Census Bureau screw ups (kinda long)

The BBQ Pit
1

:sigh:

Re this - http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20080403-1145-censusproblems.html

10 years ago I helped with the 2000 census. I work for County Government. I’m in GIS. We have very good data.

10 years ago, I corrected the census block lines to match actual physical features and sent the data back to the Census Bureau. They asked for this information.

The Census’s data was bad, real bad. I can understand that. Accuracy is a matter of scale.

Our data is within a few meters (at most). The Census data is, well, ummm…… They have a couple of streets right.

Now in 2008 the Census data is still bad. I’m doing it all over again. And will send it back to them again. 300 hours of work. Not that I expect them to incorporate it in their data set. They didn’t do it for 2000.

I understand what a massive undertaking this is. I really do. Census blocks are best defined by physical features. Roads are best. Rivers and streams are good too. RR tracks and fences even work. And we can even use ‘non-visible jurisdictional boundaries.

OK.

How about lake shorelines? Nope, there is no code for a shoreline of a lake. Yet in the data the Census has sent me, they have tiny puddles of lakes in a WILDERNESS area described as a block boundary. The code on their data for a lake shoreline is - P0003. P0003 does not exist in their data dictionary.

I called our local census rep, and she had no idea what that was about.

Umm… There are only about 40 definitions in the data dictionary for types of physical features. They even have a code for exterior stairs for crying out loud (exterior stairs? For a Census block line? What’s up with that?). A lake shore line? Nope. No code.

Oh, and guess what, people are not allowed to live in lakes in wilderness areas. It’s kinda silly to make it a Census block boundary. But they make it a boundary anyway. Even though there is no code for a lake shoreline.

Yeah, all lakes are going to be Census block boundaries by default. But they don’t even have a code for the line (but they do have a code for stairways :confused: ). It’s nuts.

Just a bit sad that I will probably have to do the same damn thing for the 2020 Census. Retirement is close, but not that close.

What a mess.

2

I alsway liked the song, “One Toke Over the Line”, and for the first time I’m wondering what kind of line? An external stairway? A street? At least I’m reassured that it can’t be a lake shore.

3

Are you telling me that the WEEKS of work I just put into our centerlines, boundaries and addresses is worthless? I sure hope not. I hear you about the P0003 thing, too. WTF? I didn’t actually touch the block boundaries, which are truly asinine, but I did try to assign the right block to the right address. And I want to know why their required address list format doesn’t even include lat/long. Criminy, I’m working from geographic data: why would they not want that?

I just heard a rumor that they’re now not going to use handheld GPS to collect the data. :smack: Massive bureaucracy, anyone?

4

Wait.

enipla and Alpine - both of you live in Colorado? Both of you are working on Census data?

Are y’all sure there’s not just one of you, and a big mirror somewhere?

:stuck_out_tongue:
Note to mods: this is a joke, not an accusation of any sort.

5

Isn’t it weird? Someday we’ll meet at a conference without realizing that he/she is that GISer/Doper. The truth is, we both live at altitude and I got the name first! The GIS (Geographic Information Systems) part is just one of those big ol’ coincidences.

6

Sittin’ downtown in a railway station… dammit Boyo, I’ll be singing this all through cooking dinner tonight!

7

Me too, Rabbit.
And the video in my head that accompanies it is the scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas when Gonzo starts to sing a really f’ed up version of the chorus.
Fantastic!

8

Nah, a rumor it remains.

9

I just now realized that enipla is alpine spelled backwards. :smack:

10

Ditto. I thought it was some obscure reference to breasts. I tend to think almost everything I don’t understand is an obscure reference to breasts. :stuck_out_tongue:

11

It is. :wink:

12

Something poke out your eye? :smiley:

13

Yes, it did, as a matter of fact. It was a pencil, wielded by a large-breasted woman named Brabuhr, who was annoyed that Rhubarb wouldn’t stop checking her out…