Opinion
Public forum, Oct. 21
Census committee seeking volunteers
The Constitution of the United States mandates that every 10 years the country do a head count. The reason the 2010 Census is an important issue for our community is because it determines a lot of things:
• It will determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• It also will determine the totals the Indiana Legislature uses to redraw (gerrymander) its legislative districts.
• The totals also affect funding for our community. Approximately $300 billion in federal funding comes to communities like ours, and the amount is dictated by the numbers produced by the Census.
• The Census numbers are also used to track how our community is changing demographically and numerically.
The 2010 Census will be a short form consisting of 10 questions, and everyone is expected to do their part and complete the form.
The answers are completely confidential. They are protected by law (Title 13 of the United State Code Section 9). “It is illegal for the Census Bureau, or any its employees, to share your personal information with any other governmental agency — not law enforcement, not the IRS, not welfare, not the FBI, not Immigration, no courts of law, not even the president of the United States can access your individual responses.”
All Census Bureau employees are subject to a $250,000 fine and/or a 5- year prison term for disclosing any information that could identify a respondent or household.
We (as a community) have been asked to help by forming a Complete Count Committee to increase awareness about the Census and motivate residents to respond.
We need as many people as we can to be involved. We need bank tellers, firemen, ministers, union people, non-union people, farmers, lawyers, insurance agents, real estate agents, teachers, absolutely anyone interested in helping to promote involvement in filling out the Census.
Arin Shaver, assistant director of the Logansport-Cass County Planning Department, will be working with the committee to help our community become aware and prepared to complete the Census in October of 2010.
This is an important issue for Cass County on every level of government. Volunteer for the complete count committee by contacting Arin at 574-753-7775 or arin.shaver@co.cass.in.us.
There are several meetings being planned, so watch for times and locations in the newspaper and on the radio.
Mike Fincher
mayor of Logansport.
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Letters of up to 400 words may be submitted to Public Forum, Pharos-Tribune, 517 E. Broadway, Logansport IN 46947. The e-mail address is publicforum@pharostribune.com, and the fax number is (574) 732-5070. Please include an address and telephone number we can use for verification purposes.
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