For the next few days, I will still write February when I date anything. I’m always a few days behind when it comes to writing the date. Getting 2010 down took over a month because of changing the digit in the tens position, and February is so short that I don’t know if I ever put it in ink! Thank God for my trusty computer, which informed me this morning that it is indeed March. And you know what that means, don’t you? It’s Census Awareness Month!
If you’ve watched television, listened to the radio, or browsed the Internet this year, you have likely come across advertisements for the 2010 Census. This year’s census questionnaire is the shortest in history at only 10 questions and it’s vital that you fill it out!
The US census counts every resident in the country and is required by the Constitution to take place every ten years. The 2010 Census will help determine the allocation of more than $400 billion in federal funds during each year of the next decade for hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, public works projects, and emergency services. That’s more than $4 trillion over a ten-year period! In addition, census information affects the number of seats your state occupies in the US House of Representatives – helping to ensure your voice is heard in the Capitol.
As the country reels from the economic recession, we’ve all become more conscious of how our tax dollars are spent. By filling out the census, you help to save millions of dollars in follow up visits that are conducted with non-responding households. In fact, the US Census Bureau saves $85 million for every percentage point increase in the 2010 Census mail-back response rate!
The census is not a choice; it is an obligation – a secular mitzvah one might say. As citizens, we are required to identify ourselves and our families to the government to ensure the success of a democratic system founded on “consent of the governed.” In responding to the census, we also indicate the resources our communities need.
The census doesn’t cost you a penny. In mid-March, postal workers will deliver the initial mailing and all you need to do is fill it out and mail it back in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope! National Census Day is Thursday, April 1st. Use this date as a marker for sending back your completed forms. From April-July, census workers will visit all the households who did not return their forms and collect their responses by hand. As mentioned above, this is a huge expense, so get your form in on time!
February is over, even if, like me, your brain disagrees with you for the next few days. You have all been given fair warning – March is here and soon your census will be too! Fill it out, send it back, and spread the word!