URGING THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO IMMEDIATELY MAKE PUBLIC ITS PLANS FOR ASSURING THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS ARE COUNTED IN THE 2000 CENSUS

WHEREAS, during the 2000 Census, The U.S. Conference of Mayors and its members played a critical role in seeking public support for the Census; and

WHEREAS, the results of the 2000 Census are of critical importance to cities because of their impact on representation, federal and state funding, and city planning; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has historically urged that all efforts be made to reduce and eliminate the historic racial differential that has been identified in the Census for decades - a differential that has resulted in the undercounting of millions of individuals, mostly Black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indians, as well as urban and rural poor, and most importantly, children; and

WHEREAS, the Census Bureau did an admirable job of conducting the 2000 Census under difficult conditions and its efforts deserve to be applauded; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Conference of Mayors now has growing concerns over the current handling of the Census and the data from the 2000 Census based on recent events; and

WHEREAS, the current Administration has not made public how it intends to account for the more than six million individuals - mostly Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indians, as well as urban and rural poor and most importantly, children who were left out of the 2000; and

WHEREAS, this is of tremendous concern to The Conference of Mayors. Four months after the decision on adjustment, the Administration has not developed a plan to resolve the differences between Demographic Analysis and the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (ACE); and

WHEREAS, cities need the results of the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation to understand the results of the Census and whether reported growth patterns are the result of actual growth, or the result of better counting in 1990; and

WHEREAS, with these unresolved questions important to cities around the nation, we are disappointed that the Census Bureau seems unable or unwilling to address our legitimate concerns;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges the United State Department of Commerce to immediately:

• Make public its plans for assuring that all individuals residing in the United States are in fact counted in the 2000 Census, including the almost six and half million individuals mostly Black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indians whom the Census Bureau acknowledge are now currently not counted.
• Comply with the Freedom of Information Act, and other statutes that require that the corrected block level data which the Census Bureau has prepared be made available to the public.
• Arrange to meet with representatives of The U.S. Conference of Mayors to discuss our grave concerns.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges the Senate Commerce and Governmental Affairs Committee to hold hearings on the issues raised in this resolution to ensure that the concerns of The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the cities it represent are addressed, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to Secretary Donald Evans of the U.S. Department of Commerce and to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.