E N S U S 2 0 0 0 B U L L E T I N ***** Vol. 3 - No. 3 Feb. 4, 1999 The Census Bureau is preparing to launch its Census in the Schools Project, "Making Sense of Census 2000," beginning with the mailing of notification letters and brochures later this month to school administrators and principals at 400,000 to 500,000 targeted public, private, tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. The project is designed to help students learn what a census is and why it is important to them, their families and their communities, to participate in the census. It also will try to recruit teachers and parents to work as census-takers and in other census-related jobs. Targeted schools (about 20-to-25 percent of all schools) are located in hard-to-enumerate areas. Selection criteria required that more than 55 percent of their students be eligible for free lunches or that the schools be located in areas where more than 31 percent of children were living below the poverty level. For private schools to be targeted, their students' household income had to meet still-undefined thresholds. The Census Bureau's regional partnership specialists will select schools in areas where these criteria are not reliable. All BIA and tribal schools will be targeted. Following the initial mailing to principals and administrators beginning Feb. 20, a second mailing to teachers of elementary, middle and high schools will take place beginning March 1. It will include a letter and brochure explaining the project and a business reply card, with which teachers can indicate whether they want to participate. Once the card is received by Census Bureau-contractor Scholastic, Inc., teacher kits will be dispatched to the schools beginning in April 1999. The kits will be available for the following grade ranges: K-4, 5-8 and 9-12. These kits include an overview of Census 2000 and a 24-page teaching guide with specific lesson plans for the census-related subject matter. Also included is a 4-by-6-foot wall map depicting the distribution of the U.S. population. Materials for a proposed principal's kit, which would be mailed to targeted schools in January and February of 2000, consist of a letter, a poster called "Power of the Census," a flyer for use by the school's Parent-Teacher Association and a flyer for participating teachers. The project envisions delivery to the teachers of take-home letters for the students' parents written in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog or Korean, explaining the importance of an accurate census. The take-home letters and a possible census quiz will be sent to the teachers in March 2000. Partnership specialists in the Census Bureau's 12 regional census centers will promote the Census Bureau's schools project with slide-show presentations, fact sheets titled "The Census Goes to School" and personal contacts. All of the materials used in the Census in the Schools Project also will be made available via the Internet at http://www.census.gov/dmd/ www/2khome.html. About 50,000 additional sets of teaching kits will be available for teachers at nontargeted schools. Specially tailored teaching kits will be sent to schools in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. For further information about the Census in the Schools project, contact Kimberly Crews of the Census 2000 Publicity Office on 301-457-3626 (fax: 301-457-4057; e-mail: <Kimberly.A.Crews(a)ccmail.census.gov>).

25 years, 10 months

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ctpp-news February 1999