News on Youtube Jan 3 2019

>> THE CENSUS.

IT HAPPENS EVERY 10 YEARS, BUT THE PROCESS IN 2020 IS LIKELY TO

INCLUDE SOME CHANGES.

FOR THE FIRST TIME THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU PLANS TO

DISTRIBUTE THE SURVEY ONLINE TO ABOUT 80% OF HOUSEHOLDS.

IF IT WITHSTANDS LEGAL CHALLENGES BROUGHT AGAINST IT,

IT WILL INCLUDE A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER YOU ARE A CITIZEN.

BOTH PROSPECTS BRING WITH YOU QUESTIONS WHICH I EXPLORED WITH

MOLLY GOREN-WATTS AND SUE SAS STRAIGHT WORKING ON CENSUS

EFFORTS IN THIS REGION.

>> I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE CENSUS 2020 COUNT ALL AROUND THE

STATE THIS YEAR, AND THE SLOGAN IS MONEY, DATA AND POWER.

SO FOR ONE, THE CENSUS COUNT DETERMINES WHERE A LOT OF

FEDERAL FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL.

THE STATE $16 BILLION A YEAR.

>> NOT CHUMP CHANGE.

>> NO THERE IS A LOT AT STAKE.

WE ARE DATA PEOPLE.

WE NEED TO LOOK AT POVERTY RATES, HOMEOWNERSHIP RATES,

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOR DENOMINATORS TO CALCULATE

INCIDENT RATES, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, THE LIST GOES ON AND

OND AND BECAUSE WE ONLY GET THE CHANCE TO COUNT PEOPLE FULLY

ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS SETTING THE BASE FOR

THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO COME BOTH IN TERMS OF THE MONEY

DISTRIBUTION AND ALSO THE DATA PRODUCTS THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU

WILL PRODUCE.

>> IN 2021 WE WILL REDISTRICT AND CENSUS HAS AN IMPACT ON HOW

THOSE LINES MAY OR MAY NOT BE DRAWN, WHO IS REPRESENTING YOU,

HOW MANY SEATS ARE REPRESENTING YOU.

>> THAT IS THE POWER PIECE.

VERY IMPORTANT.

>> FOR SURE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN GETTING DISCUSSION IS THE NEW

QUESTION WHICH LOOKS AT ASKING PEOPLE IF THEY ARE, IN FACT,

UNITED STATES CITIZENS, WHICH WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT QUESTION COME

UP SINCE THE 1950s.

IS THIS BEING DISCUSSED OUT AND ABOUT IN YOUR MEETINGS AN

PLANNING?

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH, PBPC JUST HOSTED LAST MONTH THE FIRST MEETING OF A

GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS AND

COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS FOCUSED ON TRYING TO REACH OUT TO THE

COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE GET AS COMPLETE A COUNT AS POSSIBLE OF

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR TOPICS THAT CAME UP BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY

PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SENSITIVITY OF THAT AND THE

TRUTH IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE CENSUS IS TO, AS SUSAN JUST

SAID, UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY

ARE CITIZENS DOES NOT IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF SERVICES AND DOLLARS

THAT WE NEED TO FUND OUR COMMUNITIES.

>> SO ARE THERE DISCUSSIONS GOING ON ABOUT HOW TO HELP

PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT CLEARLY SO THEY ARE NOT AFRAID AND SAY,

I'M NOT GOING TO FILL THIS OUT AT ALL.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS HAVE STARTED.

THIS IS A QUESTION THAT HAS COME UP AT EVERY EVENT I HAVE BEEN

AT.

IN HAMPTON COUNTY, IN BOSTON IT IS A BIG QUESTION.

EVEN OUT IN THE BERKSHIRES.

IT IS A QUESTION THAT AFFECTING EVERYBODY.

I THINK THE CENSUS NEEDS TO COME OUT A LITTLE BIT WITH MORE

INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROTECTION PEES.

THE TITLE 13R PROTECTION IS THE PROTECTION THAT KEEPS ALL CENSUS

DATA CONFIDENTIAL.

THE CENSUS BUREAU CAN'T SHARE THAT WITH AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF

THE CENSUS BUREAU.

THIS TITLE 13 PROTECTION WAS PUT IN PLACE AFTER WORLD WAR II WHEN

IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT CENSUS DATA WAS BEING USED TO IDENTIFY

JAPANESE AMERICANS.

AND THE OUTRAGE AND RESPONSE BECAME TITLE 13 PROTECTION.

IT IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR PEOPLE AND I THINK THAT THE

CENSUS BUREAU NEEDS TO GET SPECIFIC WITH PEOPLE ABOUT HOW

THEIR DATA IS PROTECTED AND HOW TITLE 13 PROTECTION HAS STOOD

THE TEST OF TIME AND HOW IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGED AND UPHELD.

>> YOU ARE DATA PEOPLE.

DO YOU SEE A WAY IN WHICH THIS SPECIFIC QUESTION, ARE YOU A

U.S. CITIZEN, COULD BE HELPFUL TO PEOPLE SUCH AS YOURSELF?

>> THE TRUTH IS THE CENSUS BUREAU ALREADY ASKS THE QUESTION

WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN, GETS INTO DETAIL OF

WHERE PEOPLE ARE FROM WHEN THEY ANSWER THE UNITED STATES AND

CITIZENSHIP STATUS IN THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY THEY

CONDUCT EVERY YEAR.

A SURVEY THEY ASKED A WHOLE LOT OF MUCH MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS

ABOUT INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS AND AGAIN, CITIZENSHIP IS ONE OF

THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK THERE.

IT IS VERY USEFUL INFORMATION.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHO IS LIVING

IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT THEIR NEEDS MIGHT BE.

I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRACK INFORMATION ABOUT IMMIGRATION,

ABOUT CITIZENSHIP AND UNDERSTAND THE MAKEUP OF OUR COMMUNITIES,

WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, WHAT THE STRENGTHS ARE, BUT ALL OF THAT

BEING SAID, THE PURPOSE OF THE DECENNIAL CENSUS IS TO COUNT THE

TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE.

I THINK OUR FOCUS AND GOAL RIGHT NOW IS ASSUMING THAT QUESTION IS

GOING TO BE ON THE DECENNIAL CENSUS, HOW DO WE FOCUS ON

GETTING THE MOST COMPLETE COUNT OF PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE GIVEN

THAT.

THAT INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT AMEND WE DO ALREADY HAVE A

SOURCE FOR IT.

>> ONE OF THE OTHER CHANGES BEING TALKED ABOUT IS THIS WILL

BE THE FIRST TIME THE CENSUS WILL BE LARGELY DIGITIZED.

PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL IT OUT ONLINE.

80% OF IT WILL BE PUT OUT THAT WAY.

THEY EXPECT A 45% RESPONSE RATE.

IT IS OF INTEREST IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS BECAUSE NOT EARN

HAS CONSISTENT ACCESS TO BROAD BAND INTERNET.

IS THIS BEING TALKED ABOUT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IN THE BERKSHIRES, THAT IS A BIG TOPIC AND THE FURTHER CORNERS IN

WESTERN MASS AND THE SMALLER TOWNS.

WE WORRY ABOUT THE ELDERLY POPULATION WHO TYPICALLY HAS NOT

BEEN A HARD TO COUNT POPULATION.

WHEN WE THINK OF WHICH AREAS ARE HARD TO COUNT, THAT HAS BEEN

TRADITIONALLY ONE OF THE GROUPS WE HAVE WORRIED ABOUT.

CERTAINLY WE ARE WORRYING ABOUT THEM FOR THIS CENSUS.

>> PREVIOUSLY THEY WOULD HAVE RESPONDED BY MAIL OR IF SOMEONE

GOES TO THEIR DOOR?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THEY ARE USED TO THE MAIL OUT FORMS.

MAYBE NOT HAVING THE CAPACITY OR LEARNING NEEDED TO JUMP ONLINE

AND FILL OUT A FORM.

FOR OTHER PEOPLE IT IS A WELCOME CHANGE.

WE WORRY ABOUT SOME POCKETS OF COMMUNITIES.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS OF SE SEASON -- CENSUS 2020 IS A

COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE.

>> I WORK FOR THE REGIONAL PLANNING AGENCY FOR THE 43

CITIES AND TOWNS IN HAMDEN AND HAMPSHIRE COUNTIES.

AS A REGIONAL ORGANIZING AND PLANNING BODY, WE ARE WELL

SUITED FOR BRINGING TO THESE TYPE OF REGIONAL EFFORTS.

WE HAD A FIRST MEETING.

MY COLLEAGUE ALLISON -- IS TAKING THE LEAD AND WE ARE

WORKING TOGETHER ON IT.

IT INVOLVES CITY AND TOWN OFFICIALS, TOWN CLERKS,

REGISTRARS AND AS WELL AS MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LESS

LIKELY TO PARTICIPATION IN THE CENSUS TO HELP US STRATEGIZE

WITH OUTREACH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING GROUPS.

MASSVOTE IS INVOLVED IN THESE TYPE OF EFFORTS.

WE ARE STARTING TO COME TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE ISSUES

AND STRATEGIES MIGHT BE.

WE PLAN TO SPEND THE NEXT YEAR PLUS LEADING UP TO APRIL 1,

2020, DEVELOPING OUTREACH STRATEGIES TO GET OUT THE

MESSAGE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND

MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW TO PARTICIPATE.

ALSO THE CENSUS BUREAU, THE COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE IS A

GREAT PLACE TO SOI AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE

CENSUS BUREAU.

SO AS THEY ARE DOING RECRUITING FOR THE POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE

PARTNERSHIP SPECIALISTS WITH THE COMMUNITY OR WHERE THEY MIGHT

HAVE FIELD OFFICES TO PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET HELP FILLING OUT

THE CENSUS OR ANSWERING QUESTIONS, THE COMPLETE COUNT

COMMITTEE IS A PLACE THEY CAN COME TO TO ASK FOR OUR LOCAL

KNOWLEDGE AND MAYBE WHO WOULD BE SOME GOOD SUGGESTED POTENTIAL

CANDIDATES FOR THOSE POSITIONS AND THAT KIND OF THING.

SO IT IS REALLY GOING BOTH WAYS, TRYING TO GET INFORMATION FROM

THE CENSUS BUREAU TO THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE COMMUNITY

TO THE CENSUS BUREAU TO MAKE IT LOCALLY AS SPECIFIC AND STRONG

AS POSSIBLE.