Here & There Column 3-16-10

The Census Impacts Our Communities

Heard several folks in the local supermarket the other day saying that they were not going to waste their time filling out any Census reports and that the government already knows too much about us.......but did you know that participation isn't just important......it's mandatory.
The U.S. Census Bureau is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
The information gathered by the Census is used to apportion congressional seats to states and is also used to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide.
The Census Bureau has promised us that the 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in U.S. history consisting of 10 questions and will take us about 10 minutes to complete.
For those who have concerns about their personal information there is federal law that protects our identity and the information we give.
The Census Bureau says very firmly that no one can get access to census data and they promise to protect the confidentiality of information we provide.
Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties......in addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act reinforce these protections.
It was interesting to learn that all Census Bureau employees have to take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data obtain in the Census report.
The Census Bureau also points out that private information is never published and that it is against the law to disclose or publish names, addresses including GPS coordinates, social security numbers and telephone numbers.
One would have to believe that information provided in the Census report is private and that the penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.
We urge everyone to take a few minutes of your time, fill out the report and mail it back. The information collected helps to determine federal funding for hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, bridges, tunnels and other public works projects and emergency services.
If you deposit the mailed Census form into your circular waste basket you can expect a knock on your door within the next four months......be a responsible citizen, fill it out and mail it back.