Posted on 04/09/2011 10:07:16 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
ALAMO, April 8 - The Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network is urging Hidalgo County Commissioner’s Court to pursue legal action over the 2010 Census undercount.
The group, which represents numerous colonia community groups, believes tens of thousands of colonia residents were not counted last year. As a result, millions of dollars in federal funds could be lost to the region, with political representation in Washington, D.C., and Austin also suffering.
“The Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network welcomes Tuesday's news of Hidalgo County's plans to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Commerce,” the group said, in a statement issued Thursday.
“The Court's actions appear to be spurred on by the official results of the 2010 Census, which seem to reflect an extraordinary undercount, as well as the well-documented criticism of the methods Census 2010 used in their survey of colonia families.
Equal Voice spokesman Michael Seifert said the decision of Hidalgo County Commissioners' Court and County Judge Ramon Garcia is “a clear indication of the resolve of county leadership to seek a redress to this situation.”
On Tuesday, Hidalgo County commissioners held a workshop on redistricting and the census. Attorneys Rolando Rios and Jose Garza were present to update commissioners on a proposed lawsuit against the Department of Commerce. Click here to read the Guardian’s story on the lawsuit.
The Equal Voice group played a major role in educating colonia residents on the importance of filing out census forms last year. The group’s outreach effort centered on a simple message, Fill It Out, Send It Back. The effort was gathering steam until, on March 31, 2010, the Census Bureau confirmed to the Guardian that colonia residents would not be receiving census forms in the mail.
Instead, the bureau said, its workers would go door-to-door collecting census data. The Equal Voice group was stunned. It had to readjust its message, just one month before Census Day, which was April 1, 2010.
Equal Voice tried to persuade the Census Bureau to change its mind and send forms in the mail. It was joined in this effort by Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos and then-Hidalgo County Judge Rene Ramirez. Both officials wrote to U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves criticizing the agency’s census count strategy in border colonias. The Census Bureau did not change course.
“The Equal Voice Network insisted, time and again, on the wisdom of mailing forms to the residents of the counties. This cost-effective effort would have insured privacy to the residents who are reluctant to entertain strangers from the federal government in their homes,” Seifert said.
Seifert believes the Census Bureau’s population count for the Valley shows a serious undercount, due to the implementation of its “Update/Enumerate” policy in the region. By filing a lawsuit, Seifert and the Equal Voice network hopes the Obama administration will adjust the Valley’s population upwards and by a significant number.
Asked to respond to the news of the proposed legal action, Eva Carranza of the Colonia South Tower and an active member of Project ARISE said: “I am grateful that the Judge took me into account, as the census did not, and I really felt excluded.”
Oh Gee! I thought it was Latin for a digestive upset! (sarc/off)
So, “colonia” is really just another word for illegal alien?
Why are federal funds dolled out based on total “residents”? While I am against spending in these handout programs in general, if they must be made, why not based on those who are CITIZENS, or at least those here LEGALLY? Just counting “residents” sure seems to be an incentive to be a “sanctuary city” - rewarding bad behavior.
This implies illegal aliens are crying.
By jove! I think you’ve got it.
This crap is getting really old. When is the shooting going to start!? How ‘bout at least one of those Middle East style, Day of Rage things!?
Why don’t they go home across the border. The drug cartels will support them.
The strength necessary to hurl the illegals out is lacking.
AND, the government, LULAC and others who heavily benefit from using huge taxpayer funded support for these illegals who can’t seem to find the desire to pay anything towards living the grand life on this side of the border.
Americans are killing ourselves trying to save a few dollars by paying illegals to work in their homes and businesses, even bragging about it. VERY STUPID and it’s hard to fix stupid.
“This crap is getting really old. When is the shooting going to start!? How ‘bout at least one of those Middle East style, Day of Rage things!?”
Then we’ll have NATO troops on the streets of American cities.
A target rich environment! Now that’s what I’m talking about!
One would think so but not according to the Texas SoS.
"The term "colonia," in Spanish means a community or neighborhood."
Talk about someone urinating on your head and calling it rain...
And just as shameful is the amount of our road money that has gone to the colonias under our last two governors.
“A target rich environment! Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
I would say so. Especially for old men with nothing to lose.
That would be a comunidad or vecindad.
Then Mortuary Technician will be the growth industry of the century.
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