California Could Lose Billions in Census

The State of California could lose billions in federal government aid because of its decision to slash Census outreach funding, the Chron reports. The state’s decision could result in fewer Californians participating in the Census, which would lead to an undercount of state residents and a severe reduction in future federal funding. The state spent $25 million on Census outreach in 2000, but cut that figure to $2 million for next year because of the financial crisis. Cash-strapped counties also have slashed their outreach funding, thereby worsening the problem.