2010 Census projections: Oklahoma Congressional seats to remain the same
New U.S. Census Bureau projections for state population came out recently, and it looks like Oklahoma gained 34,000 people from July 2007 to July 2008. The state’s estimated population is now 3,642,361.
Oklahoma ranked 19th in percentage growth and 21st in numerical growth.
The folks at the state Data Center said we shouldn’t worry about losing Congressional representation after the next decennial Census. (Oklahoma went from six Congressional districts to five after the 2000 Census because its rate of population didn’t keep up with other states.)
From the Data Center’s latest newsletter:
While the state has not grown enough to recapture that lost 6th Congressional District, we do not appear to be at risk of losing a district either. It’s not easy to plot out every possible scenario, but roughly speaking, if the population in the rest of the nation were held constant, then Oklahoma’s population would have to decline by more than half a million before the state would be at risk of losing another seat. Conversely, if the state wanted to regain its 6th District, the state’s population would need to increase somewhere close to 175,000 while the rest of the U.S. population remained unchanged.
To see more of the Data Center’s population estimates, go here.
–Paul
Muskogee councilman: Campaign finance proposal is “stupid”
I wonder if voters will remember this come election day?
Muskogee Mayor John Tyler Hammons, the nation’s youngest mayor, had some new ideas for government transparency, but his fellow politicians weren’t interested.
From the Muskogee Phoenix:
The councilors voting against the measure did not hesitate in letting Hammons know how much they disliked his proposal.
“I’m very much opposed to it,” Luttrull said.
“On what grounds?” Hammons asked.
“I think it’s just stupid,” Luttrull answered.
Ritchey said Hammons’ repeated messages calling for openness and transparency in the city government implies those now in office have something to hide.
He asked Hammons who is doing what that he thinks is wrong.
Ragsdale said he felt requiring the disclosures could keep some people from seeking election to the council, not because they had something to hide, but because it would create a lot of red tape that potential candidates would not want to wade through.
–Paul
Human errors account for most data breaches, report finds
For all the stock we put in computers these days, it’s user error that often gets us in the most trouble.
That’s the conclusion from the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center. It’s wrap-up of 2008 data breaches found that human errors — losing a laptop with sensitive data, sending a CD of data to the wrong address — accounted for most of the data breaches last year.
From its latest report:
Sadly, these trends continue to plague companies and government alike, despite education on safer information handling, new laws and regulations. Mal-attacks, hacking and insider theft, account for 29.6% of those breaches that reported the causal factor. Insider theft, now at 15.7%, has more than doubled between 2007 and 2008. On the other hand, data on the move and accidental exposure, both human error categories, showed noteworthy improvement, but still account for 35.2% of those breaches that indicate cause.
Here in Oklahoma, there are two laws on the books governing data breaches. The first, to do with government agencies, went into effect in 2006. The second, dealing with private businesses, was passed in the last Legislature and went into effect in November.
You can read the ITRC’s entire report here in PDF format. The list shows nine Oklahoma-related data breaches last year, including several businesses and government agencies.
Finally, a tip of the hat to the Washington Post, which has a story on the ITRC report here.
–Paul
