Officials open new local Census office, tout importance of being counted

Nathan McIntire

January 25, 2010

PASADENA - With Native-American dancers and Chinese martial artists, federal and local officials celebrated the opening Monday of a regional 2010 Census office here.

The new office's central location in the 200 block of Altadena Drive should help Pasadena achieve a more accurate count this time around, said Assistant City Manager Greg Robinson, chairman of the city's Census 2010 Complete Count Committee.

The 57-member committee formed in September 2008 represents community, nonprofit, education, youth, faith-based, business and neighborhood organizations. One of its goals is to advertise the importance of the census, he said.

"We're trying to make it clear to everybody, especially given our current economic situation, that it's important we ensure the count is accurate because that ensures us getting our share of federal funding," Robinson said.

The federal government draws congressional districts and allocates about $400 million per year based on census numbers, so officials stressed the importance of an accurate count.

"Simply put, it's just like taking a snapshot of our nation so the federal government can allocate its resources," San Marino Mayor Eugene Sun said. "We want to receive our fair share."

Census representatives expect to hire as many as 1,500 people to work as canvassers at the new Pasadena office, which will serve surrounding communities as well. It's one of 39 such offices in Southern California.

Although Pasadena's 2000 count was considered a success, officials estimate that the city's population was under-counted by about 5,000 people.

The Complete Count committee has focused on improving turnout from the Northwest area of the city, Robinson said.

The Census should paint a clearer picture of a trend that the city has already noticed: a decreasing number of African-American and Latino residents, which Robinson attributed to the city's high housing costs.

Monday's opening featured an appropriately all-inclusive theme that celebrated the many cultures of the San Gabriel Valley.

Performances ranged from Gabrielino/Tongva tribal songs to sword slashing Chinese kung fu displays, which Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard said "reflects the diversity that makes this country great and symbolizes the effort that is being made to ensure everyone counts."

The 2010 Census will begin distributing surveys in mid-March.

Census officials will begin crunching numbers on the data they receive by late June, and their official report is due on the president's desk by New Year's Eve, according to 2010 Census spokeswoman Cynthia Endo.