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 Too
many census forms have not been returned from western Miami-Dade
County, and consequently the county as a whole might not receive the
amount of federal and state assistance it is owed.
U.S. Congressaman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex
Penelas discuss the census problems.
The mayor, US Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart,
State Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, State Representative Gaston
Cantens, and West Dade Federation of Homeowner Associations (WDFHA)
President Morgan Levy and Vice President Jesse Jones were amongst
those who met recently to discuss this potentially devastating
shortfall.
There were numerous problems with the collection
process for the aforementioned part of the county, including the Doral
area, and as a result census officials have decided to undertake a
remuneration, or recount, effort in that area. Other municipal areas
that will require a recount include Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley,
Opa-Locka, Sweetwater, parts of Westchester, parts of Kendall, and the
Miccosukee communities.
"For each person we miss," Miami-Dade Census
2000 Coordinator Elizabeth Regalado said, "it is estimated that
$3,000 per year would be lost."
That money could add up quickly if the census
undercount is anywhere near the one Miami-Dade County dealt with in
1990.
"There was an estimated undercount of 100,000
people in 1990," Regalado said, "and the independent US
Census Monitoring Board study said that could amount to $300 million
lost over a ten year period--a huge loss to the county."
US Representative Diaz-Balart said that increased
participation was crucial to ensuring that Doral's residents get their
fair share.
"It is extremely important to make sure that area
residents are accurately counted," he said, "to ensure that
our community obtains its fair share of federal funding for services
such as education, health care, roads, police, and schools."
State Representative Diaz-Balart emphasized how
fortunate Miami-Dade was to get this "second chance", and
urged its citizens to take advantage of it.
"They're giving us another chance to do it
right," he said, " a second chance to get our fair share of
state and federal monies. We're only hurting ourselves by not
completing the forms--we won't receive the state and federal funds
that are due to us. We all know there are problems that need to be
addressed--transportation, education, health care, and the
elderly--and this allows the state and federal government to do their
part to help us with these local issues."
He also acknowledged the fear that many people have
voiced that the information will somehow be used against them and
moved to dispel that myth.
"By law this information cannot be used by any
other agency," he explained. "None of the information can be
used against you in any way and will only be used by the census
department."
Regalado urged all of those who have yet to fill out
their census to do so as soon as possible.
"The areas are still being counted," she
said, "and if people haven't been counted yet they should contact
their local census offices as soon as possible."
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