Texans’ lagging response to the U.S. census questionnaire is getting the attention of the higher-ups at the bureau.
Matt Stiles
Matt Stiles covered government and politics for the Tribune, with a focus on data journalism, from 2009 to 2011. He oversaw and developed the Tribune’s library of web applications and interactive graphics. Previously, he was a government reporter at the Houston Chronicle. While there, he won the newspaper’s Jesse Award for service journalism and beat reporting and was its reporter of the year in 2007. Before joining the Chronicle, Stiles worked as a reporter for nearly four years at The Dallas Morning News.
Posted inState Government
Annise Parker: “Houston is Not a Sanctuary City”
Houston Mayor Annise Parker discusses her city’s immigration policy with The Texas Tribune. It’s no “sanctuary,” she says.
Posted in
Demographics
On the Records: Texas Still Slow on Census
The U.S. Census Bureau today updated its data on how many households had returned the decennial questionnaire. Texas is still seven percentage points behind the national rate — ahead of only Mississippi and Alaska.
Posted in
Demographics
TribBlog: Houston No Sanctuary, Annise Parker Says
Bill White’s successor as Houston’s nonpartisan mayor, Annise Parker, is staying out of the governor’s race. She does, though, have a clear opinion on the Rick Perry campaign’s “sanctuary city” charge.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Down for the Count
As of Friday, three-quarters of Texans hadn’t returned their census forms. Only five states have a worse rate of participation so far.
Posted in
Demographics
On the Records: Texas’ Suburban Growth
Seven Texas counties — Rockwall, Williamson, Collin, Hays, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Denton — are listed among the nation’s 30 fastest growing areas, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today. They also voted for John McCain in the 2008 presidential race.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
On the Records: One Million Requests
State agencies have received nearly one million requests under the Texas Public Information Act since September.
Posted in
Demographics
Let the Counting Begin
Census Bureau questionnaires arrive at 8.4 million Texas homes this week. “Fill that sucker out,” the bureau’s regional director says, “so we don’t have to come and knock on your door.”
Posted in
Criminal Justice
On the Records: Visualize Texas’ Growth
Yesterday, Google formally announced its public data explorer, a cool new tool allowing anyone to make visualizations of government records and post them as embeds online.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Data App: Homeland $ecurity
Loving County, in far West Texas, spent about $1,100 per resident in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds from 2003 to 2008. Compare that with Harris County, which spent less than $6 per resident. Contemplate the disparity — and search for individual purchases with DHS grant money — using our latest data application.
