Bradley Says Cities Can Help Census Prevent Undercounts

Mayor Tom Bradley, who has demanded a statistical readjustment of the 1990 Census, said Saturday that the U.S. Census Bureau should establish long-term relationships with cities to prevent future undercounts.

“Local governments are the experts in identifying the needs and concerns of their communities,” Bradley said in written testimony presented to the House subcommittee on census and population during a hearing in San Diego.

“The Census Bureau should develop an ongoing dialogue with officials from local governments and not wait until a year before the census to begin these relationships,” he said.

Figures released by the Census Bureau on Thursday showed that the 1990 count missed more than 4.6% of Los Angeles County and at least 5.1% of the people in the city of Los Angeles.

“Preserving the myth that the uncorrected census accurately portrays our population serves no valid purpose,” Bradley said. “It is now time to discard that fairy tale and take the necessary steps to correct the census. Failure to do so threatens the integrity of our system of government which depends upon one person, one vote.”