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Dropping wireless from Census worries some

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The people in charge of the 2010 U.S. Census say they'll be ready for the upcoming head count despite concerns about dropping the use of wireless devices.

"Our people are reinvigorated by the new plan and ready to go forward,"

Census Bureau Director Steve Murdock told the Washington Post Tuesday.

Wireless devices were supposed to have been used for follow-up visits to households that failed to send in their Census forms; however, technical issues prompted the bureau to fall back to a paper form for follow-ups.

The newspaper said some lawmakers and advocacy groups are worried the change of plans so late in the game will result in communities with a lot of immigrants and less-educated residents being undercounted.

"The implications of an undercount would be disastrous," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. "It would mean we'd be denying fair representation and resources to the people who need it most."

Other concerns revolved around the additional cost of using paper forms, but Murdock insisted no funds would be diverted from advertising programs aimed at increasing participation.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 07/08/2008

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