KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - 2010 Census Involvement Crucial to Government Funding
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We all know the significance of April 15th? It's Tax Day. This year April First is just as significant. Not because it's April Fools Day because it's Census Day.
To make sure communities get their fair share of billions of dollars in government funds, everyone needs to be counted.
If you fail to send back your census forms, they will send people to your door. The Census Bureau is mandated to get as accurate a count as possible every 10 years. In 2000 they had a 72% return rate. And this year if it comes in low they will spend the money to up it. They estimate it could cost as much as $85 million to raise that rate by just one percentage point.
"If you fill out that form and just send it in, you are saving everyone a lot of money," says Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. "To get your fair share to your community you need to be counted. Everyone needs to be counted."
"It's just an accurate snapshot of the country's population," says Clarissa Martinez. She's a spokeswoman for La Razza which represents Hispanics in America. She says a lot of people are concerned about privacy, especially those who have immigration issues to deal with.
But she encourages everyone to take part and be counted. "Everyone needs to understand the information is important and it is all confidential."
Forms go out in about a week.
