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It's Census Time!
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jan 5, 2010
Modified Jan 5, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jan 5, 2010
Modified Jan 5, 2010
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It's time to stand up and be counted, because the Census is back. A national campaign to boost U.S. Census participation started yesterday in Times Square, and over the next few months advertisements will be rolling out encouraging people to fill out the 10-question forms. But why should you spend your precious time filling out more forms?
Along with showcasing the city's diversity, the Census could help earn the city some much-needed cash, according to US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. "Especially in these tough economic times, when cities and states and counties are cutting back on services, $400 billion of federal funds for education, for transportation, for human services, for medical programs, for senior services will be badly needed and will help create that safety net that we all want," Locke told NY1. The city has a good track record of participation. About 55% of residents participated in the 2000 Census, and volunteers are already knocking on doors to top that number.
However, not everyone is so eager to participate. Though US Census worker Omar Henriquez insists that "There's no reason whatsoever to be fearful of participating in the census," many illegal immigrants (and Rep. Michele Bachmann) are worried that they will be arrested and deported if they fill out the form. Officials, however, insist the process is 100 percent confidential.
Tagged
census
diversity
population
state funding
u.s. census 2010
Jaya Saxena
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