COLUMBUS -- "State officials now say next year's census will create 24,000 temporary jobs in Ohio, far more than the 5,000 openings the Census Bureau announced earlier.
Ohio Treasurer Kevin Boyce says in a statement that Ohioans who need jobs will be given an opportunity to work and also provide an important service for their communities.... The 2010 census will help determine how federal funding and congressional seats are distributed," Associated Press. Information on the Census: You Can Count on Me Ohio Census jobs in Ohio
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio officials are reaching out to seniors and others to make sure the state gets an accurate population count when the U.S. Census is updated next year.
Millions of federal dollars are at stake.
Northern states face a challenge getting an accurate count because large numbers of retirees head to warmer spots during winter. Census forms will be mailed in February and March and will ask for a person's residence as of April 1, 2010, the official count day," Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch.
WASHINGTON DC -- "The director of the U.S. Census repeated his argument yesterday that the Patriot Act doesn't give law-enforcement officials the power to look at how people fill out their census forms.
But Census Director Robert Groves backed off an earlier statement that the U.S. Justice Department supports that position. After a speaking engagement at Ohio State University yesterday, Groves joked that his past comments had gotten him in some trouble.
Last month, he said the Justice Department was close to issuing a statement agreeing that Title 13, the law that governs the census and preserves the privacy of residents' answers, trumped the Patriot Act, which gives law enforcement latitude to review otherwise private records. Agency officials are concerned that some people will shun the once-a-decade head count because they fear being targeted for scrutiny," Bill Bush, The Columbus Dispatch. Nov 17: Ohio stands to lose a congressional seat; Texas could gain three
COLUMBUS -- "Estimates are that Ohio will lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 Census.
That would force a redrawing of the Congressional lines to create 17 districts.
As late as the early 1970s, Ohio had 24 seats in Congress. The number dropped to 23 after the 1970 Census, then to 21 after the 1980 Census, 19 after the 1990 Census and 18 after the 2000 Census," Rich Exner, Cleveland Plain dealer. Nov 16: 1930 - The Story of the Census
COLUMBUS -- "An accurate U.S. census becomes more important each decade, as the nation becomes more diverse and lifestyles change. So a recent declaration by attorneys for the U.S. Commerce Department, which administers the census, and the Justice Department that census responses must remain confidential, even in the face of the Patriot Act, is a welcome antidote to an anti-census groundswell that appears to be gaining strength. Some immigrant groups long have warned undocumented foreigners in the U.S. that participating in the census could put them at risk of deportation. Separately, some right-wing groups, led by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., have urged people to boycott all census questions other than the number of people in the household, calling the survey an unacceptable intrusion into Americans' lives.
Boycotting not only would violate the law; it also deprives the nation of an accurate picture of who lives here -- information essential to setting public policy,'" The Columbus dispatch.
The Nation -- "The Constitution requires a complete population count every 10 years to redraw political boundaries and apportion states' representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Federal laws require the Census Bureau to collect data on everything from race to gender — information Uncle Sam uses to decide who gets $400 billion a year in federal aid.
'Every Census has its controversy because the stakes are so high,' says Steve Jost, Census associate communications director. 'We're up to the challenge.'
Census Director Robert Groves told a House committee Tuesday he's worried the poor economy and tensions over immigration will deter people from participating in next year's count," Haya El Nasser, USA Today. Sep 25: U.S. Census uses Telenovela to reach Hispanics
MIAMI -- "Perla Beltrán, a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks in New York, has suffered a great deal lately — her husband, a thief, has been murdered and she has been associating with lowlifes. But she thinks she has found a way out: as a recruiter for the United States Census Bureau. Ms. Beltrán, a character in the popular Spanish-language soap opera 'Más Sabe el Diablo,' 'The Devil Knows Best,' represents only one element of the government’s yearlong effort to garner trust among Hispanics, an ethnic group that has been historically wary of the decennial census process.
In addition to the typical public service announcements and advertisements, the Census Bureau is helping to compose a remarkable story line featuring the Perla Beltrán character on the telenovela, amid the genre’s usual tales of sex scandals, unspeakable illnesses and implausible villains. It may be the first plotline on a soap opera blessed by the United States government," Brian Stelter, The New York Times. Sep 11: Take 10 for the Census!
"10 minutes, 10 questions, every 10 years is the short and easy message of this new Census Video.
April 1, 2010 is Census Day. The census determines the amount of federal funding states receive for different services.
For every person not counted, Ohio could lose $12,000 over the 10-year census cycle.
Census numbers are also used by government and businesses in determining where to build schools, plan for public transit, and develop retail outlets.
Finally, census data determine the number of members each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ohio is in danger of losing up to two Congressional seats, reducing our representation from 18 to 16 so it's important that everyone is counted," Leontien Kennedy, Ohio Citizen Action.
WASHINGTON DC -- "In our review, we discovered that the bureau’s ability to effectively oversee decennial
progress has long been hampered by inherent weaknesses in its systems and information for
tracking schedule activities, cost, and risk management activities. The overarching problem
is that these systems and information are not integrated in a manner that allows for effective
program management measured against earned value metrics—in other words, the bureau
does not have a direct link between the schedule of specific activities, the cost of those
activities, and the work actually accomplished. This makes it difficult to forecast cost
overruns and underruns because of this inability to generate earned value measures," U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General. Jul 27: Editorial: Census and sensibility
TOLEDO -- "The collective data are used by the federal government not only to determine congressional representation but, perhaps more significantly, to distribute about $300 billion in federal and state funds for roads, health initiatives, education, and other uses. And state and local governments use data such as age and ethnicity to plan for current and future needs.
Not participating in the census would hurt the very people the coalition of clergy is trying to help. Fortunately, most Latinos in Ohio, according to the Columbus Dispatch, don't seem interested in a boycott.
As for the congressman from Minnesota, if Ms. Bachmann wants to get government out of people's private lives, perhaps she should focus her efforts on something really intrusive, such as the Patriot Act," Toledo Blade. Jul 20: Activists fear calls to boycott the census
COLUMBUS-- "'With all the cuts we've had in Ohio, this has become more important,' said Cathy Johnston, advocacy director for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.... But the boycott call [boycott the census in protest of the stalled effort to change immigration law] hasn't seemed to register much in Ohio, said Ruben Castilla Herrera, who has been conducting small-group surveys of Latinos in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati for Johnston's housing coalition and Ohio Citizen Action.
'We wanted to know what (Latinos) have heard, are they going to participate' in the census, Herrera said. 'I have not heard anyone in the Latino community that I've been with talk about' the boycott," Bill Bush, The Columbus Dispatch.
In this 3 1/2 minute video, Ruben Castilla Herrera (YouCanCountonMeOhio) and
Catherine Turcer (Ohio Citizen Action) talk about the importance of the Census.
COLUMBUS -- "OhioVOTES, a project of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund and the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network have combined resources to launch the You Can Count on Me Ohio Complete Count Committee. The consortium is dedicated to ensuring that everyone in Ohio is counted, focusing on areas in cities with the highest concentration of hard-to-count census tracts: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Traditionally, hard-to-count (HTC) census tracts have low census form mail-back rates. In Ohio this accounts for 10.8% of the total population.
In this 3 1/2 minute video, Ruben Castilla Herrera (YouCanCountonMeOhio) and
Catherine Turcer (Ohio Citizen Action) talk about the importance of the Census.
The federal government relies on the census data to allocate over $300 billion in grants to states for programs including housing, education, health, crime prevention and infrastructural necessities. Ohio needs a complete and accurate count to secure adequate resources for programs and services that people depend on," Leontien Kennedy, Ohio Citizen Action.
Jul 6: Ken Blackwell will recommend redrawn congressional districts
WASHINGTON DC -- "Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, defeated by Ted Strickland in the 2006 governor's race, will advise fellow Republicans nationwide on which congressional districts to expand, consolidate or eliminate after the 2010 census.
That's because Republican National Chairman Michael Steele today made Blackwell the co-chairman of the new Republican National Committee Redistricting Committee.... Congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years as population shifts occur. States that lose population, as measured by the decennial census, can lose congressional seats, while states that grow can gain them. Ohio is expected to be a loser, with at least one, if not two, fewer congressional districts by the time of the 2012 elections. This is an ongoing trend: In 1970, Ohio had 24 members in the U.S. House of Representatives; today it has 18," Stephen Koff, Washington Post.
What is gerrymandering? “It wasn’t fun drawing the districts and moving them through the courts, but it was all worth it when the results of the 1972 election were counted. We won the majority in the House 58-41, an increase of 13 seats for the Democrats. That’s the power of the pencil.” Vern Riffe, former Speaker of the Ohio House, Whatever’s Fair: The Political Autobiography of the Ohio House Speaker Vern Riffe. Jul 2: Republicans to Bachmann: End census boycott
"It seems even her fellow Republican members of Congress have given up trying to understand Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, much less her incoherent opposition to the U.S. Census. Bachmann has refused to fill out her census form based on her conspiracy theories about President Obama and her fears about the community development organization ACORN, and has even linked the collection of census data to the internment of Japanese civilians in the U.S. during World War II in an attempt to suggest that the same thing could happen.
But while Bachmann's views might not be too crazy for Glenn Beck, three of her Republican colleagues have clearly had enough. In a somewhat unusual step for the GOP, Wednesday, Reps. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and John Mica, R-Fla., issued a highly condemnatory statement about Bachmann's position on the census. They argue that by not filling out the form, Bachmann and those who agree with her views on the census increase the risk that the government will use the data for partisan political purposes, Vincent Rossmeier, Salon.com.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY -- "Some cities will be toasting the decennial census next year, celebrating population gains and a bright future. But it's likely there will be no champagne corks popping in Cleveland City Hall. The city is losing people at an alarming, trend-setting pace.
The U.S. Census Bureau will announce today that Cleveland lost nearly 10 percent of its population this decade, the fastest rate of decline of any major American city except New Orleans, which weathered a hurricane and is bouncing back.... Cleveland, which has only just begun to discuss a welcome center, leads a trend that is carrying the whole state toward something lesser," Robert L. Smith, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Census: Central Ohio keeps growing Lithopolis, Powell, New Albany, Columbus at top of new statistics Erin Dostal, The Columbus Dispatch.
NEW YORK, NY-- "Welcome once again to the one-step forward, two-steps backward world of the 2010 census. With little more than six months before the start of the next count, the Census Bureau still doesn’t have a director. And on Tuesday, the bureau’s budget faces a crucial vote by House appropriators who must resist the temptation to shortchange the agency yet again. The Obama administration inherited a Census Bureau that is ill prepared, after years of meddling and mismanagement, to conduct the upcoming count. In April, President Obama finally nominated Robert M. Groves, a top sociologist and survey expert, to lead the bureau, and in mid-May the Senate held Mr. Groves’s confirmation hearing. At long last — and not a moment too soon — the census seemed to be getting back on track.
More than three weeks later, Mr. Groves has yet to be confirmed. He is the latest target of an unexplained hold by one or more anonymous Republican senators. (Under recent Senate rule changes, it’s hard but not impossible to keep such a hold going for several weeks.) If it endures, it would take 60 votes to confirm Mr. Groves," The New York Times. Jun 4: Ohio Senate cuts hit Census outreach
COLUMBUS -- "On June 3, the Ohio Senate passed their version of the budget bill. This version of the budget bill eliminates funding for many different program areas including 2010 Census outreach. The Ohio Senate has proposed a 45% budget cut to the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs. This would greatly reduce the work that they are planning to do to reach Ohioans.
Ruben Castilla Herrera
rherrera2457@yahoo.co
'The office of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs is critical to our efforts in counting all Latinos, especially the hard to count Latinos in Ohio.' Ruben Castilla Herrera with Cuenten Conmigo Ohio – 2010 Census said. 'They have existing relationships with Latino based non-profit organizations in the You Can Count on Me - Cuenten Conmigo Ohio target areas. Our work with their office has already begun. We will need their full staff and resources in this effort. It is important that they be fully funded", stated Ruben Castilla Herrera.
You Can Count on Me Ohio - Cuenten Conmigo Ohio 2010 Census and the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs recently began to develop a strategy using the Commission’s existing networks, services and resources to assure that Latino/as are counted. Census information is used to determine how more than $300 billion in federal funding is distributed. This information is also used for Congressional and legislative redistricting. The challenge of undertaking a complete count is formidable. You Can Count on Me Ohio - Cuenten Conmigo Ohio 2010 Census and the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs intend to focus upon those that are the most difficult count— recent immigrants. It is especially difficult to reach immigrants due to language and cultural barriers and anxiety about providing the government information.
The Ohio House and the Ohio Senate need to reconcile their versions of the bill. The next step for budget discussion is in conference committee," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.
"Please join us on Thursday, June 4th at 2:00pm ET (11:00am PT) for an hour long discussion of Census 2010 and the role of nonprofits.
Please join us on Thursday, June 4th at 2:00pm ET (11:00am PT) for an hour long discussion of Census 2010 and the role of nonprofits. We are pleased to be joined by special guest Terri Ann Lowenthal, member of President Obama's Transition Team on the Census, former Director of the House Census Oversight Subcommittee and legislative and policy consultant," Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network.
COLUMBUS -- "Past estimates of Franklin County's Somali population have ranged from 30,000 to 80,000. But a new report says that it's more like 15,000.
Mussa Farah, president of Horn of Africa Community Center, a social-services group for Somalis, said the study also missed the students in charter schools.
Farah is working with the U.S. Census Bureau to spread the word in the community about the 2010 census and the importance of being counted," Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch. May 18: Census nominee vows no sampling, no politicization of 2010 count
WASHINGTON DC-- "President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the U.S. Census Bureau pledged Friday that he will keep politics out of the 2010 population count and will not push for sampling – a controversial method he has previously advocated.... After numerous reports that the Obama administration allegedly sought to move oversight of the Census from the Commerce Department into the White House, thus making it prone to potential politicization, Groves asserted to the panel that credibility and accuracy will be the cornerstones of the enumeration.
'If the information is believed to be slanted by partisan influence, the credibility of the statistics is destroyed,' he said. 'Once destroyed, the public trust cannot be easily restored. I am pursuing this post because I believe strongly that the country needs an objective, nonpartisan, professional Census Bureau. If confirmed, I will give my full energy toward that end,'" Fred Lucas, CNS News. Apr 30: The Census Project's hard-to-count populations in Ohio
COLUMBUS -- "The Census Project has posted a new table on its website , showing the percent of people in each State living in 'hard-to-count' areas, by race and Hispanic origin. The new Fact Sheet explains how the Census Bureau defines hard-to-count areas; the analysis is based on 2000 census data from the Census Bureau's 2010 Census Planning Database, which the agency is using to target outreach, promotion, and other resources in communities that are at greater risk of an undercount," Terri Ann Lowenthal, Independent legislative and policy consultant. Apr 16: Census presentation
COLUMBUS — "Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action gave a lecture to the John Glenn Civic Leadership Council at the Ohio State University on Tuesday. Turcer provided an overview of the importance of the 2010 Census. She encouraged the students to participate in the Youth Counts Project, which is part of the city of Columbus’ Complete Count Committee. Turcer is the chair of the Youth Counts Project and the John Glenn Civic Leadership Council seeks to promote, broaden, and cultivate civic engagement and leadership among college students," Catherine Turcer, Ohio Citizen Action.
Why is the Census important?
Every 10 years, the United States takes stock of itself. This inventory, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, aims to count every person living within our borders. The difficulty of accurately accounting for more than 300 million people is high; the impact of these census results is even higher. The challenge of this undertaking is formidable.
A complete and accurate census count is critical to securing adequate resources for programs and services people count on in Ohio. The federal government relies on the census count to allocate over $380 billion in grants to states for many programs including: education, health, crime prevention and infrastructure. States use the census for allotting funds to counties and cities. To ensure these funds are distributed in our communities fairly, we need a strong and complete count. It is estimated that for every person that goes uncounted the state will lose $1,200.
Ohio is in danger of losing two Congressional seats due to changes in population. The United States Census lays the foundation for our government. In order to have a properly functioning, accountable government, we must have a solid census foundation on which to build.
The Census provides a picture of the people of the United States and will play a role in help develop policy priorities. The Census helps direct all sorts of community planning including the number of schools, police officers and hospitals that are needed.
A complete and accurate census count promotes citizen participation. For the census, everyone counts and everyone must be counted. This is a moment in history when Ohioans are excited about being an active part of our democratic processes. It is important to capture the energy of those mobilized for action in the 2008 election cycle to advance census turnout goals. This is an important step in building a civic engagement movement and capacity to engage in democratic processes.
CANTON — "While federal officials are preparing to count people for the 2010 U.S. Census, the emphasis right now is accounting for where people live.
Census Bureau staffers, armed with hand-held computers that look like calculators, are circulating through neighborhoods, verifying that the buildings they see match up with addresses on a master list.
It’s part of the preparation for census questionnaires that will be mailed next year," Malcolm Hall, Canton Repository.
COLUMBUS -- "OK, Ohioans, it will soon be time to literally stand up and be counted. Gov. Ted Strickland insists that you take part.
The 2010 Census is gearing up to once again take a head count of everyone living everywhere. And with Ohio’s population growth falling well behind most other states, Strickland knows the state cannot afford to have anyone missed.... To help ensure Ohio doesn’t fall behind more than is warranted, Strickland established the Ohio Complete Count Committee and named state Treasurer Kevin Boyce as chairman. The committee will coordinate with local governments and committees to find ways to make the count as complete as possible, especially those in inner cities and the states most rural areas, where it has been traditionally more difficult to get full counts," Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch.
COLUMBUS -- "Please join us on Wednesday, April 1st at 2:00pm EDST for an hour long discussion of Census 2010 and the role of nonprofits. We are pleased to be joined by special guest Terri Ann Lowenthal, member of President Obama's Transition Team on the Census and former Director of the House Census Oversight Subcommittee," Nonprofitvote.org
When April 1st, 2009 2:00 pm through 03:00 pm EDST
WASHINGTON DC -- "With the 2010 census fast approaching, computer glitches, operational missteps and ballooning costs could overwhelm the government's ability to conduct the once-a-decade count of the nation's population, congressional investigators said today.
Reports released by the Government Accountability Office show critical preparations for the 2010 census are behind schedule and the Census Bureau has no clear strategy for improving the count of hard-to-reach minorities.
Testifying before a House panel, GAO officials also said the agency was suffering because it lacked a permanent director and said they needed to do a better job of hiring trained staff who could manage a budget and handle information technology systems," Hope Yen, Associated Press. Jan 26: Census cost city money
CINCINNATI --"Cincinnati has lost $104 million in federal money since the 2000 census count missed thousands of residents, Mayor Mark Mallory says.... That's complicated, but Mallory says his point is simple - if Cincinnati doesn't help the U.S. Census bureau do a better count next year, the city will lose money again. He pushed that message again Saturday at the seventh-annual Neighborhood Summit, a day designed to help community leaders learn new ideas about improving their communities and help them feel empowered to do so.... A Complete Count Committee started meeting last month. Among its charges is to figure out how to reach people that might be difficult to count, including elderly people and minorities. Bernadette Watson, whose job for the local census office includes trying to convince everyone to participate, said the bureau needs more than 1,000 workers. Some of those must come, she said, from those same hard-to-count communities so people there will cooperate," Jane Prendergast, Cincinnati Enquirer. Posted on Jan 25. Jan 16: Portrait of America U.S. Census Bureau releases new video on census 2010
What is the Census? • The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years.
• The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
• The next census is in 2010.
• Your participation in the census is required by law.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
• Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
• Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year," U.S. Census Bureau.
COLUMBUS -- "Ohio officials are reaching out to seniors and others to make sure the state gets an accurate population count when the U.S. Census is updated next year.
Millions of federal dollars are at stake.
Northern states face a challenge getting an accurate count because large numbers of retirees head to warmer spots during winter. Census forms will be mailed in February and March and will ask for a person's residence as of April 1, 2010, the official count day," Catherine Candisky, The Columbus Dispatch.
undocumented foreigners in the U.S. that participating in the census could put them at risk of deportation. Separately, some right-wing groups, led by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., have urged people to boycott all census questions other than the number of people in the household, calling the survey an unacceptable intrusion into Americans' lives.
Boycotting not only would violate the law; it also deprives the nation of an accurate picture of who lives here -- information essential to setting public policy,'" The Columbus dispatch.
WASHINGTON DC -- "Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, defeated by Ted Strickland in the 2006 governor's race, will advise fellow Republicans nationwide on which congressional districts to expand, consolidate or eliminate after the 2010 census.
That's because Republican National Chairman Michael Steele today made Blackwell the co-chairman of the new Republican National Committee Redistricting Committee.... Congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years as population shifts occur. States that lose population, as measured by the decennial census, can lose congressional seats, while states that grow can gain them. Ohio is expected to be a loser, with at least one, if not two, fewer congressional districts by the time of the 2012 elections. This is an ongoing trend: In 1970, Ohio had 24 members in the U.S. House of Representatives; today it has 18," Stephen Koff, Washington Post.
A complete and accurate census count is critical to securing adequate resources for programs and services people count on in Ohio. The federal government relies on the census count to allocate over $380 billion in grants to states for many programs including: education, health, crime prevention and infrastructure. States use the census for allotting funds to counties and cities. To ensure these funds are distributed in our communities fairly, we need a strong and complete count. It is estimated that for every person that goes uncounted the state will lose $1,200. 
A complete and accurate census count promotes citizen participation. For the census, everyone counts and everyone must be counted. This is a moment in history when Ohioans are excited about being an active part of our democratic processes. It is important to capture the energy of those mobilized for action in the 2008 election cycle to advance census turnout goals. This is an important step in building a civic engagement movement and capacity to engage in democratic processes.
