Census needs a better response from the Coast
Participation in the 2010 Census is far from admirable along the Coast.
Friday is the deadline for mailing in the Census forms sent out last month. Even though the Census is mandated by the Constitution and compliance is required by federal law, the percentage of Coast residents responding is disheartening.
Based on the number of forms mailed out, by midweek 67 percent of all American households and 61 percent of all Mississippi households had sent in their Census forms. But along the Coast, the response rate was as low as:
Story: Census responses along the Coast
47 percent in Bay St. Louis.
46 percent in Pass Christian.
45 percent in Waveland.
The response rate on the Coast was best, but still shy of praiseworthy, in:
Ocean Springs, 66 percent.
Long Beach and Gautier, 64 percent each.
Moss Point, 63 percent.
If the form is not mailed in, a Census worker will have to be dispatched to the address to verify the number of residents, adding unnecessary cost to the Census process. So please, if you haven’t responded, do so by Friday. The tax dollars you save could be your own.
Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/04/14/2099722/census-needs-a-better-response.html#ixzz0lBbXrpd6
Showing posts with label Mississippi Gulf Coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mississippi Gulf Coast. Show all posts
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
More coastal info on Census jobs
From the Sun Herald...
Need a job? The U.S. Census Bureau might be able to help.
Census officials said Monday they plan to hire 2,000 part-time and full-time workers in South Mississippi.
“For the groundwork that will need to be done, this is the number we are focusing on,” said Kat A. Smith, media specialist with the bureau’s Dallas Regional Census Center.
Potential employees need not go to the Census Bureau office, which opening today in Gulfport.
Instead, those interested in a job should call 1-866-861-2010 to start the application process.
“The only way to get into the system is to call and get scheduled for the test,” she said. “The process is simple. Call the number and get on the list and take the test when scheduled.”
Testing will be arranged as lists of people to be tested are compiled, she said.
The Census Bureau plans to hire 1.4 million nationwide. “This region will seek to hire 111,000 individuals at peak,” Smith said. The Dallas region covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
South Mississippi census takers, called enumerators, will earn the highest pay in the state, $14.50 an hour.
Enumerators in Southhaven, Tupelo and Meridian will start at $10.50 per hour and in Jackson pay starts at $12.25 per hour, according to the Census Bureau’s Web site, www.2010census.gov.
Rates vary across the nation and many factors are considered in determining the base pay, Smith said.
Workers in nearby New Orleans will start at $17.50 per hour, according to the Web site.
The majority of workers will be hired to hand-deliver Census questionnaires to ensure an accurate 2010 count so the $400 billion in federal money available will be fairly distributed.
A sample test is available on the Web site, Smith said.
The Gulfport office at 14055 Seaway Blvd. will handle payroll and operations for all employees in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, George, Stone and Pearl River counties, Smith said. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Need a job? The U.S. Census Bureau might be able to help.
Census officials said Monday they plan to hire 2,000 part-time and full-time workers in South Mississippi.
“For the groundwork that will need to be done, this is the number we are focusing on,” said Kat A. Smith, media specialist with the bureau’s Dallas Regional Census Center.
Potential employees need not go to the Census Bureau office, which opening today in Gulfport.
Instead, those interested in a job should call 1-866-861-2010 to start the application process.
“The only way to get into the system is to call and get scheduled for the test,” she said. “The process is simple. Call the number and get on the list and take the test when scheduled.”
Testing will be arranged as lists of people to be tested are compiled, she said.
The Census Bureau plans to hire 1.4 million nationwide. “This region will seek to hire 111,000 individuals at peak,” Smith said. The Dallas region covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
South Mississippi census takers, called enumerators, will earn the highest pay in the state, $14.50 an hour.
Enumerators in Southhaven, Tupelo and Meridian will start at $10.50 per hour and in Jackson pay starts at $12.25 per hour, according to the Census Bureau’s Web site, www.2010census.gov.
Rates vary across the nation and many factors are considered in determining the base pay, Smith said.
Workers in nearby New Orleans will start at $17.50 per hour, according to the Web site.
The majority of workers will be hired to hand-deliver Census questionnaires to ensure an accurate 2010 count so the $400 billion in federal money available will be fairly distributed.
A sample test is available on the Web site, Smith said.
The Gulfport office at 14055 Seaway Blvd. will handle payroll and operations for all employees in Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, George, Stone and Pearl River counties, Smith said. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Census 2010 topic of discussion in coastal areas
WLOX had two stories regarding the upcoming 2010 Census... Moss Point volunteers urge residents to be counted through their local Complete Count Committee...
Starting pay for Census takers in coastal areas highest in the state!
Starting pay for Census takers in coastal areas highest in the state!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Census to put special care into count for coastal region
From the Clarion Ledger:
GULFPORT — The U.S. Census Bureau will hand deliver questionnaires to residents in areas of Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The Census Bureau isn't pinpointing the communities, streets or blocks where the deliveries will be made.
Questionnaires go out in late March and should be delivered nationwide by April 1, known as Census Day.
Kat Smith, spokesman at the Dallas Regional Census Center, says residents who use post office boxes for their mail will be notified where they can pick up their questionnaires.
Jackson County Supervisor Melton Harris, whose supervisor's district includes parts of Pascagoula and Moss Point, said there also are concerns the region could lose federal funding.
"The effort is a good one, to make sure everyone gets counted," he said. "There should be a full-scale effort to do a real good count this time. We lost a Congressional seat because of the count in 2000."
Census rules require that people be counted in their homes on Census Day. Congress has not changed the law to reflect situations such as people affected by Katrina who live elsewhere while rebuilding.
Harris said there are a number of people who claim residency in one city but are living temporarily in another city because of the shortage of available affordable housing.
Census workers are expected to also hand-deliver about 300,000 questionnaires to homes in Louisiana affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and parts of Galveston Island, Texas, hit by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
GULFPORT — The U.S. Census Bureau will hand deliver questionnaires to residents in areas of Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
The Census Bureau isn't pinpointing the communities, streets or blocks where the deliveries will be made.
Questionnaires go out in late March and should be delivered nationwide by April 1, known as Census Day.
Kat Smith, spokesman at the Dallas Regional Census Center, says residents who use post office boxes for their mail will be notified where they can pick up their questionnaires.
Jackson County Supervisor Melton Harris, whose supervisor's district includes parts of Pascagoula and Moss Point, said there also are concerns the region could lose federal funding.
"The effort is a good one, to make sure everyone gets counted," he said. "There should be a full-scale effort to do a real good count this time. We lost a Congressional seat because of the count in 2000."
Census rules require that people be counted in their homes on Census Day. Congress has not changed the law to reflect situations such as people affected by Katrina who live elsewhere while rebuilding.
Harris said there are a number of people who claim residency in one city but are living temporarily in another city because of the shortage of available affordable housing.
Census workers are expected to also hand-deliver about 300,000 questionnaires to homes in Louisiana affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and parts of Galveston Island, Texas, hit by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Katrina hits Gulf Coast Census
Four years after Katrina and population counts are still a worry for coastal leaders. Read the Clarion Ledger's take on the issue.
Katrina hits Gulf Coast census
Population loss puts dollars, political clout in jeopardy
Gulf Coast cities hit hard by Hurricane Katrina four years ago stand to lose future federal funding, and possibly some political representation, as mostly lower-income residents stay away from the area, analysts say.
Harrison and Hancock counties in particular could lose federal grants for everything from education to health care to housing if the 2010 census count shows numbers significantly below pre-Katrina levels, said Judith Phillips, a research analyst for the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
Census data taken since the Aug. 29, 2005, storm shows people are returning to the Coast. But population levels are not what they were before the hurricane leveled the area.
Hancock County has lost 6,700 people, Phillips said. Harrison County's population has declined by 17,000, census figures show.
"People who have not returned are low income," she said. "That is going to end up negatively impacting the formula that affects (Housing and Urban Development) and housing money."
Local officials are looking for ways to make sure as many residents as possible are counted, a task that may be challenging because lower-income residents are less likely to respond to surveys.
In Gulfport, officials are turning to the social networking site Facebook to help coordinate census efforts. Meetings are planned in Biloxi and Waveland to decide the best strategy for an accurate count.
Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo said his city's door-to-door survey shows the area has changed significantly in population and demographics since Katrina.
"It's very important to us that we get a good, accurate count," he said last week.
Enrollment at Biloxi public schools is still 20 percent off its pre-Katrina level of 6,100, officials said.
Civil rights groups are urging census officials not to overlook displaced hurricane victims when they conduct their 2010 count on the Coast.
The groups, including national organizations and some from the Gulf Coast, want Congress to hold a field hearing on the Coast to examine hurdles to an accurate count.
They also want census officials to appoint someone to coordinate the count and to conduct a special census in 2011 or 2012.
An undercount would be "one more devastating blow" to the Gulf Coast, according to Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
The Census Bureau conducts a major count every 10 years of people living in the United States, in addition to other, smaller counts. Census data is used for everything from distributing nearly $400 billion in federal funding to determining the number of congressional seats allocated to each state.
"The stakes for this census are extremely high, especially along the Gulf Coast," Henderson said.
Bay St. Louis business owner Dwight Isaacs said he fears of another monster storm and the high cost of insurance keeps people from returning to the Coast.
"They're scared, and that's understandable," he said, adding his post-Katrina mortgage payment has doubled because of insurance costs.
"It's just really hard to live and work here. Everything's so expensive," said Isaacs, who is closing his gift shop in the city's Old Town.
Businesses now face insurance costs of "anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 a year," he said.
Phillips said the Coast's rising unemployment rate could offset the decline in population and result in a less severe funding loss.
But lower population levels also could cause the Coast to lose "a seat or two" in the state Legislature, said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute.
He suggested the area count as many residents as possible.
But Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, said he opposes counting illegal immigrants.
"If someone breaks the law and has entered our country illegally, they should not be counted," he said.
But Wiseman said, "It would be wise, if the Coast wants to keep its legislative seats, to count everybody. (Hispanic residents) may be the very thing that saves the Coast."
Katrina hits Gulf Coast census
Population loss puts dollars, political clout in jeopardy
Gulf Coast cities hit hard by Hurricane Katrina four years ago stand to lose future federal funding, and possibly some political representation, as mostly lower-income residents stay away from the area, analysts say.
Harrison and Hancock counties in particular could lose federal grants for everything from education to health care to housing if the 2010 census count shows numbers significantly below pre-Katrina levels, said Judith Phillips, a research analyst for the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.
Census data taken since the Aug. 29, 2005, storm shows people are returning to the Coast. But population levels are not what they were before the hurricane leveled the area.
Hancock County has lost 6,700 people, Phillips said. Harrison County's population has declined by 17,000, census figures show.
"People who have not returned are low income," she said. "That is going to end up negatively impacting the formula that affects (Housing and Urban Development) and housing money."
Local officials are looking for ways to make sure as many residents as possible are counted, a task that may be challenging because lower-income residents are less likely to respond to surveys.
In Gulfport, officials are turning to the social networking site Facebook to help coordinate census efforts. Meetings are planned in Biloxi and Waveland to decide the best strategy for an accurate count.
Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo said his city's door-to-door survey shows the area has changed significantly in population and demographics since Katrina.
"It's very important to us that we get a good, accurate count," he said last week.
Enrollment at Biloxi public schools is still 20 percent off its pre-Katrina level of 6,100, officials said.
Civil rights groups are urging census officials not to overlook displaced hurricane victims when they conduct their 2010 count on the Coast.
The groups, including national organizations and some from the Gulf Coast, want Congress to hold a field hearing on the Coast to examine hurdles to an accurate count.
They also want census officials to appoint someone to coordinate the count and to conduct a special census in 2011 or 2012.
An undercount would be "one more devastating blow" to the Gulf Coast, according to Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
The Census Bureau conducts a major count every 10 years of people living in the United States, in addition to other, smaller counts. Census data is used for everything from distributing nearly $400 billion in federal funding to determining the number of congressional seats allocated to each state.
"The stakes for this census are extremely high, especially along the Gulf Coast," Henderson said.
Bay St. Louis business owner Dwight Isaacs said he fears of another monster storm and the high cost of insurance keeps people from returning to the Coast.
"They're scared, and that's understandable," he said, adding his post-Katrina mortgage payment has doubled because of insurance costs.
"It's just really hard to live and work here. Everything's so expensive," said Isaacs, who is closing his gift shop in the city's Old Town.
Businesses now face insurance costs of "anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 a year," he said.
Phillips said the Coast's rising unemployment rate could offset the decline in population and result in a less severe funding loss.
But lower population levels also could cause the Coast to lose "a seat or two" in the state Legislature, said Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute.
He suggested the area count as many residents as possible.
But Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Tupelo, said he opposes counting illegal immigrants.
"If someone breaks the law and has entered our country illegally, they should not be counted," he said.
But Wiseman said, "It would be wise, if the Coast wants to keep its legislative seats, to count everybody. (Hispanic residents) may be the very thing that saves the Coast."
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.”
Monday, March 23, 2009
Latest Census estimates show positive growth for Mississippi's Gulf Coast
According to the latest estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau, all six of Mississippi's Gulf Coastal counties gained residents from July 1, 2007 through July 1, 2008. In short:
• George County saw an increase of 470, which represents a 2.14% increase with a total of 22,406 residents. Within MS, George County had the 5th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Hancock County saw an increase of 399, which represents an increase of 1.0% percent with a total of 40,140 residents. Within MS, Hancock County had the 19th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Harrison County saw an increase of 2,094, which represents a 1.187% increase with a total of 178,460 residents. Within MS, Harrison County had the 10th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Jackson County saw an increase of 493, which represents a 0.37% increase with a total of 130,694 residents. Within MS, Jackson County had the 38th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Pearl River County saw an increase of 459, which represents a 0.8% increase with a total of 57,466 residents. Within MS, Pearl River County had the 23rd highest percentage change in population.
• Stone County saw an increase of 476, which represents a 3.06% increase with a total population of 16,025. Within MS, Stone County had the 3rd highest percentage change in population growth.
Statewide, Mississippi experienced slight growth of about 0.6%, up to 2.93 million residents.
• George County saw an increase of 470, which represents a 2.14% increase with a total of 22,406 residents. Within MS, George County had the 5th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Hancock County saw an increase of 399, which represents an increase of 1.0% percent with a total of 40,140 residents. Within MS, Hancock County had the 19th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Harrison County saw an increase of 2,094, which represents a 1.187% increase with a total of 178,460 residents. Within MS, Harrison County had the 10th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Jackson County saw an increase of 493, which represents a 0.37% increase with a total of 130,694 residents. Within MS, Jackson County had the 38th highest percentage change in population growth.
• Pearl River County saw an increase of 459, which represents a 0.8% increase with a total of 57,466 residents. Within MS, Pearl River County had the 23rd highest percentage change in population.
• Stone County saw an increase of 476, which represents a 3.06% increase with a total population of 16,025. Within MS, Stone County had the 3rd highest percentage change in population growth.
Statewide, Mississippi experienced slight growth of about 0.6%, up to 2.93 million residents.
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