The 2010 Census: Be Counted

As the government continues working on the 2010 Census, some Americans are suspicious about filling out the forms the have received. Some have privacy concerns, others feel it is not important.

Today we asked our contributors if the plan on participating in the census, and if they have any concerns about being counted. After reading their opinions, join the conversation by leaving a comment.

JEFF WEISS:
I find it silly that people would not want to be counted in the United States Census. First and foremost, I can't think of any reasons why anyone wouldn't want to be counted. I can, however, think of plenty of reasons why everyone needs to be counted.

For starters, the census directly affects funding for communities. The government allocates hundreds of billions of dollars each year to individual communities for education, road improvement, public health, transportation and more. The census data is used to establish state legislative districts and determine the number of seats each states has in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census numbers are used to determine the amount of federal assistance areas receive in the event of a disaster. And let's not forget another important reason: all census information is completely confidential.

If you haven't filled out your census form and returned it, do it today.


RYAN JOHN:
For anyone who didn't know this, the 2010 census has a great website and a very citizen friendly approach to it's information.  The director of the 2010 census, Robert M. Groves , keeps a routine blog where he discusses all things census including myths to ease our apprehension.  I learned a lot from this website and was really happy to see the federal government taking this approach to educate us, as opposed to having a mandatory, punitive tone.

Turns out, this isn't a modern exercise in big government.  It was ran by the federal government since 1790 and the line of questioning is very similar to that of the founding fathers.  Now, what their true intentions were, I guess we'll never know for sure.  But it's sold as a tool to determine the number of seats your state will hold in the House of Representatives.  Therefore, even though it's a federal government plan, state officials should encourage participation to ensure maximum representation in congress. Plus, it a rather expensive cost for tax payers so delaying the process only costs fellow citizens more money. 

I'm not worried about it.  Maybe it's because I saw the website.  Or maybe it's because I have nothing to hide.  I mean come on- We shop and pay bills online, Google whatever our private minds inspire, share photos and personal information with our friends through social networking, blog and whatever else technology allows.  I sacrificed privacy for convenience a long time ago.    

SHAUN HAUTLY:
I had an opportunity to talk with census officials back in September and they told me about some of the reasons for the census and how it's used. One notable fact was that for every 100 people in my county that down turn it in, we lose about $10,000 of federal funding. That's our schools, our police force, etc. It seemed like taking the 4 minutes to fill it out was worth it.
As far as people being concerned about security, they need to stop being so paranoid. The only questions on it are about your age, whether or not you own your home, and if you're white or not. For all I care, they can tell that information to the Taliban. It's clearly important or the government wouldn't spend the millions of dollars on the coordination and collection of data from EVERY individual.

I know this isn't that long of a piece, but this isn't that complicated of a situation. Part of being an American is taxes, fireworks, and filling out the census. Security? Not really an issue. Unless someone is dumb enough to write their credit card information on the form for some reason, it shouldn't matter. Just go fill it out and complain about health care for now.


DAVID LOFTUS:
In 2000 I filled out the extended U.S. Census form. If I remember correctly, it was five or six pages with dozens of questions, and I enjoyed answering them all. This year my wife and I only received the basic ten-question form. We’ve already filled it out and sent it off.

It’s just another symptom of the silly, ignorant paranoia of too many American citizens (or perhaps the bill of goods they’ve been sold by conservative and Libertarian commentators about “government intrusion”), that some are loathe to complete and return the form. Dozens of Web sites urge people not to do it. Libertarians call it an invasion of privacy. Others are offended by the racial and ethnic classifications delineated on the form. Still others are afraid the census is another tool for the government to pursue nefarious ends, such as deportation or tax liens. A staff member of the large law firm I was doing some temp work for last week sent around in-house email asking whether we were required by law to answer all the questions because she was uncomfortable releasing her Social Security and telephone numbers. (An attorney laconically answered that the law requires all the questions to be answered.)

The Census Bureau assures us that it does not share the information it collects with either the IRS or the Immigration Service. And really, if such were not the case, do you think there would be no complaints? That they would be able to hide the fact? Census workers are bound by law and oath not to reveal the personal information they gather. Besides, don’t we freely hand out credit card information on the Web all the time? If someone were really out to get us, he or she could probably find out a lot more just by some concerted Internet surfing. Just like working-class Americans regularly get suckered into voting for conservative candidates whose economic policies end up hurting them the most, the people who seem the most nervous about the Census -- immigrants, racial minorities, and other unusual ingredients of the Great American Melting Pot -- are the ones who stand to gain the most if they participate. As called for in the U.S. Constitution, Census Bureau info is collected specifically to allocate apportionment of Congressional seats, and to guide Congress and other government agencies on where to allocate funding for education, jobs, and other vital functions. If you go uncounted, you could be underrepresented and under-served by the government.