FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2000
Maury Cagle CB00-CN.21
301-457-3100
Decennial Media Relations
301-457-3691/301-457-3620 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)
e-mail: 2000usa@census.gov
Statement of Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt
on Advance Letter
U.S. Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt today issued the following
statement in response to published reports of a printing error on a
pre-notification letter announcing the arrival of census questionnaires
next month:
Related Information: Webcast, Sound Bites, Advisory, USPS Statement,
GPO Statement.
"We regret an addressing error on an advance letter alerting the American
public to the importance of the census which starts next month. The
Census Bureau assures the public that this will not affect the census
count for 2000, or the delivery of questionnaires. We are gratified as
well that our long-term partners at the U. S. Postal Service have assured
us that all census mail will be correctly delivered.
"The error itself occurred during printing and addressing of the
advance letters by a private vendor. It should have been caught earlier
by the Census Bureau quality assurance process. An extra digit was added
in front of the street address of every letter. Postal officials today
advised us: 'America can count on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver this
and all future census mailings. Our high-speed, automated sorting
machines can read the proper address from the barcode on the mail piece.'
(See full statement below).
"Let me stress, the census questionnaires are addressed correctly and
this incident does not affect the production, mailing or delivery of any
census mail. The printing of the advance letter is an operation
independent of the printing of census questionnaires.
"We are taking additional steps with our community partners and through
our advertising, and the media to stress the importance of opening and
reading the advance letter. Every household should open the letter and
read it.
"This letter also allows individuals to request a census questionnaire
in Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese or Korean. For residents who
need a foreign language form, it is especially imperative that they open
their letter, read it, and mail back their request in the enclosed
postage-paid envelope.
"The census is a shared responsibility between the American public and
the Census Bureau and all of our partners in and out of the government.
To reverse the declining rates of participation in civic events such as
the census, we expect everyone will continue to do their part in making
the 2000 Census the most complete and accurate in our history".
-X-
FULL STATEMENT BY Judy A. de Torok, Manager Media Relations, On behalf
of the U.S. Postal Service. "America can count on the U.S. Postal Service
to deliver this and all future census mailings. Our high-speed, automated
sorting machines can read the proper address from the barcode on the mail
piece. We want our customers to know that this mail piece is intended for
them and is properly delivered despite the extra digit in the street
address".
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