11-05-2009, 11:15 PM
Catching up on the papers tonight and read this article. Waukegan is mentioned, but not the proposed boycott.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-census-zones-04nov04,0,5031678.story">http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 1678.story</a><!-- m -->
chicagotribune.com
Hispanics urged to make census count
Cities plan outreach to allay fears of government probing that could limit federal dollars
By Robert Channick
Special to the Tribune
November 4, 2009
Census Day is still five months away, but communities throughout the Chicago area, hoping for a larger share of federal dollars tied to the decennial population survey, are scrambling to get minorities, low-income residents and other traditionally reluctant groups to stand up and be counted.
From Joliet to Waukegan, efforts are under way to increase awareness of the census and allay fears that may be associated with government contact. People will be urged to cooperate from the pulpit, from the schools their children attend, from barbershops and even from knocks on their doors. "Any community that has a large percentage of minorities has been undercounted," said Susana Figueroa, community liaison for Waukegan, which is 45 percent Hispanic. "It will be devastating if we don't get a full count of the population."
Taken every decade since George Washington was president, the Census Bureau projects 310 million in the U.S. in 2010. Some people may be a lot harder to find than others -- something the Census Bureau learned 10 years ago when about a third of all who received a questionnaire neglected to return it.
The problem is especially acute among Hispanics, many of whom may be wary because they are undocumented . By law, the Census Bureau cannot share information with anyone, including other federal agencies. Census takers are sworn for life to protect the data under threat of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in prison.
"It's very obvious they may have fears about participating in the census just because of their legal status, thinking that Immigration (and Customs Enforcement) may have their personal information and they may be deported," Figueroa said.
Getting a complete population count means a lot more than bragging rights on a highway sign. The census helps determine how more than $400 billion in federal assistance is distributed annually to state and local governments -- affecting everything from road construction to the Head Start preschool program.
According to a recent report by the Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank, every person in the U.S. translates into about $1,400 in annual program expenditures.
"An accurate count brings financial support for services in the community," said Susan Olafson, an Elgin spokeswoman. "A lot of times people don't understand the overarching impact that this kind of an endeavor could have on a local community."
Touted as one of the shortest forms in history, the latest 10-question survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and will arrive in homes before April 1, official census day. Starting in May, census takers will go door to door to find people who have not responded.
Because the idea of somebody knocking can be frightening, one strategy to boost response paints filling out the form as the lesser of two evils.
"We want to make sure everyone is counted prior to an enumerator coming out," said Monica Vasquez, assistant executive director of the Spanish Community Center in Joliet. "They need to understand that if they don't return the questionnaire, someone will knock at the door."
Steve Laue, information services specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau's Chicago regional office, said it's all to try and ensure a complete count.
"No one would say the final count is a 100 percent, absolutely correct count, but it's our best effort," he said.
Overcoming suspicions is a tough task, all concede, and delivering the message about privacy and the government's motives can be very important. That's why pastors and barbers, and even celebrities using text messages, are helping.
"Those are organizations that people do trust, and they believe in," Figueroa said. "If their awareness comes through them, I'm sure that we're going to have a positive count of our residents."
The census has encouraged communities to form complete count committees -- authorized local partners who raise awareness and promote participation. To bolster that effort, a philanthropic coalition that includes Boeing Co., the Chicago Community Trust and the Joyce Foundation developed an initiative called "Count Me In," which awarded $1.2 million in grants to local groups focusing on hard-to-count communities.
In Joliet, which grew from 76,836 in 1990 to 106,221 in 2000, Hispanics surpassed blacks as the largest minority group at 18.4 percent. The Spanish Community Center in Joliet is using a $25,000 grant for an outreach campaign. Last week, fliers were given to food pantry clients -- the first step to encourage Hispanics to return their census forms.
"In hard economic times, everybody needs as much revenue support as possible," said Andrew Mihelich, the center's executive director. "Having a more accurate figure will benefit the Latino community in the long run."
The second-largest city in the state, Aurora grew from 99,581 in 1990 to 142,990 in 2000, with Hispanics making up nearly one-third of the population. Officials expect the 2010 survey to show upward of 180,000 residents, but only with a full count among its burgeoning Hispanic population.
"Being undercounted, in this economy, it just can't be done," said Sally Rutledge-Ott, vice president of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, liaison for the complete count committee.
Volunteers will comb neighborhoods expected to have a low response rate and hand out information. But with so much at stake, they don't intend to neglect the rest of the city.
"The other side of it is, we need John and Sue Smith to be counted as well," Rutledge-Ott said. "The complete count can't just be focused on the areas that weren't counted before, because then there's going to be another entire area that's going to fall off the charts."
More than a third of Waukegan's 87,901 residents didn't respond in the 2000 census, and officials fear a repeat would cost the city desperately needed revenue. They are mailing out 24,000 bilingual fliers with water bills in the next three months and using an automated telephone campaign in the days before the census is mailed.
With Hispanics comprising more than 40 percent of Carpentersville's 30,586 residents in the 2000 census, the village created a schism several years ago with measures aimed at rooting out and deporting those here illegally. But this fall, with housing vacancies increasing and its population stabilized at about 34,000, officials are working to find every Hispanic resident -- regardless of Immigration status -- to maximize the totals.
"In November, we'll really start putting fliers up, getting in touch with the clergy, focusing in on neighborhood leaders, to help us get the word out," said Cindy McCammack, Carpentersville's director of community development.
More than a third of Elgin's 94,487 residents are Hispanic, according to the 2000 census, but officials think that reflects severe undercounting. That total shortchanged the city by $120 in annual per-capita state tax revenue and much more in lost federal allocations, officials say.
In Elgin-based School District U-46, the number of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches increased from 17,721 in 2008 to 21,000 this year, while federal funding has not kept pace, officials said.
"I believe that School District U-46 has lost millions of dollars because the total population in Elgin has not been accurately counted," U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres said.
The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin is employing a $20,000 grant from "Count Me In" to increase participation. Kicking off its campaign last month, officials unfurled what they think to be the world's largest census form.
"When they get it in the mail, at least they'll know what it looks like," said Denise Raleigh, the library's marketing director.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-census-zones-04nov04,0,5031678.story">http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 1678.story</a><!-- m -->
chicagotribune.com
Hispanics urged to make census count
Cities plan outreach to allay fears of government probing that could limit federal dollars
By Robert Channick
Special to the Tribune
November 4, 2009
Census Day is still five months away, but communities throughout the Chicago area, hoping for a larger share of federal dollars tied to the decennial population survey, are scrambling to get minorities, low-income residents and other traditionally reluctant groups to stand up and be counted.
From Joliet to Waukegan, efforts are under way to increase awareness of the census and allay fears that may be associated with government contact. People will be urged to cooperate from the pulpit, from the schools their children attend, from barbershops and even from knocks on their doors. "Any community that has a large percentage of minorities has been undercounted," said Susana Figueroa, community liaison for Waukegan, which is 45 percent Hispanic. "It will be devastating if we don't get a full count of the population."
Taken every decade since George Washington was president, the Census Bureau projects 310 million in the U.S. in 2010. Some people may be a lot harder to find than others -- something the Census Bureau learned 10 years ago when about a third of all who received a questionnaire neglected to return it.
The problem is especially acute among Hispanics, many of whom may be wary because they are undocumented . By law, the Census Bureau cannot share information with anyone, including other federal agencies. Census takers are sworn for life to protect the data under threat of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in prison.
"It's very obvious they may have fears about participating in the census just because of their legal status, thinking that Immigration (and Customs Enforcement) may have their personal information and they may be deported," Figueroa said.
Getting a complete population count means a lot more than bragging rights on a highway sign. The census helps determine how more than $400 billion in federal assistance is distributed annually to state and local governments -- affecting everything from road construction to the Head Start preschool program.
According to a recent report by the Brookings Institution, a public policy think tank, every person in the U.S. translates into about $1,400 in annual program expenditures.
"An accurate count brings financial support for services in the community," said Susan Olafson, an Elgin spokeswoman. "A lot of times people don't understand the overarching impact that this kind of an endeavor could have on a local community."
Touted as one of the shortest forms in history, the latest 10-question survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and will arrive in homes before April 1, official census day. Starting in May, census takers will go door to door to find people who have not responded.
Because the idea of somebody knocking can be frightening, one strategy to boost response paints filling out the form as the lesser of two evils.
"We want to make sure everyone is counted prior to an enumerator coming out," said Monica Vasquez, assistant executive director of the Spanish Community Center in Joliet. "They need to understand that if they don't return the questionnaire, someone will knock at the door."
Steve Laue, information services specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau's Chicago regional office, said it's all to try and ensure a complete count.
"No one would say the final count is a 100 percent, absolutely correct count, but it's our best effort," he said.
Overcoming suspicions is a tough task, all concede, and delivering the message about privacy and the government's motives can be very important. That's why pastors and barbers, and even celebrities using text messages, are helping.
"Those are organizations that people do trust, and they believe in," Figueroa said. "If their awareness comes through them, I'm sure that we're going to have a positive count of our residents."
The census has encouraged communities to form complete count committees -- authorized local partners who raise awareness and promote participation. To bolster that effort, a philanthropic coalition that includes Boeing Co., the Chicago Community Trust and the Joyce Foundation developed an initiative called "Count Me In," which awarded $1.2 million in grants to local groups focusing on hard-to-count communities.
In Joliet, which grew from 76,836 in 1990 to 106,221 in 2000, Hispanics surpassed blacks as the largest minority group at 18.4 percent. The Spanish Community Center in Joliet is using a $25,000 grant for an outreach campaign. Last week, fliers were given to food pantry clients -- the first step to encourage Hispanics to return their census forms.
"In hard economic times, everybody needs as much revenue support as possible," said Andrew Mihelich, the center's executive director. "Having a more accurate figure will benefit the Latino community in the long run."
The second-largest city in the state, Aurora grew from 99,581 in 1990 to 142,990 in 2000, with Hispanics making up nearly one-third of the population. Officials expect the 2010 survey to show upward of 180,000 residents, but only with a full count among its burgeoning Hispanic population.
"Being undercounted, in this economy, it just can't be done," said Sally Rutledge-Ott, vice president of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce, liaison for the complete count committee.
Volunteers will comb neighborhoods expected to have a low response rate and hand out information. But with so much at stake, they don't intend to neglect the rest of the city.
"The other side of it is, we need John and Sue Smith to be counted as well," Rutledge-Ott said. "The complete count can't just be focused on the areas that weren't counted before, because then there's going to be another entire area that's going to fall off the charts."
More than a third of Waukegan's 87,901 residents didn't respond in the 2000 census, and officials fear a repeat would cost the city desperately needed revenue. They are mailing out 24,000 bilingual fliers with water bills in the next three months and using an automated telephone campaign in the days before the census is mailed.
With Hispanics comprising more than 40 percent of Carpentersville's 30,586 residents in the 2000 census, the village created a schism several years ago with measures aimed at rooting out and deporting those here illegally. But this fall, with housing vacancies increasing and its population stabilized at about 34,000, officials are working to find every Hispanic resident -- regardless of Immigration status -- to maximize the totals.
"In November, we'll really start putting fliers up, getting in touch with the clergy, focusing in on neighborhood leaders, to help us get the word out," said Cindy McCammack, Carpentersville's director of community development.
More than a third of Elgin's 94,487 residents are Hispanic, according to the 2000 census, but officials think that reflects severe undercounting. That total shortchanged the city by $120 in annual per-capita state tax revenue and much more in lost federal allocations, officials say.
In Elgin-based School District U-46, the number of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches increased from 17,721 in 2008 to 21,000 this year, while federal funding has not kept pace, officials said.
"I believe that School District U-46 has lost millions of dollars because the total population in Elgin has not been accurately counted," U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres said.
The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin is employing a $20,000 grant from "Count Me In" to increase participation. Kicking off its campaign last month, officials unfurled what they think to be the world's largest census form.
"When they get it in the mail, at least they'll know what it looks like," said Denise Raleigh, the library's marketing director.
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune