CENSUS DATA COULD MEAN MILLIONS FOR L.A.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Some 15 months before the count begins, Los Angeles on Thursday kicked off its Census 2000 program to try to maximize the city's population count in an effort that officials said could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the city.

Mayor Richard Riordan, James Holmes, acting census director, and other officials said the local effort is needed to assure people that the population information will not be used to harm them but to help assess the state of the nation's people.

``An accurate count will result in the city receiving hundreds of millions of dollars more from the federal government and assure we have political representation,'' said Riordan.

``We have to let people know that the census is not a tool of law enforcement. We will do all we can to make sure people are counted, but, ultimately, it is up to the people of Los Angeles to cooperate.''

Holmes said his goal is to get as accurate a count as possible.

``We have to rise above partisan politics and make sure everyone is counted,'' said Holmes.

One of the concerns of some officials across the nation is that any further growth in California could result in the state gaining one or two more members in Congress. California already has the nation's largest delegation with 52 House members.

The Census Bureau has agreed with Los Angeles and other cities that have filed suit to force the agency to use a statistical sampling method for the 2000 census. However, a three-judge federal panel has ruled in favor of a suit by House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., that would block that method. That case is on appeal.

Because the Census Bureau did not use statistical sampling in 1990, Holmes estimated 1.6 percent of the population was not counted. He said it could go up to 1.9 percent for the 2000 census.

City Attorney James Hahn said the problem was even worse in Los Angeles, with 3.8 percent of the city not counted.

``We have to do what we can to make sure everyone is counted,'' said Hahn. ``Information is power. Power is money to the city.''

Riordan said he had ordered the committee be formed earlier than in past efforts in order to begin an outreach program to different communities that historically have been reluctant to participate in the census.

The mayor said the city is planning to have its own trial census program in the next year in selected communities.

``We'll mail out forms and see what kind of response we get,'' said Riordan. ``Then we'll send people into the communities and try to find out why they didn't participate.''

Holmes said the census will involve mailing forms to upward of 120 million homes and have an army of census workers going door-to-door in the effort. Officials estimated as many as 12,500 part-time jobs will be created in Los Angeles alone as part of the census operation.