Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 13, 1990 TAG: 9004130553
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BEN BEAGLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Burkes lived in Dallas during the 1980 census. They did everything they could to get enumerated, as the census people say.
Finally, Burke said, they were told it was too late to be included and the census would catch them in 10 years. Burke said that was relatively forgettable because he figured "they've got enough people in Texas. They don't need me."
This census year, the Burkes are living in Hunting Hills in Roanoke County and still trying to get themselves counted.
It appeared Thursday, however, that the Burkes would get in on the 1990 census. Matthew Duffy, manager of the census office in Roanoke, when asked about the Burkes' troubles, told a reporter he would call the Burkes.
Shirley Burke said Duffy called and apolgized for the problems so far.
Did Duffy assure the Burkes they would be counted? "He said something like that," Shirley Burke said.
Burke said his attempts to get counted in 1990 started with a card from the census people saying he should fill out his questionnaire and mail it back. Burke - who is now pleasantly obsessed with becoming a part of the census count - said the card seemed to say: "You didn't do your duty."
The Burkes hadn't received a questionnaire to do their duty with, so Jack Burke started trying to find somebody to talk to at the census bureau.
The post office was no help, he said. The telephone company didn't have a number.
He called U.S. Sen. John Warner's office, and a very pleasant woman gave him a number.
He called that number and was given another number, the answerer giving him another number, which led him to a toll-free number at which he reached a person who seemed to be interested in counting the Burkes.
That was last week, and the census person said it was too late to fill out a questionnaire but a census taker would call. The census person asked for directions to the Burke town house - including the nearest crossroad - and it appeared that he and his wife would be counted at 4 on the afternoon of April 4, a Wednesday.
The Burkes waited, rather like expectant children.
"I made sure I was here at 4 o'clock," Burke said.
Nobody came. The Burkes waited for the census taker Thursday and Friday and were still uncounted.
Duffy said none of the 20 people who answer census questions at the number Burke reached should have made an appointment for last week. He said the procedure is for the bureau to take a name, phone number and house directions and tell callers the bureau will get back to them.
The people who answer the census phones, Duffy said, have a sort of script to go by, and making the appointment with Burke is "not part of the script."
"I hate like the devil to go to my grave and not be counted," Burke said.
He said he gets this funny feeling that he and his wife don't exist.
Burke said he is 65, "on Social Security, and still not counted."
He said his failure to be recognized by the 1990 census seems a bit odd because the government has been begging everybody to get themselves enumerated.
"They're going into grates and tunnels" to count the homeless, Burke said, and still the census taker has not called in high-priced Huntings Hills Court.
"I'll guarantee them there are two people in Hunting Hills" anxious to be counted, he said.
by CNB