Fill out your Census packet ASAP

Talk about it

Since 1790 the population of the United States has been counted every 10 years. The year 2010 is no exception.

By now, every household in the county should have gotten its census form. It’s important for a number of reasons to fill it out and send it back to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The forms are short, with one page of information on each member of the household. The bureau did away with the long form so no one has to fear spending hours filling it out. It’s easy and it’s quick. And because the bureau is looking for a 100 percent return on it, if you don’t fill it out, a census taker will be knocking on your door.

An accurate count of the population is one reason to do your part, but an even better reason for it is federal and state funding amounts. The census numbers are used to determine the amount of federal and state funding a city gets. The more a city gets the less it has to collect in property taxes. So to get our fair share of funding we need to be counted.

At a federal level, the census determines how many representatives a state will have. Redistricting in the state follows. Based on the numbers, the legislative districts in North Dakota will be reapportioned to reflect the population centers.

The information the Census Bureau collects is confidential and is used for statistical purposes only. Neither law enforcement nor tax agencies have access to it. The data will not become public for 72 years, when it can be used for family history and other types of historical research.

Most importantly, filling out the census form is required by law. Do your part and be counted.

(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper’s editorial board)

Tags: opinion, editorial, census