The 2010 Census: Making It Count For St. Louis
April 1, 2010, is Census Day. That means that in less than one year from now, every person in our country—no matter how young or old, rich or poor—everyone will wield the power of change by ensuring that his or her family is counted in the
U.S. Census.
According to literature just released by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than $300 billion in federal funds will be distributed based on data collected in the 2010 census. One short survey completed by the head of household means that your neighborhood, region, state and country will know that you are here and that there should be funds allocated to cover your needs.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay helped to kick off the census program that will lead us to Census Day, April 1, 2010. “It is very important that each and every person who is eligible to be counted is in fact counted in this census,” Slay said. “Decennial census population numbers determine the amount of funding the City receives from a variety of federal grant programs, and the City’s population determines the City’s representation in the Missouri legislature and in the United States Congress. Equally important, population counts released by the Census Bureau have a major impact on St. Louis’ image.”
Slay says that the City is preparing to wage a strong campaign to promote the count, but they need help from across the region. “The business community and others can help make sure that everyone gets counted by reminding employees to participate in the Census. Anyone who doesn’t receive a form or a knock on the door should contact the Census Office as we get closer to April 2010.”
Estimates are that every person missed
in the count represents a loss of $1,000 to the region.
Dick Fleming, president and CEO of the Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), says, “We rely on census data to accurately track our growing population in order to predict trends and to make
decisions that will affect our future. That’s
why the RCGA is urging our region’s
employers, teachers, religious leaders and
anyone who has impact and influence to encourage their associates to participate in the Census count.”
Fleming added, “In the past few years, we have seen some remarkable partnerships emerge in an effort to harness funding and encourage growth and development in
St. Louis. The Census takes this to an even higher level by leveraging local, state and federal funding in order to provide services and improve the quality of life for all families in our region.”
Because participation in the Census is mandated by law, the U.S. Census Bureau is taking steps to strengthen the integrity of the process. The biggest concern is the ability to break through language and cultural barriers to make sure that our count is as accurate as possible.
This time around, participants will have access to phone bank operators who are
fluent in different languages and can assist them in filling out the form. Census takers
will be armed with hand held global
positioning systems (GPS) and will go door-to-door to help answer questions and encourage participation.
Finally, the new forms are short and easy to understand and all personal information provided will be secured. For additional information, please visit www.census.gov and find out how you can become involved.
