Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 5, 2010
U.S. Census Bureau asking Americans to stand up and be counted
David Laprad
Being an American citizen has its perks, but also its responsibilities. People are allowed to live their lives with a considerable degree of freedom, but they must also pay taxes. In addition, most U.S. residents are able to enjoy access to an abundance of resources, although they must also obey the laws of the land. In 2010, every citizen of this country must also do one more thing: Stand up and be counted.
This is the year in which the U.S. Census Bureau conducts its decennial census, in which it does a head count of everyone living within its borders. Although a monumental task, the Constitution requires the federal government to carry out the operation, says Karen Stanley, manager of the bureau’s Chattanooga branch. “Article one, section two,” she says. “It’s been done every 10 years since 1790.”
The law also requires American citizens to take part, and allows the government to sentence anyone who refuses to comply to prison. “We’re not in the business of prosecuting people, though,” Stanley says. “If you don’t fill out the form, we’ll come to your door.”
Regardless, many people have an aversion to taking part in the census. Although the reasons vary, some involve a fear of losing certain freedoms or pure anti-government sentiment. While Stanley says there’s no curing some people of their hatred of the government, she says people have no reason to be concerned about taking part in the census.
“One man didn’t want to fill out the form because he didn’t want the government to know how many guns he has,” Stanley says. “But we don’t use personal information, just general data, and no other agency, including the FBI and the Department of Immigration, can access that information.”
The bureau is so intent on keeping its data private, each employee of the agency must take a lifetime oath promising to never disclose any information the bureau collects. Should a worker break that vow, the federal government can fine him and lock him behind bars for a long time.
Instead of being an invasion of privacy, Stanley says the census represents power and money for the American people, as the government uses it to determine the number of congressional representatives it allots to each state. What’s more, the government has set aside hundreds of billions of dollars to give to communities for schools, roads and programs for children and the elderly, among other things. If the numbers aren’t there, however, neither is the money.
Despite this, only 65 percent of the people living in Hamilton County in 2000 filled out the form for the last census, Stanley says. While it saved residents time and hassle, it cost taxpayers money to then send people door to door to gather the information.
This time through, the bureau is going the extra mile to encourage better participation. For starters, the form, which contains question about a person’s age, gender and ethnicity, is the shortest one in the history of the census. “Ten questions in 10 minutes is what we’re telling people,” Stanley says.
Also, before the bureau mails the form to every household in America, it’s going to send out a postcard telling people it’s coming. For U.S. residents who live in more than one place or only have a post office box, the bureau is setting up Be Counted sites and Ques-tionnaire Assistance centers, where people can take part in the census and receive help filling out the form. Call 423-424-5910 for the location of the nearest site or center.
If a household doesn’t return a completed form, someone from the bureau will visit the residence to obtain the information. Stanley says census personnel will be carrying an ID badge and a black case with the words “U.S. Census Bureau” on the outside and hand the person who answers the door a confidentiality statement.
Stanley says a census taker will not ask for a person’s social security number or banking information. “They won’t ask to come into your home, either,” Stanley says. “And you shouldn’t invite them in.”
At the height of the operation in April, Stanley expects to have about 1,500 employees working in the six counties her branch covers, including Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Monroe and Loudon. To fill those ranks, the bureau is hiring temporary, part-time census takers and crew leaders. Call 423-424-5930 or visit www.2010censusjobs.com for more information.
Americans are going to be busy during the first few months of 2010, with the census getting underway April 1 and taxes due April 15, but Stanley says there’s a silver lining to this ominous cloud: “The census won’t take as long to fill out as your taxes.”
Visit 2010.census.gov to learn more.
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