Hudson County officials held a press conference Monday along with representatives from the regional U.S. Census office to urge local residents to mail back their 2010 U.S. Census forms. Although the deadline to mail the forms was April 1, the Census Bureau will still accept forms through the end of this month.
Households that don’t return the forms may get a knock on their door from personal Census takers next month.
While some residents are afraid to give out their personal information, the population count is important in order to tell the government how much federal funding towns should get for social service programs, roads, parks, and other services. The numbers also help decide where to draw lines for political districts.
The one-page Census questionnaire began arriving in homes in March and asks the number of residents in each household, their ages, and ethnicity.
“All information collected on the form and in person is confidential.” – Ligia Jaquez
________
Sires: Badly needed
With the tremendous recent cuts at the state level, local officials are saying that federal aid is more important now than ever.
“The 13th Congressional District, in particular, must make an effort to be counted,” said Rep. Albio Sires (D-13th Dist.) at Monday’s press conference. “The price of inaction is too great to ignore this opportunity.”
Since 1790, national law has mandated that everyone living in the country be counted every 10 years.
“If you still have a questionnaire, go home, fill it out, and mail it back,” said U.S. Census Bureau Deputy Regional Director Ligia Jaquez, explaining that the forms completed at home by families will be more accurate that those submitted by the enumerators.
The Hudson County response rate as of Monday was just over 60 percent. Sires said he and local officials are aiming for at least a 70 percent response rate.
“We want to make sure we pass at least the national average,” said Sires.
He said that if Hudson County is undercounted due to a lack of response, it could hurt taxpayers in the long run. Incorrect numbers will result in lower funding for services that will still have to be provided for the real number of people in the population – without the proportionate amount of federal funding.
No reason to be afraid
Jaquez said the final campaign for responses is being conducted in areas that are reporting lower than anticipated numbers, such as Union City, Newark, and the Bronx. She noted that the high number of undocumented residents may account for the low response in those areas, as illegal immigrants may be wary of submitting their information. But Jaquez pointed out that there is no question regarding citizenship status on the survey.
And by federal law, Census information is confidential and cannot be used for any other purpose.
“All information collected on the form and in person is confidential and protected by strict privacy laws,” said Jaquez. “It cannot be shared with any other agency.”
Some residents also have expressed concerns that their information will be leaked for income tax information.
Union City Commissioner Maryury Martinetti urged residents to not be scared of filling out the forms and also encouraged them to lend a helping hand to neighbors who might not know how to fill out the form themselves.
What happens now
Jaquez said that bilingual, “indigenous” members of the community will be hitting the streets as enumerators from May through July.
Although forms can still be accepted in the mail now, if they are received too late, someone may still show up at your door.
Jaquez advised residents who have not filled out the form to at least open the door when the enumerators come around.
“Everyone will have an ID,” she said. “If they don’t have an ID, don’t give them information.” She added that the red, white, and blue identification badges will not have a photo on them but will be clearly marked and distinguishable.
If the forms are still not filled out after the enumerators go through the neighborhood, federal law allows the government to implement a stiff, but rarely enforced, $5,000 fine.
For more information, contact the nationwide census information line at (866) 872-6868. Information is also available in Spanish at (866) 928-2010.
Lana Rose Diaz can be reached at ldiaz@hudsonreporter.com.