European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Sunday december 18,1994 new census forms planned Washington a with the National census still five years away the government is already preparing to test new forms and methods aimed at getting a More accurate total than Ever before. Attempting to Ciach every american has become such a Complex Job that plan Ning starts far in Advance on How to Fin people what to ask them How to design the forms and How to learn the most while imposing As Little As possible. For the most part people like to recounted and they like to read about the , says Martha Farnsworth Riche the new director of the census Bureau. Census data is the stuff of people s lives said Riche a former editor at american demographics a Magazine focusing on population and economic statistics. People Are fascinated by How they stand in comparison to their neigh Bors and other communities. But counting everyone is a struggle she said. Forms arc designed More for the convenience of data collecting machines than the people answering the questions. The Bureau will begin testing new methods and forms in March in Oak land Calif. Paterson n.j., and six parishes in Northwestern Louisiana. Someday the census May be taken by computer. But the 2000 count will still be done mainly by mailing out forms an asking people to Send them Back Riche said. Changes will focus More on improving forms and following up to count peo ple who Are missed on the first pass. In 1990, workers visited some Home six or seven times before finally resorting to information from neighbors or other about people they could t reach a costly and not especially accurate pro Cess. -. So one thing to be tested is the idea of doing a Large Survey of areas being counted. Then if one or two visits to Homes that did t answer fail to get needed in formation the Survey could be used to estimate the typical person or family there. That test program is called Sam pling for non response  another problem is the under count or the number of people missed by the Cen sus which statisticians say is a problem that tends to affect minorities disproportionately. We have always had an under count we always will have one because people refuse to cooperate for various reasons Riche said. But we can t count them out because they Are  this will involve another special sur vey called integrated coverage measurement that statisticians will use to estimate the number and characteristics of people missed in the census this Esti mate could then be included in the final count to provide a single More accurate number at the end of the census. Such estimates were developed in 1990, but under political pressure the Bureau released two sets of numbers the actual count and an adjusted number including the estimate of those missed. That led to lawsuits and bickering be tween states and cities because using one set or the other could shift seats Intlehouse of representatives and millions of dollars in Federal Money from one area to another. Another problem Riche faces is the ethnic classifications used for Ameri cans. There has been pressure to include mixed race As an option and the of fice of management and budget is considering that term for All Federal pro Grams. I m i the Lego treasure Hunt Competition has just concluded. And there Are three Lucky winners picked at random on Timber of Tom Over 5,000 entries the wire piers arb of a is a. V?1 v ,-.-. F a $ a.  " ? v Park for one child and two s hotel of Ommo canons food a verge May to Isth september 1w5. The prize does fat fit a it it Fly put � " of v t Tri n ,. \ i is 111 3rd prize Lego set no. 2790, the Duple play room Lego set no. 6286, Thelt Tel la a Black Skull pirate ship Al Ivi n Lacr an Crew thanks to everyone who entered u de congratulations to the Lucky winners Hohenfels Germany merry Christmas to everybody from Lego Starr Stephenson Rota Spain army t of fro Helms attack on Aid stops at . Line Washington a sen. Jesse Helms who advocates drastic cuts in America s foreign Aid has praised and encouraged . Ai programs in Rwanda and Haiti that Benefit agriculture in his state but an aide said Friday that Helms , the incoming chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee has not dropped his opposition to foreign Aid. Helms has pledged to make the . Agency for International development a principal target. In a letter to the Aid adminis Trator Brian Atwood made Avail Able to the associated press Helms asked for the continuation of programs that have indirectly helped North Carolina. The Republican senator has in the past bitterly criticized assist Ance to third world countries claiming it had Cost americans $2trillion, much of it going Down foreign rat  the government must Stop this stupid business of giving away the taxpayers Money Willy Nilly Helms said following the Republican sweep in last month s elections. He said that savings on for eign Aid could be used better to reduce the Federal deficit and Cost of government. North Carolina receives about$400 million annually in Aid con tracts for goods and services according to an estimate in the dec.26 Issue of business week mag Azine. S /. The research programs funded through the Agency for International development. Have Bee greatly beneficial for North Carolina agriculture Helms letter  addition these programs have benefited less fortunate countries such As Rwanda and Haiti who desperately need our  Helms was unavailable for com ment. But an aide stressed that it was unlikely Helms had any knowl Edge of the correspondence. Cuomo Swan song is blast at gop Washington a in what was Likely his final speech As new York s governor Mario Cuomo bitterly criticized the new Republican Agenda As politics at its worst guided by opinion polls tainted with racism and devoid of compassion. Politicians used to think of them selves As shepherds. That s All Over now Cuomo told a full House at the National press club on Friday. Now the politicians Are following the sheep read the polls they la Tell you where to go to Pas Ture Democrat Cuomo Defeated last month in his bid for a fourth term by Republican George Pataki warned voters that they had better take the time to think about what they want and then Send the right signals to their government. If you Tell them you want the death penalty you la get it Cuomo said. If you Tell them to ignore sick people you la get it. If you Tell them to ignore the poor you la get it. If you Tell them to victimize Young children you la get it. Be careful what you ask for because they re listening for you he said. And ask for the Richt things. Ask for