The Leadership Conference is working diligently to see that Tom Perez is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Perez is an eminently qualified public servant and consensus builder who has dedicated his career to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and have the opportunity to succeed. He has served with integrity and distinction at the local, state and national level, compiling an outstanding record of achievement. 
In this report:
- Acknowledgements
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Part I - Demographic Trends in Katrina-Affected Areas and Their Impact on the 2010 Census
- Part II - Census Procedures and Operational Challenges to Getting an Accurate Count in the Aftermath of a Catastrophe
- Part III - Operational and Policy Recommendations for a More Accurate 2010 Census in the Gulf Coast
- Appendix A
Good News from the Census Bureau
Census Bureau officials are aware that communities most hard-hit by Katrina face exceptional challenges, and they have taken some important steps to improve the likelihood of an accurate 2010 count. The Dallas Regional Census Office has responsibility for Louisiana and Mississippi as well as Texas. (Alabama falls under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta regional office.) Dallas Regional Director Gabriel Sanchez has taken the important step of designating a number of the hardest hit counties in southern Louisiana and Mississippi as Update/Leave areas, wherein census workers will hand-deliver questionnaires and add new housing units or those missed during the address canvassing this past spring.
"Our goal is to get a questionnaire to where everyone lives or could live. In these areas it's a little less clear, which is why we're using this system," Regional Director Gabriel Sanchez said in August.8
Next Section: Reasons for Continued Concern
8. O'Keefe, Ed, "Gulf Coast Worried about 2010 Census," Washington Post, August 5, 2009.
