ARTICLE
Inaccurate Census Data Will Jeopardize New Mexico’s Economy and Workforce By Simon Brackley, President & CEO, Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce As the President & CEO of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce I have two key responsibilities – creating an environment where businesses and other types of enterprises thrive, and promoting policies that create the workforce that will drive our economy forward. Right now, I believe both outcomes could be threatened by an inaccurate count of New Mexico’s residents in the upcoming census. Here’s why: The U.S. Constitution calls for a census to be conducted every 10 years to count the number of people residing in the U.S. This information helps lawmakers allocate funds for education, health care, infrastructure and other investments that grow the economy. The census also enables companies to make data-driven business decisions about potential employees and customers in a community, the products and services they’re apt to buy, and the best locations to open a new office or store. Unfortunately, the U.S. Census Bureau may not be prepared to implement the 2020 Census effectively. Spurred by many factors, the Bureau wants to use new technology, including more satellite data, handheld devices to coordinate field workers, along with a call center to help people fill out the questionnaire, and surveys people can fill out online. The big problem for us in New Mexico is that nearly half of our 2.1 million residents live in rural areas where the U.S. Census Bureau has a difficult time accurately counting the population. This ranks us toward the top in terms of the nation’s most hard-to-count states. The fact that the Bureau is relying on an online survey is especially challenging because we’re one of the least internet-connected states in the country, with about one in five households not having online access. Another challenge is that the alternative to online counting – which is mailing surveys and dispatching temporary workers to visit homes of people who don’t respond – is time-consuming and costly, especially in rural counties that are difficult to reach. New Mexico’s frontiers and places where people don’t have fixed addresses or don’t want to open the door to a stranger are a prime example. Other challenges are financial. In contrast to the run-up to our last census in 2010, the Bureau hasn’t received the funding it needs to test new technologies and other practices, and the low unemployment rate means fewer workers to fill thousands of open census jobs. Although Congress did add money in its FY18 and FY19 spending bills to help overcome a $3 billion shortfall in funding, lawmakers will face competing interests when determining funding for the 2020 fiscal year. In addition to hobbling business growth, future shortfalls and an inaccurate count could limit the funding we receive for the National School Lunch Program, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, Head Start and other early education programs that enable children to be healthy, well-educated and prepared for productive lives. These outcomes are crucial for creating the kind of workforce that attracts businesses and other employers to our community. Fortunately, there’s some good news in the form of a proposal from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration to allocate state funding to create and implement a strategic plan to reach the hard-to-count population. The proposal will augment the federal effort by creating a Complete Count Committee that convenes leaders from various sectors that depend on the accuracy of the census in our state – and on the $8 billion in Federal funding that we typically receive based on census data. Lawmakers throughout the state should support the proposal to ensure that New Mexico’s economy and workforce will not be shortchanged in the years to come. With that support, the State of New Mexico can invest in a robust census awareness and education campaign that motivates every resident to respond.
Inaccurate Census Data Will Jeopardize New Mexico’s Economy and Workforce
By Simon Brackley, President & CEO, Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
As the President & CEO of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce I have two key responsibilities – creating an environment where businesses and other types of enterprises thrive, and promoting policies that create the workforce that will drive our economy forward. Right now, I believe both outcomes could be threatened by an inaccurate count of New Mexico’s residents in the upcoming census.
Here’s why: The U.S. Constitution calls for a census to be conducted every 10 years to count the number of people residing in the U.S. This information helps lawmakers allocate funds for education, health care, infrastructure and other investments that grow the economy. The census also enables companies to make data-driven business decisions about potential employees and customers in a community, the products and services they’re apt to buy, and the best locations to open a new office or store.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Census Bureau may not be prepared to implement the 2020 Census effectively. Spurred by many factors, the Bureau wants to use new technology, including more satellite data, handheld devices to coordinate field workers, along with a call center to help people fill out the questionnaire, and surveys people can fill out online.
The big problem for us in New Mexico is that nearly half of our 2.1 million residents live in rural areas where the U.S. Census Bureau has a difficult time accurately counting the population. This ranks us toward the top in terms of the nation’s most hard-to-count states.
The fact that the Bureau is relying on an online survey is especially challenging because we’re one of the least internet-connected states in the country, with about one in five households not having online access.
Another challenge is that the alternative to online counting – which is mailing surveys and dispatching temporary workers to visit homes of people who don’t respond – is time-consuming and costly, especially in rural counties that are difficult to reach. New Mexico’s frontiers and places where people don’t have fixed addresses or don’t want to open the door to a stranger are a prime example.
Other challenges are financial. In contrast to the run-up to our last census in 2010, the Bureau hasn’t received the funding it needs to test new technologies and other practices, and the low unemployment rate means fewer workers to fill thousands of open census jobs. Although Congress did add money in its FY18 and FY19 spending bills to help overcome a $3 billion shortfall in funding, lawmakers will face competing interests when determining funding for the 2020 fiscal year.
In addition to hobbling business growth, future shortfalls and an inaccurate count could limit the funding we receive for the National School Lunch Program, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, Head Start and other early education programs that enable children to be healthy, well-educated and prepared for productive lives. These outcomes are crucial for creating the kind of workforce that attracts businesses and other employers to our community.
Fortunately, there’s some good news in the form of a proposal from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration to allocate state funding to create and implement a strategic plan to reach the hard-to-count population. The proposal will augment the federal effort by creating a Complete Count Committee that convenes leaders from various sectors that depend on the accuracy of the census in our state – and on the $8 billion in Federal funding that we typically receive based on census data.
Lawmakers throughout the state should support the proposal to ensure that New Mexico’s economy and workforce will not be shortchanged in the years to come. With that support, the State of New Mexico can invest in a robust census awareness and education campaign that motivates every resident to respond.