CLT Blog

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Charlotte Census 2010

Did you know Charlotte in the 2000 Census only had 63-68% participation rates? It’s true. Think about all of the federal money we missed out on because people didn’t return their census!!!!

Lately the 2010 Census Bureau has been hitting the airwaves, billboards and tv ads pretty hard to encourage people to complete the paperwork the Bureau sends. I know I personally got mail yesterday reminding me that the form is on it’s way so you might have also seen that.

They’ve been stressing how important it is that our community get the best shot it can at the $400 billion dollars in federal funding that is on the line. What they aren’t doing is advertising some things as strongly that I feel are just as important. So, here’s my list of the top 5 most important things to know about the 2010 census:

1. It’s important that you report everyone in the household, including infants. The census is only taken once a decade. By the time the next census comes around those babies will be kids and they deserve the benefit of a community with adequate funding while they grow up! Don’t forget to include them!
2. In terms of your privacy, here’s what it’s illegal for the U.S. Census Bureau to publish or disclose:
   

   • Names
   • Addresses including GPS coordinates
   • Social Security numbers
   • Telephone numbers

   Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidentiality of all your information and violating this law is a crime with severe penalties. In addition, other federal laws, including the Confidential Statistical Efficiency Act and the Privacy Act reinforce these protections. * Private information is never published

3. It’s really selfish to refuse to complete the 2010 Census information as a political protest. Why? Because the Census isn’t micromanaged by the Whitehouse. It reports to the Secretary of Commerce. Yes the information reaches the President in a report but those with political qualms with the Nation’s Leadership are hurting their neighbors by denying them the chance at federal money for better  hospitals, improved schools and senior centers, more job training centers, etc. If you don’t like your lot in the community now, it’s definitely not going to improve if you refuse to fill out the census form, regardless of who is in office or what party currently holds the most influence.
4. Since the very first census in 1790, the U.S. Census Bureau has always counted all people, regardless of citizenship status. Which brings us to:
5. The US Census is prohibited by law to give the information you report about your household to Immigration (or any other government agency for that matter).
   

   All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

So, Charlotte, I know you know it’s important to fill out the forms the U.S. Census Bureau sends but the above are not only reasons why but also hopefully shed some light on this national endeavor launched this month. I hope it was helpful!

Additional reading: http://www.census.gov/

Do you know something important I didn’t mention or have an interesting  story about this census?  We’d would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

FEATURED POST RESPONSE:

Matt Comer, editor @ Q Notes, North and South Carolina’s prominent LGBT media source, left a really informative response to this post! This is definitely another very important thing to know about the 2010 U.S. Census! Thanks Matt!  – Desiree