NALEO Educational Fund Urges Swift Confirmation of Dr. Robert Groves as Director...

NALEO Educational Fund Urges Swift Confirmation of Dr. Robert Groves as
Director of U.S. Census Bureau

Latino Leadership Organization Committed to Working with Groves to Achieve a
Full and Accurate Count of All Latinos

LOS ANGELES, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the National Association
of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the
leading nonprofit organization that facilitates full Latino participation in
the American political process, issued the following statement regarding the
nomination of Dr. Robert Groves:

"The NALEO Educational Fund urges the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs to advance the nomination of Dr. Robert
Groves to a full Senate confirmation vote.

"With the 2010 Census less than a year away, this is a critical time for our
nation's efforts to ensure the most accurate count of its population. In
addition to the demanding planning and implementation tasks that the Census
Bureau routinely faces this close to the enumeration, the Bureau must also
address the difficulties involved in conducting the 2010 Census during a time
of unprecedented economic challenges. The Census Bureau must act swiftly to
evaluate and implement effective strategies to count Americans that have been
displaced by foreclosures or other housing problems, or who feel disengaged
from our society.

"Thus, it is urgent that the U.S. Senate move swiftly to confirm the
appointment of a skilled professional who understands the science and
substance of the Census, who understands the Bureau and who is fully committed
to a process that counts everyone. Dr. Groves is an excellent choice on all
three counts. In addition to his scientific qualifications, Dr. Groves has
worked in the Census Bureau as a front-line employee and as a visiting
scholar. We look forward to working with him to guarantee that the 2010
Census achieves a full and accurate count of all Americans.

"Unfortunately, the Latino population has never been fully counted. The 2000
Census, despite producing a net over count of the total population, produced
an undercount of Latinos of around 3%, or one million Latinos.

"Let us be clear: the only way to achieve a successful census is to count all
Latinos.

"We are committed to helping the Bureau eliminate the undercount through our
participation in the ya es hora, HASASE CONTAR! (It's Time, Make Yourself
Count!) Campaign. The Campaign -- an unprecedented coalition of national
Spanish-language media and Latino organizations -- will promote the importance
of the census, educate members of the community about filling out their census
forms and encourage households to mail back their responses once they complete
their forms.

"We commend the President for making this important nomination, and we urge
the United States Senate to move swiftly to confirm Dr. Groves' appointment,
so that we may begin the important work ahead."

About the NALEO Educational Fund
The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading organization that empowers Latinos
to participate fully in the American political process, from citizenship to
public service. The NALEO Educational Fund is a national non-profit,
non-partisan organization whose constituency includes the more than 6,000
Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide.

CONTACT: Eric Wagner of NALEO Educational Fund, +1-213-747-7606, Ext. 4427,
ewagner@naleo.org

SOURCE NALEO Educational Fund

Eric Wagner of NALEO Educational Fund, +1-213-747-7606, Ext. 4427,
ewagner@naleo.org