SENIOR MOMENT: Census 2010

By BETTY MUNSEY/Columnist

Have you noticed that as the postal rates have increased, the volume of junk mail has decreased? One very important piece of mail is expected to arrive in our mailboxes within the next few days and should not be discarded with the trash.  It’s our official 2010 questionnaire from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The good news is that there are only 10 questions, which makes it the shortest questionnaire since the first census was taken in 1790.
That’s right, ever since the days of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, a census or count of everyone living within our country’s boundaries—all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands—is be to taken every 10 years as mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the U. S. Constitution.
Taking a census in 1790 with a national population of 3,929,214 was quite different than counting the projected 570,954,000 individuals in 2010. Twenty-three censuses later most of the recording is streamlined by using computers and GPS devices. I’m not real sure what questions were asked of our early patriots, but I have reviewed this year’s list of 10 questions. The questions are brief, to the point and can easily be answered in 10 minutes or less (which includes folding, sliding into the envelope, and putting in the mailbox).
The questions ask the names of those living in the household, their ages, their birthdates, race and whether their home is owned or rented.  The responses are confidential and guaranteed to not be shared between governmental agencies.
Incidentally the questions have changed over the years as our standards of living have evolved. One of the 1930 census questions asked if the household owned a radio in an effort to determine the impact and spread of electronic technology across the nation. Obviously that’s no longer a part of the modern-day census questionnaire.
The questionnaires should arrive in our mailboxes between March 15 and 17, which will add dramatically to the workload of our dedicated postal workers. If we want to avoid having one of the census workers personally knock on our doors to gather the information, we must complete and return the questionnaire by mail no later than April 15, which ironically coincides with the day federal income taxes are due.  The Census Bureau and the IRS do not share information and are only connected under the giant federal government umbrella.
The Better Business Bureau warns us to be aware of census-linked scams involving unscrupulous individuals posing as U.S. Census workers trying to collect our financial information.  Official census employees will never ask about bank or credit card accounts nor request Social Security numbers. They are also forbidden to solicit donations or to accept any monetary transfers. The approximately 140,000 official census employees or enumerators can be identified by their badge, a Census Bureau canvas bag, a handheld device, and a confidentiality notice. Never allow anyone in your home that you do not know or trust!
So why do we as taxpayers fund the census every 10 years? Our Constitution grants every American equal representation and equal shares of our national wealth (which currently is more likely our national debt). The 2010 U.S. Census statistics will determine the number of representatives each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the allocation of more than $350 billion federal funding for schools, highways, and other basic services. We must be counted if we expect to receive our fair share of these important federal funds.
On a final note: Just a few short months ago, church members recited the following Scriptures from St. Luke: “About this time, Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the nation.  This census was taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) Everyone was required to return to his ancestral home for this registration.” Some things never change!
A retired Extension agent, Betty Munsey lives and farms in Bland County.