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Hundreds Of US Cities Line Up To Contest 2010 Census

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With jobs and federal aid at stake, dozens of U.S. cities are lining up to contest their 2010 census counts as too low.

   A decade ago, there were 1,200 challenges filed by cities and counties. Based on feedback so far, the U.S. Conference of Mayors is predicting a big jump in that number. That's because tighter budgets are making local officials more sensitive to drop-offs in federal money for Medicaid and other programs.

   Nearly $450 billion in federal aid is distributed to states based on population each year, or roughly $1,500 per person.

   Among the cities planning challenges: Detroit, Houston, Miami and New York.

   In California, officials estimate the census failed to count 1.25 million people there.

   The census already has identified errors involving 26,000 people in six states.

   (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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