An easy resolution to keep


Whether you call them resolutions or not, it’s hard to start a new year without thinking about your goals. And while some might require a lot of work and willpower, one of the most important things you’ll do this year is also one of the simplest.
By April 1, your household will receive a short questionnaire that is the 2020 Census. You can respond by mail, phone, or for the first time this year, with your mobile device or computer.
It is EXTREMELY important that everyone responds to the Census. The numbers help determine the amount of federal funding that communities like ours receive, how we’re represented at the state and federal level, and will guide hundreds of other decisions made by lawmakers, nonprofits, and other agencies.
The data is also used by businesses that are looking to relocate or expand into a particular area. Do you have a favorite restaurant that you’d like to see here? Encourage everyone you know to answer the Census. Lawrence County’s population continues to grow, but if the Census numbers don’t show it, we don’t reap the benefits.
2020Census.gov tells us the questions we’ll be asked and why:
How many people are living or staying at your home on April 1, 2020. This will help count the entire U.S. population and where they live on Census Day.
Whether the home is owned or rented. This will help produce statistics about homeownership and renting. The rates of homeownership serve as one indicator of the nation's economy. They also help in administering housing programs and informing planning decisions.
About the sex of each person in your home. This helps to create statistics about males and females, which can be used in planning and funding government programs. This data can also be used to enforce laws, regulations, and policies against discrimination.
About the age of each person in your home. The U.S. Census Bureau creates statistics to better understand the size and characteristics of different age groups. Agencies use this data to plan and fund government programs that support specific age groups, including children and older adults.
About the race of each person in your home. This allows us to create statistics about race and to provide other statistics by racial groups. This data helps federal agencies monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.
About whether a person in your home is of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. These responses help create statistics about this ethnic group. This is needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as those in the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.
About the relationship of each person in your home. This allows the Census Bureau to create estimates about families, households, and other groups. Relationship data is used in planning and funding government programs that support families, including people raising children alone.
The Census will never ask you for:
Your Social Security number.
Money or donations.
Anything on behalf of a political party.
Your bank or credit card account numbers.
If you are asked any of these questions, it is a scam and you should report it to police immediately.
What about privacy? All the information you give the Census Bureau is protected by law, and every employee takes an oath to protect your personal information. Census data is used to establish statistics, period. Even law enforcement agencies cannot be given the private information you provide.
Another important thing you should know is that about 200 temporary, part-time jobs will be available in Lawrence County for census-takers. These employees will visit households that haven’t responded to the census and collect the needed information.
Census workers will receive pay while training, then earn $14 an hour. They will be reimbursed for travel at 58 cents a mile, and for any other work-related expense.
You can apply for census jobs at Lawrenceburg’s American Job Center, 702 Mahr Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday in January.
For more information about employment or the Census itself, go to 2020Census.gov

 


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