Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Florida will lose out if census citizenship question stands
Think the recent insertion of politics into one of the most preeminent scientific agencies in the world is not a big deal for Florida? Think again.
The Constitution requires a count of the American people every 10 years to determine the fair allocation of congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funding to Florida and the rest of the country. The U.S. Census Bureau was created with this ministerial mission in mind, to count every single person living in this country each decade, regardless of age, legal status, or race.
As elected officials representing the Miami-Dade County area, we know that Census 2020 is a high stakes operation for the Sunshine State, with the final count set to have a significant impact on our pocketbook and political clout in our nation’s capital for years to come.
Counting the nation’s population is serious business. In the years leading up to the decennial count, the Census Bureau spends millions of taxpayer dollars to undertake careful research and exhaustive testing to ensure the form and operations maximize participation among all Americans. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Commerce opted to deviate from this process in March, announcing the addition of a question on citizenship to Census 2020.
This decision, which comes at a time when concerns over privacy are soaring and field representatives conducting surveys are already reporting unprecedented fear among test respondents, is poised to have potentially disastrous consequences for Florida.
Opposition to a citizenship question that has not been tested in modern-times has been widespread and swift among leaders from both Republican and Democratic Administrations, with two U.S. Commerce Secretaries, Carlos Gutierrez and Penny Pritzker, and six former Census Bureau Directors already voicing serious concerns over the addition.
The state of Florida stands to lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding and as many as two additional congressional seats if the census question on citizenship moves forward and depresses response rates. As one of the fastest growing states in the country, Florida picked up two congressional seats and Electoral College votes in the reapportionment following Census 2010. Population estimates released late last year indicate the state is likely to see similar gains again post-Census 2020 if we are able to achieve a full count of the population.
The Hispanic Community has played a key role in these gains in Florida, including in Miami-Dade County where Hispanics are the majority, accounting for 51 percent of the population growth in Census 2010. This growth resulted in real power and real dollars for all Floridians.
Data from George Washington University shows that Florida received more than $29.3 billion (FY 2015) in federally allocated dollars based on the state’s Census 2010 count. While significant, this figure only takes into account funding allocation for 16 large scale programs meaning that the actual dollar amount is much, much higher. This money went towards critical programs for those who needed it most, including health services, highway construction, disaster relief, and water pollution control efforts.
A citizenship question that discourages participation would be particularly dire for Florida considering that the state already faces an uphill climb achieving a full and accurate count of its population every 10 years, with research experts putting the net undercount of the state at nearly half-apercent in Census 2010.
Florida is home to large numbers of traditionally hard-to-count groups, including Hispanics and the nearly 30 percent of Floridians who speak a language other than English at home.
These unique demographic circumstances are compounded by the fact that thousands of residents in Southern Florida and Puerto Rico are likely to remain displaced (and thus difficult to count) for the foreseeable future following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, adding to an already challenging task for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Even an additional one percent undercount of Florida’s population could greatly jeopardize the purse strings and power of the nation’s third most populous state. Had this occurred in Census 2010, for example, Florida would have lost out on $178 million (FY 2015) in funding from five grant programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including Medicaid and Medicare) in one year alone.
Policymakers at all levels — federal, state and local — cannot divert resources and act in the best interests of our constituents without a full and dynamic picture of who is residing in our communities. Diluting the accuracy of Census 2020 through an unnecessary and untimely question will ultimately weaken our ability to do good for the Hispanic community and all Floridians.
When natural disasters like Hurricane Irma and Maria strike, we depend on quality data from the Census to decide where to focus resources. When choosing where to build schools, we look at the demographics to help us make smart decisions that benefit students the most. The examples outlining the need for accurate Census 2020 data are endless for elected officials like ourselves and the thousands of others serving throughout the state.
Make no mistake about it, the resources and voice of every Floridian and American will be adversely affected if the citizenship question advances.
One question — that is all it will take to strip millions of dollars and political power away from the Sunshine State for years.
We have to ask ourselves, is it really worth it? The answer for Floridians is no.