Countdown

2000 Census must have better accuracy

Millions of people may not be counted in the 2000 Census that will be used to determine the official population of the country and divide Congressional seats among the states. In a 5-4 vote on Wednesday, the Supreme Court rejected a plan by the Census Bureau to count at least 90 percent of households in every census district and then estimate from a segment of those counted the characteristics and population of the entire district. In the wake of this decision, Democrats and Republicans must seek new ways to obtain an accurate count.

The Census Bureau's plan would have replaced the traditional and less accurate head counting method with techniques similar to those used by public opinion pollsters. The new plan would likely have accounted for poor people and minorities who are often missed under the current system. Since statistical sampling was proposed, a spirited debate has ensued on Capitol Hill because groups who tend to vote Democratic could become more prominent in the nation's official population estimate.

The political ramifications of the decision are immense. In California, statistical sampling could add thousands of individuals who are often passed over in federal censuses. Suburban congressional districts could be redrawn to stretch into urban areas where support for Republicans is often slim.

While the Court's decision perpetuates a grave injustice, it cannot be faulted for a decision based on years of precedent and fair if not predictable interpretation of the Constitution. The Court's majority opinion cited federal policies and laws that explicitly ban the use of statistical sampling to determine how congressional seats will be apportioned. But the politicization of the unfairness inherent in the current methods of census taking required by law is reprehensible.

Any law or policy that essentially denies certain citizens a fair level of representation needs to be changed as swiftly as possible. Almost immediately after the ruling, both Democrats and Republicans reacted by drafting new policies. The Clinton administration plans for the Census Bureau to produce two sets of numbers. One set would be gathered by means of the traditional census taking methods to determine the apportionment of Congressional seats, another would use statistical sampling, and could be used to determine the distribution of federal funds and how political boundaries within the states themselves are drawn. Republicans have proposed to quadruple the budget for the census to $400 million to send more census workers into difficult-to-count areas and print household questionnaires in up to 33 different languages.

Both sides are already digging in for the long haul, with many beltline insiders predicting a bitter debate that could result in several parts of the federal government being shut down this summer when appropriations for the census run out. As a result, millions of people could be missed by the census. Instead of weighing the political impact of the different census taking methods, both parties need to actively work together to amend any law that stands in the way of an accurate 2000 census. Equal representation - one of the most fundamental values behind a democratic state - cannot be consciously violated in the name of partisan bickering.

01-28-99