My Two Census

Long Island, affectionately known by some of its own as “Strong Island” or simply “The Strong,” has a long history as a welcoming place for immigrants. Back in the 17th Century, it was settled by Dutch colonists before the British showed up and took over. By the time the 20th Century rolled around,  Eastern European, Italian, and Irish immigrants became the most populous newcomers to this suburban paradise. But by the 1980s, the winds shifted yet again, and people of Latin origins, primarily from The Dominican Republic and Central America, became the dominant immigrant groups. Today, the Census Bureau released its analysis of 2007 survey data outlining characteristics of the foreign-born population, such as the education they’ve attained, their income and employment status. Counting immigrants will surely be one of the most difficult tasks when compiling dating for the 2010 Census, we’re glad that the Bureau has a head start on using strategies to learn more about immigrant populations.

Washington, DC’s famed “Taxation Without Representation” license plate – almost as epic as New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” – could soon be obsolete.

A bill to give Washington a voting member in the House of Representatives is making strides in the Senate and could possibly become law this year. As the Times wrote this week, the law would give the District of Columbia a House seat and add another seat to Utah; according to the 2000 census, Utah is next in line by population to get another member.

That could all change with the 2010 census, however. Right now the only thing making this bill palatable to Republicans is that the heavily-Democratic DC will be offset by a new GOP stronghold in Utah. After 2010 the seat could be transferred to an entirely different state like Nevada, whose influx of Latinos has turned the rapidly growing state quite blue. If the government taketh away Utah’s seat, Republicans inarguably get the short end of the stick.

More to come on this shortly. In the interim, Stephen Colbert, always ahead of the curve, spoke with DC’s nonvoting Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton last week:

To all of our old friends and new, you may not recognize MyTwoCensus.com’s new look, but be assured that we spent President’s Day Weekend redesigning this site to make it more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Welcome back!

Every day, the Census Bureau releases a new “Portrait of America” radio announcement. Today’s announcement gave a brief history of the religious and commercial origins of Valentine’s Day. I imagine that few, if any people besides us here at mytwocensus.com actually listen to these announcements. Thus, we hereby call on the Census Bureau to release data detailing how many people listen to their broadcasts.

David Freedman, a highly regarded statistician and probabilist at the University of California at Berkeley passed away last October. He was a “leading skeptic of the view that the Census could be improved by statistical adjustments. In the New York Times Economix blog, Princeton professor Alan B. Krueger pays tribute to Freedman by implying that though he was initially skeptical of Freedman’s opinions, he eventually came to believe that Freedman made valid points with his argument that Census results should not be artificially adjusted.

*Click here to read the New York Times editorial titled “Census Crunch Time” that led to this Economix blog post from Krueger.

If you are searching for data concerning America’s population and demographics, look no further than the “American Factfinder” presented to us by the Census Bureau. As of this posting, you are sharing these beloved 50 states with 305,813,193 other people. However, this statistic doesn’t include the millions of undocumented immigrants known to be sharing this country with us.

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer believes that the Census was a a major concern that led to Gregg’s withdrawal as the nominee for the Secretary of Commerce position. If Gregg became Secretary of Commerce, he would have to wrestle for control over the Census process with White House Chief of Staff (and attack dog) Rahm Emanuel. But Gregg may simply get the heeby-jeebys when he thinks about shaking Rahm Emanuel’s finger stump before and after all Census-related meetings.

In a headline to trump all headlines, a story from today’s Washington Post reads: Virginia Loses Farmland, Farmers Get Older. As the results of America’s 2007 Agriculture Census were published today, it became clear that Virginia hasn’t gained any new territory and hasn’t acquired any farmers who have lifetime passes to the Fountain of Youth. In keeping with commenting on statistics immediately after they are published, MSNBC notes that fewer people are turning to farming for a living.

To end our night with a touch of bitterness on the Agriculture Census topic, one North Dakotan feels that the stats published today are an absolute sham, as he’s noticed plenty of abandoned rural homesteads, despite the report’s finding that North Dakota’s agribusiness is doing A-OK.

Here is the official White House statement on Judd Gregg’s withdrawal:

“Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President’s agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart.”

Now, I don’t mean to stoke the fire here, but this statement sounds a little hostile compared to other withdrawals — Tom Daschle, Bill Richardson, Nancy Killifer, and the like. It’s like the White House is outwardly saying, “He turned on us,” or, more implicitly, He screwed us. These press statements are painstakingly crafted so nothing is left to insinuate; every word is deliberate. By using the phrase, “It became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways,” the message is clear — Gregg got dumped, not the other way around.

Looks like there’ll be one less Republican in President Obama’s administration. As if Obama’s Cabinet picks hadn’t been battered enough in recent weeks, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) announced this afternoon that he is no longer seeking the Commerce secretary position the president tapped him for earlier this month, citing “irresolvable conflicts” over the stimulus package and the Census. Lest we forget, Gregg was Obama’s second choice for the Commerce post after Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) withdrew his name a month before over a “pay-to-play” probe in his state.

Below is the statement from Gregg’s office:

“I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle. However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy. Obviously the President requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives. I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position. As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the President’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine. Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments. As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.”