Cool News (Birmingham: vehicle, registered, communities)

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I still gotta wonder if all the people, especially blacks, were counted in the census in Birmingham. Dropping 18,000 is a huge number.

it's hard to say. my understanding is that the first wave of census questionnaires go out via email or mail. and it's true that cities with higher AA populations tend to have lower response rates. there's a combination of distrust, misinformation, or simply lack of awareness.

hypothetically, let's say only 50% respond. of course that doesn't mean that the census bureau uses that number as the city's population. it sends people out to canvas those households that are non responsive. unfortunately, that's where the probability for error occurs. what do they do if they simply can't get hold of a household? does that number become zero? do they make an assumption based on the city's average residents per household? that's less clear to me, but obviously the more of that type situation you have, the more chances to get numbers wrong.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

it's hard to say. my understanding is that the first wave of census questionnaires go out via email or mail. and it's true that cities with higher AA populations tend to have lower response rates. there's a combination of distrust, misinformation, or simply lack of awareness.

hypothetically, let's say only 50% respond. of course that doesn't mean that the census bureau uses that number as the city's population. it sends people out to canvas those households that are non responsive. unfortunately, that's where the probability for error occurs. what do they do if they simply can't get hold of a household? does that number become zero? do they make an assumption based on the city's average residents per household? that's less clear to me, but obviously the more of that type situation you have, the more chances to get numbers wrong.

I assume if there's no response, then they go back and visit again. Locally, I've seen mention on Nextdoor of census takers coming around well into the fall last year. Mine was via email and I filled it out and responded the day I got it; otherwise, if I put it off I might forget it altogether. Took about 5 minutes tops.

What's odd is that the numbers have supposedly been verified, and they certainly had plenty of time to do it. It's been a year and a half since the census started and a year since it technically finished. But large drops like apparently happened in B'ham, especially in the black community, should have triggered some extra attention.

[TimCity2000]

not sure we need another pizza place, but glad to have more options in Parkside:

New pizzeria signs lease with Orchestra Partners for space at Printers Corner

[magiccity3]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

not sure we need another pizza place, but glad to have more options in Parkside:

New pizzeria signs lease with Orchestra Partners for space at Printers Corner

Someone needs to open a Korean BBQ restaurant downtown. Give it a hip vibe. It would do well I think.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

it's hard to say. my understanding is that the first wave of census questionnaires go out via email or mail. and it's true that cities with higher AA populations tend to have lower response rates. there's a combination of distrust, misinformation, or simply lack of awareness.

hypothetically, let's say only 50% respond. of course that doesn't mean that the census bureau uses that number as the city's population. it sends people out to canvas those households that are non responsive. unfortunately, that's where the probability for error occurs. what do they do if they simply can't get hold of a household? does that number become zero? do they make an assumption based on the city's average residents per household? that's less clear to me, but obviously the more of that type situation you have, the more chances to get numbers wrong.

Gotta say it. My daughter had just graduated grad school and was looking for a job and said, "Well, hey, I can be a census worker until I find something else."



She said it was the most disorganized, shambolic mess ever.

[TimCity2000]

FYI - I started a Birmingham Census thread.

[JesseRohr]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

Gotta say it. My daughter had just graduated grad school and was looking for a job and said, "Well, hey, I can be a census worker until I find something else."

She said it was the most disorganized, shambolic mess ever.

This could be easily said about nearly anything government ran.

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

it's hard to say. my understanding is that the first wave of census questionnaires go out via email or mail. and it's true that cities with higher AA populations tend to have lower response rates. there's a combination of distrust, misinformation, or simply lack of awareness.

hypothetically, let's say only 50% respond. of course that doesn't mean that the census bureau uses that number as the city's population. it sends people out to canvas those households that are non responsive. unfortunately, that's where the probability for error occurs. what do they do if they simply can't get hold of a household? does that number become zero? do they make an assumption based on the city's average residents per household? that's less clear to me, but obviously the more of that type situation you have, the more chances to get numbers wrong.

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I assume if there's no response, then they go back and visit again. Locally, I've seen mention on Nextdoor of census takers coming around well into the fall last year. Mine was via email and I filled it out and responded the day I got it; otherwise, if I put it off I might forget it altogether. Took about 5 minutes tops.

What's odd is that the numbers have supposedly been verified, and they certainly had plenty of time to do it. It's been a year and a half since the census started and a year since it technically finished. But large drops like apparently happened in B'ham, especially in the black community, should have triggered some extra attention.

Yeah, I could picture these bright eyed, adventurous, hard working volunteer census workers canvassing Ensley, West End, Wood Lawn, Gate City, Pratt City, Kingston, South Town, etc etc... knocking on doors, coming back day after day making sure every soul is counted.

Right.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

Yeah, I could picture these bright eyed, adventurous, hard working volunteer census workers canvassing Ensley, West End, Wood Lawn, Gate City, Pratt City, Kingston, South Town, etc etc... knocking on doors, coming back day after day making sure every soul is counted.

Right.

Good point. That's why I wonder if the count is right, especially in the black neighborhoods, especially considering the leeriness over Covid, government "intrusion" (the census is considered so by some), etc. But supposedly the count is certified ....

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Good point. That's why I wonder if the count is right, especially in the black neighborhoods, especially considering the leeriness over Covid, government "intrusion" (the census is considered so by some), etc. But supposedly the count is certified ....

Well, the election results were certified, but what does that mean to half the country?

I just don't see it possible that any real effort was put in to count a group of people who are famously leary of the very idea for those reasons by another group of people who probably aren't comfortable being in those neighborhoods in the first place. Bonus points if it starts getting dark.