|
The first United States census was taken in 1790. The census
counted 3.9 million people and took 18 months to complete.
What is interesting about the procedure was that federal
marshals went house-to-house unannounced in order to arrive
at those numbers.
As the years went by, the data-collecting tactics have
improved as the census has become a part of the tradition of
counting the nation’s entire population.
However, the new problem is getting people to participate.
This year marks the time for the decennial census and there
has been much publicity in order to boost awareness and
motivate participation. Television and radio ads, local
organizations and community leaders are all pushing for an
increase in response turnout. The LWV is one of those
organizations.
“The program is to educate the citizens of Toledo about the
importance of the Census,” said Wayne Blanchard, member of
APRI. “If everyone does not get counted, we could lose
services vital to the community.”
The closing of programs and services were mentioned during
the meeting. Medicare, foster care, rehabilitation services,
childcare, adoption assistance,, plus more, are just come
services that are at risk of being closed down if census
numbers are low in the community. Some programs at risk are
The Boys and Girls Club, Cherry Street Mission and Mom’s
House.
In addition, Blanchard added that Ohio could lose one or two
U.S. Representatives as a result of a low count.
Anne Nelson, Project Manager for ImPACT, discussed the
redistricting of Ohio, which happens after the census is
completed. Redistricting is when “district lines are drawn
in a way that creates an advantage for incumbents or for a
specific political party—namely the party who gets to draw
the lines.” The name for this partisan redrawing of district
lines is gerrymandering.
This has been a problem because some votes could count more
than others.
“People need to understand how the census can give us those
fair and equitable divisions,” said Nelson. “It is the
politicians that draw these divisions based solely on
political criteria.”
A citizen can do much to change this, she continued, all one
has to do is speak up.
Another topic of discussion was the changes to the census
this year to increase efficiency and numbers. The 2010
Census Partnership specialist of the U.S. Census Bureau,
Margarita De Leon, talked of these differences.
The number of questions has decreased from 40 to 10. Group
homes, dormitories, hospitals, prisons or any type of group
quarters will have their census forms delivered to them by
enumerators.
De Leon added that college students who live on campus would
fill out their own census, so the parents do not have to
count them as part of their household. The student needed to
have lived on the campus for two or three semesters.
Another change is that there is no margin of error.
“Wherever you are on April 1, you get counted in that area,”
said De Leon. “Whatever number is on that paper when the
president receives it, is the population count.”
The president will receive the final count on December 31,
2010.
There will also be centers or “be counted sites” where
people can go if they have disabilities, language barriers
or have moved. All libraries are sites.
As an interactive part of the meeting, round table
discussions were included. Some of the questions were those
concerning solutions to increasing the number within
undercounted groups like infants, the elderly, minorities,
etc.
Others dealt with how to increase awareness and
participation for people with hectic lifestyles, foreclosed
homes, or even the national immigration issue.
Yvette Gordon, vice-president of LWV, focused on the
concerns expressed about being counted fairly. She is a
member of APRI and UAW Local 12.
“We cannot miss this opportunity no matter what religion or
race we are,” Gordon said. “We have to educate each other
especially the young people.”
Gordon is in the process of reaching out to colleges because
federal funding for education is also on the line to be
decreased.
“It is important to address those who will be affected the
most,” she said.
LWV, according to its literature, is “a nonpartisan
political organization, encourages informed and active
participation government, works to increase understanding of
major policy issues, and influences public policy through
education and advocacy.”
ImPACT is an initiative of the LWV which provides citizens
“unbiased, nonpartisan” facts about current political reform
issues.
APRI was a sponsor of the event. It is an “organization of
Black Trade Unionists to Fight for Racial Equality and
Economic Justice.”
|
