| | CENSUS 2010: IT'S IN OUR HANDS
WHY SHOULD I FILL OUT MY CENSUS FORM?
FACT 1: The purpose of the Census is to gather information, not regulate. Answers to the 10 questions on the form are confidential under Title 13 of the U.S. Code. http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/04_7_1.html. Filling out the form and mailing it back will mean a census worker will not make a personal call or see your answers.
FACT 2: A complete count in Lcokhart could increase the amount of federal funds received for programs such as Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Federal Transit and Highway Safety Grants, Violence Against Women Grants, Victim Assistant Grants and Community Policing Services Grant, etc.
FACT 3: Your state and federal representative districts will be developed based on the number of people counted. The Census determines how many seats each state will have in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
FACT 4: Information collected during the Census provides data for product development and marketing, forecasting demand, location decisions, and the delivery of health, social and educational services.
FACT 5: It is the law. Just as it is illegal for Census workers to divulge information, it is also against the law for residents to not fill out and return their Census forms.
Taking time to fill out and return a Census form just makes good sense!
MYTHS OF THE U.S. CENSUS
MYTH #1: Information from the Census form will be given to the immigration and naturalization service. — FALSE
TRUTH: The Census Bureau is interested in statistical information only. The survey form collects information on the number of people in a location, their ethnicity, income, housing and other social and economic data. This information is then processed electronically and any information that could be used to identify an individual or company is removed, before it is made public.
MYTH #2: The Census form is too long and asks too many personal questions. — FALSE
TRUTH: The 2010 Census Form is very short and will take about 10 minutes to answer. There are questions on gender, age, race, ethnicity, family housing, health insurance, marital history, and military service-related disability status.
MYTH #3: It's OK if I choose not to fill out the Census form. — FALSE
TRUTH: Section 221 of Title 13, Chapter 7 of the United States Code requires persons receiving a Census form to fill it out truthfully and return it by April 1, 2010. It also stipulates the penalties for failing to do so. If you do not return your Census Form by April 1, 2010, Census Workers will contact you to assist in completing the survey.
MYTH #4: The Census is only for U.S. citizens. — FALSE
TRUTH: The census is a count of everyone living in the United States every 10 years. It is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
MYTH #5: The Census information won't help me. — FALSE
Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.
Census Questionnaire Assistance
For more information, visit the 2010 Census website at www.census.gov/2010census
|
|
