JOINT STATEMENT: TEXAS BORDER MEMBERS ON “CENSUS” FUNDRAISING MAILER
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Apr 28, 2010, 0 Comments
Courtesy Ashley Patterson,
Reps. Ortiz, Reyes, Hinojosa, Rodriguez, and Cuellar remind residents that official Census workers will not ask for personal information or donations
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Solomon Ortiz (TX-27), Silvestre Reyes (TX-16), Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23), and Henry Cuellar (TX-28) released the following statement regarding the misuse of the word “Census” as part of a fundraising mailer:
“As Members of Congress representing “hard to count” census tracts along the Texas-Mexico border region, we are deeply concerned by the continued efforts of the Republican National Committee (RNC) to solicit donations under the guise of an “official 2010 Congressional District Census.” These efforts cause confusion among residents as the official Census is being conducted and interfere with the ongoing work of Census workers throughout the state and nation.
“Currently, thousands of Census enumerators are working to ensure an accurate count for the 2010 Census. This Republican-sponsored mailer identified as a “2010 Congressional District Census” is misleading and is counterproductive to the efforts of the U.S. Census Bureau and all the individuals and organizations that have worked to provide residents with accurate information about the census process to protect them against potential cases of fraud.
“Soliciting donations using census terminology should not be tolerated by the RNC as census workers continue their efforts to count every resident in the United States. We strongly urge the Republican National Committee to discontinue using census terminology in fundraising mailers during this critical period. These efforts may generate mistrust of Census enumerators in border communities, and may impact census participation rates, particularly in “hard to count” areas.
“We remind all residents that Census workers will not ask for donations of any kind or personal information such as Social Security numbers or legal status. The U.S. Census will not ask for an individual’s political views or party affiliation. If residents have any questions about the census, we urge them to contact our offices directly.”
