Bustamante Appointed to Census Panel

SACRAMENTO — Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante has been appointed to the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, President Clinton said Tuesday.

The eight-member bipartisan panel monitors all aspects of the 2000 census and conveys its findings to Congress to ensure the most accurate count possible.

Bustamante will replace former California Rep. Tony Coelho, who left the board to serve as chairman of Vice President Al Gore’s White House campaign. Bustamante’s position is unpaid.

Bustamante pledged to work for an accurate count of California residents. Last year, Bustamante proposed creation of the California Complete Count Committee, to which Gov. Gray Davis later appointed him. His working group, a forerunner to the committee, developed a $24.7-million plan for census outreach activities.