Census Appropriation Recommendation for FY 20
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Census Appropriation Recommendation for FY 20 Making New Mexico Count in Census 2020 Census Appropriation Recommendation for FY 20 1 Potential Cost of a Census 2020 Under-count by Legislative District Population Population Total3 Potential Living in Living in Loss of Federal Hard-to- Hard-to- Funding with HAFC Legislator Name District Count Areas1 Count Areas1 1% Under- (percent) (number)2 count of District Population Patricia A. Lundstrom 9 70% 15,403 $6,601,286 Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales 42 100% 30,544 $9,163,200 Anthony Allison 4 42% 11,849 $8,463,571 Phelps Anderson 66 29% 8,269 $8,554,138 Gail Armstrong 49 100% 29,199 $8,759,700 Paul C. Bandy 3 49% 11,151 $6,827,143 Cathrynn N. Brown 55 77% 23,166 $9,025,714 Jack Chatfield 67 73% 21,686 $8,912,055 Randal S. Crowder 64 34% 11,434 $10,088,824 Harry Garcia 69 55% 11,974 $6,531,273 Rodolpho "Rudy" S. Martinez 39 39% 8,595 $6,611,538 Javier Martínez 11 13% 3,511 $8,102,308 Tomás E. Salazar 70 100% 27,319 $8,195,700 Joseph L. Sanchez 40 81% 29,339 $10,866,296 Nathan P. Small 36 34% 11,597 $10,232,647 Melanie A. Stansbury 28 14% 3,906 $8,370,000 Candie G. Sweetser 32 42% 12,358 $8,827,143 Christine Trujillo 25 10% 3,100 $9,300,000 1. Hard-to-count areas are defined as Census tracts where a quarter or more households did not mail back their Census questionnaires in 2010. 2. The NM Geospatial Advisory Committee estimates that every person not counted amounts to a $3,000 loss in federal funding every year for 10 years. 3. Funding loss is for the decade 2 Census Appropriation Recommendation for FY 20 New Mexico Census 2020 Appropriations Q&A 1. Why is the appropriation going to DFA? are at risk for an under-count. These areas are identified The appropriation needs to go to a state agency that can based on analysis of under-counts in the 2010 Census and handle the procurement of services as required by the State the demographic profile of New Mexico. Census tracts where Procurement Code. almost a quarter or more households did not mail back their Census questionnaires in 2010 are considered hard-to-count. 2. Why should the state of New Mexico provide State, county, legislative district, and Census tract hard-to-count funding for ensuring a complete count? maps can be found here: www.censushardtocountmaps2020. Hundreds of millions of federal dollars are at risk from us/. formula-based distributions to states, including funding for highway and road construction and critical health programs. 6. How will the Legislature be informed about the The George Washington University “Counting for Dollars activities of the Complete Count Committee and 2020” study determined the total program obligations for each the use of the appropriation? state for programs whose funding is determined by decennial We encourage the Legislature to include a requirement that Census-derived statistics. For the 16 largest programs, New the Executive periodically report to the Legislative Finance Mexico receives $6.2 billion. A 1 percent under-count in the Committee about the use of the appropriation. decennial Census would result in the loss of $600 million over ten years. An accurate Census count also provides the data 7. What activities will be reduced, delayed, or that businesses, governments, hospitals, and other institutions cut as a result of federal funding cuts and the use for planning, development, and investment. Our state’s government shutdown? representation in Congress is also determined every ten years • Slow or delayed hiring of Census Bureau field support by the Census count. staff. Partnership staff are essential to meet the growing need for robust support for trusted messengers in hard-to- Based on the latest Census estimates, around 43 percent count communities. These employees are being hired and of New Mexico’s population (nearly 900,000 people) live on-boarded too slowly to be fully effective in educating in “hard-to-count” areas – one of the highest rates in the and assisting state and local government officials and nation. Adequate resources are needed to prepare fully and to community-based organizations. conduct the count; otherwise, people living in hard-to-count • Funding for preparation for two possible Census communities are more likely to be missed. questionnaire “tracks”: one with and one without a citizenship question. Additionally, the growing fear in 3. Who will decide who gets funded? some communities about Census participation will require The state Complete Count Committee (CCC), which will new messaging and expanded communications efforts that be established through and Executive Order issued by the address the understandable suspicion about the citizenship Governor, will advise the DFA Secretary about how the funds question. will be allocated. Final decisions about funding allocations • Consultation with experts and advisors. Failure to keep will be made by the DFA Secretary. The Executive Order is National Advisory and Scientific Advisory committee currently under review in the Governor’s Office. members informed in real time about final preparations, early field operations, and development of the communications 4. What kind of organizations will be funded to campaign (consultations were halted during the government ensure a complete count? shutdown) could deprive the Census Bureau of a vital early The draft of the Executive Order for the Complete warning network for emerging challenges and barriers to Count Committee includes legislators, cabinet officials, full participation as 2020 approaches. As with all activities representatives of local governments, representatives of related to the 2020 Census, timely outreach and consultation tribal governments, and representatives from the nonprofit is paramount, since the “Census clock” is unforgiving and community. All organizations will have to prove through the is ticking down to the start of peak operations in less than public procurement process that they have the ability to work a year. with hard-to-count populations in the state. Specifically they • Retention of Census Bureau Staff. Due to the recent will have to prove to DFA and the state CCC that they can government shutdown, Census Bureau’s professional, effectively engage in the activities listed in Question 8 (page 4). permanent field staff may have begun looking for employment elsewhere. The loss of these well-trained 5. What areas of the state will be the focus of the survey-takers would be devastating to the agency’s future work of the Complete Count Committee? ability to collect high-quality data on which Congress and The U.S. Census Bureau has identified areas in the state that so many other decision-makers rely. Census Appropriation Recommendation for FY 20 3 New Mexico Census 2020 Appropriations Q&A A Census at Risk Intensive CBO outreach: $75 in Spending During Four Census Decades outreach per person contacted. Allows for high numbers of contacts, 18 Census 2010 and for some longer sessions explaining 16 the process, including translation and multilingual services for in- 14 language discussions for households Census 2000 12 with limited English, outreach to homeless populations, and other kinds 10 of communities like Native Americans 8 and colonias. Census 1990 6 Governmental outreach: Spending in 4 this area could include grants to tribal 2 governments, and city and county Census 2020 governments to support outreach 0 efforts in their communities; funding FY1 FY2 FY3 FY4 FY5 FY6 FY7 FY8 FY9 FY10 Ratio of Census budget to year 1 of the decade for a state demographer to identify and Fiscal Year in the Census cycle each decade map hard-to-count communities and develop a system to prioritize efforts to Final FY 2017 appropriation as passed. FY 2018 level reflects the short-term Continuing ensure all New Mexicans are counted; Resolution as signed by the President on Sept. 8, 2017 with funding through Dec. 8, 2017 funding for a person to staff the CCC; Source: Congressional Research Service, courtesy Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, D-NY funding for computers and navigators to assist community members in filling out the Census; improving access to places with computers; While the Census year itself is the most expensive, the Census outreach to those who are homeless, living in poverty, living Bureau has to ramp up for the big count with a decade-long in rural areas, without internet access, not fluent in English, cycle of spending. This chart depicts that cycle by looking at immigrant families, or people of color; and funding to develop spending each year relative to each decade’s year one. The 2020 a strategic communications and engagement campaign to raise Census is on track to be severely underfunded. awareness about and promote participation in the Census including public forums, PSAs, etc. 8. What is included in different levels of outreach? Basic CBO outreach: $2 in outreach per person contacted. Outreach activities would address issues that are uniquely Outreach plans for these groups included internet and social challenging in New Mexico, including: media, including paid media campaigns such as digital media • Limited broadband infrastructure and major challenges buys, billboards, multilingual radio spots, newspaper ads, related to internet connectivity and access. and television ads; public forums; providing information • Extremely high rates of poverty. to people who came to their institutions; and some level of • High rates of Native Americans living on tribal lands – one direct outreach. Recruitment of Census workers from local of the hardest to count populations due to geographic communities is also necessary. Organizations will also integrate challenges, internet and phone connectivity issues, language Census messaging into programming and activities. barriers, differences in cultural norms, sovereignty issues, and historical basis for cultural mistrust.