Posted on March - 29 - 2010
Better Business: Reasons to complete the 2010 census
I recently received a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau alerting me to the arrival of my 2010 Census form this week. I intend to complete it, and the Better Business Bureau is partnering with the Census Bureau to encourage everyone to do so.
We have warned consumers to be wary of scammers who will try to take advantage of the census to steal their money or identity. Contrary to popular myths, however, participation in the census itself is extremely safe and easy.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 12 percent of U.S. residents said they weren’t sure if they would fill out their census form and 6 percent said that it was unlikely, or that they definitely would not return the form. The main reason respondents gave for not returning the form was that they were just too busy, not interested or uninformed. However, 25 percent of respondents said they didn’t trust the government.
Here are five reasons you should complete the census:
It’s safe. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA, INS or any other government agency. 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 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.
It’s easy. The mail-in census form is only 10 questions long and, for many households, won’t take longer than 10 minutes to answer. If you don’t return the form, you’ll be visited at your home by a census taker at least three times. Avoid the hassle and just fill out the form.
It is used to allocate money and resources to help you. The information the Census Bureau collects helps determine how more than $400 billion of annual federal funding is spent on infrastructure and services. That includes money for hospitals, job training, schools, bridges and roads.
It saves you money. For every 1 percent increase in mail response, the government — and ultimately taxpayers — saves $80 million to $90 million.
It helps your voice be heard. Redistricting is the process of changing electoral boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.
I mentioned that scammers will try to take advantage of the census. Remember that none of the 10 questions in the census asks for your Social Security number, bank account or credit card numbers. Returning the census form on time eliminates the need for someone to contact you, making it even more certain that anyone who does is a crook.
For more advice on filling out your census form and identifying a census employee, go to 2010census.gov.
Randy Hutchinson is the president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South. Reach him at rhutchison@bbbmidsouth.org.
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