Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Friday, April 21, 2000

Release #147-00

Contact: Sunny Mindel/ Edward Skyler (212) 788-2958



MAYOR GIULIANI ADVISES NEW YORKERS THAT CENSUS
ENUMERATORS WILL BEGIN VISITING HOUSEHOLDS NEXT WEEK

City Will Buy Up To 5,000 Photo-Identification Cards for Census Counters

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today advised New Yorkers that enumerators from the Census Bureau will start visiting homes next week. For seven days a week, from Thursday, April 27th through Friday, July 7th, Census workers will visit the homes and apartments of New York City residents who did not respond to the mailed census forms.

"The Census determines how much money New York City receives from the federal government and how many representatives we send to Congress," Mayor Giuliani said. "Since every year New York City sends roughly $9 billion more to Washington D.C. than it gets in return, an accurate census count could begin to correct that striking imbalance. I urge all New Yorkers who did not fill out their forms to cooperate with the enumerators."

21,000 enumerators will begin work in New York City starting next week. Enumerators will knock on the doors of all households that received a questionnaire and did not return it or never received a questionnaire. The enumerators will only visit households from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM and will announce themselves as Census enumerators and display their Census identification cards.

The Mayor also announced that the City will pay for photo-identification cards for up to 5,000 enumerators. Since the official Census 2000 identification does not bear a photograph of its holder, these photo-identifications will be provided to enumerators who do not have driver's licenses or other suitable forms of photo-identification.

"New Yorkers should be able to participate in the Census without putting themselves at risk. These identification cards will allow people, especially senior citizens, to verify that the person for whom they are opening their door is a legitimate enumerator and not an imposter attempting to commit a crime. It's unfortunate that the City has to carry the load on what is so obviously a federal responsibility," the Mayor said.

In addition to carrying identification cards, many Census enumerators will wear thin red or white mesh vests with the words "United States Census" in white lettering and carry a black tote bag, containing questionnaire kits.

Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington said, "The work of the Census enumerators is especially important because the City did not match the 1990 rate of 53%, as only 52% of New Yorkers filled out and returned their census forms. The state-wide rate was 61% and the nation-wide rate was 64%. The enumerators will concentrate on areas of the City with the lowest return rates."

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