The 2010 Census...it makes sense to be counted
By Robert P. Dean
The 2010 U.S. Census will be mailed or delivered to Berkshire residents this month. The Census is conducted every ten years as mandated by the United States Constitution, and seeks to count each and every resident of the United States. The count will include everyone regardless of age, or whether they are citizens or non-citizens. Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States, together with a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. The questionnaire consists of ten questions, asking for basic information such as name, age, sex, race, and number of people living in the house, apartment or mobile home. The Census does not ask for your social security number or for financial information of any kind. Nor does the Census ask whether or not you are a United States citizen. The nationwide response to the Census will allow the Census Bureau to take a “snapshot in time”, as of April 1, 2010. This snapshot will help determine how federal and state funding will be allocated over each of the next 10 years. The Census data will also determine the number of representatives each state will have in the United States House of Representatives, and how Massachusetts will define its legislative districts for local representation in the state legislature. A complete and accurate Census count is very important to Berkshire County and to Massachusetts.
In regard to state and federal funding, Census data directly affects how more than $400 billion a year is allocated nationwide to communities for schools, hospitals, job training centers, senior centers, and bridges, tunnels, and other work projects. Here in Massachusetts, it is estimated that more than $1,400 a year will be received in each of the next ten years for each resident counted in the 2010 Census.
The Census count will also affect the number of representatives each state has in the United States House of Representatives (Congress), which is determined by the number of residents in each state in relation to the overall population of the United States. Massachusetts currently has 10 representatives in the House, and may lose a seat if there is a significant decline in the population of Massachusetts in comparison to other parts of the country. In regard to state and local government, Census data is used to define legislative districts for the state Senate and House of Representatives, and for other important functional areas of government, and to determine where the greatest needs for services and funding exist.
Your response to the Census is confidential and protected by federal law. It is illegal for the U.S. Census Bureau or its employees to share your personal information with anyone, including other government agencies such as Immigration, Welfare, the IRS, or the FBI or other law enforcement. The Census questionnaire will be clearly identified as coming from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you do not send back your completed questionnaire, you may receive a visit from a census taker. All census takers will carry official government badges, and will never ask to enter your home. If you want to validate a census taker’s credentials, call the Regional Census Office at 1-617-223-3700, or your local police department. They can tell you if a census taker is scheduled to be in your neighborhood. The best way to avoid a visit is to send in your completed questionnaire.
Here in Berkshire County and throughout Massachusetts, there is a lot riding on the 2010 Census. An undercount will hurt all of us — not just this year, but for the next ten years. It is important that each of us stand up and be counted in 2010.
For more information visit the U.S. Census website, www.census.gov/2010 census.
Robert P. Dean is the Executive Director of Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc., the Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging for all of Berkshire County.
