Downtown Residents Not Being Counted In Census 2010

DetroitDad · April-22-10, 07:32 PM

Not one person in the Leland Building received a census form, finally, during this final week, someone had to go get them from a census office and place them on the front desk. Unfortunately, enough people will probably not see them.

I have been hearing a similar story from some folks in other area buildings, especially low income buildings. No one has bothered to visit from the census office either. Have any other downtown residents had a problem?

**carman** · April-22-10, 07:46 PM

Don't feel too bad there DD. No form or census office visits out here in the big, bad, racist suburbs either.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-22-10, 07:55 PM

Have you called the census office? The Detroit Regional Census Center is in Brewery Park on Gratiot.

Retroit · April-22-10, 08:00 PM

If you are receiving mail at your address, you should have received a Census form.

Stosh · April-22-10, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Have you called the census office? The Detroit Regional Census Center is in Brewery Park on Gratiot.

That's what anyone actually concerned with that should have done.

Not post their concerns here with the hopes some random census official would see it?

**DetroitTeacher** · April-22-10, 08:18 PM

I worked for the Census Bureau years ago. An Enumerator will be out, if a census form isn't received. Enumerastors must check each address to verify it's a business, residence/vacant house, or vacant land. If it's a residence and no form was recieved from that address, then they will come knocking to have the folks fill out the forms.

DetroitDad · April-22-10, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Have you called the census office? The Detroit Regional Census Center is in Brewery Park on Gratiot.

Thanks! I'll give them a call.

This is more than just me. My entire building has not been contacted, according to management, and I am hearing rumors of other Downtown buildings not being counted as well. I myself inquired before, and was told to wait until this week, as forms were still being sent out. Upon arriving home this evening I was informed that no one in our building had received one. The deadline to have them in is May 1st, according to the form.

And Stosh, I didn't appreciate the lip. I am a manager at one of our great Detroit companies, and part owner of another. I work twelve or more hours everyday, and still find time to spend with my little girl. Writing a five minute post on our proactive town message board is a positive something, and better than a negative nothing.

**sumas** · April-23-10, 07:14 AM

Detroitdad, glad you are concerned about residents getting counted. Ignore Stosh's comment. This forum is a great way to get info quick.

It is no secret that Detroit is always under counted. I made sure that 7 "homeless" people who live in the city got counted. I know it is a drop in the bucket but every bit helps.

Let us know how your endeavors work out.

**wolverine** · April-23-10, 07:47 AM

They'd probably send someone over the Leland. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Leland more of a transients hotel. It seem like you can rent for ridiculously short amounts of time....meaning a census representative would have to determine if they were actual residents at that address.

Stosh · April-23-10, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Thanks! I'll give them a call.

This is more than just me. My entire building has not been contacted, according to management, and I am hearing rumors of other Downtown buildings not being counted as well. I myself inquired before, and was told to wait until this week, as forms were still being sent out. Upon arriving home this evening I was informed that no one in our building had received one. The deadline to have them in is May 1st, according to the form.

And Stosh, I didn't appreciate the lip. I am a manager at one of our great Detroit companies, and part owner of another. I work twelve or more hours everyday, and still find time to spend with my little girl. Writing a five minute post on our proactive town message board is a positive something, and better than a negative nothing.

Cry me a river. So you work, and have a part-time gig? Great. So do countless others, that still manage to make a call to the proper authority, or even an e-mail.
Detroit Regional Office

1395 Brewery Park Blvd., Suite 100
Detroit, MI 48207
[[313) 259-0056 or 1-800-432-1495
FAX: [[313) 259-5045
TDD: [[313) 259-5169
E-mail: Detroit.Regional.Office@census.gov

It took you five minutes to write that? Sheesh.

Nothing like being capable of looking things up for yourself, right Sumas?

Edit: Proactive means : acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes

**313WX** · April-23-10, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Stosh

That's what anyone actually concerned with that should have done.

Not post their concerns here with the hopes some random census official would see it?

The bigger point was the population of Detroit [[and even the suburbs) could be undercounted if some aren't even receiving their census forms so they can fill them out and send them back.

**gumby** · April-23-10, 08:10 AM

Stop being a dick Stosh. If it takes too much of your precious time to reply to a simple question then don't.

Stosh · April-23-10, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

The bigger point was the population of Detroit [[and even the suburbs) could be undercounted if some aren't even receiving their census forms so they can fill them out and send them back.

Just looked at the return rate for Detroit on the Census website, and especially the CBD, and the return rate is horrible. I guess you can expect that if the forms aren't being delivered. Someone I know didn't get a form either, you can 1‐866‐872‐6868 and they will either take your information over the phone or send you a form by mail.

Stosh · April-23-10, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by gumby

Stop being a dick Stosh. If it takes too much of your precious time to reply to a simple question then don't.

Funny. I'm sitting here typing this stuff and answering questions, and you are the one being a dick. Lovely.

**renf** · April-23-10, 08:30 AM

It will be interesting to see what theory Mayor Bing's legal staff, AG Cox and Governor Granholm take with regard to undercount in Census 2010. One of the most well known census suits was the Young v. Klutznick litigated based on Census 1980. The Young Administration contended that sound statistical methods were available to accurately adjust for net undercount and that the Reagan Administration was derelict in not using them. The federal court for the eastern district of Michigan agreed but the Fifth Circuit eventually ruled that Detroit lacked standing so there was no adjustment for undercount. The Supreme Court's 1999 Department of Commerce v. House of Representatives decicision unambiguously ruled that sampling count not be used to adjust for undercount for the counts used for reapportionment. They also reulted that adjusted census data could be used for redistricting.. Three years later, the Supreme Court ruled in Urah v. Evans II that imputation for omissions in the census was constitutional. The AG's office in New Jersey is apparently developing the theory that the Obama Administration is failing in their constitutional obligation to take an accurate census. They filed a suit in federal court last Monday contending that the Census Bureau failed to send or deliver census forms to a complex in Irvington that contains 1700 housing uni9ts. People in New Jersey hope that litigation may help them to retain a seat in Congress. Michigan will lose one and only one seat in this year's census but the issue of using adjusted data for redistricting in Michigan and for other urposes may become controversial.

Retroit · April-23-10, 08:58 AM

You'd think the mail carrier or someone at the post office would have noticed that an entire building of people were not receiving their forms on the same day that everyone else was, and would have inquired about it.

[[Unless they were deliberately withholding them

.)

Buy American · April-23-10, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by Retroit

You'd think the mail carrier or someone at the post office would have noticed that an entire building of people were not receiving their forms on the same day that everyone else was, and would have inquired about it.

[[Unless they were deliberately withholding them

.)

It would be a Federal crime if the mail carriers withheld any mail.
It's up to the carrier to make sure people receive their mail, not to check and see that they get their bills, coupons, magazines, or census forms.....that's where "responsibility for one's self" should take place. You didn't get your census, you want to be counted, make a few phone calls and pitch a bitch...plain and simple.

**gumby** · April-23-10, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Funny. I'm sitting here typing this stuff and answering questions, and you are the one being a dick. Lovely.

Yup I'm the one being a dick.

Originally Posted by Stosh

Cry me a river. So you work, and have a part-time gig? Great. So do countless others, that still manage to make a call to the proper authority, or even an e-mail.

Stosh · April-23-10, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by gumby

Yup I'm the one being a dick.

Glad you finally figured it out.

It's not like he doesn't have access to information. He has the internet, blogs, a telephone and still, if he was so freaking concerned, should have CONTACTED the office directly...

**Johnlodge** · April-23-10, 12:43 PM

I've done some mailings downtown, and have had problems getting actual mailing lists for certain buildings, so this doesn't surprise me. I think the Fort Shelby was one such place. Hey, on the plus side, you probably get less junk mail.

Stosh · April-23-10, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

I've done some mailings downtown, and have had problems getting actual mailing lists for certain buildings, so this doesn't surprise me. I think the Fort Shelby was one such place. Hey, on the plus side, you probably get less junk mail.

JL, aren't the Leland and the Fort Shelby classified as hotels?

**HazenPingree** · April-23-10, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

They'd probably send someone over the Leland. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Leland more of a transients hotel. It seem like you can rent for ridiculously short amounts of time....meaning a census representative would have to determine if they were actual residents at that address.

I don't think the length of your stay matters, as long as the address is your primary residence.

**jcole** · April-23-10, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by HazenPingree

I don't think the length of your stay matters, as long as the address is your primary residence.

And how many people have actually taken the time to fill out the paperwork to make it a primary residence? I'm sure some have, but probably not most

**Johnlodge** · April-23-10, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

JL, aren't the Leland and the Fort Shelby classified as hotels?

Well, if I remember right the mail house told me that people living there didn't technically have addresses, the mail just all went to the lobby and was distributed from there, so that would make sense to me. Going to be hard to get a census form mailed to you when you don't actually have a permanent address. That doesn't mean you can't receive mail, I could send a letter and you'd get it.

Stosh · April-23-10, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Well, if I remember right the mail house told me that people living there didn't technically have addresses, the mail just all went to the lobby and was distributed from there, so that would make sense to me. Going to be hard to get a census form mailed to you when you don't actually have a permanent address. That doesn't mean you can't receive mail, I could send a letter and you'd get it.

So basically it's the responsibility of the management of the hotel to ensure that whatever mail get's delivered? No wonder they didn't get anything.