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It is the first year of a
new decade and by now; you should have received your Census form.
Participating in the U.S. Census is your constitutional duty. The United
States Constitution requires a census every ten years under Article 1,
Section 2. Since 1790, when the first census was taken, the U.S. Census has
been the foundation of our nation’s representative government. The data that
will be gathered will be used for apportionment and redistricting of
legislative districts, and for ensuring that states and communities receive
their fair share of funding from the Federal Government.
Locally, accurate census data will help determine how federal and state
government can best allocate their resources to local hospitals, schools,
job training centers, and public works and transportation departments.
I have been asked recently, “Do I have to fill out the form?” The answer is
YES. Federal law does require that the census form be filled out accurately
and returned. In 2000, Nebraska and Wisconsin had the highest response rates
to the census at 75%. The lowest response rate was Puerto Rico at 53%.
I understand that there are some concerns about privacy and the personal
information that is asked, like why do they need the full names of all
persons living in your household. These are not new questions to the census.
The US Census Bureau asks for full names for a number of reasons:
• To help ensure that people are not counted twice
• To eliminate simple errors like counting “Jane Doe” as a male
• To allow only you to obtain a record from the Census Bureau at a later
date if you need to prove your residence for the purposes of a passport or
Social Security benefits.
The information that is collected by the Census Bureau is protected by
Federal law and is strictly confidential and used only for statistical
purposes. Federal courts have upheld that no agency, including the IRS, FBI,
or CIA has access to census data.
The specific data is kept sealed for 72 years, after which time it becomes
subject to public review. I know people who have been researching their
family’s genealogy have accessed public census records to track their family
history in this country.
The census form this year has only ten questions and shouldn’t take a great
deal of your time. If you would like more information on the US Census, or
would like to review the questions ahead of time, you can do so by visiting
the US Census Bureau website at:
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/
I urge you to participate and stand up and be counted!
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