Page 2 - AT
P. 2

A2   UP FRONT
                Wednesday 28 august 2019


















            Continued from Previous Page  time operation the federal  ocrats.   The   Republican
            Beginning  early  next  year,  government   undertakes.  administration argued that
            residents   from    Barrow,  The  Census  Bureau  hires  a  the  question  would  have
            Alaska,  to  Key  West,  Flori-  half  million  workers,  opens  helped  enforce  the  Vot-
            da, will be quizzed on their  around  250  offices  and  ing  Rights  Act,  a  rationale
            sex, age, race, the type of  mails  out  a  multitude  of  that seemed "contrived" to
            home they have and how  forms in English and 12 oth-      Chief  Justice  John  Roberts
            they  are  related  to  every-  er languages to more than  in his majority opinion.
            one living with them.        130 million households.      President  Donald  Trump
            At  stake  is  the  balance  of  "The  kind  of  scale  we're  later said the question was
            political  power  in  a  deep-  talking about to count this  needed to help draw con-
            ly  divided  country,  billions  nation  is  massive,  massive,  gressional  districts,  even
            of dollars a year in federal  massive," Democratic Rep.  though  the  Constitution
            funding  and  population  Darren Soto of Florida said  mandates  districts  based
            data  that  will  shape  busi-  recently.                 on total population, not the   In this Aug. 22, 2019, photo, people walk through New York's
            ness  decisions  nationwide  A  census  has  taken  place  number of citizens.         Times Square.
            for years to come.           in  the  U.S.  every  decade  After  the  administration                                           Associated Press
            Costing  as  much  as  $15.6  since  1790,  and  conten-  abandoned  the  question,
            billion, the once-a-decade  tious legal fights about it are  Trump   directed   federal  Illinois,   Michigan,   Ohio,  questionnaires in the mail.
            census  not  only  captures  nothing new. But the Trump  agencies  to  compile  the  Pennsylvania, Rhode Island  If  all  those  methods  fail,
            the United States at a giv-  administration's attempt to  information  in  other  ways.  and  West  Virginia  are  ex-  the  bureau  will  send  out
            en moment — in this case  add  the  citizenship  ques-    That  ensured  the  contro-  pected to lose one apiece.  "enumerators"  to  knock  on
            April  1,  2020,  officially.  But  tion  triggered  lawsuits  that  versy  would  continue  and  California  and  Minnesota  doors.
            it is perhaps the only thing  carried the issue all the way  raised  the  possibility  that  it  could  also  lose  seats,  but  The  agency  intends  to
            every  U.S.  household  is  le-  to the Supreme Court.    still might affect the count.  if  the  citizenship  question  spread  the  word  about  its
            gally  required  to  partici-  Opponents of the question  Census  Bureau  Director  had  been  included,  ex-       "internet  first"  approach.
            pate  in  regardless  of  who  said it would have discour-  Steven Dillingham, a Trump  perts   projected   smaller  Census  officials  envision
            lives there.                 aged  participation  by  mi-  appointee, acknowledged  gains  in  Florida,  Texas  and  clergy  asking  churchgoers
            Counting  some  330  million  norities, primarily Hispanics,  the  challenge  but  vowed  Arizona  and  a  more  likely  to take out their cellphones
            heads is the largest peace-  who tend to support Dem-     to  conduct  "the  best  cen-  loss in California.        to answer questions before
                                                                      sus  ever,  one  that  is  com-  The  count  is  also  used  to  services  and  announcers
                                                                      plete and accurate."         map  districts  for  state  leg-  nudging  fans  at  baseball
                                                                      Adriana  Ibarra,  a  43-year-  islatures,  city  councils  and  games.
                                                                      old  doctoral  student  from  school  boards,  and  to  de-  Leaders  of  some  minority
                                                                      Mexico  living  in  Memphis  termine the flow of federal  groups  worry  that  the  reli-
                                                                      under  a  temporary  visa,  money  to  state  and  lo-    ance  on  the  internet  risks
                                                                      said  the  chilling  effect  lin-  cal  governments.  George  undercounting  people  less
                                                                      gers.  She  said  immigrants  Washington University's An-  likely  to  be  online:  low-in-
                                                                      who  are  in  the  country  il-  drew  Reamer  estimated  come  households,  immi-
                                                                      legally and others may shy  that as much as $900 billion  grants and elderly and rural
                                                                      away because they do not  a year in federal funding is  residents.  Other  historically
                                                                      feel  included  in  decisions  tied to the census in some  undercounted  groups  in-
                                                                      made in their communities  way.                           clude  Native  Americans,
                                                                      anyway.                      Reamer  calculates  that  renters  and  people  whose
                                                                      "There's a feeling that their  each  person  missed  in  primary    language     isn't
                                                                      voice, their vote, their pres-  the  census  would  cost  a  English.  Owners  of  multiple
                                                                      ence does not substantially  state an average of nearly  homes  are  among  the
                                                                      affect  the  situation  or  the  $1,100  a  year  under  five  most  likely  to  be  double-
                                                                      course  the  country  is  tak-  Department of Health and  counted.
                                                                      ing," she said.              Human  Services  programs,  Some  experts  say  the  on-
                                                                      The   census    determines  including  Medicaid.  The  line approach should have
                                                                      which states gain congres-   impact  would  be  biggest  been tested more. The only
                                                                      sional seats and which lose  in Vermont, at $2,300, and  end-to-end  test  was  done
                                                                      them. Election Data Servic-  smallest in Utah, at roughly  in  Providence,  Rhode  Is-
                                                                      es,  a  firm  that  consults  on  $500.                   land,  last  year  after  two
                                                                      redistricting,  estimates  that  For the first time, the Census  other  tests  were  scaled
                                                                      Texas  could  gain  as  many  Bureau is relying in 2020 on  back  to  save  money.  The
                                                                      as  three  seats  and  Florida  most  respondents  answer-  rate  of  people  responding
                                                                      two.  Arizona,  Colorado,  ing questions via computer,  on  their  own  was  higher
                                                                      Montana,  North  Carolina  tablet  or  smartphone.  Re-   than expected at 52.3 per-
                                                                      and  Oregon  could  add  spondents  can  also  call  a  cent, but the bureau is aim-
                                                                      one each.                    phone number to give their  ing for 60.5 percent in 2020.
                                                                      New  York  is  expected  to  answers.  Those  who  don't  Cybersecurity  worries  also
                                                                      lose  two  seats.  Alabama,  respond will receive paper  persist. q
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7