From the Census Bureau newsroom:
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Creates More
Than 2,200 Census Bureau Jobs
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that it met the July 1, 2009 deadline to create more than 2,200 new jobs across the country. Funding for the positions was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The new employees will support the agency’s 2010 Census partnership program.
Under the Recovery Act, the Census Bureau received $1 billion in
funding, $120 million of which was used to create the new positions. The remaining funds were directed to other critical 2010 Census operations, including expanding the 2010 Census communications and advertising campaign.
“The U.S. Census Bureau has moved quickly to create these much-needed jobs,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “This new staff will perform vital work at the local level with special emphasis on getting hard-to-count communities to participate in the 2010 Census.”
There are now more than 2,900 personnel in 12 regional offices working on the 2010 Census partnership program. The diverse staff speaks 95 languages and will work with thousands of governmental entities, community organizations and the private sector to raise awareness about the 2010 Census.
The new jobs created will last through the summer of 2010, when 2010 Census outreach activities are completed.
ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data guide the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. They're also used to determine Congressional apportionment and to help guide planning decisions, such as the placement of schools, hospitals, transportation, and business and industrial development. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history, consisting of 10 questions. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. Strict laws protect the confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Adjusting for Katrina?
From the Sun Herald...
Katrina victims a challenge in census count
tool goes here JACKSON, Miss. -- Leaders in Congress are being asked to alter the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts Hurricane Katrina victims who remain displaced four years after the storm.
Some Gulf Coast advocates are worried thousands of residents will return to the region in the years after the 2010 census, but federal funding states receive based on the count won't follow them.
Moving Forward Gulf Coast executive director Trap Bonner sent a letter this week to U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay asking him to hold hearings on the issue.
While U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor said he'll support the effort, U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker said they don't think an undercount will be a problem in Mississippi.
Katrina victims a challenge in census count
tool goes here JACKSON, Miss. -- Leaders in Congress are being asked to alter the way the U.S. Census Bureau counts Hurricane Katrina victims who remain displaced four years after the storm.
Some Gulf Coast advocates are worried thousands of residents will return to the region in the years after the 2010 census, but federal funding states receive based on the count won't follow them.
Moving Forward Gulf Coast executive director Trap Bonner sent a letter this week to U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay asking him to hold hearings on the issue.
While U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor said he'll support the effort, U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker said they don't think an undercount will be a problem in Mississippi.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
NABJ: 2010 Census will show that US "on path to becoming majority minority nation"
The National Association of Black Journalists put out this press release. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will address the group, which is the "largest organization of journalists of color," at their annual convention. Below is a snippet from the press release...
Commerce Secretary Locke to Discuss First “Majority Minority” Census at Black Journalists’ Convention
2010 Census to Highlight the Growing Influence of Minorities in the U.S.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) welcomes Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to its annual convention to discuss the ramifications of one of the most important censuses in U.S. history. The 2010 census will show that the country is on a path to becoming a majority minority nation. This unparalleled historic event will have wide-ranging implications including the impact on minority political power.
“Gary Locke has been charged with overseeing the counting of people in the United States at a crucial moment in our lifetime,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “With this census, the evolving melting pot of our country reaches a new chapter, and minority voices will be strengthened as a result.”
Secretary Locke will lead a plenary, “The 2010 Census and a Majority Minority Nation,” on Friday, August. 7 at the Tampa Convention Center. This plenary will give NABJ convention attendees a first-hand opportunity to analyze this historic event with ideas for coverage on the Web, how to find and use census data, tools you can use to see how neighborhoods have changed and will change in the future and new ideas that will arise from the census.
“The census is about power and money,” said Bobbi Bowman, the 2009 Ida B. Wells Award-recipient and diversity director at the American Society of News Editors (ASNE). “The more people a state has, the more political power it gets.”
Governors and mayors across the U.S. will want to ensure that everyone is counted, including undocumented immigrants, in order to ensure more federal funds and, with them, political power.
Commerce Secretary Locke to Discuss First “Majority Minority” Census at Black Journalists’ Convention
2010 Census to Highlight the Growing Influence of Minorities in the U.S.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) welcomes Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to its annual convention to discuss the ramifications of one of the most important censuses in U.S. history. The 2010 census will show that the country is on a path to becoming a majority minority nation. This unparalleled historic event will have wide-ranging implications including the impact on minority political power.
“Gary Locke has been charged with overseeing the counting of people in the United States at a crucial moment in our lifetime,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “With this census, the evolving melting pot of our country reaches a new chapter, and minority voices will be strengthened as a result.”
Secretary Locke will lead a plenary, “The 2010 Census and a Majority Minority Nation,” on Friday, August. 7 at the Tampa Convention Center. This plenary will give NABJ convention attendees a first-hand opportunity to analyze this historic event with ideas for coverage on the Web, how to find and use census data, tools you can use to see how neighborhoods have changed and will change in the future and new ideas that will arise from the census.
“The census is about power and money,” said Bobbi Bowman, the 2009 Ida B. Wells Award-recipient and diversity director at the American Society of News Editors (ASNE). “The more people a state has, the more political power it gets.”
Governors and mayors across the U.S. will want to ensure that everyone is counted, including undocumented immigrants, in order to ensure more federal funds and, with them, political power.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Minority groups discuss outreach to hard-to-count areas
From MS Public Broadcasting...
Battling For a Fair Count in The 2010 Census
Published by Phoebe Judge on 13 Jul 2009 8:19pm
Next year’s 2010 census will play a key role in how congressional districts are drawn and federal grants delivered. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports on what one group of local elected officials is doing to make sure that count is accurate.
Ten years ago the 2000 Census resulted in Mississippi losing one of its Congressional districts. At a conference held yesterday in Biloxi members of the Mississippi Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials tried to come up with ways to figure out how to make sure that the 2010 Census provides a more accurate count. Leroy Johnson is executive director of the community organizing group Southern Echo. He says the hard to count areas in the state are mainly located in counties with a majority of African American and minority populations.
“We lost a district because our communities weren’t counted and that lessened the power of the state of Mississippi. We want Mississippi to have all the power that it needs, and all the power it can to serve. It needs to have all the people counted.”
The US Census bureau provides data which shows which counties is the state were hardest to count in 2000 and it is those counties which received the smallest amount of federal grant money. Lula Cooley a community planning director for the city of Laurel, says local black elected officials have to work harder to take away the fear people have of giving up information for the Census,
“You know they feel like you are getting off into their business, that you are going to knock something out. It’s good to have people in the area to associate with. If the information is not there than it is affected from the community all the way to Washington D.C.”
Efforts to ensure Mississippi is fairly counted in the 2010 census are underway from advocates representing all of Mississippi’s growing minority populations.
Reduced voting participation among whites key element to Obama's victory, says Census Bureau stats
The AP writes about recent Census Bureau stats on voter trends...says voting participation actually declined in 2008 for the first time in a dozen years... full story here
Voting rate dips in 2008 as older whites stay home
By HOPE YEN (AP) – 20 hours ago
WASHINGTON — For all the attention generated by Barack Obama's candidacy, the share of eligible voters who actually cast ballots in November declined for the first time in a dozen years. The reason: Older whites with little interest in backing either Barack Obama or John McCain stayed home.
Census figures released Monday show about 63.6 percent of the nation's eligible voters, or 131.1 million people, voted last November.
Although that represented an increase of 5 million voters — virtually all of them minorities — the turnout relative to the population of eligible voters was a decrease from 63.8 percent in 2004.
Ohio and Pennsylvania were among those showing declines in white voters, helping Obama carry those battleground states.
"While the significance of minority votes for Obama is clearly key, it cannot be overlooked that reduced white support for a Republican candidate allowed minorities to tip the balance in many slow-growing 'purple' states," said William H. Frey, a demographer for Brookings Institution, referring to key battleground states that don't notably tilt Democrat or Republican.
"The question I would ask is if a continuing stagnating economy could change that," he said.
According to census data, 66 percent of whites voted last November, down 1 percentage point from 2004. Blacks increased their turnout by 5 percentage points to 65 percent, nearly matching whites. Hispanics improved turnout by 3 percentage points, and Asians by 3.5 percentage points, each reaching a turnout of nearly 50 percent. In all, minorities made up nearly 1 in 4 voters in 2008, the most diverse electorate ever.
Voting rate dips in 2008 as older whites stay home
By HOPE YEN (AP) – 20 hours ago
WASHINGTON — For all the attention generated by Barack Obama's candidacy, the share of eligible voters who actually cast ballots in November declined for the first time in a dozen years. The reason: Older whites with little interest in backing either Barack Obama or John McCain stayed home.
Census figures released Monday show about 63.6 percent of the nation's eligible voters, or 131.1 million people, voted last November.
Although that represented an increase of 5 million voters — virtually all of them minorities — the turnout relative to the population of eligible voters was a decrease from 63.8 percent in 2004.
Ohio and Pennsylvania were among those showing declines in white voters, helping Obama carry those battleground states.
"While the significance of minority votes for Obama is clearly key, it cannot be overlooked that reduced white support for a Republican candidate allowed minorities to tip the balance in many slow-growing 'purple' states," said William H. Frey, a demographer for Brookings Institution, referring to key battleground states that don't notably tilt Democrat or Republican.
"The question I would ask is if a continuing stagnating economy could change that," he said.
According to census data, 66 percent of whites voted last November, down 1 percentage point from 2004. Blacks increased their turnout by 5 percentage points to 65 percent, nearly matching whites. Hispanics improved turnout by 3 percentage points, and Asians by 3.5 percentage points, each reaching a turnout of nearly 50 percent. In all, minorities made up nearly 1 in 4 voters in 2008, the most diverse electorate ever.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Redistricting political battle brewing?
From the Neshoba Democrat - columnist Brian Perry cites redistricting as part of the electoral "feast" in his latest column...
Every 10 years Mississippi redraws legislative lines according to the latest census data. Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Justice must approve these new lines based on 2010 data in time for 2011 qualifying deadline, or else we may double our legislative elections.
The last time Mississippi legislative elections immediately followed the year of the census was 1991 resulting in an election based on the old district lines in 1991, and another election under the new lines in 1992. Many expect a similar back-to-back race in 2011 and 2012. Sometimes, we just need a second helping to quell that political hunger.
Watching state legislators run on the same ballot as President Barack Obama seeking a second term will be icing on the political dessert.
Every 10 years Mississippi redraws legislative lines according to the latest census data. Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Justice must approve these new lines based on 2010 data in time for 2011 qualifying deadline, or else we may double our legislative elections.
The last time Mississippi legislative elections immediately followed the year of the census was 1991 resulting in an election based on the old district lines in 1991, and another election under the new lines in 1992. Many expect a similar back-to-back race in 2011 and 2012. Sometimes, we just need a second helping to quell that political hunger.
Watching state legislators run on the same ballot as President Barack Obama seeking a second term will be icing on the political dessert.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
MS Senators: How they voted
Today Robert Groves was confirmed as Census Director (he was Obama's pick to head this politically appointed post).
Wicker votes nay; Cochran votes yea.
Wicker votes nay; Cochran votes yea.
Groves confirmed as Census head
After a few months of stalled negotiations, Robert Groves has been confirmed as Obama's pick to head the 2010 Census.
From the AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the 2010 census has been approved by the Senate.
The confirmation Monday for Robert Groves, a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan, ends weeks of opposition by a pair of Republican senators.
Sixty votes in the 100-seat Senate were necessary for Groves' approval after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used a procedural motion to advance the stalled nomination.
Groves had been approved easily by a Senate committee in May. But Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and David Vitter of Louisiana had blocked a full confirmation vote. They said they wanted more assurances that statistical sampling would not be used in the count.
More from the NY Times.
From the AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the 2010 census has been approved by the Senate.
The confirmation Monday for Robert Groves, a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan, ends weeks of opposition by a pair of Republican senators.
Sixty votes in the 100-seat Senate were necessary for Groves' approval after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used a procedural motion to advance the stalled nomination.
Groves had been approved easily by a Senate committee in May. But Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and David Vitter of Louisiana had blocked a full confirmation vote. They said they wanted more assurances that statistical sampling would not be used in the count.
More from the NY Times.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reapportionment 201
From the Clarion Ledger this past weekend -
Reapportionment 201: Variances in population, size of new congressional districts can be substantial
Every decade, following the census, Congress should be reapportioned to reflect population shifts. This is done by a consideration of the same single-member district concepts discussed in "Reapportionment and Redistricting 101" in the newspaper's May 24 edition. But in the truest sense, congressional reapportionment is quite different.
Congressional reapportionment is based on certain "counting" objectives. For example, the congressional reapportionment requires that the entire population be counted. This includes American citizens, legal aliens, illegal aliens, and individuals who are employed by the Department of Defense and are currently residing out of the country.
In search of the one man, one vote quest, the system ignores the following issues:
Are the citizens of voting age?
Are the citizens registered voters?
Why are legal and illegal aliens considered in the count, if they are not covered by the "one man, one vote" allegory?
Does the allocation of Department of Defense employees who are stationed out of the country skew the population toward jurisdictions with an ample supply of defense installations located within their borders?
Who establishes and endorses the directives given to the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Bureau of Census?
These questions are answered in part by an examination of census objectives. Additionally, from the numbers gleaned from the decennial census, a different standard is applied for congressional reapportionment. In Mississippi, we have 1,873,740 registered voters out of 2,910,540 residents, 26.1 percent of whom are under the age of 18, and thus unable, based on age, to be able to vote.
The remainder of the unregistered voters are old enough to vote but have not, for various reasons, registered to vote in the state. This would include aliens but also individuals who are simply not engaged in the voting process.
The current method of apportioning seats in Congress was adopted in 1941 and uses a mathematical formula to assign a priority value to each House seat. Previous formulas which had been adopted simply divided the national or state populations by the number of congressional seats, so a state could have fewer seats than its population warranted.
The Constitution requires that "representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state." This obligation has been enhanced by case law after 1962.
For example, in the 1964 case of Westberry v. Sanders, the Supreme Court held that the reapportionment resulting after each decennial census should be "as nearly equal as practicable" and thereafter, in Kirkpatrick v. Priesler, rejected an argument that small variations in population between congressional districts were de minimis (so minor as to be negligible), noting that "nothing is de minimis" and any variances must be determined to be unavoidable or justified as supporting an acknowledged and valid governmental policy.
In 1983, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its position in Kilpatrick, in the decision of Karcher v. Daggett, by noting that there is no level of population inequality among congressional districts that is too small, so long as the plan's challengers can show that the inequality could have been avoided.
Read more here...
Reapportionment 201: Variances in population, size of new congressional districts can be substantial
Every decade, following the census, Congress should be reapportioned to reflect population shifts. This is done by a consideration of the same single-member district concepts discussed in "Reapportionment and Redistricting 101" in the newspaper's May 24 edition. But in the truest sense, congressional reapportionment is quite different.
Congressional reapportionment is based on certain "counting" objectives. For example, the congressional reapportionment requires that the entire population be counted. This includes American citizens, legal aliens, illegal aliens, and individuals who are employed by the Department of Defense and are currently residing out of the country.
In search of the one man, one vote quest, the system ignores the following issues:
Are the citizens of voting age?
Are the citizens registered voters?
Why are legal and illegal aliens considered in the count, if they are not covered by the "one man, one vote" allegory?
Does the allocation of Department of Defense employees who are stationed out of the country skew the population toward jurisdictions with an ample supply of defense installations located within their borders?
Who establishes and endorses the directives given to the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Bureau of Census?
These questions are answered in part by an examination of census objectives. Additionally, from the numbers gleaned from the decennial census, a different standard is applied for congressional reapportionment. In Mississippi, we have 1,873,740 registered voters out of 2,910,540 residents, 26.1 percent of whom are under the age of 18, and thus unable, based on age, to be able to vote.
The remainder of the unregistered voters are old enough to vote but have not, for various reasons, registered to vote in the state. This would include aliens but also individuals who are simply not engaged in the voting process.
The current method of apportioning seats in Congress was adopted in 1941 and uses a mathematical formula to assign a priority value to each House seat. Previous formulas which had been adopted simply divided the national or state populations by the number of congressional seats, so a state could have fewer seats than its population warranted.
The Constitution requires that "representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state." This obligation has been enhanced by case law after 1962.
For example, in the 1964 case of Westberry v. Sanders, the Supreme Court held that the reapportionment resulting after each decennial census should be "as nearly equal as practicable" and thereafter, in Kirkpatrick v. Priesler, rejected an argument that small variations in population between congressional districts were de minimis (so minor as to be negligible), noting that "nothing is de minimis" and any variances must be determined to be unavoidable or justified as supporting an acknowledged and valid governmental policy.
In 1983, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its position in Kilpatrick, in the decision of Karcher v. Daggett, by noting that there is no level of population inequality among congressional districts that is too small, so long as the plan's challengers can show that the inequality could have been avoided.
Read more here...
MS Census obstacles
Gary Pettus of the Clarion Ledger writes about Census obstacles...
Census obstacles - Isolated areas in state pose challenge for listers
When Stephen Guido pilots his chopper above the remote terrain along the Mississippi River, he's often searching for a flood victim, looter or something more sinister.
"Most of the time, it's looking for dead bodies," said Guido, a reserve officer in the Adams County Sheriff's Department.
But earlier this week, Guido and his copter were on a mission to find the living.
As he mounted the skies over Glasscock and Jackson islands, he carried two passengers: Adams County residents Latonya Terrell and Karen Rounds, who both work as "listers" for the Jackson office of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Along the river at Natchez, Guido was helping them search for houses or habitable buildings -a preliminary step in the 2010 census.
The search was part of the bureau's effort to reach populations that are hard to count.
Among the 50 states, Mississippi is the 19th-hardest to count - often because of crowded housing or poverty.
But, for the area along the Mississippi-Louisiana border, including nearby Cowpen (a.k.a. Giles) Island, other factors are in play: high water and geography.
The marshlands and wooded areas of the county are hard to reach, said Donald Watson, office manager of the Census Bureau's Jackson office, which covers the states' western half.
"We have had to come up with creative ways to get the job done," he said.
In June, low-lying parts of Cowpen/Giles Island were still under water from spring floods, said Stan Owens Jr., director of Emergency Management in Adams County.
Facing a deadline, Watson's workers had to find a way in and complete the address canvassing process: verifying the addresses of single-family dwellings.
Across the country, listers start with address lists taken from previous censuses and the U.S. Postal Service.
Once addresses are confirmed or corrected, and new ones discovered, the bureau uses the new lists to mail out questionnaires to residents.
Seeking help on this mission, Watson called Adams County Sheriff Angie Brown. In June, she offered him a search-and-rescue boat.
"The census is important to our state and to our community," Brown said. "Without accurate counts, a lot of federal money could be lost."
The count affects federal funding for schools, hospitals, roads and more. It determines a community's share of an estimated $300 billion.
It also determines a state's representation in Congress: After the 2000 census, Mississippi lost a U.S. House seat because its pace of growth was slower than in other states.
So, about a month ago, Everard Baker and two other volunteers with the county's search-and-rescue team climbed into the unit's 17-foot, fiberglass outboard.
With three census listers aboard, the team navigated the swift-running waters of the Mississippi, toward Cowpen/Giles Island.
On a map, this isolated area falls on the Louisiana side of the river, but it belongs to Adams County. Cowpen was detached decades ago when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a cutoff to shorten a river bend.
This region is dotted with hunting and fishing camps, and a smattering of homes. While a road does connect Cowpen to the mainland, parts of it are still flooded or mud-swamped.
"The (census workers) couldn't get to some of these places," Baker said, "so we carried them there to let them do whatever they do. Count buildings, count heads.
"We're here to provide a public service. If that helps them get their job done, we've accomplished our mission."
Still, because of high water and their remoteness, two other sites, Jackson and Glasscock islands, are difficult to survey, even by boat.
That's why Brown offered Watson the services of the Sheriff Department's chopper, mostly for free.
"It can cost $1,000 to hire a helicopter," Watson said, "but Sheriff Brown said, 'Y'all just buy the gas.' "
Brown did not have an estimate for the boat-fuel cost, but gauged the charge for the copter's fuel at around $200.
She described the arrangement as "win-win."
"It helped in the training of our all-volunteer search-and-rescue team," Brown said.
"Our helicopter pilot is a volunteer, also, and this gave him some air time. Pilots are always looking for air time."
Often, air time is spent buzzing suspicious-looking characters, Guido said.
"People break into these hunting and fishing camps.
"If we see someone in a boat, we'll stop and shake them down to make sure they haven't stolen anything."
There were no shakedowns Thursday, but once the listers landed on Jackson Island, or Point, they found five livable structures, Guido said. "This is the first time I've flown census people."
Without that kind of help, "We couldn't have canvassed these areas within our time frame," Watson said.
Officials in Bolivar and Wilkinson counties and other areas "stepped up to the plate" as well, he said.
"I've been pleasantly overwhelmed.
"There seems to be a renewed sense of patriotism, or something, from people of all walks of life."
The work isn't finished, of course. Next is the survey of group quarters - college campuses, military bases, nursing homes and more.
Three more census offices are scheduled to open by summer's end - in Southaven, Tupelo and Harrison County.
For now, there are offices in Jackson and Meridian only.
Their work leads up to the official 2010 census mail-out, which starts next year.
For the 2000 census, 63 percent of Mississippians responded to the mail-out, compared to 67 percent for the nation, Watson said.
"I'd like to see our rate reach 70 or 75 percent this time," he said. "That could mean millions of more dollars for the state of Mississippi."
Census obstacles - Isolated areas in state pose challenge for listers
When Stephen Guido pilots his chopper above the remote terrain along the Mississippi River, he's often searching for a flood victim, looter or something more sinister.
"Most of the time, it's looking for dead bodies," said Guido, a reserve officer in the Adams County Sheriff's Department.
But earlier this week, Guido and his copter were on a mission to find the living.
As he mounted the skies over Glasscock and Jackson islands, he carried two passengers: Adams County residents Latonya Terrell and Karen Rounds, who both work as "listers" for the Jackson office of the U.S. Census Bureau.
Along the river at Natchez, Guido was helping them search for houses or habitable buildings -a preliminary step in the 2010 census.
The search was part of the bureau's effort to reach populations that are hard to count.
Among the 50 states, Mississippi is the 19th-hardest to count - often because of crowded housing or poverty.
But, for the area along the Mississippi-Louisiana border, including nearby Cowpen (a.k.a. Giles) Island, other factors are in play: high water and geography.
The marshlands and wooded areas of the county are hard to reach, said Donald Watson, office manager of the Census Bureau's Jackson office, which covers the states' western half.
"We have had to come up with creative ways to get the job done," he said.
In June, low-lying parts of Cowpen/Giles Island were still under water from spring floods, said Stan Owens Jr., director of Emergency Management in Adams County.
Facing a deadline, Watson's workers had to find a way in and complete the address canvassing process: verifying the addresses of single-family dwellings.
Across the country, listers start with address lists taken from previous censuses and the U.S. Postal Service.
Once addresses are confirmed or corrected, and new ones discovered, the bureau uses the new lists to mail out questionnaires to residents.
Seeking help on this mission, Watson called Adams County Sheriff Angie Brown. In June, she offered him a search-and-rescue boat.
"The census is important to our state and to our community," Brown said. "Without accurate counts, a lot of federal money could be lost."
The count affects federal funding for schools, hospitals, roads and more. It determines a community's share of an estimated $300 billion.
It also determines a state's representation in Congress: After the 2000 census, Mississippi lost a U.S. House seat because its pace of growth was slower than in other states.
So, about a month ago, Everard Baker and two other volunteers with the county's search-and-rescue team climbed into the unit's 17-foot, fiberglass outboard.
With three census listers aboard, the team navigated the swift-running waters of the Mississippi, toward Cowpen/Giles Island.
On a map, this isolated area falls on the Louisiana side of the river, but it belongs to Adams County. Cowpen was detached decades ago when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a cutoff to shorten a river bend.
This region is dotted with hunting and fishing camps, and a smattering of homes. While a road does connect Cowpen to the mainland, parts of it are still flooded or mud-swamped.
"The (census workers) couldn't get to some of these places," Baker said, "so we carried them there to let them do whatever they do. Count buildings, count heads.
"We're here to provide a public service. If that helps them get their job done, we've accomplished our mission."
Still, because of high water and their remoteness, two other sites, Jackson and Glasscock islands, are difficult to survey, even by boat.
That's why Brown offered Watson the services of the Sheriff Department's chopper, mostly for free.
"It can cost $1,000 to hire a helicopter," Watson said, "but Sheriff Brown said, 'Y'all just buy the gas.' "
Brown did not have an estimate for the boat-fuel cost, but gauged the charge for the copter's fuel at around $200.
She described the arrangement as "win-win."
"It helped in the training of our all-volunteer search-and-rescue team," Brown said.
"Our helicopter pilot is a volunteer, also, and this gave him some air time. Pilots are always looking for air time."
Often, air time is spent buzzing suspicious-looking characters, Guido said.
"People break into these hunting and fishing camps.
"If we see someone in a boat, we'll stop and shake them down to make sure they haven't stolen anything."
There were no shakedowns Thursday, but once the listers landed on Jackson Island, or Point, they found five livable structures, Guido said. "This is the first time I've flown census people."
Without that kind of help, "We couldn't have canvassed these areas within our time frame," Watson said.
Officials in Bolivar and Wilkinson counties and other areas "stepped up to the plate" as well, he said.
"I've been pleasantly overwhelmed.
"There seems to be a renewed sense of patriotism, or something, from people of all walks of life."
The work isn't finished, of course. Next is the survey of group quarters - college campuses, military bases, nursing homes and more.
Three more census offices are scheduled to open by summer's end - in Southaven, Tupelo and Harrison County.
For now, there are offices in Jackson and Meridian only.
Their work leads up to the official 2010 census mail-out, which starts next year.
For the 2000 census, 63 percent of Mississippians responded to the mail-out, compared to 67 percent for the nation, Watson said.
"I'd like to see our rate reach 70 or 75 percent this time," he said. "That could mean millions of more dollars for the state of Mississippi."
Friday, July 10, 2009
WCJ: Local supes encourage Census participation
From the Winston County Journal in Louisville...
Supes encourage participation in 2010 census
Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. For these reasons, the Winston County Board of Supervisors hopes Winston Countians will find ways to support and will fill out the census data when they receive it.
Supervisor Lamar Turnipseed remarked at the June 1 meeting that it is important for Winston Countians to participate in the 2010 Census for the good of the county.
"Our county will miss out on important funding and programs if we are not properly counted," said Turnipseed.
Diann Chapman of the U.S. Census Bureau spoke to the board at the June 1 meeting to review the importance of the census and to encourage the board members to set up Complete Count Committee in each district.
Chapman noted that every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. That's more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period.
Census data guide local decision-makers in important community planning efforts, including where to build new roads.
She asked that the board appoint several 2010 Census partners in each district to help educate the community about the importance of participating in this historic event and help ensure no one is left uncounted.
"These persons can help your community receive the fiscal and social benefits to which it is entitled," said Chapman. "We need as many respondents as possible."
Anyone interested in joining the Complete Count Committee may contact their District Supervisor or Chancery Clerk Pam Reel.
The Census data also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The forms to be mailed out will include only about 10 questions. The Census Bureau has had persons in the area verifying address to help insure all citizens receive a census form.
Chapman explained to the supervisors that no one should be afraid to fillout the form since it does not share the forms with any other government agencies.
"We just want an accurate count," said Chapman.
Supes encourage participation in 2010 census
Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. For these reasons, the Winston County Board of Supervisors hopes Winston Countians will find ways to support and will fill out the census data when they receive it.
Supervisor Lamar Turnipseed remarked at the June 1 meeting that it is important for Winston Countians to participate in the 2010 Census for the good of the county.
"Our county will miss out on important funding and programs if we are not properly counted," said Turnipseed.
Diann Chapman of the U.S. Census Bureau spoke to the board at the June 1 meeting to review the importance of the census and to encourage the board members to set up Complete Count Committee in each district.
Chapman noted that every year, more than $300 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. That's more than $3 trillion over a 10-year period.
Census data guide local decision-makers in important community planning efforts, including where to build new roads.
She asked that the board appoint several 2010 Census partners in each district to help educate the community about the importance of participating in this historic event and help ensure no one is left uncounted.
"These persons can help your community receive the fiscal and social benefits to which it is entitled," said Chapman. "We need as many respondents as possible."
Anyone interested in joining the Complete Count Committee may contact their District Supervisor or Chancery Clerk Pam Reel.
The Census data also determines how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The forms to be mailed out will include only about 10 questions. The Census Bureau has had persons in the area verifying address to help insure all citizens receive a census form.
Chapman explained to the supervisors that no one should be afraid to fillout the form since it does not share the forms with any other government agencies.
"We just want an accurate count," said Chapman.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sun Herald: Coastal population still below pre-Katrina levels, according to Census data
The Sun Herald reports on latest Census population figures...
Census: Coast cities yet to recover
By Michael Newsome
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows Gulfport, Long Beach and Waveland had the most population growth in 2008, but most South Mississippi cities are still below pre-Hurricane Katrina populations.
The data released today shows only cities in Pearl River, Stone and George Counties are above their pre-storm totals, though Coast cities are making steady gains. Gulfport — South Mississippi’s largest city — gained 1,074 people in 2008, the data shows. The city is still 3,205 below its pre-Katrina population of 73,260. Waveland gained 454 people in 2008, bringing its population to an estimated 5,249, still far below the pre-Katrina population of 8,346. In Long Beach, 753 residents were gained in 2008, the Census reports.
Long Beach Mayor Billy Skellie believes many families, taking advantage of good schools there, have rebuilt their homes and he notes several apartment complexes opened, which likely contributed to the growth.
“It is still a really desirable place to educate your children and also to live,” Skellie said.
Like data on counties released recently, the latest Census numbers on cities show growth in Stone, George and Pearl River counties, which don’t have the post-Katrina housing and insurance troubles the Coast has after Katrina. Poplarville, Wiggins, Picayune and Lucedale are still above pre-Katrina totals. Of those cities, only Poplarville lost residents in 2008, having gone down only 27.
The Census shows some Coast cities had losses in 2008. Biloxi was down 617 from 2007, the most of any South Mississippi city, Moss Point lost 259 and Ocean Springs lost 109. Bay St. Louis was down 71 residents.
But Skellie also doubts his city, as well as some others, are as far below pre-Katrina totals as the Census reports. All Coast cities area still below their 2005 totals. The numbers show Long Beach had a pre-Katrina population of 17,469, but only had 12,234 in 2008, as well as Biloxi being down from 50,562 before the storm to 45,670 in 2008. But Gautier and D’Iberville are only down from before Katrina about 330 apiece. Ocean Springs is only down 406 from before the storm.
Housing officials have said that many new apartment complexes were built after the storm, but landlords are having to pay high insurance costs, and as a result, rents are higher than many can afford and a large number of units remain vacant.
Besides doubts from elected officials, immigrants rights groups have often said they don’t believe Census numbers. For example, recent Census numbers, which included data on ethnicity, showed the six southernmost counties’ Hispanic population is 15,420, a figure doubted by the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance. MIRA believes the number is closer to 30,000 and might have been near 80,000 just after the storm. The Census numbers only show South Mississippi’s Hispanic population as 2,103 more than it was before Hurricane Katrina. The group believes many Hispanics avoid Census workers.
“Even the people who speak English and are born in the U.S. have always been resistant to the Census because of the fear factor, because of the stigma and because it is The Man coming to the door,” Victoria Cintra, MIRA organizing coordinator told the Sun Herald recently. “Especially communities of color and immigrant communities are the ones that get left out. I don’t believe in the numbers at this point.”
Census: Coast cities yet to recover
By Michael Newsome
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows Gulfport, Long Beach and Waveland had the most population growth in 2008, but most South Mississippi cities are still below pre-Hurricane Katrina populations.
The data released today shows only cities in Pearl River, Stone and George Counties are above their pre-storm totals, though Coast cities are making steady gains. Gulfport — South Mississippi’s largest city — gained 1,074 people in 2008, the data shows. The city is still 3,205 below its pre-Katrina population of 73,260. Waveland gained 454 people in 2008, bringing its population to an estimated 5,249, still far below the pre-Katrina population of 8,346. In Long Beach, 753 residents were gained in 2008, the Census reports.
Long Beach Mayor Billy Skellie believes many families, taking advantage of good schools there, have rebuilt their homes and he notes several apartment complexes opened, which likely contributed to the growth.
“It is still a really desirable place to educate your children and also to live,” Skellie said.
Like data on counties released recently, the latest Census numbers on cities show growth in Stone, George and Pearl River counties, which don’t have the post-Katrina housing and insurance troubles the Coast has after Katrina. Poplarville, Wiggins, Picayune and Lucedale are still above pre-Katrina totals. Of those cities, only Poplarville lost residents in 2008, having gone down only 27.
The Census shows some Coast cities had losses in 2008. Biloxi was down 617 from 2007, the most of any South Mississippi city, Moss Point lost 259 and Ocean Springs lost 109. Bay St. Louis was down 71 residents.
But Skellie also doubts his city, as well as some others, are as far below pre-Katrina totals as the Census reports. All Coast cities area still below their 2005 totals. The numbers show Long Beach had a pre-Katrina population of 17,469, but only had 12,234 in 2008, as well as Biloxi being down from 50,562 before the storm to 45,670 in 2008. But Gautier and D’Iberville are only down from before Katrina about 330 apiece. Ocean Springs is only down 406 from before the storm.
Housing officials have said that many new apartment complexes were built after the storm, but landlords are having to pay high insurance costs, and as a result, rents are higher than many can afford and a large number of units remain vacant.
Besides doubts from elected officials, immigrants rights groups have often said they don’t believe Census numbers. For example, recent Census numbers, which included data on ethnicity, showed the six southernmost counties’ Hispanic population is 15,420, a figure doubted by the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance. MIRA believes the number is closer to 30,000 and might have been near 80,000 just after the storm. The Census numbers only show South Mississippi’s Hispanic population as 2,103 more than it was before Hurricane Katrina. The group believes many Hispanics avoid Census workers.
“Even the people who speak English and are born in the U.S. have always been resistant to the Census because of the fear factor, because of the stigma and because it is The Man coming to the door,” Victoria Cintra, MIRA organizing coordinator told the Sun Herald recently. “Especially communities of color and immigrant communities are the ones that get left out. I don’t believe in the numbers at this point.”
Daily Journal reports on latest Census estimates
From the Daily Journal in Tupelo...
Encouraging U.S. Census estimates of city populations in Northeast Mississippi, released this week, stress the importance of growth by both immigration and by prudent annexation.
All of the major Northeast Mississippi urban centers showed some growth, led by Oxford, whose population is up 42 percent since the official 2000 Census. Oxford completed a successful annexation that was preceded by extension of city services into unincorporated areas.
Tupelo’s growth has not been spectacular since the last estimate in 2007, but the 0.6 percent increase brought the population to 36,233, seventh largest statewide and largest in the region. The estimate shows Tupelo has grown by 5.8 percent since 2000.
Tupelo’s total, however, could rise significantly – by about 2,800 people – if the city is able to complete a long-sought and long-delayed annexation.
Tupelo needs land for further growth, primarily residential, and the necessary legal moves have been made but have been opposed formally by Lee County’s Board of Supervisors and the city of Saltillo, which would like to annex area of its own.
The Board of Supervisors inexplicably has not opposed other Lee County municipalities’ plans for annexation.
Tupelo obviously should recheck all its facts, as needed, and continue seeking the land it has identified needing.
Elsewhere, the two largest cities in fast-growing DeSoto County, part of metropolitan Memphis, continue fast-paced growth. Southaven's population is estimated at 44,076, fifth statewide, and Olive Branch at 31,830, ninth statewide. DeSoto has two of the 10 largest cities, as does Harrison County, with Gulfport, second, and Biloxi, forth.
Lee County’s municipalities besides Tupelo all are growing, with Saltillo and Shannon leading at 6.1 percent each since 2000. Lee County’s county-wide population has grown faster than its municipalities – more than 8 percent since 2000 to more than 81,000 residents. Lee is second in northern Mississippi to DeSoto County, which has an estimated 154,000, a whopping 44 percent increase since 2000.
West Point, which has endured severe employment losses, lost population since the 2007 estimate.
Statewide, Mississippi has grown at 3 percent since the 2000 Census, less than half the 8 percent nationwide growth.
An accurate count next year is paramount because, besides apportionment issues, the Census determines many formula-driven entitlements and other programs. Population count involves points of pride, but the stakes are more tangible for every governmental subdivision, especially counties and municipalities.
Preparations will intensify with the calendar, and every Northeast Mississippian should prepare to be counted in many different ways. The Census doesn’t determine our happiness, but it paints an important national portrait of our diversity with facts about how we live.
Encouraging U.S. Census estimates of city populations in Northeast Mississippi, released this week, stress the importance of growth by both immigration and by prudent annexation.
All of the major Northeast Mississippi urban centers showed some growth, led by Oxford, whose population is up 42 percent since the official 2000 Census. Oxford completed a successful annexation that was preceded by extension of city services into unincorporated areas.
Tupelo’s growth has not been spectacular since the last estimate in 2007, but the 0.6 percent increase brought the population to 36,233, seventh largest statewide and largest in the region. The estimate shows Tupelo has grown by 5.8 percent since 2000.
Tupelo’s total, however, could rise significantly – by about 2,800 people – if the city is able to complete a long-sought and long-delayed annexation.
Tupelo needs land for further growth, primarily residential, and the necessary legal moves have been made but have been opposed formally by Lee County’s Board of Supervisors and the city of Saltillo, which would like to annex area of its own.
The Board of Supervisors inexplicably has not opposed other Lee County municipalities’ plans for annexation.
Tupelo obviously should recheck all its facts, as needed, and continue seeking the land it has identified needing.
Elsewhere, the two largest cities in fast-growing DeSoto County, part of metropolitan Memphis, continue fast-paced growth. Southaven's population is estimated at 44,076, fifth statewide, and Olive Branch at 31,830, ninth statewide. DeSoto has two of the 10 largest cities, as does Harrison County, with Gulfport, second, and Biloxi, forth.
Lee County’s municipalities besides Tupelo all are growing, with Saltillo and Shannon leading at 6.1 percent each since 2000. Lee County’s county-wide population has grown faster than its municipalities – more than 8 percent since 2000 to more than 81,000 residents. Lee is second in northern Mississippi to DeSoto County, which has an estimated 154,000, a whopping 44 percent increase since 2000.
West Point, which has endured severe employment losses, lost population since the 2007 estimate.
Statewide, Mississippi has grown at 3 percent since the 2000 Census, less than half the 8 percent nationwide growth.
An accurate count next year is paramount because, besides apportionment issues, the Census determines many formula-driven entitlements and other programs. Population count involves points of pride, but the stakes are more tangible for every governmental subdivision, especially counties and municipalities.
Preparations will intensify with the calendar, and every Northeast Mississippian should prepare to be counted in many different ways. The Census doesn’t determine our happiness, but it paints an important national portrait of our diversity with facts about how we live.
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