Gabriel Sanchez, the U.S. Census Bureau’s district director for Texas, and Brenda Lee Huerta, host of Univision Radio’s La Tremenda AM 1530 show.

McALLEN, April 7 - The 2010 Census has produced uncertainty and consternation throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

County Judges in Cameron and Hidalgo counties, U.S. Representatives, and community based organizations have made verbal and/or written complaints to the Census Bureau about forms not being received at all in some households located in urban areas with plotted addresses and regular mail service, but as many as three being received in other households.

While Census Bureau policy calls for different canvassing policies for different lifestyles and living situations, a sampling of calls to a local radio talk show geared to Hispanic Rio Grande Valley residents reflected concern and confusion.

There have been many reported inconsistencies in the mailing of census forms, having them dropped off by census employees, or the no-form visits from enumerators. For example, a friend of this reporter received a visit from an enumerator this past Sunday. He is a finance manager at a local auto dealership and lives in an incorporated section of San Juan with a street address and full city services.

Brenda Lee Huerta, on her Tuesday morning talk show on KGBT 1530 AM La Tremenda received six calls from the radio audience directed to Census 2010 Texas Regional Director, Gabriel Sanchez. Sanchez appeared on the popular Spanish language talk show to field questions from the community on the intricacies of the 2010 Census, particularly as applied to the Colonia rich counties of the Rio Grande Valley.

Caller number one asked a question about actually filling out the form, what to enter for ethnicity.

Caller number two related a story of census workers arriving at her colonia, which does have a street address and a mail box. She had been waiting for a census survey which never arrived.

Caller number three related having received three different forms.

Caller number four commented that many households do not fill out and return census forms out of antipathy for local authorities who do not seem neither responsive nor attentive to their needs. “Where are the millions of dollars going to end up? The authorities forget about paved streets, lighting, sewage and other basic services for the colonias.”

Caller number five asked how money would be distributed to communities after completion of the survey. Would funds be spent for the creation of jobs, factories?

Caller number six stated that although having lived 33 years at the same address in Brownsville she had never received a survey at an suburban household where three families reside and city services have existed for over 5 years: “I don’t understand why you would spend so much money to send a census employee to my house when I’ve got a mailbox and a street address. We get political advertisements from everyone that’s running for anything, so I don’t understand why I don’t get a census form mailed to me. You should save the money you are spending for canvassers on improving services. The city and county don’t have any problem in sending out their tax notices to my mailbox.”

Huerta retorted that she would take a form to the callers house herself if the Census Bureau didn’t: “Sometimes what the Census Bureau considers a ‘Colonia’ is actually a subdivision,’’ (paved, and plotted, within city limits with full city services). Francisco Vargas, newscaster for the station who has lived for 12 years in the actual city of Hidalgo has not received a census survey neither in 2000 or 2010. In his neighborhood, no one else has received their census form either and all have mailboxes and street addresses. I can verify what he said because I went there to verify it for myself. He finally registered with the Census by going to the Hidalgo City Hall and a ‘Be Counted’ station,” stated Huerta.

Huerta also related that in La Paloma subdivision, in the middle of downtown McAllen, a neighborhood over 100 years old, many residents have not received Census forms in the mail.

Sanchez related well to all the callers and seemed to answer all of their concerns.

“Perfection I leave to God,” Sanchez said. There will always be errors and imperfections with the largest undertaking of the Federal Government that employs 1.4 million people and has a budget of billions of dollars. Every house must be counted. That is the mandate of the Census. Every recorded address that has not returned a census form must be visited by our staff. I will say that never in my years with the Census have I seen so much passion and desire to be counted on the part of the public.”

Write Bill Rovira

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