Thursday, April 29, 2010

2009 USA tourism report

2009 year in review for travel from ITA. And what a not-good year it was, comparable with 2001.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Bill dealing with Census Bureau Director's position offered

Today, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs marked up S. 3167, Census Oversight Efficiency and Management Reform Act of 2010. The bill was introduced by Senators Carper (D-DE) and Coburn (R-OK) both members of the Committee. More information about the bill, as introduced, is available here.

This is the bill that would change the Census Bureau Director's position to a five-year term instead of the current at-will appointment.

Key Provisions of the Legislation Include:

Gives the Director the independence to report directly to the Secretary without being required to report through any other official at the Commerce Department.

Increases the independence of the Director by allowing the Director to submit his or her own opinion in testimony to Congress even if it differs from the administration.

Makes the Director of the Census Bureau a Presidential term appointment of five years, with the 10 year decennial cycle split into two, five-year phases - planning and operational, creating continuity across administrations.

Gives the Director authority over all personnel and activities in the exercise of all powers and duties of the Bureau.

Gives the Director the authority to establish advisory committees to provide advice with respect to any function of the Director.

Requires that the Census Director provide budget information to Congress, at the time the Director submits a budget request to the Commerce Secretary to be included in the President's budget request, prior to the Commerce Department's budget request submission to OMB, increasing transparency and oversight.

Requires the Director to submit to Congress a comprehensive annual report on the next decennial census, with a description of the Bureau's performance standards and a risk-assessment of each significant decennial operation.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Rule of Thumb

From James J. Hill Reference Library:

Per the website, "A rule of thumb is a homemade recipe for making a guess. It is an easy-to-remember guide that falls somewhere between a mathematical formula and a shot in the dark. Rules of thumb are a kind of tool. They help you appraise a problem or situation."

Rulesofthumb.org aims to be "the Google of guesswork" - a place to help people make an educated guess on a particular problem at hand, whatever it may be.

Monday, April 26, 2010

2007 ECONOMIC CENSUS WORKSHOPS

The Census Bureau is conducting two half-day workshops for data users on the 2007 Economic Census.

•New users learn about the range of data about businesses available from the Census Bureau, including both the Economic Census and more frequent data sets.
•Experienced users learn about new features of the data, comparability issues, and qualifications of the data.
•Attendees gain skills in accessing Economic Census data in American FactFinder.
•Attendees have the opportunity to tell others about their own practical applications of the data and learn what others are doing.

New York, NY
Thursday, June 10, 2010, 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Friday, June 11, 2010, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm

Cost: FREE
Location: New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
One Seaport Plaza
199 Water Street
22nd Floor
New York, NY 10038

Register:
For June 10, 1:30 pm.
For June 11, 9:30 am.

Public transportation directions:
NYC Subway: A, C, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton Street/Broadway Nassau Station
PATH: World Trade Center
Additional Workshops in New York State: Planned for Albany (June 23, 2010) and Syracuse (June 24, 2010). Details about these workshops will be announced soon.
For more information contact: Leonard Gaines, New York State Data Center, (518) 292-5300 ext. 3, lgaines@empire.state.ny.us

Sunday, April 25, 2010

DOOR-TO-DOOR NONRESPONSE FOLLOW-UP BEGINS MAY 1ST

Census urges cooperation with enumerators to ensure everyone is counted

New York, NY – Beginning May 1, more than 600,000 Census takers, commonly referred to as enumerators, will knock on doors in communities across the United States, signaling the launch of the Nonresponse Follow-up operation (NRFU). NRFU operation tasks enumerators with visiting households that did not mail back their 2010 Census form to make sure everyone is counted once and in the right place. The U.S. Census Bureau is conducting this important operation to ensure that the 2010 Census is complete and accurate.

Enumerators are temporary workers hired from the local community by the U.S. Census Bureau. The census taker will have an ID badge with the Bureau of the Census seal, and may also be carrying a bag with “U.S. Census Bureau” on it. If asked, he or she will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the Local Census Office phone number for verification.

Census takers will visit homes to ask the same ten questions that were included in the mailed out questionnaire. They will not ask respondents about immigration or citizenship status, Social Security numbers, or bank accounts and any financial information. They will not solicit any monetary contribution.

“Nonresponse follow-up is critical to achieving an accurate census,” says Lester A. Farthing, the U.S. Census Bureau’s New York regional director. “If an enumerator knocks on your door, please cooperate and answer ten simple questions so that your community can receive its fair share of federal funding and be fairly represented in government.”

Census takers will visit each address up to three times and may try to telephone up to three times. If a resident does not answer, the census taker will leave a door hanger with a number the resident can call to schedule an interview time. If contact is made by phone, the census worker will conduct the interview with the household member.

All personal information given to census takers is kept confidential and is protected by strict privacy laws. Census employees are sworn for life to protect personally identifiable information and face penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 or both for disclosure. The Census Bureau is prohibited by law from sharing personal information with any other government agency or law enforcement.

Nonresponse follow-up operations will continue until July 10. For more information on Census takers and NRFU operations, visit 2010census.gov.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

2010 Census Web Site Running 2nd in the Webbys

If you found the 2010 Census Web site creative, innovative, engaging, and packed with the information that helped you answer questions and helped you help us get out the word about the Census, we encourage you to visit the Webby Awards site and cast your vote.
The Webby Awards are the premier honor for innovation and creativity on the Web.
The Webbys are the "Oscars of the Internet," recognizing the highest achievements in web innovation and creativity in four categories: websites, interactive advertising, online film & video, and mobile. Every Webby Award category has two winners – the committee’s winner and the People’s winner, chosen by the public through massively popular interactive voting.
Last year the 13th Annual Webby People's Voice Awards received 750,000 votes and over 8 million visits in 3 weeks. This year the Webby Awards are teaming up with AOL to drive record voting and user engagement with the best of the web.

Census 2010 is under Society, under Government.

Friday, April 23, 2010

USA TODAY: 2010 Census Participation Rate hits 71%

“The percentage of households that have mailed back their Census forms could top the 2000 response rate — a major accomplishment in the face of growing suspicion of government, swelling population and increased diversity. The participation rate hit 71% Tuesday, just one point below the 2000 Census rate.” -- USA TODAY, Wednesday, April 21, 2010


The Census folks add:
America can be very proud of its participation in the 2010 Census. 71% is not the final mailback participation rate. The participation by more than 7 in 10 households will help save money and make the upcoming door-to-door count easier to complete.
You can continue to check the participation for the nation, your state and community.
Please read the Director’s Blog thanking 2010 Census partners for their support.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Advocates recommend moving census online

By Mike Chalmers
The News Journal (Delaware) (April 19, 2010)

Want to pay the electric bill online? There's a website for that.

Buy a swimsuit? Get the news? Book a hotel? Stay in touch with friends? Pay your taxes? There are websites for those, too.

But fill out your census form online?

Forget it. Time for pencil, paper and snail mail, the same way it's been done since 1960 and not too different from the way George Washington was counted in the first census in 1790.

In an increasingly online world, a paper-based census seems like an inefficient, costly and wasteful anachronism that should have been replaced by now.

The website unofficialcensus.org, which asks the same 10 questions as the real census, was launched last month to push for an online form by showing how simple it could be.

More HERE.

***
I noticed that the one thing the Unofficial Census doesn’t ask that the real Census does (besides phone number, which it doesn't need) is the relationship of the people on the form. This is a HUGE issue, especially when dealing with genealogy in 72 years, when the information will be made available.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

WORLD BANK GROUP OPENS DATA TO ALL

World Development Indicators, Global Development Finance, Africa Development Indicators, and Global Economic Monitor are now free, open, and easy to access at data.worldbank.org.

Recognizing that transparency and accountability are essential to development, the World Bank Group now provides free, open, and easy access to its comprehensive set of data on living standards around the globe—some 2,000 indicators, including hundreds that go back 50 years. The data is available in Arabic, French, and Spanish in addition to English.

"Open data will foster innovation." - Hans Rosling, Gapminder Foundation

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Fed

Federal Reserve statistical releases and historical data have been divided into two pages: Statistics and Historical Data and Surveys and Reports.

Principal Economic Indicators
•Consumer Credit - G.19
•Factors Affecting Reserve Balances - H.4.1
•Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization - G.17
•Money Stock Measures - H.6
Bank Assets and Liabilities
•Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base - H.3
•Agricultural Finance Databook - E.15
•Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the U.S. - H.8
•Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies in Foreign Banks•Charge-Off and Delinquency Rates on Loans and Leases at Commercial Banks
•Insured Commercial Bank Assets and Liabilities, Domestic and Foreign Offices
•Survey of Terms of Business Lending - E.2
Business Finance
•Commercial Paper
•Finance Companies - G.20
•New Security Issues, State and Local Governments
•New Security Issues, U.S. Corporations
•Stock Market, Selected Statistics
Exchange Rates and International Data
•Foreign Exchange Rates -
H.10 weekly, G.5 monthly | annual
•International Summary Statistics
•Securities Holdings and Transactions
•Statistics Reported by Banks in the United States
•Statistics Reported by Nonbanking Enterprises in the United States
Flow of Funds Accounts
•Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States - Z.1
Household Finance
•Consumer Credit - G.19
•Finance Companies - G.20
•Mortgage Debt Outstanding
•Household Debt Service and Financial Obligations Ratios
Industrial Activity
•Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization - G.17
Interest Rates
•Selected Interest Rates - H.15 daily | weekly
Money Stock and Reserve Balances
•Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base - H.3
•Factors Affecting Reserve Balances - H.4.1
•Money Stock Measures - H.6
Other
•K.8 - Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve, 2009-2013
•Selected Interest Rates -- Monthly (G.13) - discontinued
•Statistical Release Publications History

Monday, April 19, 2010

Patent search sites

Two patent searching sites for any lists of science, law or business resources:

SumoBrain
FreePatentsOnline

Both of the sites are totally free, with powerful search engines, large document collections, and many features that other sites lack, including PDF downloading.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

2010 Horizon Report

From hillsearch.org

The annual Horizon Report(PDF) seeks to identify emerging technologies which look to have a significant impact on higher education in the next one to five years.
This year's Horizon Report notes the increasingly collaborative nature of student work at college campuses, as well as the increasing presence of "cloud computing" environments, mobile computing, open content, and even newer technology areas.
Why does this matter to you, if you're not in the educational marketplace? Today's college students will your workforce tomorrow - and your valuable customers. Don't miss this opportunity to see how they're learning, communicating, and living now and in the near future.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Day Left to Mail Back 2010 Census Forms...

...before an army of folks, Census enumerators, start coming to your door, up to six times, costing an estimated $1.5 billion. I know, what's a billion and a half dollars in a sea of red ink? But I'm still convinced that every littler bit helps.

Here's yesterday's press release, when there were two days left.

And there are videos to help explain the process:
The Whole Story: Language Assistance Videos
Is English not your first language? Do you need help filling out the form? The Census Bureau has created language assistance videos in 63 different languages to help you fill out your form. Watch this video to learn more.
Running time: 2:18
Census page
YouTube
Mediadownload

The Whole Story: Foreclosure
Has the current economic situation placed you or someone you know into nonconventional housing? Learn how the Census Bureau is making sure all U.S. residents are counted.
Running time: 0:55
Census
YouTube
mediadownload

The Whole Story: Second Mailing
Did you lose, misplace or never receive your 2010 Census form? Learn about our second mailing.
Running time:0:56
Census
YouTube mediadownload

Door-to-Door Census Taking (Census)

Hey, you can read the 2010 Census Blog, connect with the Bureau on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to get more tips, or visit the 2010 Census site.

My goodness, one can Friend the Census Bureau! (Did I ever mention how uncomfortable I am with the loose use of the word "friend"?)

Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council

From HillSearch.org


Government resources sometimes prove extraordinarily useful, and we enjoy sharing positive examples of your tax dollar at work.
This new site from the FFIEC allows you to look up individual FDIC-insured institutions' Uniform Bank Performance Reports and Reports of Condition and Income (Call Reports), or download the available data in quantity.
You can also look to see how that bank performs in comparison to its peer group in different benchmarks, such as types of loans issued, balance sheet, summary ratios, and more.
While these reports have long been available publicly in one form or another, the new data center makes it much easier to search, access, and manipulate the information available - perfect for those researching the financial services industry as a whole, or needing in-depth details on the activities and financial "health" of an individual bank.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Port Authority of NY & NJ Updated on SeeThroughNY

Payroll records for 7,449 employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have been posted on www.SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center's government transparency web site for taxpayers. The new data includes names, titles, locations, base pay rates and total pay received for those employees in 2009.

The full text of this press release is available here.

Contact: Lise Bang-Jensen
518.434.3100

Cruise Industry News

The Cruise Lines International Association has some free reports on their site. You can access the Market Profile Study and the Cruise Market Overview without being a member of the association.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2009 Local Housing Market Reports - 4th Quarter

Every housing market is unique. These Local Market Reports (LMRs) — which reflect data available through 4th Quarter 2009 — provide insights into the fundamentals and direction of the nation's largest metropolitan housing markets. Each downloadable report evaluates a number of factors affecting home prices, including:


•• The health of the local job market
•• Foreclosure rates
•• Housing inventory
•• Debt-to-income and mortgage-servicing-costs-to-income ratios

New York State Civil Service Announcements Now Exclusively Online

Examination postings by the NYS Department of Civil Service are now exclusively electronic. Approximately every two weeks an updated examination schedule is posted here.

Individuals may register to receive these postings automatically. To register, go here.

Both sites are also linked through the New York State Library's Job Information in Public Libraries site under the heading "Civil Service".

In addition, the Department of Civil Service, Recruitment Services Unit, engages in targeted recruitment for specific examinations from time to time. Through these targeted recruitments, Civil Service reaches out to individuals and organizations across New York State to inform the public on examination opportunities in a specific field (for example, exams for positions with the Division of Veterans' Affairs).

For more information, please contact: Cassandra Artale, New York State Library / Division of Library Development, 518/474-1479, cartale@mail.nysed.gov or Jessica Rowe, New York State Department of Civil Service / Recruitment Services Unit, 518/474-6231, SSDRecruitServices@cs.state.ny.us

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Some Reasons You're Not Yet Receiving Your Census Form

We’re receiving calls on the 866-872-6868 toll-free line from folks who haven’t received a 2010 census form yet. There are various reasons that can explain why this occurred. Each of them explain small numbers of cases; if this affects you, you can read these below to see how we’re following up on such cases.
You live in an Update/Enumerate area . For about 1.5 million addresses in remote areas, many American Indian reservations, Texas Colonias, and areas with high concentrations of seasonally vacant housing units, we send census workers to these areas to collect the information in person. This operation only began on March 22, and will continue through the end of May.
Your form is undeliverable. Some of the forms we provide to the United States Postal Service for delivery are returned by them as undeliverable. As of April 3, we had received 12.9 million of these from USPS. Many of these are for vacant housing units, but some will be situations where we had an address error in our file, or the address we have is not actually used for mail delivery. We will visit each undeliverable address during our nonresponse follow-up operation (May 1 – July 10) to collect census information in person or to determine the unit is vacant or non-residential.
You live in an area of new construction. In the spring of 2009, we hired approximately 150,000 people to canvass the ground and update our nationwide master address file. Since the completion of that operation, new homes have been built. We obtained information about such addresses from both the USPS and local governments, but most of these addresses were added to our file too late to include them in the initial mailout or hand delivery of questionnaires. Addresses sent to us by USPS will receive a form during a late mailout that is happening now. Address information sent to us by local governments will be visited during a later operation to make sure we count them and any occupants.
Your addresses had a late code addition for its geographical location. For some of the addresses in our file, we were unable to assign them to a specific geographic block by the time we needed to begin printing and labeling questionnaires. We have since been able to complete this work for many of these cases (about 500,000 addresses) and began mailing questionnaires this week.
Your address is included in the “update review” process. As part of our address list development efforts, local, tribal, and state governments had an opportunity to review our address file and tell us about missing or mis-geocoded addresses. Some addresses have been the focus of an appeals process, and will be included in a late questionnaire mailing going on in the first weeks of April or visited during a later operation.
You have a post office box in a mailout/mailback area. We don’t send census forms to P.O. boxes. The census is all about counting people where they live and sleep, so we must tie each form to a physical location. P.O. boxes are not tied to specific housing units, so we can’t use them to send the forms to specific housing units. One of our census workers will visit houses that rely on P.O. boxes between May 1 and July 10.
Your address is incomplete in our file. We have some address listings on our file that are incomplete, and to which we cannot mail a form: an address with only a street name, or with only a location description. In most cases, we assigned these addresses to a specific location (either with GPS coordinates or a map spot) during the Address Canvassing operation in the Summer of 2009, so we will be able to visit them during the nonresponse follow-up operation (May 1 – July 10).
Your form was misdelivered. It is possible that some of the forms were delivered to the wrong address by either the post office or census workers conducting hand delivery. If these addresses are in an area with historically low mail response rates, they will be included in the blanket replacement mailing that took place the first week of April. If they don't receive a form at all, we still have the address and location on file, and we’ll visit during our nonresponse follow-up operation to collect census information in person (May 1 – July 10).
You live in group quarters. Many people live in what we term “group quarters ” -- college dormitories, military barracks, prisons and jails, most nursing homes, juvenile institutions, and other similar facilities. We do not mail questionnaires to residents of group quarters. Instead, residents are counted during a separate operation where census workers visit the location to distribute and then collect completed forms. There are about 270,000 group quarters facilities to be enumerated in the 2010 Census (between April 1 and May 21).
Your housing unit is miscoded as group quarters . Although most group quarters are fairly easy to identify, we sometimes mis-classify multi-unit buildings as group quarters when they really should have been coded as housing units. Because these units are in the group quarters inventory, they won't have a form delivered in the mail. However, they will be enumerated during the group quarters operation – April 1 through May 21.
We missed your address in our canvassing operation . There may be some units that we completely missed in our canvassing in summer of 2009. If that is the case, we may not be planning any follow-up activity. In this case, we ask that you wait until April 12 and then obtain a “be counted” form from a Be Counted site in your area or call 866-872-6868 for assistance.
Indeed, if you don’t yet have a form, you may not know for sure which of the groups above you may fit into. If you believe you won’t be counted, then beginning on April 12 you can call 1‐866‐872‐6868 and we will either take your information over the phone or send you a form by mail. If you prefer, you can also obtain a form from a Be Counted or Questionnaire Assistance Center site from now through April 19. Locations of these sites can be found on our Web site.
Please submit any questions pertaining to this post to ask.census.gov

Census Info: Call Today!

Give your answers over the phone or request a form be sent to where you live. Do it today, to ensure you can mail it back in time to avoid a census taker coming to your door. Don't be left out of the count for your community.
Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA)
• ENGLISH - 1-866-872-6868
• Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
• Korean: 1-866-955-2010
• Russian: 1-866-965-2010
• Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
• Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010
• TDD (Telephone Display Device for the hearing impaired): 1-866-783-2010
• Puerto Rico (in English): 1-866-939-2010
• Puerto Rico (in Spanish): 1-866-929-2010

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Census Reaching Out

Worth1000 Contests.

Electoral College Reform

The electoral college is a time-honored system that has only produced results in conflict with the popular vote three times in over 200 years. However, it's obvious that reforms are needed. The organization of the states should be altered. This Electoral Reform Map redivides the territory of the United States into 50 bodies of equal size. The 2000 Census records a population of 281,421,906 for the United States. The states ranged in population from 493,782 to 33,871,648.1 In this map, new states have formed, all with equal populations of roughly 5,617,000.2

President Obama: Clear As Black and White

Opinion piece on the President's Census form.

Of course, race is now self-identified.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Analysis of census participation rates by race/ethnicity

The Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York Graduate Center has analyzed 2010 Census “participation rates” through the second week of the Mail-out/Mail-back operation by key variables, including race and Hispanic origin (ethnicity), using its Census 2010 Hard To Count Interactive Mapping Website (www.CensusHardToCountMaps.org).

Key findings through week 2 include:

• Counties with higher percentages of White population have higher participation rates, on average, than counties with higher percentages of Black and Hispanic populations.

• Within counties, the correlation between greater percentages of Black population and lower participation rates is even stronger. At the census tract level, higher percentages of Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian Americans all were associated with lower participation rates.

• Several major cities stood out from these trends. For example, the association between higher percent Black population at the tract level and lower participation was much stronger in cities such as St. Louis, Boston, and Oakland (CA), while much weaker in cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Georgia.

• Detroit stood out altogether. Participation rates in Detroit tended to be lower in tracts with a greater percentage of Whites, and higher in tracts with a greater percentage of Blacks.

• In three cities with substantial Hispanic populations (Miami; Newark, NJ; and New York), higher percentages of Hispanics at the tract level were associated with higher participation rates.

The analysis continues to track the correlation between tract level hard-to-count (HTC) scores and mail response. The Center’s analysis through Week 1 of the mail-out/mail-back operation is posted at www.urbanresearch.org/news/resources/census2010participation.

The Mail-out/Mail-back phase ends on April 19; after that, the Census Bureau will begin to compile the addresses that census takers must visit in the massive door-to-door operation (Nonresponse Follow-Up), scheduled for May 1 – July 10. The Census Bureau might be able to remove some “late mail returns” received in the last week of April from the lists to be used in Nonresponse Follow-Up but cannot guarantee that census takers will not visit those households.

For further information:
Steven Romalewski (CUNY), 212-817-2033, SRomalewski@gc.cuny.edu
Terri Ann Lowenthal (FCI), 203-353-4364, TerriAnn2K@aol.com

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Infor For Out-Of-State Tax Filers Affected By Spring Storms And Flooding

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced guidance for taxpayers who are unable to file their personal income tax returns - including partnership and fiduciary returns - by April 15 because of last month's severe storms and flooding in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

To view the entire document please visit HERE.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Updated Public Authority Payrolls Posted Online

Updated payroll files for Public Authorities have been posted on www.SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center's government transparency web site for taxpayers. The new data includes names, titles, base pay rates and total pay received for the 59,979 public authority employees added this week.
The full text of this press release is available here.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Census will count gay couples

Gay and lesbian couples who share a home may identify one another as "husband or wife" on their 2010 census forms if that's how they view their relationship — even if they have not legally married in any of the places where it is allowed.

And whatever they say on that form is precisely how the government will count them.

MORE HERE.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Latinos and the 2010 Census

Census-related article from the Pew Hispanic Center

Overall, seven-in-ten (70%) Hispanics say the census is good for the Hispanic community. However, foreign-born Hispanics are more likely than native-born Hispanics to feel this way -- 80% versus 57%.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

With the health reform law adopted, the questions begin

From the Rockefeller Institute of Government [info@rockinst.org]

Congress may have concluded its long journey to pass health reform legislation, but questions about the law's implementation are only just beginning. Two Institute experts offer commentary about some of the issues that New York and the nation now face.
A key feature of the newly enacted law is expansion of Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor. Courtney Burke, director of the Institute's Health Policy Research Center, points out that New York already spends more than any other state on Medicaid — a total of $51 billion under Governor David Paterson's proposed budget. But much needs to be done to ensure that New York gets the best value — and health care — for its dollar, she says in a commentary now on the Institute's Web site. Burke also contributed to the March 25 Huffington Post blog, with her thoughts on the ingredients needed for effective implementation of the new law at the state level.
Deputy Director Robert B. Ward, who heads the Institute's research on state and local finances, writes in a separate commentary that the new law presents all sorts of questions whose answers may not be revealed for years. Among them: How much will the expanded coverage provided by the new law ultimately cost federal, state and local governments? His observations are also available on the Institute's Web site.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Social Studies and the Young Learner - "2010 Census:Count Me In!

Preparing for the 2010 census has created many opportunities for the Census in Schools team to establish fruitful partnerships with the nation's educational community.

The theme of the March/April 2010 issue of Social Studies and the Young Learner (SSYL) is "2010 Census: Count Me In!"-- This issue includes several articles about using census data and resources in K-5 classrooms.

Read abstracts at www.socialstudies.org/publications/ssyl. SSYL is a peer-reviewed journal of National Council for the Social Studies.

Friday, April 2, 2010

2007 Economic Census - Retail Trade Data

The first of the 2007 Economic Census data for New York State and smaller areas is now available on American FactFinder. This is the Retail Trade data. The other sectors are expected over the next few months.

2010 Census Barcode - it makes sure your household is counted!

This short video? discusses the use of barcodes on the 2010 Census questionnaires. It responds to the concerns about the addresses on the 2010 Census forms.

Spuds

From NYLINK

The most recent "Potatoes" statistical release from the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating with New York Department of Agriculture and Markets was emailed by the USDA on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2010 ... no fooling!

These seasonal reports, over time, include Planting and Harvesting data, Production and Stock figures, and Value comparisons.

Potato Reports can be found online courtesy of the National Agricultural Statistics Service ghere where you can also subscribe to email releases.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Census Data Can Impact Your Business Strategy

April 1 is National Census Day and by now we should all have received, completed, and returned our 2010 Census forms. Because just by answering 10 simple questions, we can all directly affect the quality of life, services, and job creation in our communities. To help ensure communities are counted, the U.S. Census Bureau is asking small businesses to voluntarily raise awareness and advocate the importance of the 2010 Census with its 2010 Census Partner Program.

READ MORE.

100 Years of U.S. Consumer Spending

Here's a Consumer Spending Breakdown.

The Power of SUNY

The most recent version of the strategic plan, The Power of SUNY is available for public comment for about one week.

Questions on the Census Form

AGE asked since 1790

HOW WE ASK IT
What is this person’s age and what is this person’s date of birth?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Provides data on voting age population required for legislative redistricting
• Used to identify school districts with school age children in poverty
• Needed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop state projections on the need for hospitals, nursing homes, cemeteries, and other benefits for veterans
• Used in Federal programs to target funds or services to children, working-age adults, or the elderly


Community Impact:
• Used to allot funds to counties and school districts to improve the education of economically disadvantaged children
• Used to identify locations needing new schools as well as the required grade levels (elementary, middle or high school)
• Needed by planners to determine the number of highways, hospitals, health services, and retirement homes
• Used to enforce equal employment opportunities under the Age Discrimination and Employment Act
• Used to forecast the number of people eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits


WHY WE ASK IT THIS WAY

Age is asked in a two-part question: the first part asks for the age of the person, and the second part asks for the date of birth. Since one person in each household usually fills out this census questionnaire for every other household member sometimes ages are reported incorrectly or left blank. This two-part format increases the number of people that we get answers for and improves the accuracy of those answers.

AGE, continued asked since 1790

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

COMMERCE... Legislative Redistricting-- (13 U.S.C. 141(c)]
EDUCATION ...Title I Funds--
Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act/
Compensatory Education for the Disadvantaged Program--
[20 U.S.C. 2711(c)(2)(A)-(C)],
Low-Interest Insured Student Loans-- [20 U.S:.C. 1072(b)],
Adult Education Act--[20 U.S.C. 1204(a)],
Higher Education Act--[42 U.S.C. 2751, 2752b]
EEOC ...Age Discrimination and Employment Act -- [42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.]
EPA ....Resource Conservation and Recovery Act--
[42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.];
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act--
[42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.]
HHS ....Older Americans Act--[42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.)
Public Health Service Act--
[42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A) & (B), 254e(b) & (d) & 254f-1]
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
[42 U.S.C. 8629(a)(5)]
HUD ...Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
[42 U.S.C. 5302 & 5306],
Housing and Urban Development Act / Section 202 Grants--
[12 U.S.C. 1701q]
JUSTICE ...Voting Rights Act-Bilingual Election Requirements--
[42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a],
Civil Rights Act--
[42 U.S.C. 2000f],
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act--
[42 U.S.C. 5632]
LABOR...Job Training Partnership Act--
[29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.],
Labor Surplus Areas Program--
[Executive Orders 12073 & 10582]
VA ...State Projections of Veteran Population--
[38 U.S.C. 8131(1)]

GENDER asked since 1790

HOW WE ASK IT
What is this person's sex?


WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Required by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to fund, implement, and evaluate various social and welfare programs, such as the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Needed for laws that promote equal employment opportunity for women
• Used to develop the Department of Veterans Affairs’ state projections of veterans' facilities and benefits
• Used to assess the social and economic status of boys and girls in each school district in the Department of Education's report for Congress
• Needed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to establish and evaluate guidelines dealing with equal employment opportunity


Community Impact:
• Needed by state and local planners who analyze social and economic characteristics of males and females to predict future needs for housing, education, child care, health, transportation, and employment
• Used under the Job Training Partnership Act to allocate funds to provide job training services for economically disadvantaged women
• Used to evaluate employment practices under the Civil Rights Act
• Used to allocate funds for programs that promote educational equality for women and girls under the Women's Educational Equity Act
• Used at state and county levels to allocate funds for food, health care services, and classes in meal planning to low-income women with children
• Needed to evaluate housing policies and practices under the Civil Rights Act


WHY WE ASK IT THIS WAY

This item provides the ability to differentiate between males and females.
GENDER, continued asked since 1790

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS ...Civil Rights Act (Discrimination in Housing,
Education, and Employment --
[42 U.S.C. 1975c(a)(4)]
EDUCATION ...Women's Educational Equity Act-- [20 U.S.C. 3341]
EEOC ...Federal Affirmative Action Plans-- [5 U.S.C. 7201(a)(1)],
Federal Affirmative Action Programs-- [42 U.S. C. 2000e-16(b)(1)],
Equal Employment Opportunity Act--[42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a)(2)]
EPA ...Regulatory Review-- [Executive Order 12866, Oct. 1, 1993],
Environmental Justice-- [Executive Order 12898, Feb. 11, 1994],
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-- [42 U.S-C. 6901 et seq.],
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act--
[42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.]
HHS ...Older Americans Act--
[42 U.S.C. 3002, 3026(a)(1), 3027,(a)(8)],
Public Health Service Act--
[42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A) & (B), 254e(b) & (d), & 254f-1],
Voluntary Family Planning Program --
[42 U.S.C. 300a-2],
Collection of Vital Social, and Health Statistics-
[42 U.S.C. 242k]
JUSTICE ...Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act--
[42 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.]
LABOR...Job Training Partnership Act--
[29 U.S.C. 1501 et seq., Sections 1511, 1518, 1532,
1551, 1602, 1603, 1661, 1707, & 1736],
Labor Surplus Areas Program--
[Executive Orders 10582 & 12073],
Employment Practices of Government Contractors--
[Executive Order 11246]
VA ...State Projection of Veteran Population--
[38 U. S. C. 8131]

RELATIONSHP asked since 1880

HOW WE ASK IT
How is this person related to Person 1?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Provides information about changes in the composition of the American family which is essential for planning and carrying out a number of Federal programs
• Used to define poverty -- which is based on income thresholds that vary by size of family and number of children
• Used to determine, in part, how the money is spent in Federally funded nutrition and education programs such as the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children
• Used by the Social Security Administration to handle a number of planning issues under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs


Community Impact:
• Used to distribute funds for housing to local governments under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program
• Needed under Title I to allocate funds to states and counties to improve the education of children in low-income families
• Used to identify children in families near or below the poverty line for spending for Head Start
• Needed by local health agencies to plan and administer programs that promote the well-being of families and children


WHY WE ASK IT THIS WAY

Relationship is essential for classifying the population into families and household types. The first group of categories is for persons related to the householder -- these individuals together constitute a family. All others are unrelated individuals. If everyone in a household is unrelated to the householder, it is referred to as a "nonfamily household." Categories showing natural-born, step, and adoptive children are necessary to reflect the increasingly complex family structures created as a result of marital disruption, remarriage, and cohabitation. Data collected about relationships involving in-laws are used to measure multi-generational living arrangements.

RELATIONSHIP, continued asked since 1880

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

EDUCATION ...Title I Funds --
Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act /
Compensatory Education of the Disadvantaged Program--
[20 U.S.C. 2711(c)(2)(A)-(C)],
Higher Education Act--
[42 U.S.C. 2751 & 2752b]
HHS ...Head Start Act--
[42 U.S.C. 9835(a)(3)],
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)--
[42 U.S.C. 8622 & 8623],
Older Americans Act--
[42 U.S.C. 3002, 3026(a)(1), 3027(a)(8)],
Child Welfare Act--
[42 U.S.C. 192],
School Breakfast Program--
[42 U.S.C. 1773c]
HUD ...National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 /
HOME Investment Partnerships Program--
[42 U.S.C. 12747]
LABOR ...Immigration Act of 1990--
[8 U.S.C. 1182 note & 1182(a)(5)(A)],
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986--
[8 U.S.C. 1364]
SSA ...Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Program--
[42 U.S.C. 421-426 & 42 U.S.C. 902]
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program--
[42 U.S.C. 1381-1383(d) & 42 U.S.C. 902]

RACE asked since 1790

HOW WE ASK IT
What is this person’s race?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Needed to assess racial disparities in health and environmental risks
• Used under the Voting Rights Act to identify minority language groups that require voting materials in their own language
• Used under the Civil Rights Act to assess fairness of employment practices


Community Impact:
• Necessary to the Community Reinvestment Act to help determine whether financial institutions meet the credit needs of minorities in low- and moderate-income areas
• Needed under the Public Health Service Act as a key factor in identifying segments of the population who may not be receiving needed medical services
• Required by states to meet legislative redistricting requirements by knowing the racial make-up of the voting age population


WHY WE ASK IT THIS WAY

The racial classifications used by the Census Bureau adhere to the October 1997 revised standards for the classification of Federal data on race and ethnicity, issued by the Office of Management and Budget. These standards govern the categories used to collect and publish Federal data on race and ethnicity. Each answer provided by a respondent represents self-classification according to the race or races with which the individual most closely identifies. This question includes both racial and national origin or socio-cultural groups and attempts to reflect the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population. The term "African Am.” is included to reflect the increased prevalence of the term in the past decade. Other changes to the wording and arrangement of the categories were made to improve accuracy.
RACE, continued asked since 1790

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

COMMERCE ...Legislative Redistricting-- [13 U.S.C. 141(c)]

EDUCATION ...Provisions on Strengthening Historically Black Colleges --
[20 U.S.C. 1060]
Grants for Basic Skills of Dropouts--
[20 U.S.C. 7261-7268 (replaces 20 U.S.C. 3241)]
EEOC ...Federal Affirmative Action Plans--[5 U.S.C. 7201(a)(1)],
Federal Affirmative Action Programs-- [42 U.S.C. 2000e-16(b)(1)],
Equal Employment Opportunity Act-- [42 U.S:C. 2000e-2(a)(2)]
FEDERAL RESERVE ...Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975--
[12 U.S.C. 2809(a)]
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977--
[12 U.S.C. 2901]
HHS ...Older Americans Act--
[42 U.S.C. 3002, 3026(a)(1), 3027(a)(8)],
Public Health Service Act--
[42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A) & (B), 254e(b) & (d) & 254f-1]
Native American Programs Act-- [42 U.S.C. 2992],
Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980-- [42 U.S.C. 628]
HUD ...Mortgage Revenue Bonds Program-- [26 U.S.C. 143],
Low-Income Housing Tax Credits-- [26 U.S.C. 42),
Housing Improvement Program (Snyder Act)--󲐀 [25 U.SC. 13]
JUSTICE ...Voting Rights Act-Bilingual Election Requirements--
[42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a]
Civil Rights Act-- [42 U.S.C. 1975c(a) &- 2000c-2, d, f],
Legislative Redistricting-- [13 U.S.C. 141(c)]
LABOR ...Employment Practices of Government Contractors --
[Executive Order 11246],
Immigration Act of 1990--
[8 U.S.C. 1182 note & 1182(a)(5)(A)],
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 --
[8 U.S.C. 1364]
USDA ...Food Stamp Act--[7 U.S.C. 612c]
VA ...Veterans Benefits Program--R [38 U.S.C. 317]

HISPANIC ORIGIN asked since 1970

HOW WE ASK IT
Is this person of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin?
WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Essential to ensure enforcement of bilingual election rules under the Voting Rights Act
• Used to meet guidelines mandated in the October 1997 revised standards for the classification of Federal data on ethnicity (issued by the Office of Management and Budget)
• Used to monitor and enforce equal employment opportunities under the Civil Rights Act


Community Impact:
• Used in identifying segments of the population who may not be getting needed medical services under the Public Health Service Act
• Used under the Community Reinvestment Act to evaluate whether financial institutions are meeting the credit needs of minority groups in low- and moderate-income communities
• Used to allot funds to school districts for bilingual services under the Bilingual Language Act
• Needed under the Voting Rights Act to monitor compliance of local jurisdictions by using counts of the voting-age population by national origin to ensure equality in voting


WHY WE ASK IT THIS'WAY

This question provides information that is needed for a more complete understanding of the composition of our population. It adheres to the October 1997 revised standards for the classification of Federal data on race and ethnicity, issued by the Office of Management and Budget, which provide standard classifications for collection and presentation of such data. Each answer provided by the respondent represents self-classification. The categories are arranged and worded to reduce respondent confusion and to lower the nonresponse rate. The category, "No, not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino" is listed first so that the question more clearly will show that it pertains to all respondents and to convey that respondents, Hispanics as well as non-Hispanics should provide an answer. The terms "Mexican Am." and "Chicano" are shown with "Mexican" so that more Mexican Americans will identify with this category and, thus, improve the accuracy of the data.

HISPANIC ORIGIN, continued asked since 1970

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

COMMERCE ...Legislative Redistricting--
[13 U.S.C. 141 (c)],
Estimates of Hispanic Origin Population--
[13 U.S.C. 141 note (P.L. 94-311, H.J. Res. 92)]
EDUCATION ...Bilingual Education Act--
[20 U.S.C. 3291 (part a), 3301 (part b), 3321 (part c)]
EEOC ...Federal Affirmative Action Plans--
[5 U.S.C. 7201(a)(1)],
Federal Affirmative Action Programs--
[42 U.S.C. 2000e-16(b)(1)],
Equal Employment Opportunity Act--
[42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a)(2)]
EPA ...Regulatory Review--
[Executive Order 12866, Oct 1, 1993];
Environmental Justice--
[Executive Order 12898; Feb: 11, 1994);
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act--
[42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.];
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and. Liability Act--
[42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.]
FEDERAL RESERVE ...Community Reinvestment Act of 1977--
[12 U.S.C. 2901]
HHS ...Older Americans Act--
[42 U.S.C. 3002, 3026(a)(1), 3027(a)(8)],
Public Health Service Act--
[42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)(A) & (B), 254e(b) & (d), & 254f-1]
JUSTICE ...Voting Rights Act-Bilingual Election Requirements--
[42 U.S.C. 1973aa-1a],
Civil Rights Act--
[42 U.S.C. 1975c(a) & 2000c-2, d, f]

OCCUPANCY asked since 1890

HOW WE ASK IT
Is this house, apartment, or mobile home -?
Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan?
Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear(without a mortgage or loan)?
Rented? Occupied without payment of cash rent?

WHAT IT MEANS FOR EVERYONE

Federal Uses (also see the selected statutory uses on the opposite page):
• Used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as an integral component of the formula to establish Fair Market Rents and is essential for the Federal Housing Authority's mortgage insurance program
• Needed by the Department of Health and Human Services to profile the tenure of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program households
• Used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, along with other census data, to prepare the value of housing services for the National Income and Product Accounts
• Used to assess the costs of utilities based on the type of homeownership
• Used to calculate homeownership vacancy rates and rental vacancy rates that Federal and local agencies need in order to evaluate the overall viability of local housing markets


Community Impacts:
• Used by local planners to assess neighborhood stability since, generally, higher owner-occupancy rates are considered to be a good indicator of neighborhood stability because owners have considerable long-term investments in their homes
• Used to allocate Section 8 and other Federal housing program subsidies that assist Americans to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing
• Used by the Federal Reserve Bond to determine whether financial institutions are meeting the credit needs of minority groups in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods
• Needed by the Federal Highway Administration (DOT) to allocate funds for public transportation services for elderly and handicapped people based, in part, on proportions of homes rented, since renters are more likely to use public transportation.


WHY WE ASK IT THIS WAY

Tenure is the most basic feature of the housing inventory, and these categories are necessary to classify occupied units as either owner-occupied or renter-occupied. Homeownership rates have served as an indicator of the health of the Nation's economy for decades.
OCCUPANCY, continued asked since 1890

AGENCIES SELECTED STATUTORY USES

COMMERCE ...Statistical Information for the Transaction of Public Business --
[15 U.S.C. 1516]
DOT ...Federal-Aid Highways - Public Transportation --[23 U.S.C. 142]
FEDERAL RESERVE ...Community Reinvestment Act of 1977--
[12 U.S.C. 2901]
HHS ...Older Americans Act --
[42 U.S.C. 3001 et seq., 3002, 3026(a)(1), 3027(a)(8)],
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)--
[42 U .S.C. 8629],
Health Care for the Homeless Program--
[42 U.S.C. 256(p)],
Community Services Block Grant Act--
[42 U.S.C. 9902(2)]
HUD ...Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program--
[42U.S.C. 5302(a)],
Comprehensive Housing Afford ability Strategies (CHAS)--
[42 U .S.C. 12705(b)(3)]
Emergency Shelter Grant Program--
[42 U .S.C. 11373]
Public Housing/Section 8 Certificate and Housing Voucher Allocation Programs --
[42 U.S.C. 1437f],
Fair Market Rents -- [42•U.S.C. 1437],
Section 8 Income Limits-- [42 U .S.C. 1439],
Mortgage Revenue Bonds Program --
[26 U.S.C. 143(j) & (k)],
National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 / Home Allocations --
[42 U.S.C. 12742(a)(1)],
FHA Multifamily Insurance--
[12 U.S.C. 1702, 1709, 1715(b), 1715(I) & 42 U.S.C. 3535(d)],
President's National Urban Policy Report –
[42 U .S.C. 4501],
Low-Income Housing Tax Credits-- [26 U.S.C. 42(d)(5)(A) & (C)],
Housing and Urban Development Act / Section 202 Grants--
[12 U.S.C. 1701q & 42 U .S.C. 1439]
USDA ...Rural Development Policy Act--
[7 U.S.C. 2204 et seq.]