From: Census2000 <Census2000(a)ccmc.org> Former Census Directors Support Proposal Giving Bureau Chief Final Say Over Statistical Adjustment Decision Plus: Census Bureau Issues Report Addressing Concern Over Rushed Household Visits Four former Census Bureau chiefs co-signed a letter of support for a proposed Commerce Department rule that would delegate to the Bureau director the decision over whether to release statistically corrected population numbers. The four directors, whose service spanned Republican and Democratic administrations in the years after the 1970 count, said the proposed delegation from the Commerce Secretary to the Bureau director "puts the decision with scientific professionals where we believe it belongs." The comments, submitted for the rule-making record, were signed by Vincent Barabba (1973-76 and 1979-81); John G. Keane (1984-89); Barbara Everitt Bryant (1989-93); and Martha Farnsworth Riche (1994-98). The agency's professional staff, the directors wrote, are "more capable than others of judging and recommending whether the corrected 2000 data more accurately reflects the U.S. population than does the enumerated count released earlier for apportionment purposes." By law, the Bureau must transmit detailed census data to the state legislatures by April 1, 2001, for use in the redistricting process. The agency's current head, Dr. Kenneth Prewitt, has said the Bureau will determine by the end of February 2001 if the statistically adjusted numbers are more accurate. Drs. Bryant and Riche also spearheaded a letter from more than 180 demographers, statisticians, business leaders, academics, and other census experts supporting adoption of the proposed rule. The letter, circulated with assistance from the Los Angeles City Attorney's office, notes that a committee of senior Census Bureau professionals would advise the director on whether the results of a quality check survey (the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (A.C.E.) survey) and related statistical estimation would improve the accuracy of the data compiled only through direct counting methods. The full text of the letter and a listing of signatories are posted on the web at www.lacounts2000.org. A dozen organizations representing religious, women's, labor, and civil rights interests submitted formal comments in support of the proposed rule. In a statement announcing the joint letter, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) Executive Director Wade Henderson said, "We strongly support the Secretary of Commerce's determination that [Census Bureau] experts ...are most qualified to decide whether to release statistically corrected population totals to the states." Joining the LCCR as signers on the comment letter were top officials from the National Council of La Raza, American Association of University Women, Arab American Institute, United Methodist Church, Organization of Chinese Americans, Housing Assistance Council, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, United Church of Christ, People for the American Way, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and the American Federation of Government Employees. Former Secretary of Commerce William Daley announced the proposed rule in June; the 45-day comment period ended last week. All comments submitted as part of the rule-making process are posted on the Census Bureau's web site, at www.census.gov/dmd/www/Feascom.htm. Census Bureau issues report on 15 local offices cited by House chairman: The Census Bureau has completed its review of field work in 15 Local Census Offices (LCOs) and found "no cause to re-enumerate" households that census takers visited as part of the 'nonresponse follow-up' operation, Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt said in an August 3 letter to Rep. Dan Miller (R-FL), chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Census. Chairman Miller asked the Bureau to review field operations in the 15 offices last month, saying an analysis by his staff of agency data tracking the progress of follow-up visits to households that did not mail back their census forms revealed "disturbing characteristics" that suggested "a rush to finish at the expense of quality." Dr. Prewitt charged that the congressional staff analysis "seriously misrepresents the quality of the census effort" in the 15 cited offices and "calls into question the dedication, honesty, and commitment" of the employees in those areas. He said high case completion rates both early and late in the household visit phase, which ran from late April to late June, are "attributable to documented operational efforts by the Census Bureau and to exceptional promotion efforts by the local community." Rep. Miller had expressed concern that "improper or fraudulent procedures" may have led to "early peak" and "late surges" in the nonresponse follow-up work. The analysis by his staff also cited "high" rates of deleted addresses from the Bureau's Master Address File, as well as "high" rates of partial interviews and reliance on information from neighbors or other non-household sources to complete caseloads, as evidence of irregular procedures. Dr. Prewitt questioned the staff's conclusions and said the Bureau's tracking data "cannot be analyzed in isolation or without a comprehensive understanding of the local conditions." The director said the Bureau is working separately with the Commerce Department's Inspector General to investigate allegations of fraud or falsification of data in a handful of areas. He again disputed the congressman's description of the count as a "rushed census," noting that 'Quality Counts' operations "indicate ongoing, close attention to every procedure that can increase coverage and/or improve data quality." The Bureau's findings, contained in a report entitled, "Census Bureau Review of Local Census Offices Profiled by the Subcommittee," are posted on the agency's web site at www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00cn53.html. Questions about the information contained in this News Alert may be directed to Terri Ann Lowenthal at 202/484-2270 or, by e-mail at <terriann2k(a)aol.com>om>. For copies of previous News Alerts and other information, use our web site www.census2000.org . 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