The Census Is Coming

It’s an official document. It’s mandated by the U.S. Constitution. It’s only ten questions. It’s the Census.  Every 10 years, the government is required to accurately count the population living in the United States to make sure everyone is getting his or her fair share of federal money and representation in the government. The Census determines whether the population has grown, changed, or shrunk. Each district is supposed to represent an equal portion of the country’s population; therefore, changes in the population will determine whether we lose representation or gain representation in the House of Representatives, which is made up of 435 congressional districts. Based on the Census, Congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years to adjust to the changes in population and to make sure the district lines reflect the same proportion of the overall population. Districts, such as Lakewood which is in the Fourth District represented by Rep. Chris Smith, may lose representation if its population is undercounted.

But determining the Congressional districts is only one reason why filling out the Census is important. The government uses population totals to decide how it is going to allocate billions of dollars of government funds and other resources. How much funding each district or community receives is based on how much of the population is counted in each district.  The more people a district has, the more government funding it will receive for schools, hospitals, transportation, social services, and other programs.

Some people are worried about their personal information. By federal law (Title XIII), personal information is kept secret for 72 years. So any information about one’s address, family size, and other personal matters cannot be used against you. Citizenship is not required to be counted in the Census. Even if you are a not a citizen, even if you are undocumented you should fill out the Census.  Only the total number of people in a residence is important for the Census.

On or around March 20, residents will receive a census form in the mail to fill out. Wherever you live the most, THAT is the place you should list as your residence whether you are a student, homeless, or a resident of another country.
               Because Lakewood was considered hard-to-count in the last Census, the Complete Count

Committee has enlisted the help of community leaders, including rabbis, ministers, public and private school administrators, and orthodox and Hispanic representatives. 
               Did you know:
 
1.       Not filling out the Census costs us all money.  Aside from fulfilling a duty as a U.S. citizen, it is also very beneficial for Lakewood residents to fill out the Census. About 65 percent of Lakewood residents participated in the 2000 Census. Although that is in line with the national average, it means Lakewood received only 65 cents for every federal dollar it could have received had everybody participated!
 
2.      The population of Lakewood in the 2000 census was about 60,352. The projected population of Lakewood is 110,000. If at least 96 percent of Lakewood residents return the Census, that would put the population of Lakewood at 100,000. 
 
This would designate Lakewood as a city, which would attract businesses and jobs that would add revenue to the tax base, increase transportation  other infrastructure projects, and provide help for many other issues.
 
3.      March and April are the traditional times for Passover and Easter.  Many people may be away or busy with the holiday.  Even so, it is important to make filling out the Census form and sending it back in a timely manner a top priority. 
 
4.      The form is only 10 questions, and should take no longer than 10 minutes to fill out. The slogan for this year’s census is: “Ten Questions: Ten Minutes.”