We underestimate, at our own peril, the importance of the United States Census, the once-a-decade counting of every resident of these United States. That is the bipartisan message being put forth across every level of our government, from national, to state, to county level as the country ramps up for the Constitutionally-mandated 2020 census
So concerned are government officials about this census that a bipartisan resolution was introduced in the U.S. Senate December 12 by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Its stated goal: to ensure that the 2020 Census is fair and accurate.
With so much riding on the 2020 U.S. Census, it is vital that all residents, families and households across all 50 states and territories, as well as Americans living abroad, recognize the critical role the census plays in our daily lives.
“The upcoming 2020 Census is vital for communities across Colorado as it helps determine almost every federal dollar we receive. This affects the amount of money allocated to state and county programs, such as Medicaid, nutrition assistance, housing vouchers, free or reduced school meals, grants for community-driven projects, technical support for farmers, and funding for critical transportation projects,” said Senator Michael Bennet (D, Colorado). “The upcoming census is vital to ensuring Coloradans, and people across the country have the resources and representation they deserve.”
This year, in the U.S., as well as in census counts in European countries, there has been an uptick of negative messaging about census participation. According to intelligence reports, that messaging is coming from foreign entities, some connected to foreign governments, as well as domestic players. It is designed to instill fear of completing the census in poor, inner-city and immigrant households, and misleading people as to the purpose of the census. Their goal? It would appear they seek to depress census turnout.
The resolution encourages individuals, families, and households across the United States to take part in the Census so that all communities can be counted. The 2020 Census is a constitutionally mandated undertaking, written into our constitution by the founding fathers as a civic duty. The first census was taken in the year 1790, not long after the ratification of the United States Constitution. It has occurred every ten years since that year, without fail, making the upcoming census the 24th in our country’s history.
The census rules say that everyone must be counted, not just citizens, accurately reflecting the population. Contrary to rumors being actively spread on social media sites and to poor, inner-city and immigrant communities, the personal data are confidential. It is not shared with The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, border patrol, or any other federal, state or local entity. It enters a confidential national statistical base that is used to establish everything from properly allocating seats for the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures, to directing more than $800 billion annually in federal funding to state and local communities.
This year, with its continued population growth, Colorado is expected to pick up another congressional house seat (Seats in the United States House of Representatives are allocated by population, while every state gets just two seats in the United States Senate.) This means that Colorado, which since 2003 has had seven congressional representative districts, is expected to add an eighth district, based on this census count.
Governor Jared Polis has reinforced the importance of this census across the state, communicating with commissioners of all 64 Colorado counties to stress the need for everyone to participate.
In addition to dozens of Senators signing on to support the resolution, it is also supported by a number of organizations including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, the National Association of Towns and Townships, the Census Project, NAACP, NALEO Educational Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, National Congress of American Indians, Service Employees International Union, National Education Association, Nielsen, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.
The full text of the resolution is available HERE.
For all of us, the message is clear. When the census document arrives in the mail or drops as an electronic document into your email; each of us must do our civic duty and complete it. The future — of our state, our county, our municipalities, right down to our individual families — depends upon an accurate count.
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