2010 Census
The 2010 Decennial Census is a mere eight weeks away and the stakes couldn't be higher for local municipalities. The results of the census will determine the amount of federal funding available to local governments for the following decade. Each year the federal government distributes more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. These funds support tangible benefits in every community by determining funding allocations for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation and other planning projects. It determines Congressional reapportionment and is used to define legislative districts, city council districts, and school districts. It is often a requirement for grant projects and even economic development projects, site analysis, and business recruitment and retention efforts.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recently reported that each of the 10 largest federal assistance programs (many of them benefiting the low income, the disabled, and minority populations which are also the segments of the population most likely to be under-counted) in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 relied at least in part on the decennial census and related data - that is data that depends on the decennial census, or statistics derived from the data such as per capita income. For fiscal year 2008, this totaled about $335 billion, representing 73 percent of total federal assistance. In fiscal year 2009, that amount increased to $478 billion, representing about 84 percent of total federal assistance. This amount included nearly $123 billion funded by the Recovery Act and about $356 billion funded by other means.
It has been estimated that for each citizen not counted in the census, a community will lose out on an average of $1,269.33 per person per year, or approximately $10,000 per person for a decade. The 2010 Census begins on April 1st. Get the word out to your fellow neighbors and BE COUNTED!
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recently reported that each of the 10 largest federal assistance programs (many of them benefiting the low income, the disabled, and minority populations which are also the segments of the population most likely to be under-counted) in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 relied at least in part on the decennial census and related data - that is data that depends on the decennial census, or statistics derived from the data such as per capita income. For fiscal year 2008, this totaled about $335 billion, representing 73 percent of total federal assistance. In fiscal year 2009, that amount increased to $478 billion, representing about 84 percent of total federal assistance. This amount included nearly $123 billion funded by the Recovery Act and about $356 billion funded by other means.
It has been estimated that for each citizen not counted in the census, a community will lose out on an average of $1,269.33 per person per year, or approximately $10,000 per person for a decade. The 2010 Census begins on April 1st. Get the word out to your fellow neighbors and BE COUNTED!
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