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Isles lagging
in census count

The nation, as a whole, has
a response rate of 65% but
Hawaii trails with a 57% figure

By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin

While the nation as a whole has matched the 1990 census response rate at 65 percent, Hawaii still lags with 57 percent of households responding as of yesterday.

Bob Kenny, operations supervisor at the local census office in Kailua, said the state is 10 percent off its target rate of return, perhaps because the forms cause confusion. He said 2,711 people have asked for help filling out their forms at Questionnaire Assistance Centers throughout the state.

However, Kenny said he expects the state to meet its goal, and his office has hired 800 temporary workers to help. Collecting information from nonrespondents is expected to take eight to 10 weeks.

"If people have not sent back their form as of now, they should not bother because the enumerator will come by," Kenny said.

Beginning May 1, enumerators will head out into the neighborhoods for on-the-spot interviews with everyone who has not responded. They will keep coming by at varied times until they catch someone at home, Kenny said.

In the event the census workers cannot reach the resident, they will ask a reliable source such as a landlord or neighbor for information, which will be verified with a phone call or a visit from a different enumerator.

The census questionnaires will provide information needed for communities to receive federal program funds and for private sector and community planning. In addition, an accurate population count is needed to draw congressional districts.