Census roundup
Friday, Jun 21, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
With the 2020 census nine months away, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Thursday creating an office designated to help with statewide outreach efforts.
The order will allow Pritzker to appoint two coordinators for the office, which will be housed under the Illinois Department of Human Services, and create a 12-person advisory panel. The office and panel will divvy up funds for local groups to do census outreach, particularly in hard-to-count communities. The operating budget for fiscal year 2020 allocated $29 million to the Department of Human Services for census outreach.
At stake for the state are billions of dollars in federal funding directly tied to population figures determined by the census, according to a study by the George Washington University Institute for Public Policy. The population figures are also used for redistricting and Illinois could lose one or two congressional seats after the 2020 census, experts have previously said. Census data released this month showed the metro Chicago area lost an estimated 22,000 residents from 2017 to 2018 — marking the fourth consecutive year of population loss.
Pritzker didn’t detail how quickly the office will be put together or when groups could start applying for grants to do census outreach.
“We need to get these funds out the door as soon as possible,” Pritzker said.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said the stakes include billions of dollars in federal funding, as Illinois could lose $120 million annually for each 1% of the population that is undercounted – about $1.2 billion over the 10-year period between each census.
Stratton said nearly 42% of the state’s African-American population, 33% of the Latino population and 20T of children under the age of 5 live in communities classified as hard to count. Undercounts in minority communities could be “disastrous” not only for those communities but to the entire state, she said.
“The census is about equity and representation and how much money for critical services is distributed to communities in need,” she said.
Executive Order 19-10 creates a census office as part of the Illinois Department of Human Services to coordinate the state’s census turnout efforts, and allows the governor to appoint two “census co-coordinators” to direct the census office. It also creates a census advisory panel made up of 12 members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders of each party.
* Centrar Cuadrado…
The Census is more than just a tally of everyone who lives in the United States.
Billions of dollars for roads, schools, and health care are on the line. As is the state’s representation in Washington D.C.
“Our representation in the United States of Representatives is on the line,” Pritzker said Thursday. “Illinois has lost six congressional seats since 1960. And there are experts who predict that we will lose one, or even two, after the 2020 Census.”
* Public Radio…
While signing an executive order Thursday laying out plans, Pritzker criticized former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration for being slow to support census activities. He was also critical of President Donald Trump.
“We certainly can’t count on the federal government to be a good partner. The Trump administration is doing everything in its power to ensure an undercount,” he said. “It’s a multi-pronged approach to slash funding and force communities into the shadows.”
- Huh? - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 11:29 am:
If the US census has the citizenship question, I will not be completing the form. My wife is a naturalized citizen and I am not going to put her in a position where the US government could call into question her citizenship.
- Rico - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 11:39 am:
How does governors executive order effect the bill by rep. Thapedi??
- Responsa - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 11:49 am:
Census forms have always asked (what are considered by some at least to be) invasive questions in order to determine the composition of, and changes to, the country and regions over the previous ten years. Historians both professional and amateur have relied on old census data to better understand the past, especially the social and physical migrations. City planners and policy makers use that data on a macro level to prepare institutions for the future. Any idea that citizenship data and especially language and health data associated with immigration is not important to know and understand is baffling to me.
- Anon Y - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 12:13 pm:
the question of citizenship when used as a tool for discrimination and gerrymandering then the question is not only not important it become a self destructive instrument against constitutional rights. If the Supreme Court allows this to stand after the overwhelming evidence presented this week my household will be mailing a blank form in, if households boycott in such a fashion the census becomes useless and with enough states taking this action civil rights via a passive protest may yet be restored.
- Responsa - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 12:33 pm:
== my household will be mailing a blank form ==
Blank forms tend to result in follow-up home visits by census takers. But hey, what ever floats your boat.
- Anon Y - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 12:37 pm:
Blank forms tend to result in follow-up home visits by census takers.”
Yes, and additional cost and as I will not be
only household in the nation and city it will
quite satisfying.
- cdog - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 12:48 pm:
The truth should be recorded on the citizenship question, and government resources should follow to the appropriate places whether for citizens or non-citizens of varied status.
Don’t take it personally.
- Anon Y - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:04 pm:
The constitution should be upheld as written (count all ) vs. unless it impacts the GOP, not personal it’s what is right. And if/how the concept of governmental resources is used , than the money should remain where it is paid.
- Demoralized - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:15 pm:
==Don’t take it personally==
When you have an Administration that is openly hostile towards immigrants why wouldn’t you take it personally?
- JT - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:33 pm:
The discovery of the communications on the hard drive of the deceased GOP strategist make it beyond clear that the citizenship question was purely politically motivated to further support gerrymandering.
- ste_with a v_en - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:36 pm:
In the event they leave the citizenship question on the form, just know that the Census Bureau is legally prevented from sharing personal data with other agencies. I.E. ICE cannot request information about people who marked non-citizens.
- NoGifts - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:45 pm:
Everyone should just boycott the citizenship question and answer the rest.
- Anon Y - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 1:59 pm:
“ICE cannot request information about people who marked non-citizens.” Meaningless with the DOJ.
- I Miss Bentohs - Friday, Jun 21, 19 @ 3:47 pm:
Assuming that question is on the census, we are encouraging all in our neighborhood to answer that we are illegal immigrants. Anything to cause confusion and waste ICE money, I am for.