From the H'burg American:
Mississippi lost a U.S. congressional seat after the 2000 census because of a decline in the state's population.
Some officials believe low citizen participation was a major contributor in the state's loss of representation. Census and Hattiesburg officials want to make sure that doesn't happen again.
The city hosted a 2010 Census Kickoff Tuesday to raise public awareness and recruit citizens to join the city's Complete Count Committee.
The committee is responsible for educating the public about the upcoming census, said Christine Brown, manager of the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the City of Hattiesburg.
"We're trying to get as many people as we can," Brown said. "We're asking volunteers interested in the growth and progress of Hattiesburg to sign up because the census is actually the determiner for the type of federal assistance we receive in the area."
The federal government uses census figures to allocate more than $300 billion a year in assistance and resources to local municipalities and agencies.
Brown said the committee also will help in canvassing neighborhoods where residents are less inclined to participate out of fear of persecution from the government.
"We definitely want our citizens to participate because we feel the citizens can reach their neighbors with a little more ease and comfort," Brown said.
There was much interest placed Tuesday on job opportunities for the 2010 count.
The Census Bureau is not currently hiring, but will resume sometime in the next few months.
"It's going to be for positions that are locally based," said Tracyee Williams, partnership specialist for the Dallas Regional Census Center.
Williams said there has been no indication on how many positions they are looking to fill.
Mayor Johnny DuPree and other county officials were surprised to learn that Hattiesburg would not have its own census office.
The nearest locations will be in Gulfport and Meridian, officials said.
"I think (Hattiesburg) will be a much better place to have an office, especially if you want an accurate count," DuPree said. "This is the Hub City...and having an estimated 300,000 people coming through here each day, I just think it's important to have that presence."
DuPree indicated he would be contacting census officials about the issue.
Other highlights from Tuesday's kickoff include:
Census 2010 forms will be mailed on March 15. This survey will be shorter - 10 questions that will only take 10 minutes to answer, officials said.
Information gathered by the survey is confidential and cannot be shared with any other governmental agency for 72 years.
Everyone is required to fill out a survey by federal law.
Sample copies of the census questionnaire can be found at www.census.gov.
Anyone interested in joining the Complete Count Committee can contact Christine Brown at 545-6259 or Maxine Coleman at 554-1005.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
MS Census: Reapportionment approaches
The Clarion Ledger featured an article by Lydia Quarles regarding post-Census 2010 processes, mainly reapportionment. For the full story, click here.
Reapportionment: 101
After 2010 Census, process begins to divide congressional seats and redraw legislative districts for 2011
As we move into the latter half of 2008, the politicos among us begin to think ahead to reapportionment and redistricting. How has the nation's population migration of the last decade affected the shape and contour of the United States Congress? Will Mississippi lose another seat? And if so, why?
While congressional realignment - the apportioning of the 385 available U. S. congressional seats among the 50 states - is the fodder of reapportionment, local variations in population contribute to a need for redistricting of state houses.
In Mississippi, we need merely think back over the past decade to Katrina migrations, lost manufacturing jobs, new economic growth around Lee County and the Golden Triangle, and the extensive growth in DeSoto County and contiguous areas to recognize that the 2010 census results may cause significant realignment in Mississippi's Senate and House districts. Will coastal representation be diminished? How many seats will be added to northwest Mississippi? Will southwest Mississippi's districts be enlarged, shifted, and numerically reduced in order to account for other population growth and shifts?
Until 1962, the judicial branch of government had steadfastly removed itself from intervention in what it considered a "political question." But in the 1962 landmark case of Baker v. Carr, the U.S. Supreme Court abandoned its historic policy against intervening in congressional reapportionment and state legislative redistricting. The court abandoned its deference to the legislative branch in the resolution of such questions by recognizing that "every voter has a right to have his vote counted equally with every other voter's" and determined that this right was a justiciable cause of action covered by the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Reapportionment: 101
After 2010 Census, process begins to divide congressional seats and redraw legislative districts for 2011
As we move into the latter half of 2008, the politicos among us begin to think ahead to reapportionment and redistricting. How has the nation's population migration of the last decade affected the shape and contour of the United States Congress? Will Mississippi lose another seat? And if so, why?
While congressional realignment - the apportioning of the 385 available U. S. congressional seats among the 50 states - is the fodder of reapportionment, local variations in population contribute to a need for redistricting of state houses.
In Mississippi, we need merely think back over the past decade to Katrina migrations, lost manufacturing jobs, new economic growth around Lee County and the Golden Triangle, and the extensive growth in DeSoto County and contiguous areas to recognize that the 2010 census results may cause significant realignment in Mississippi's Senate and House districts. Will coastal representation be diminished? How many seats will be added to northwest Mississippi? Will southwest Mississippi's districts be enlarged, shifted, and numerically reduced in order to account for other population growth and shifts?
Until 1962, the judicial branch of government had steadfastly removed itself from intervention in what it considered a "political question." But in the 1962 landmark case of Baker v. Carr, the U.S. Supreme Court abandoned its historic policy against intervening in congressional reapportionment and state legislative redistricting. The court abandoned its deference to the legislative branch in the resolution of such questions by recognizing that "every voter has a right to have his vote counted equally with every other voter's" and determined that this right was a justiciable cause of action covered by the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Census News Roundup
From the Chicago Tribune: 2010 Census will be the biggest, most expensive to date... The Wichita Eagle in Kansas reports that 4 Kansas counties are majority minority...How does the Census work? The AP answers your questions... Longest serving Census worker prepares for the sixth and last count, reports the AP... Q&A with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, courtesy Chicago Tribune...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Good Census tools
The Center for Population Studies has a very helpful page on their website that provides a wide range of info:
Census partnership specialists, broken down by map and listing of counties. (Want to find out what's going on in your area? Call one of them!)
MS's "hard-to-count" areas. (This should give you an idea of which areas will be the primary focus of the Census Bureau to ensure an accurate count.)
...and lots more. Check it here.
Census partnership specialists, broken down by map and listing of counties. (Want to find out what's going on in your area? Call one of them!)
MS's "hard-to-count" areas. (This should give you an idea of which areas will be the primary focus of the Census Bureau to ensure an accurate count.)
...and lots more. Check it here.
Monday, May 18, 2009
We're complicated; so is the Census
We’re Complicated; So Is the Census
June Kronholz, guest contributor, reports on the 2010 Census.
Race and ethnicity already are complicated questions in the decennial census. Now, Rep. Charles Rangel and a fellow New York Democrat want to make them even more complex.
Question 8 in the 2010 census form asks if the person being counted is “of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin” and, if so, from where. That person has a choice of four check boxes:
–Yes, he or she is Mexican, Mexican American or Chicano
–Yes, he or she is Puerto Rican
–Yes, he or she is Cuban or
–Yes, he or she is “another,” and is asked to fill in a blank.
The form offers the prompt: “for example, Argentinean, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on.”
Rangel, who represents a district with a big Dominican population, has introduced HR 1504 that would require the Census Bureau to offer a separate check box for Dominican-Americans. Similarly, Rep. Yvette Clark (D., N.Y.), who is Caribbean-American, has introduced HR 2071 that would require a check box for “Caribbean extraction or descent.”
The 2010 census forms already have gone to the printer, so there’s no chance of a change this time around. But Terri Ann Lowenthal, who writes a census newsletter, says both bills are likely to figure into the discussion about the 2020 form.
Census drafters talk about the limited “real estate” on the decennial form—they want to keep it to one page and 10 questions in order to assure most people answer it.
But ethnic and racial interest groups regularly lobby for inclusion. Question 9 on the 2010 census asks for the race of the person being counted, and then gives the option of nine Asian groups, plus a fill-in blank for anyone not already covered; a check box for native Americans and a fill-in blank for the name of their tribe; a fill-in blank for “some other race;” a check box for “black, African Am., or Negro” and a check box for “white.”
Groups representing Caribbean blacks, African immigrants and Arab-Americans already are asking for check boxes of their own in the 2020 census, says Lowenthal.
The Census Bureau doesn’t ask anyone except Asians and Hispanics about their nationality or ancestry on the decennial census. For everyone else–the one-quarter Italian, half-Czech, one-quarter Scot–that question is left to the American Community Survey, a household sampling that the bureau conducts yearly.
June Kronholz, guest contributor, reports on the 2010 Census.
Race and ethnicity already are complicated questions in the decennial census. Now, Rep. Charles Rangel and a fellow New York Democrat want to make them even more complex.
Question 8 in the 2010 census form asks if the person being counted is “of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin” and, if so, from where. That person has a choice of four check boxes:
–Yes, he or she is Mexican, Mexican American or Chicano
–Yes, he or she is Puerto Rican
–Yes, he or she is Cuban or
–Yes, he or she is “another,” and is asked to fill in a blank.
The form offers the prompt: “for example, Argentinean, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on.”
Rangel, who represents a district with a big Dominican population, has introduced HR 1504 that would require the Census Bureau to offer a separate check box for Dominican-Americans. Similarly, Rep. Yvette Clark (D., N.Y.), who is Caribbean-American, has introduced HR 2071 that would require a check box for “Caribbean extraction or descent.”
The 2010 census forms already have gone to the printer, so there’s no chance of a change this time around. But Terri Ann Lowenthal, who writes a census newsletter, says both bills are likely to figure into the discussion about the 2020 form.
Census drafters talk about the limited “real estate” on the decennial form—they want to keep it to one page and 10 questions in order to assure most people answer it.
But ethnic and racial interest groups regularly lobby for inclusion. Question 9 on the 2010 census asks for the race of the person being counted, and then gives the option of nine Asian groups, plus a fill-in blank for anyone not already covered; a check box for native Americans and a fill-in blank for the name of their tribe; a fill-in blank for “some other race;” a check box for “black, African Am., or Negro” and a check box for “white.”
Groups representing Caribbean blacks, African immigrants and Arab-Americans already are asking for check boxes of their own in the 2020 census, says Lowenthal.
The Census Bureau doesn’t ask anyone except Asians and Hispanics about their nationality or ancestry on the decennial census. For everyone else–the one-quarter Italian, half-Czech, one-quarter Scot–that question is left to the American Community Survey, a household sampling that the bureau conducts yearly.
Friday, May 15, 2009
CCC - Be counted!
Mayor Knox Ross is a member of the MS Complete Count Committee organized by Governor Haley Barbour. Here, he blogs about the importance of being counted in the 2010 Census.
NY Times: Census nominee shuns sampling as counting method
From the NY Times:
Robert M. Groves, President Obama’s nominee to lead the Census Bureau, told senators at a confirmation hearing on Friday that he would not seek to use statistical sampling in the 2010 census, offering reassurance to Republicans who have long opposed any effort to adjust for inevitable counting errors using mathematical models.
Mr. Groves, in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Oversight Committee, said that he supported the view of the Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, who oversees the Census Bureau, and who said there were no plans to use statistical sampling in the 2010 count.
“I agree fully with Secretary Locke’s testimony that statistical adjustment of the census is eliminated as an option for reapportionment and further that statistical adjustment will not be used for redistricting,” Mr. Groves said in his prepared opening statement. “The 2003 decision of Director Kincannon, consistent with this, assured that no implementation infrastructure for adjustment was put in place for 2010.”
Mr. Groves, 60, is a sociology professor and survey expert at the University of Michigan. He served as associate director of the Census Bureau in the 1990s, when President Clinton battled fiercely with Republican lawmakers in an effort to adopt statistical sampling as a way to correct for counting errors. House Republicans sued Mr. Clinton and won a court victory barring the use of sampling for the reapportionment of Congressional seats or for redistricting.
Many experts believe that sampling would be more accurate than using only an actual count, because millions of people are missed or refuse to be counted. Studies have found those missed are far more likely to be poor and ethnic and racial minority Americans in urban areas. Counting them would likely favor Democrats.
Many Republicans remain concerned that the Obama administration will try to adopt sampling as part of the census count.
Robert M. Groves, President Obama’s nominee to lead the Census Bureau, told senators at a confirmation hearing on Friday that he would not seek to use statistical sampling in the 2010 census, offering reassurance to Republicans who have long opposed any effort to adjust for inevitable counting errors using mathematical models.
Mr. Groves, in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Oversight Committee, said that he supported the view of the Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, who oversees the Census Bureau, and who said there were no plans to use statistical sampling in the 2010 count.
“I agree fully with Secretary Locke’s testimony that statistical adjustment of the census is eliminated as an option for reapportionment and further that statistical adjustment will not be used for redistricting,” Mr. Groves said in his prepared opening statement. “The 2003 decision of Director Kincannon, consistent with this, assured that no implementation infrastructure for adjustment was put in place for 2010.”
Mr. Groves, 60, is a sociology professor and survey expert at the University of Michigan. He served as associate director of the Census Bureau in the 1990s, when President Clinton battled fiercely with Republican lawmakers in an effort to adopt statistical sampling as a way to correct for counting errors. House Republicans sued Mr. Clinton and won a court victory barring the use of sampling for the reapportionment of Congressional seats or for redistricting.
Many experts believe that sampling would be more accurate than using only an actual count, because millions of people are missed or refuse to be counted. Studies have found those missed are far more likely to be poor and ethnic and racial minority Americans in urban areas. Counting them would likely favor Democrats.
Many Republicans remain concerned that the Obama administration will try to adopt sampling as part of the census count.
Swing State Project ponders Congressional redistricting in MS...
Swing State Project has been posting an 11-part series covering a few states across the country with possible redistricting models that would turn several key districts into Democratic-leaning districts.
In Mississippi, the focus is the 1st District (currently held by Democrat Travis Childers).
Check it out here.
In Mississippi, the focus is the 1st District (currently held by Democrat Travis Childers).
Check it out here.
MS Public Broadcasting: Getting a full count in the 2010 Census
MPB reports on the first meeting of the MS Complete Count Committee:
The Governor’s office is recruiting state and community leaders from Horn Lake to Biloxi to serve on a Complete Count Committee to ensure every Mississippian is counted in the 2010 US Census. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
During the 2000 US Census, only 62% of Mississippi households voluntarily returned completed census questionnaires. The other 38% had to be contacted in person as workers went door to door. Governor Barbour is hoping for a better result in 2010.
“Because many things that are federal programs, representation of the legislature, representation of the congress, representation of the city councils are dependent on the accuracy of the census.”
Accuracy is the key word for Shirley Anderson Scott of the United States Census Bureau in Mississippi. Scott helped coordinate the Complete Count Committee and says the 2010 census gives a detail snap shot of the entire country and state right down to your block.
“This determines how much money is brought into the state for streets, for schools, for hospitals. Everything that the federal government put money into.”
The goal is to count every Mississippi resident. A Willie DeBerry, with the U.S. Census Bureau, Regional Office says there is no risk to illegal residents but the biggest obstacle is empathy.
“People don’t quite understand the importance and they’ll take the questionnaire and throw it away or whatever the case may be. So we have to constantly beat the bushes and stay on that ground in terms of just giving education and making it a number one priority that they can understand.”
The 10 question census will be mailed or delivered to households in February. They must be mailed back by April 1st.. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.
The Governor’s office is recruiting state and community leaders from Horn Lake to Biloxi to serve on a Complete Count Committee to ensure every Mississippian is counted in the 2010 US Census. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.
During the 2000 US Census, only 62% of Mississippi households voluntarily returned completed census questionnaires. The other 38% had to be contacted in person as workers went door to door. Governor Barbour is hoping for a better result in 2010.
“Because many things that are federal programs, representation of the legislature, representation of the congress, representation of the city councils are dependent on the accuracy of the census.”
Accuracy is the key word for Shirley Anderson Scott of the United States Census Bureau in Mississippi. Scott helped coordinate the Complete Count Committee and says the 2010 census gives a detail snap shot of the entire country and state right down to your block.
“This determines how much money is brought into the state for streets, for schools, for hospitals. Everything that the federal government put money into.”
The goal is to count every Mississippi resident. A Willie DeBerry, with the U.S. Census Bureau, Regional Office says there is no risk to illegal residents but the biggest obstacle is empathy.
“People don’t quite understand the importance and they’ll take the questionnaire and throw it away or whatever the case may be. So we have to constantly beat the bushes and stay on that ground in terms of just giving education and making it a number one priority that they can understand.”
The 10 question census will be mailed or delivered to households in February. They must be mailed back by April 1st.. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.
Warren County: Majority Minority
According to the latest Census data, Warren County is one of six U.S. counties to become "majority minority" in 2008.
Census: Warren Co., Miss., now 'majority minority'
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's Warren County has long been a multicultural hub with its Chinese-owned grocery stores, black funeral homes and restaurants that serve fried catfish and turnip greens to diverse crowds of diners.
New Census numbers, released Thursday, show Warren is 1 of 6 counties in the U.S. that became "majority minority" in 2008.
The others are Orange County, Fla.; Edwards and Schleicher counties in Texas; Finney County, Kan.; and Stanislaus County, Calif.
The new estimated numbers from the Census show that 50.4% of the people in Warren County are black, Hispanic, Asian or other racial minority. The county's population is 49.6% white.
Warren County, on the Mississippi River, is the home of Vicksburg.
Census: Warren Co., Miss., now 'majority minority'
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi's Warren County has long been a multicultural hub with its Chinese-owned grocery stores, black funeral homes and restaurants that serve fried catfish and turnip greens to diverse crowds of diners.
New Census numbers, released Thursday, show Warren is 1 of 6 counties in the U.S. that became "majority minority" in 2008.
The others are Orange County, Fla.; Edwards and Schleicher counties in Texas; Finney County, Kan.; and Stanislaus County, Calif.
The new estimated numbers from the Census show that 50.4% of the people in Warren County are black, Hispanic, Asian or other racial minority. The county's population is 49.6% white.
Warren County, on the Mississippi River, is the home of Vicksburg.
Census data - No race majority for MS
From the Clarion Ledger...
Census: No race majority in sight...Magnolia State following a national trend of racial plurality
Want to search interactive data? More here.
Mississippi, which weathered the struggle between civil rights and white supremacy in the 1960s, appears to be following a national trend of becoming a state that has no ethnic majority, an analysis of U.S. Census data released today shows.
"We're heading toward no racial majority, but only pluralities," said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
The state's population has increased slightly since the last census count in April 2000. There were 2,938,618 people living in Mississippi as of July 1, 2008, the latest figures show. That's nearly 94,000, or 3 percent, more than the last count.
The number of Hispanics living in the state has almost doubled.
Mississippi's African-American population has seen more growth than the state's white population. But the estimates may be low.
D'Andra Orey, chairman of the political science department at Jackson State University, said census data may underestimate the number of African-American men living in the state because the group is usually harder to reach.
Hispanics accounted for 65,798 of the state's total population, although immigrant-rights advocates believe many more are living in Mississippi. Census data show there were 39,569 Hispanics in Mississippi in 2000.
The number of Mississippians who consider themselves African American grew by 57,198 since the last census. The number of Mississippians who consider themselves white, or non-Hispanic, decreased by 6,067 from the April 2000 census.
Warren County is one of six U.S. counties to become majority minority in 2008, which means more than half the population is nonwhite.
Claiborne County had the highest percentage of African Americans of any county in the nation - 84 percent.
Mississippi also has one of the highest percentages of female residents when compared with other states. Census figures show women make up 51.5 percent of the state's population - higher than the national average of 50.7 percent.
Census: No race majority in sight...Magnolia State following a national trend of racial plurality
Want to search interactive data? More here.
Mississippi, which weathered the struggle between civil rights and white supremacy in the 1960s, appears to be following a national trend of becoming a state that has no ethnic majority, an analysis of U.S. Census data released today shows.
"We're heading toward no racial majority, but only pluralities," said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
The state's population has increased slightly since the last census count in April 2000. There were 2,938,618 people living in Mississippi as of July 1, 2008, the latest figures show. That's nearly 94,000, or 3 percent, more than the last count.
The number of Hispanics living in the state has almost doubled.
Mississippi's African-American population has seen more growth than the state's white population. But the estimates may be low.
D'Andra Orey, chairman of the political science department at Jackson State University, said census data may underestimate the number of African-American men living in the state because the group is usually harder to reach.
Hispanics accounted for 65,798 of the state's total population, although immigrant-rights advocates believe many more are living in Mississippi. Census data show there were 39,569 Hispanics in Mississippi in 2000.
The number of Mississippians who consider themselves African American grew by 57,198 since the last census. The number of Mississippians who consider themselves white, or non-Hispanic, decreased by 6,067 from the April 2000 census.
Warren County is one of six U.S. counties to become majority minority in 2008, which means more than half the population is nonwhite.
Claiborne County had the highest percentage of African Americans of any county in the nation - 84 percent.
Mississippi also has one of the highest percentages of female residents when compared with other states. Census figures show women make up 51.5 percent of the state's population - higher than the national average of 50.7 percent.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Governor Haley Barbour forms Complete Count Committee
This just in:
MISSISSIPPI COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE TO MEET IN PREPARATION FOR 2010 CENSUS
In preparation for the upcoming 2010 Census, Governor Haley Barbour has organized the Mississippi “Complete Count Committee” to ensure Mississippi has a complete and accurate count in the decennial census. By collaborating with the U.S. Census Bureau and other state partners, the CCC will serve as the lead entity in publicizing the upcoming Census.
“The Complete Count Committee will serve an important role in helping to publicize the 2010 Census,” Governor Barbour said. “After all, the information collected during the Census will be used for a variety of purposes over the next decade, including determining the amount of some federal funding available to Mississippi as well as a basis for redrawing legislative districts.”
The promotional committee will consist of volunteer members appointed by the Governor under the goal of providing the public with up-to-date Census information, as well as discussing ways to better reach hard-to-count populations within the state. The group will have its initial meeting at 10:30 a.m. on May 13, 2009, in Conference Center East on the first floor of the Woolfolk State Office Building, 501 N. West St.
Below is a listing of the organizations represented on the Committee. Going forward, the committee will continue to partner with additional groups and organizations to help achieve its purpose of promoting the 2010 Census.
Mississippi Department of Human Services - Division of Aging and Adult Services
Mississippi State Conference NAACP
100 Black Men of Jackson
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Mississippi Manufacturers Association
National Federal of Independent Business
Mississippi Economic Council
State Board for Community and Junior Colleges
Mississippi Municipal League
Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Office of Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann
Office of the Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant
Mississippi Delta Council
Mississippi Association of Planning and Development Districts
Mississippi Center for Nonprofits
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
Mississippi Department of Education
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Mississippi Department of Corrections
State Data Center of Mississippi, Center for Population Studies
Mission Mississippi
Mississippi National Guard
Mississippi Commission on Volunteer Services
El Pueblo/The Village
Mississippi Division of Medicaid
For more information, visit www.governorbarbour.com/census2010.htm.
MISSISSIPPI COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE TO MEET IN PREPARATION FOR 2010 CENSUS
In preparation for the upcoming 2010 Census, Governor Haley Barbour has organized the Mississippi “Complete Count Committee” to ensure Mississippi has a complete and accurate count in the decennial census. By collaborating with the U.S. Census Bureau and other state partners, the CCC will serve as the lead entity in publicizing the upcoming Census.
“The Complete Count Committee will serve an important role in helping to publicize the 2010 Census,” Governor Barbour said. “After all, the information collected during the Census will be used for a variety of purposes over the next decade, including determining the amount of some federal funding available to Mississippi as well as a basis for redrawing legislative districts.”
The promotional committee will consist of volunteer members appointed by the Governor under the goal of providing the public with up-to-date Census information, as well as discussing ways to better reach hard-to-count populations within the state. The group will have its initial meeting at 10:30 a.m. on May 13, 2009, in Conference Center East on the first floor of the Woolfolk State Office Building, 501 N. West St.
Below is a listing of the organizations represented on the Committee. Going forward, the committee will continue to partner with additional groups and organizations to help achieve its purpose of promoting the 2010 Census.
Mississippi Department of Human Services - Division of Aging and Adult Services
Mississippi State Conference NAACP
100 Black Men of Jackson
Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
Mississippi Manufacturers Association
National Federal of Independent Business
Mississippi Economic Council
State Board for Community and Junior Colleges
Mississippi Municipal League
Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Office of Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann
Office of the Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant
Mississippi Delta Council
Mississippi Association of Planning and Development Districts
Mississippi Center for Nonprofits
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
Mississippi Department of Education
Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Mississippi Department of Corrections
State Data Center of Mississippi, Center for Population Studies
Mission Mississippi
Mississippi National Guard
Mississippi Commission on Volunteer Services
El Pueblo/The Village
Mississippi Division of Medicaid
For more information, visit www.governorbarbour.com/census2010.htm.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Groves discusses sampling, managerial styles during nomination process; pledges to run politics-free Census
From the AP:
Groves pledges to run 2010 census free of politics
By HOPE YEN – 19 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Census Bureau is pledging to stand up to congressional Republicans — and the White House if necessary — and to stick to sound science when leading the high-stakes head count.
If he cannot, he will resign, nominee Robert M. Groves said.
In a 41-page Senate questionnaire obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Groves defended his push for statistical sampling in the 1990 census to make up for an undercount of millions of mostly minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats — a move that was then decried by the Republican commerce secretary as political tampering. Groves is a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan.
While Groves said the use of sampling in 2010 was unlikely given the little time remaining, he would not say whether he would support other measures such as a government halt to immigration raids. "I will work with all agencies of government to assure the best census this country can achieve," Groves wrote when asked if he would seek to scale back enforcement.
On matters of science, Groves was unequivocal. "The White House can have no role," he said. "If the director is perceived to be a pawn of one or another political ideological perspective, the credibility of the statistical system is threatened."
Groves said if he encounters undue partisan interference from the White House or elsewhere that he cannot resist, "I will resign and work outside the system to stop the abuse."
The Senate Homeland Security committee is scheduled to hold Groves' confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
In his questionnaire, Groves also:
_Cast the Census Bureau as woefully outdated, saying it lacks scientific talent due to a recent and upcoming wave of retirements.
_Acknowledged he lacked extensive management experience to run the bureau's sprawling operations but said he was up to the task.
Separately, the Commerce Department said it had hired Kenneth Prewitt, who headed the 2000 census count, as a part-time paid consultant to Secretary Gary Locke on 2010 census issues. He will be part of a team of experts who will present recommendations later this year to the census director.
Prewitt, now a Columbia University professor, served last year as an adviser to Republican Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. At the time, Prewitt privately urged the Bush administration to push for a change in federal laws to allow for broader use of statistical sampling, or "accept the likelihood of a distributionally inaccurate census that is more undemocratic."
"I appreciate that ... sampling will be viewed as an unrealistic option," Prewitt wrote in the memo of March 17, 2008, provided to the AP, noting the likely political resistance from Republicans who oppose census sampling methods that tend to favor Democrats.
"However, there are times when crisis conditions produce political courage," he said.
Gutierrez never followed up on that recommendation for broader use of sampling.
Groves, 60, a former census associate director from 1990-92, said he joined several officials in recommending the 1990 census be statistically adjusted because the "adjusted estimates were of higher quality than the unadjusted."
The recommendation came amid a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff under President George H.W. Bush to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition. The Census Bureau was then overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that the wording of the federal law barred broad uses of statistical sampling to apportion House seats. Justices, however, indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries and distributing federal money.
In his questionnaire, Groves indicated that he believed adjusted counts could help improve the census but said he had no plans to push sampling in 2010 or beyond.
"I believe the Supreme Court ruling stands as the guidance on this issue," he said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Groves will take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas — about 14 percent of the U.S. population — are at high risk of being missed because of language problems and an economic crisis that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. A nationwide group of Latino ministers has called for a boycott of the census unless Obama moves forward on his pledge to pass immigration reform.
Obama last month announced the selection of Groves, who has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates and designing surveys for agencies from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to the EPA and National Institutes of Health.
Groves pledges to run 2010 census free of politics
By HOPE YEN – 19 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Census Bureau is pledging to stand up to congressional Republicans — and the White House if necessary — and to stick to sound science when leading the high-stakes head count.
If he cannot, he will resign, nominee Robert M. Groves said.
In a 41-page Senate questionnaire obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, Groves defended his push for statistical sampling in the 1990 census to make up for an undercount of millions of mostly minorities, who tend to vote for Democrats — a move that was then decried by the Republican commerce secretary as political tampering. Groves is a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan.
While Groves said the use of sampling in 2010 was unlikely given the little time remaining, he would not say whether he would support other measures such as a government halt to immigration raids. "I will work with all agencies of government to assure the best census this country can achieve," Groves wrote when asked if he would seek to scale back enforcement.
On matters of science, Groves was unequivocal. "The White House can have no role," he said. "If the director is perceived to be a pawn of one or another political ideological perspective, the credibility of the statistical system is threatened."
Groves said if he encounters undue partisan interference from the White House or elsewhere that he cannot resist, "I will resign and work outside the system to stop the abuse."
The Senate Homeland Security committee is scheduled to hold Groves' confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
In his questionnaire, Groves also:
_Cast the Census Bureau as woefully outdated, saying it lacks scientific talent due to a recent and upcoming wave of retirements.
_Acknowledged he lacked extensive management experience to run the bureau's sprawling operations but said he was up to the task.
Separately, the Commerce Department said it had hired Kenneth Prewitt, who headed the 2000 census count, as a part-time paid consultant to Secretary Gary Locke on 2010 census issues. He will be part of a team of experts who will present recommendations later this year to the census director.
Prewitt, now a Columbia University professor, served last year as an adviser to Republican Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. At the time, Prewitt privately urged the Bush administration to push for a change in federal laws to allow for broader use of statistical sampling, or "accept the likelihood of a distributionally inaccurate census that is more undemocratic."
"I appreciate that ... sampling will be viewed as an unrealistic option," Prewitt wrote in the memo of March 17, 2008, provided to the AP, noting the likely political resistance from Republicans who oppose census sampling methods that tend to favor Democrats.
"However, there are times when crisis conditions produce political courage," he said.
Gutierrez never followed up on that recommendation for broader use of sampling.
Groves, 60, a former census associate director from 1990-92, said he joined several officials in recommending the 1990 census be statistically adjusted because the "adjusted estimates were of higher quality than the unadjusted."
The recommendation came amid a fierce political dispute that prompted White House staff under President George H.W. Bush to call advisers to the bureau and express opposition. The Census Bureau was then overruled by Republican Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher, who called the proposed adjustment "political tampering."
The Supreme Court later ruled in 1999 that the wording of the federal law barred broad uses of statistical sampling to apportion House seats. Justices, however, indicated that adjustments could be made to the population count when redrawing congressional boundaries and distributing federal money.
In his questionnaire, Groves indicated that he believed adjusted counts could help improve the census but said he had no plans to push sampling in 2010 or beyond.
"I believe the Supreme Court ruling stands as the guidance on this issue," he said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Groves will take over at a critical time. Census officials acknowledge that tens of millions of residents in dense urban areas — about 14 percent of the U.S. population — are at high risk of being missed because of language problems and an economic crisis that has displaced homeowners.
The government is devoting up to $250 million of the $1 billion in stimulus money for outreach, particularly for traditionally hard-to-count minorities.
But Hispanics, blacks and other groups are warning that traditional census outreach will not be enough, citing in particular rising anti-immigration sentiment after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. A nationwide group of Latino ministers has called for a boycott of the census unless Obama moves forward on his pledge to pass immigration reform.
Obama last month announced the selection of Groves, who has spent decades researching ways to improve survey response rates and designing surveys for agencies from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to the EPA and National Institutes of Health.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Locke appoints Morial to lead Census Advisory Committee
This just in from the Census Bureau...
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Appoints Morial to Lead 2010 Census Advisory Committee
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has named National Urban League
President Marc Morial as chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Advisory Committee, which provides advice on the design and implementation of the 2010 Census.
“Marc has extraordinary experience in working with national organizations and advocating on behalf of diverse communities,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “His expertise will help to ensure a complete and accurate count during the 2010 Census.”
Twenty organizations are represented on the 2010 Census Advisory
Committee, including data users and experts in the statutory and
constitutional uses of decennial census data. The committee membership also includes ex-officio members representing the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“The 2010 Census Advisory Committee provides important advice and
guidance to the U.S. Census Bureau and we look forward to working with Marc Morial,” said Census Bureau Acting Director Tom Mesenbourg. “His leadership and experience will be vital as we approach the 2010 Census.”
Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League since 2003, leads the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Morial served two terms as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002 and was also president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2001 to 2002. He made Ebony Magazine’s list of the 150 most influential people in 2009.
The Census is mandated by the Constitution. The questionnaire for the upcoming 2010 Census will be one of the shortest in history: just 10 questions that will take only about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are kept strictly confidential. The
Census data are used to apportion the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data are also used to distribute more than $300 billion in federal funds each year.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke Appoints Morial to Lead 2010 Census Advisory Committee
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has named National Urban League
President Marc Morial as chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Advisory Committee, which provides advice on the design and implementation of the 2010 Census.
“Marc has extraordinary experience in working with national organizations and advocating on behalf of diverse communities,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “His expertise will help to ensure a complete and accurate count during the 2010 Census.”
Twenty organizations are represented on the 2010 Census Advisory
Committee, including data users and experts in the statutory and
constitutional uses of decennial census data. The committee membership also includes ex-officio members representing the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“The 2010 Census Advisory Committee provides important advice and
guidance to the U.S. Census Bureau and we look forward to working with Marc Morial,” said Census Bureau Acting Director Tom Mesenbourg. “His leadership and experience will be vital as we approach the 2010 Census.”
Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League since 2003, leads the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Morial served two terms as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002 and was also president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2001 to 2002. He made Ebony Magazine’s list of the 150 most influential people in 2009.
The Census is mandated by the Constitution. The questionnaire for the upcoming 2010 Census will be one of the shortest in history: just 10 questions that will take only about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are kept strictly confidential. The
Census data are used to apportion the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data are also used to distribute more than $300 billion in federal funds each year.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Volunteers sought to promote Census in Neshoba County
Volunteers sought to promote census
By DEBBIE BURT MYERS
Managing Editor
County officials are looking for volunteers to help promote the 2010 census in an effort to count every resident after a census employee told supervisors on Monday that only 63 percent of Mississippians mailed back their questionnaires during the last count.
Diane Chapman, partnership specialist with the U. S. Census Bureau, told supervisors that it was very important for every individual to be counted in the census.
She cited a number of reasons why some people didn't participate in the last census, ranging from illiteracy to a fear that their disclosure might have an affect on their governmental benefits such as food stamps.
Chapman asked supervisors to appoint a count committee composed of trustworthy people who are influential in the community who would, among other things, promote the census and educate the public about its importance.
"We have to let people know this is safe. The Census Bureau cannot share the information with any other branch of government. The census data is held confidential for 72 years," she said.
Mississippi lost a Congressional seat following the 2000 census, Chapman said, noting that the state was "walking a fine line" of losing another.
"There was only a 63 percent mail back response rate in the state in 2000," she said.
By DEBBIE BURT MYERS
Managing Editor
County officials are looking for volunteers to help promote the 2010 census in an effort to count every resident after a census employee told supervisors on Monday that only 63 percent of Mississippians mailed back their questionnaires during the last count.
Diane Chapman, partnership specialist with the U. S. Census Bureau, told supervisors that it was very important for every individual to be counted in the census.
She cited a number of reasons why some people didn't participate in the last census, ranging from illiteracy to a fear that their disclosure might have an affect on their governmental benefits such as food stamps.
Chapman asked supervisors to appoint a count committee composed of trustworthy people who are influential in the community who would, among other things, promote the census and educate the public about its importance.
"We have to let people know this is safe. The Census Bureau cannot share the information with any other branch of government. The census data is held confidential for 72 years," she said.
Mississippi lost a Congressional seat following the 2000 census, Chapman said, noting that the state was "walking a fine line" of losing another.
"There was only a 63 percent mail back response rate in the state in 2000," she said.
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