Senator Gianaris Blasts Census Numbers

Michael Gianaris

March 24, 2011

Statement regarding the release of the 2010 Census numbers. The numbers show a net gain of just 1,300 people in Queens and a population loss in Astoria.

"Anyone who has set foot in western Queens in the last 10 years knows without a doubt that its population has dramatically increased over that time. Whether it is the number of new buildings sprouting up, increasing rents or even a simple walk through our crowded sidewalks, it is obvious that the population has spiked upward. For the Census Bureau to suggest otherwise calls into question the validity of any of its data throughout the country. I will be writing to federal officials insisting that an investigation be launched immediately to correct this gross error. We deserve answers as to how such an important process could fail so badly."