Coming soon to your mailbox will be the once in a decade counting of America! Yes it is time for Census 2010. Our Constitution calls for the counting of America every 10 years. The counting is more than just information collecting. It is tied to how many Congressional seats a state has.
Census 2010 will be asking every household to particpate. I hope you do. I have had the privilege of sitting on the Governor’s California Complete Count Commission. For more than a year we have been planning to get every Californian counted in this census. This is no small challenge. Many people no longer have land-line phones and in year’s past the phone was a great way to connect to people and gather this important information.
For others who may be undocumented there is great fear. But counting everyone who lives here is critical. In 2000 California had the greatest undercount because of this problem. This affects all Californians because federal dollars for programs as well as the number of Representatives in the House of Representatives are less in an undercount situation.
Census workers will not report anyone if they are undocumented. That is not their mandate. Their mandate is only to try and collect the information necessary to get an accuarate accounting of our state!
Here are some of the cold hard facts:
California Census Facts
- The 2000 Census found 33.9 million people in California. It is estimated that California’s population will exceed 38 million in 2010.
- More than $435 billion a year is distributed by the federal government to States based on Census driven funding formulas. California’s share in the 2007 fiscal year was approximately $41 billion. California could lose billions of dollars in federal funding and approximately $3000 a year for each Californian not counted in the 2010 Census.
- Election Data Services predicts that give census population estimates in California from 2005-2007, California is slated to lose a congressional seat. This means California could lose a congressional seat for the first time in its 160 year history.
- Census 2010 will be one of the fastest to complete in census history.
- Starting with the Census 2010, residents will only be required to complete a ten question short form instead of either a short or long form. The questions will relate to name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure.
- In the past, the long format captured detailed socioeconomic information; however, that information will now be collected annually through the American Community Survey.
So it is simple. And fast. And necessary.
Census Day is April 1, 2010. Watch your mail for the questionairre. If a census worker knocks on your door -cooperate with him or her. They are doing imporant work of counting our state and ensuring that California has the resources it needs to help everyone!
For more info on the 2010 cenus click here
Happy Counting.