Watt
from page Al ?
v #*?
pie to fill two schools.
Watt is joining officials at the
Bureau of the Census to kick off a
major publicity campaign to get
citizens interested in being count
ed.
Sue Hardy, the regional direc
tor for the bureau, joined Watt at
the news conference.
She emphasized that all infor
mation that citizens submit on
census forms is confidential.
The census questionnaire,
which is the first method the
bureau uses to obtain census infor
mation, is a form mailed to house
holds that asks what many would
consider personal questions -
from the number of people resid
ing in a particular dwelling to
income information.
Such delicate questions have
. been credited with contributing to
- undercounts, since many people
- simply do not respond to the
I forms.
Hardy, though, said all the
* information on the form is highly
important and that people should
not only answer the personal ques
; Hons, but respond to all questions
* on the form.
Census 2000 offices already
J have sprung up in Greensboro,
' Durham and Charlotte. Hardy
said Winston-Salem will have its
own office by the fall. The amial
count does not begin until April
2000, but Watt and Hardy say it is
never too early to get the word out
about the importance of the cen
sus.
The Bureau of the Census is
working on developing "complete
the census" committees in towns
and cities across the nation People
from all walks of life in the com
munities will sit on the commit
tees, as well as representatives from
police departments, local govern
ments and other agencies. The
idea, Hardy said, is to have the
committees drum up support for
the 2000 census among groups of
people who may be unresponsive
to other census promotional cam
paigns.
"People tend to believe the
people they know from everyday
life," Hardy said.
- In order to spread the word,
the Bureau of the Census is also
working on partnerships with
schools, businesses and the reli
gious community. An all-out
media blitz is also in the works.
The census has another impor
tant date before its spring 2000
kick-off. Congress will allocate
money for the census in its upcom
ing budget. Watt warned that ade
quate funding is needed for the
bureau so that a thorough count
cat) be done.
"We need to be turning up the
political pressure on our represen
tatives in Washington," Watt said.
Congress has been abuzz with
census talk for sometime now.
President Bill Clinton, and many
congressional Democrats, had
advocated that a statistical sam
pling method be used for the 2000
census. Statistical sampling
involves experts making scientific
guesses about the number of peo
ple who live in a certain area.
Democrats argued that sampling
would eliminate the problem of
undercounting.
But Republicans in the House
and Senate balked at the idea, say
ing that a traditional head count
was the best way to gauge the U.S.
population.
But Watt said Republican
apprehension about sampling -
and the more accurate population
figures it would have yielded for
minorities - was purely political.
"It could result in them losing
some seats in the redisricting that
will follow the 2000 census," he
said. a
Ultimately, the Supreme Court
limited the use of sampling in the
2000 census, although Watt said he
hopes that Congress will pass a bill
so that it can be used to count
those who have consistently
dodged other census efforts.
"We can't just ignore those
people....As hard as we have tried
(with a head count), we still have
not been able to count every per
son in the United States," Watt
said.
Getting groups of people who
have been historically indifferent
to the government to embrace the
census could be a massive under
taking in itself.
As Watt pointed out, the
undercounting of minorities is not
something that started in 1970,
1980 or 1990. Watt talked about
the 1940 census. The census was
taken just before the second World
War began, but when black men
began to register for the draft, the
first flaws in the census were dis
covered, Watt said.
Thirteen percent more African
American men showed up to regis
ter than the census indicated exist- ,
ed in United States, Watt said.
"Men showed up to register for
the draft that the 1940 census did
not even indicate," he said.
And, seemingly, African Amer
icans have been shortchanged ever
since - literally.
The federal government doles
out almost $2 billion based on cen
sus information, Watt said. It is
money that Watt said he wants to
keep here in North Carolina. *
"This is not about politics as
much as it is about money," he
said.
; Wei I man
l from page A!
- utives and for use of an ESR cred
t it card to purchase tires for her car.
According to the statement,
the board had approved repay
I ment of expenses on a monthly
* basis.
I Robinson, who has fought
- against city funding of non-prof
- its, said his questioning was based
! on allegations lodged , by "people
within the organization."
"The cover-up caucus wants to
* prevent citizens from knowing
* how their money is being spent,"
- he said.
Robinson said since most citi
zens find out about the budget
through the televised hearing, he
thought it appropriate to ask
"tough" questions.
Wellman said she was "sur
prised" by Robinson's line of ques
tioning.
"It was quite surprising," she
said. "I was quite disappointed
that he didn't ask about our pro
grams or services"
According to receipts obtained
by The Chronicle, Wellman reim
bursed ESR for the costs of the
tires two days after the meeting.
The purchase of the Piedmont
Club membership was OK'd by
ESR's board. Wellman and board
members say the membership is
used mainly for business purposes.
Officials for the organization
say club memberships like the one
purchased by ESR are not uncom
mon. <
"Certainly membership at The
Piedmont Club is not unusual,"
said Laura Elliott, chair of ESR's
Communications and Marketing
Committee. "The membership
allows her to meet with city leaders
and people who want to make
donations to the oiganization. We
do not all of our funding from the
city, and we, rely on donations
from other resources."
Alderwoman Vivian Burke,
who along with Alderman Nelson
Malloy voted for ESR's request,
said she will ask officials with the
city manager's office to find out
what other agency directors have
memberships to the club. She said
it was unfair for Wellman to be
criticized for her membership
when no other agency directors
were asked about their affiliation
with such clubs.
Wellman said the board's vote
of confidence was "comforting."
"ft really pleases me greatly,"
she said. "It's encouraging to
know that the board is support
ive." 1 ,
I1 .
Briefs
from page A2
Mfume declines run for Baltimore mayor
BALTIMORE - Kweisi Mfume, NAACP president and CEO, recent
ly announced that he will remain with the organiza
tion and not run for mayor of Baltimore.
"Yesterday, for the first time in weeks, I awak- I
ened with absolute clarity about my future and my I
work. I know that my job is to finish the work I have I
begun to help create a more just and humane soci- I
ety for all people. Thfc plethora of inequities and dis
parate treatment in our society cries out for advo
cates of social justice from all races to get involved
and to stay involved. I cannot walk away from that
fight at this time," said Mfume during the news con- BHClL-^I
ference at the NAACP headquarters in Baltimore. Alfum*
- "As such, I am not ? nor will I ? be a candidate
for mayor." ? , 4
Mfume said he was forced to revisit the idea of running for mayor after
more than 200 Baltimoreans formed a draft committee to encourage him
to change his mind. - National Newspaper Publishers Association
\
NAACP backs H.R. 40 for slavery reparations
?" a* ' if
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The NAACP has strongly endorsed H.R. 40,
a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide reparations
for America's enslavement of blacks, and has placed it at the top of- its
1999-2000 agenda. , r
"We need to be pushing the issue, starting a grassroots movement,
leading an education and information campaign, and it will happen " said
Marie Davis, San Mateo County, Calif., NAACP president and leading
spokesperson on the issue.
"The 'Reparations Act' Would establish a commission to review the
institution of slavery, the resulting racial and economic discrimination
against African Americans, and the impact of these forces on living
African Americans The bill would also acknowledge the fundamental
injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery in the United States
and the 13 colonies between 1619 and 1865," stated a release from
NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and Washington Bureau Chief Hilary
Shelton. - National Newspaper Publishers Association
Trafficking of young Nigerian girls thrives
BENIN, Nigeria - Forty-seven Nigerian girls between 15 and 20 years
old were recently deported from Italy at the direction of Omonoba
Erediewa, the traditional ruler of Benin Kingdom. Most of them were
from Benin, in the midwestern Edo State.
Many of these young girls are used in prostitution and drug traffick
ing rings. Often from poor homes, the girls are lured by the prospects of
earning huge sums of money.
"The syndicates issue them with forged traveling documents on the
pretext that they will offer them lucrative jobs. The girls are subsequently
forced into various illicit activities, such as slavery, sex-hawking, advance
fee fraud and the drug business," said Giovanni Germano, Italian ambas
sador to Nigeria.
"The lure to them has been 98 naira to the dollar. This is what makes
them travel abroad to constitute a nuisance to themselves and the coun
try," said Alhaji Havbare, chairman of Oredo Local Government in Edo.
He called on the government to improve the economy to discourage
young Nigerians from running abroad, and also appealed to parents to
educate their children. - Toye Olori for IPS
NOTICE OF A CITIZEN INFORMATIONAL
WORKSHOP FOR REPLACEMENT OF BRIDGE
NO. 207 OVER PATTERSON AVENUE ON OAK
SUMMIT ROAD (SR 1686) IN WINSTON-SALEM
Project 8.2624001 B-3171 Forsyth County
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)
will hold the above Citizens Informational Workshop on June
15, ,1999, between the hours of 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the
North Forsyth High School Cafeteria on Hanes Mill Road.
NCDOT is considering three alternatives to replace Bridge
No. 207 over Patterson Avenue on Oak Summit Road in
Winston-Salem. The preferred alternative being considered
would replace the bridge at the existing location and traffic
would be detoured on-site during construction. The other
alternatives being considered would be staged construction.
Comments received from the public at this workshop will be
used in the preparation of the Categorical Exclusion being
developed for this project.
NCDOT representatives will be available at the workshop to
answer questions and receive comments relative to the pro
posed project. Information at the workshop will be general in
nature, no detailed designs are available. Interested individ
uals may attend at their convenience during the above-stat
ed hours. Anyone desiring additional information may con
tact Ms. Nancy Campanella, Project Development Engineer,
at P.O. Box 25201, Raleigh, NC 27611, or call 919-733
7844, ext. 262.
'\
In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act,
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services for disabled
persons who wish to attend the workshop. To receive special
services, please contact Ms. Campanella at the above
address or fax 919-733-9794 prior to the date of the work
shop. __
H ~:'A
I I I
YOUR
? S P R I N G B O A R D I
t o of u c c e s s B,?i.'
?
Information Session
? Evening Program - Winston-Salem
.? ? Executive Program ~ Winston-Salem (weekends) I
? Institute for Executive Education
Thursday, June 10
5:30 -7:30 p.m.
Formal remarks begin at 6 p.m.
Wake Forest University
Worrell Professional Center
/ *
Call today! 336.758.4584 or 800.428 6012
www.mba.wfu.edu
??I
The Chronicle's e-mail address is:
wschron@netunlimited.net |||
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