Why Mainers Should Fill Out Their Census Forms
According to WGME, the U.S. Census Bureau is reminding Mainers that they are required by law to file for the census, either through the mail or online.
It only takes a minute and hey, we've got a bit of time on our hands, so get 'er done. The census takes place every ten years, basically it counts how many people live in each community so that federal funding is properly distributed. It's actually really important that you are counted; so that hospitals, parks, roads and the like get the funding that they desperately need.
Filling out the questionnaire online only takes about ten minutes, it's confidential and private. Make sure that your city or town gets their share of the more than $675 billion dollars that will be distributed for education, transportation, housing, health care, school lunch programs, firefighters and more.
I mentioned that filling out the census is required by law. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, if you drag your feet, a Census Bureau interviewer might be sent to your home to collect your answers in person. If you don't respond at all you could be fined $100, if you provide false information you could face a $500 fine.
What do they ask? Lemme take a look at mine...
- Who lives in your home and how you are related.
- The age and sex of the people living with you.
- Their race and whether couples are same-sex or opposite-sex.
- Whether couples are married or unmarried.
- Whether people live at the address full-time.
I wondered why the census asks for race. Here's what I found on the 2020 U.S. Census website:
"Race
We ask a question about a person's race to create statistics about race and to present other estimates by race groups.
Local, state, tribal, and federal programs use these data, and they are critical factors in the basic research behind numerous policies, particularly for civil rights. Race data are used in planning and funding government programs that provide funds or services for specific groups.
The U.S. Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards on race and ethnicity. The data on race are based on self-identification and the categories on the form generally reflect a social definition of race. The categories are not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. Respondents can mark more than one race on the form to indicate their racial mixture."
Have you filed for the 2020 census yet? If not, why? Comment on our Fan Page.
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