The 2000 Census

Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U. S. Constitution states that "Representatives (members of the lower chamber of the United States Congress)...shall be apportioned among the several States...according to their respective numbers.  The actual enumeration (a census) shall be made...every...ten years."  

Some time after my retirement from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc. on June 30, 1999, I got temporary employment with the federal government working on the 2000 Census.  The office where I reported to work was located near Main Street in Flushing, New York, between Northern and Kissena Boulevards.  

However, most of the time I was in the field in various areas of Queens County canvasing homes of people who did not respond to the mailed request to fill out the census form voluntarily.  Typical questions on the form included how many people lived in the home, was the home owned or rented, what was the name of the owner/renter, what was their phone number, what was their gender, what was their age and what was their date of birth.  It also asked if the owner/renter was Hispanic and what was their race.

Some of the occupants of the homes I went to did not respond because they had forgotten to do so.  However, some were very concerned about the nature of the questions and felt the answers were none of the government's business.  These tended to be uncooperative with me as well.

One thing I learned about working for the federal government was that once money is allocated to a project, such as the 2000 Census, the project managers tend to spend any excess money rather than return it to Washington.  For example, near the end of the census, I was sent back to the same homes that some of my colleagues had been to allegedly as a "double check."  I believe it was rather a way to spend money previously allocated.  And the occupants were very angry about a census taker coming a second time.

Doing my job, I came in contact with group homes where unrelated adults who were mentally challenged lived with supervision provided by the city government.  I also went to homes (Chinatown in Queens) where no one spoke English.  Here, I was challenged.  

Two of my colleagues working for the 2000 Census were the first Muslims I ever had contact with.  One was a young mother who had emigrated with her family from Pakistan.  She was a very pleasant woman who one day came to work wearing traditional clothing.

The other was a young man from Afghanistan.  Several times he gave me rides to and from work where we engaged in lively conversation about his country.  This was before 9/11 after which Afghanistan became more well known.

Near the Census Office, on Main Street, was a Wendy's fast food restaurant.  I'm sure I went there to eat at least once.  On the night of May 24, 2000 (during the period of my employment), just after closing time, five Wendy's employees were shot and killed during a robbery of $2,400 by a former employee and an accomplice.  Two others were shot but survived.  One called 911.  

The two assassins were arrested within 48 hours.  They were tried, convicted and will spend the rest of their lives in prison.  Because of what happened at Wendy's, the restaurant on Main Street never reopened.