I would like to extend my sincere wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2000. I am honored to represent the Twenty-first District of Florida and am excited about the opportunities we have facing us in the year 2000.

For instance, in March each household in America will be able to take part in a tradition reaching as far back as the Constitution--the Census.

I cannot stress how important it is that each household complete the questionnaire and return it. Our community's answers, as part of the data compiled from Census numbers, will determine the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in state and federal funds for education, health care, transportation, and other critical programs.

In addition, as mandated in the Constitution, the Census originally began and is still used in order to provide political apportionment in the House of Representatives, the process of distributing the 435 congressional seats among the states.

"Representation and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers...The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall be Law direct."

--Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States.

Community leaders use the census for everything from planning schools and building roads to providing recreational opportunities and managing health care services. Some people consider participating in the census as important as voting.

But, unlike voting, the census touches everyone living in the United States--regardless of age or citizenship status. As one of the foundations of our democratic process, the census provides every person in the United States with an equal voice in Congress, and the primary objective of the Census is to count everyone living in the U.S.

There are also several employment opportunities that arise from conducting the decennial census. For example, to identify all places were people live, census workers will be verifying the addresses on the list. The Census will be hiring almost 3 million people for census taker positions in every neighborhood and community across the nation. If you are interested in part time or temporary employment with the Census in our area, call toll-free, 888 325 7733.

I am also very interested in keeping our communities safe and have been and continued to be a strong supporter of putting more policemen on the street to protect our neighborhoods. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program stems from the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and through COPS, such programs as UHP, MORE, and FAST, we have been awarded funds to put over 100 police officers to work the beat in District 21 communities by taking existing officers out from behind desks as well as hiring additional personnel.

In addition to expanding our district law enforcement to protect our neighborhoods, I am particularly concerned about keeping our children out of harm's way. Many of you may be familiar with Florida's Jennifer Act, which enables law enforcement agencies to arrest a child stalker before any physical harm or kidnapping occurs. In a 1998 crime-spending bill, I successfully included language to direct states throughout the country to follow Florida's lead, and adopt measures similar to the Jennifer Act.

There is one issue that I know is of particular interest to the Doral community that I am proud to have worked on. For several years Doral community activists, under the guidance of the West Dade Federation of Homeowners Associations (WDFHA), strongly advocated against the Immigration and Naturalization Service's efforts to build a new facility in the Doral area.

There were numerous reasons why I felt that the INS move to Doral would be unwise, but one of the most important reasons was that the constitution of this new building would have increased traffic in this already heavily congested area.

During this process I had the privilege to meet and work with one of the most respected and dedicated community activists I know, Mr. Jesse Jones. Mr. Jones is an example of true and committed community leadership and his wisdom and knowledge were instrumental in my fight to deter INS from building in Doral. I was pleased that INS agreed to back down once that they realized that I would not desist, and I am informed that they are now looking for alternative locations.