Arnold Jackson, chief operating officer for the Census, recently said that he believes a huge number of African-Americans and Latinos have gone uncounted in the past because of a misguided mistrust of government, according to Seattlemedium.com. Jackson, who is Black, cited that fewer that 60 percent of African-Americans returned their 2000 Census questionnaire compared to 77.5 percent of Whites.
As his office prepares for the next Census in April 2010, the Census Bureau is already beginning to incorporate strategies to ensure a better representation of Blacks and immigrants across the country starting with 14,000 Census workers taking count. A questionnaire will be sent to 145 million homes in multiple languages. Next year’s counting process is said to cost tax payers almost $12 billion.
Every citizen is required by law to answer their Census questionnaire.-WLW