So, all month we’ve been talking on and on about the 2010 Census. It’s your duty, it’s the law, it shapes the next ten years. The census has a huge job. But what does it really DO?
The big picture? The Census Bureau uses the information you give in your questionnaires to run the United States for the next ten years. Federal funding, hospital placements, voting districts, grocery stores, you name it; all determined from census information.
The nitty gritty? The Census Bureau compiles all the information from the questionnaires and then distributes it to states. This data, which in no way identifies any individual, is used to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funding. The largest amount of funding (more than half of this $400 billion) goes directly to Medicaid and ensuring that all people living in the U.S. can afford health care. Title I funding for low-income schools is the second largest amount of funding allocated after Medicaid. Other sources of funding include the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Community Development Block Grants to help people attain affordable housing.
Census information is also shared with local governments and businesses. These groups take the data and draw voting district lines so that each person is represented fairly, making sure each person’s vote counts. Businesses use this data to decide where to put new grocery store locations and housing units. Schools are built accordingly depending on fluctuations in population. Roads are placed to facilitate traffic flow and public transportation is routed to serve the most people.
That’s a lot of information, but the census does a lot. If you don’t return your questionnaire, none of this can happen. Sound like a problem? Solve it: mail back your questionnaire. Let the 2010 Census do its job.
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