The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "U.S. Census" ...
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Fighting New Jersey's Tax Crunch
The series provided a detailed analysis of New Jersey's dysfunctional property tax system, which has the highest costs in the nation. Using U.S. census data, IRS data, 10 years of local tax information, and more than 40 databases of local and state employee payrolls, we found that the system had evolved into a juggernaut that was destroying the fiscal and social fabric economy of the state.
Tags: property tax; racial disparity; assessments; tax breaks; economic segregation;
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Race Gap Found in Pothole Patching
The Milwaukee Department of Public Works was found to have clear geographical and racial disparities in how it allocated city workers to fix potholes throughout the area. A database of pothole locations with repair times were mapped out by the reporters and U.S. Census data was used to assess the poor response times.
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Privacy Offenders
"The U.S. Census Bureau's local facility left piles of confidential records unguarded, sitting in a large, unfinished and unlocked room- for months."
Tags: privacy; federal government; personal files; social security numbers; identity theft; hidden camera
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Judging the Jury
For the first time ever, reporters at WHDH-TV in Boston analyzed the racial makeup of federal juries in Massachusetts. What they found was that, in some cases, jury pools had no people of color whatsoever, which led to all white juries. According to their investigation, minorities remained underrepresented in the justice system as much as 50 percent of the time. The reason? Jury pools are chosen according to who responds to the town census. Because it is an unfunded mandate, many low income neighborhoods do a bad job of responding to the census, while the affluent neighborhoods fair much better. These are the neighborhoods with the highest returns and they are the ones repeatedly being called for jury duty.
Tags: jury pools; voter registration; underrepresented minorities; racial makeup; town census; U.S. Census; FOIA
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Problems Cited for District Plan
This story file contains multiple articles about New York City's attempt to redistrict before the 1991 City Council elections. The new districts were supposed to allow for more minority representation, but Hispanic residents felt like the changes put them at a disadvantage. The article explores these complaints and finds them to be valid. Eventually the U.S. Justice Department declared the redistricting to be illegal. These articles cover all aspects of the issue and follow the dispute all the way to Washington.
Tags: racial gerrymandering; voter fraud; census; population; minority representation; aldermen
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Power Lines: Political deck-stacking maps the future before you vote
In this three-part series, Assad and Ayers take a look at how the once a decade task of reapportionment, adjusting federal, state, and local legislative districts to account for current Census numbers. What once was a "housekeeping chore for map-drawing bureaucrats is a bare-knuckled political brawl that not only has Republicans fighting Democrats, but also allies fighting each other." The Morning Call's analysis finds that a GOP backed plan would increase the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives from 222-to-210 to 227-205. The series also looks at how Blacks and Latinos are trying to shore up their numbers and create a minority heavy legislative district.
Tags: Politics; reapportionment; congress; census; CAR; database mapping project
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Ritalin prescribed unevenly in U.S.
The Plain-Dealer compiled 1996 Census projections and data from the Drug Enforcement Administration showing the break down of Ritalin sold in grams in the nation's 3,141 counties. The results show that the use of and prescribing of Ritalin varies from state to state but also by region. The analysis found high Ritalin use in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and even disparities in use within Ohio. In Summit County, 3.6 percent are prescribed the drug, while in neighboring Holmes County only 0.37 are prescribed Ritalin, the lowest rate in Ohio. Attitudes and theories on Ritalin use vary with some believing children in cold, isolated areas might be more prone to use the drug, some think military families are more inclined to use it, others believe children and families with attention disorders "migrate" to resort areas where the drug is more readily available.
Tags: pharmaceuticals; DEA; Ritalin; children; CAR
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Census 2000: A Decade of Change
In a five-day series, the News Tribune explains the trends behind 2000 U.S. Census numbers for the South Puget Sound area and Washington State. The numbers revealed that "suburban cities in the South Sound were among the fastest-growing in the state." Reporters explain the effects of growth in the area and discuss efforts to rein it in through Washington State's Growth Management Act. Along with growth has come an influx of immigrants to the state. "Since 1990, the number of Hispanics statewide more than doubled, to 441,509." Other articles address: redistricting, Korean-Americans in South Sound, and confusion over the number of American Indians in the area.
Tags: census; race; development; urban sprawl; growth; Growth Management Act; planning; immigrants; immigration; open space; migration; diversity; Hispanics; Latinos; Korean Americans; Native Americans; American Indians; multiracial; CAR
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Looking for Love: in all the right places?
The Miami Herald reports that "....Playing Cupid, we figured the percentages of singles in every Zip code in Miami-Dade and Broward, working with figures from Claritas, one of the country's top demographic survey companies, which provide current population projections based on 1990 U.S. census info(rmation). So now you'll know where the singles are...."
Tags: Love; relationships; singles; census; demographics
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No title (id: 12773)
The Oshkosh Northwestern uncovered major errors in U.S. Census data that experts said could have devastating ramifications for governments and businesses relying on the data. The story showed how the Census Bureau knew about flaws in compact disks from the 1990 census since 1993, but made no widespread effort to in from the public. The disks contained faulty software which meant incorrect data was given out on the nation's metropolitan statistical areas in 19 states. (Aug. 4, 1995)
Tags: Fitzhenry CAR Census Bureau data wrong Contest entry 10 pgs.