Betsy Phillips writes about the census. People seem to be getting up in arms this year about it, but she asks why.
I think that, if you’re going to be arguing for a return to the 1790s census, you should be arguing for the right to not have to name anyone but the head of the household. Of course, that’s bound to set up some red flags in your family–”Daddy, why can’t my name go on the Census?” “I don’t want the government to know you existed. I mean, exist.”
Still, people, my point is this–the internet exists. You are typing your angry rants (as do I, so no finger pointing here) on the internet. Look at the census forms before you start spouting off about what they did and didn’t count.
Here is some perspective about the Census in an article from the Chicago Tribune that dispels some Census myths. The information is kept confidential is one key point.
Q. It seems like this year there is more skepticism about government, concerns about privacy, which is bleeding into the census. How do you reassure those people?
A. All the information that we’re going to collect from the American public is going to be held confidential. The only thing we are going to publish is statistical summaries. Every Census Bureau employee — whether it is someone like me who is going on 38 years with the census, or the enumerators we are hiring — takes an oath for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. We are liable, if we break that oath, with 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.
The Census helps provide information on how federal funding is spent in a variety of areas. That’s why participating is important.
Here are some examples.
- The federal government uses census numbers to allocate over $100 billion in federal funds annually for community programs and services, such as education programs, housing and community development, health-care services for the elderly, job training and many more.
- State, local and tribal governments use census information for planning and allocating funds for new school construction, libraries and other public buildings, highway safety and public transportation systems, new roads and bridges, location of police and fire departments and many other projects.
- Community organizations use census information to develop social service programs, community action projects, senior lunch programs and child-care centers.
- Businesses use the numbers to decide where to locate factories, shopping centers, movie theaters, banks and offices — activities that often lead to new jobs.
- The U.S. Congress uses the census totals to determine how many seats your state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, states use the numbers to allocate seats in their law-making bodies.
People don't want the Guv'mint invading their privacy, meanwhile they freely provide access to their every purchase every where! Kroger Cards, eh?