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UNITED STATES CENSUS 2000 ////kli///ii T �aa j WHY IS THE CENSUS IMPORTANT? The United States Constitution requires a census every 1. Help Your Community Thrive 10 years to determine how many seats each state will Does your neighborhood have a lot of traffic congestion, have in the US House of Represen- elderly people living alone or over crowded schools? tatives. In addition, community 1 ,, Census numbers can help your community work out public leaders use the census for everything € � improvement strategies.if �� from planning schools and building Non-profit organisations use census numbers to estimate the number of roads to providing recreational potential volunteers in communities across the nation. opportunities and managing health 2. Get Help In Times of Need care services. The census is as important to our nation Many 911 emergency systems are based on maps developed as highways and telephone lines. Federal dollars from the last census. Census information helps health supporting schools, employment services, housing providers predict the spread of disease through assistance, highway construction,hospital services, communities with children or elderly people. When floods, programs for the elderly and more are distributed based tornadoes or earthquakes hit,the census tells rescuers how on census figures. many people will need their help. Your Answers Are Important. When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992, census information aided the rescue effort by providing estimates of the number About a week before Census Day—April 1,2000 —most of people in each block. households will receive a questionnaire by mail. Census takers will deliver forms to other households. The 3. Make Government Work For You Census 2000 questionnaire will be easy to read and It's a good way to tell our leaders who we are and what we simple to fill out. The Census questionnaire that most need. The numbers are used to help determine the people will get will ask about only seven subjects: name, distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal and state funds. We're talking hospitals,highways, stadiums and sex, age,relationship, Hispanic origin,race and housing school lunch programs. tenure (whether home is owned or rented.) Nationwide, five out of six housing units will receive this short form. Using census numbers to support their request a new community It mill be the shortest form in Z 80yearrl center, senior citizens in one New England community successfully argued their case before county commissioners. The longer form will ask about the same seven subjects 4. Reduce Risk for American Business plus 27 more,including education, ancestry, employment, disability and house heating fuel. One out Because census numbers help industry reduce financial risk and locate potential markets,businesses are able to produce of six housing units nationwide will receive a long form. the products you want. This Is Your Future. Don't Leave it Blank. `All the Basic Facts You Need to Know to Start a New Business,"a Census 2000 will help decision-makers understand which publication of the Massachusetts Department of Commerce, shows neighborhoods need new schools and which ones need small businesses how to use census numbers to determine the greater services for the elderly. But they won't be able to marketability of new products. tell what your community needs if you and your 5. Help Yourself and Your Family neighbors don't fill out your census forms and mail them Individual records are held confidential for 72 years,but back. you can request a certificate from past censuses that can be The Law Protects Your Privacy used as proof to establish your age,residence or relationship,information that could help you quality for a By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers pension, establish citizenship or obtain an inheritance. In with others,including welfare agencies, the Immigration 2072,your great-grandchildren may want to use census and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, information to research your family history. Right now, courts, police and the military. Anyone who breaks this your children may be using census information in their law can receive up to five years in prison and $5,000 in homework. fines. The law works —million of questionnaires were Because we've had a census every 10 years since 1790, we know processed during the 1990s without any breach of trust. how far America has come. Article from the U.S. Department of Commerce Article from the U.S. Department of Commerce i r i r i