RE: [CTPP] Embargo or Not to Embargo

As I had responded to a fellow county planner in Berks County, PA, I believe it is your relationship with your State Data Center and their relationship with the Census Bureau that is affecting your access to Census data. After signing an agreement with the State not to release the data during the embargo period, our county received the NJ County to County Data from our State Data Center on Monday. Not all the data, but at least the information we need to respond to questions from the press. Why embargo the information? To give those in office time to analyze the information in order to be able to respond to any questions. The same questions of course, that are asked of demographers and planners working for government. It also gives the Senators and Congressmen and women a chance to look at the data before anyone else. -----Original Message----- From: Bob Paddock [mailto:bob.paddock@METC.STATE.MN.US] Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 12:37 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: [CTPP] Embargo or Not to Embargo I have to laugh at the spate of comments concerning the embargo of census information. It is nice to see that I'm not alone in the world, and that others are experiencing the same thing. Each time this has happened, the office atmosphere around here is like viewing the hen house after the foxes have gone on a rampage. Politial feathers everywhere from those to want to know and those who are trying to support them! It is embarassing to have to respond in an exceedingly short time to members of the Press as well as one's own bosses clamoring for a response. I agree strongly that we in the planning realm, who are suppose to be tracking this sort of thing and helping to define policies for a region, have to wait in line while the newsfolk grab the data and run with it. I would love to see some strong and worthwhile response to this issue by those who put it in effect. Any takers? Bob Paddock Transportation Research Metrpolitan Council of the Twin Cities