Everyone counts…Mail in your census

Maybe the U.S. Census Bureau’s letter has been sitting in a pile of other unread, unreturned mail.

You set it aside, fully intending to fill it out and mail it back in. But more than two weeks have gone by and … well, truthfully, you’ve lost the form. Maybe the dog ate it. Maybe it’s hard to read the items through the coffee-stained form.

Whatever the reason, your census reply has yet to be counted.

And that’s a problem – for you and me.

See, the 2010 Census date will be used to help communities get their fair share of government funds for highway, schools, health facilities and other crucial programs across the Tri-parishes.

Without a complete, accurate census, our region may not receive its fair share, according to Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Bottom line, the 2010 Census results could mean hundreds of thousands – and potentially millions – of increased funding for our area.

The new Census numbers will also be used to draw new Louisiana and U.S. representative districts, so the Tri-parishes needs the best population figure it can get. Talk of our area’s Third District House of Representative’s seat being eliminated has been circulating for months. The seat is crucial to ensure political leverage to our region, especially while the fight for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection system and post-storm recovery continues.

For each percentage of the nation’s households that mail back their Census forms, the U.S. government saves about $85 million in taxpayer dollars, according to Groves. Truly, the impact the results will have on the future of the Tri-parishes is a much better reason for everyone to return their completed forms.

It just takes 10 minutes to answer the 10 questions included on the form, and the results affect us for the next 10 years.

Don’t miss this opportunity to do something for our community. Don’t delay in returning your Census form.