“Oh why, oh why, did he swallow the fly?? I guess he”'ll die!”
By Raymond Jackson
Oh why, oh why, did he swallow the fly?? I guess he”'ll die!… a old fairy tale rhyme that greatly describes many dispositions at this time every ten years. Well, don”'t swallow a fly, and whatever you do, don”'t die as a result of this once every decade occurrence. The one big edge in this time of 2010 Census and Taxes is that, taxes are not due until April 15, the Census starts in March , giving one a four week edge to complete the simple Census form process, that only takes about ten minutes of your time.
Please do keep in mind that one does not have anything to do with the other, (Census & Taxes), in fact this article really has nothing to do with your 1040 Tax forms. It”'s about the importance of standing up and being counted. Not since the depression era thirties has there been a more detrimental time to take part in the Census. “And why?” One may ask. The number of people gathered in any specific locale are counted, in large part, to determine where stimulus monies are applied, for things such as job growth and development, as well as, skilled training opportunities. The Census count also affects the Federal Funds allocated to non-profits, and other people helping people organizations, including public schools, activity centers and churches.
This year Minnesota is faced with the possibility of losing a congressional seat. That will be determined by the population count of this 2010 Census. Each person counted is worth approximately $1,300 federal dollars for your state”'s budget.
Some undocumented persons feel that taking part in the Census could put them in harms way, and for that reason will refuse to take part in the Census. Census agencies have been assured that all of the information gathered is confidential and cannot be released to any other government agencies for any reason. This includes the IRS and other immigrant related agencies. The count does help to have the resources to help just about anybody needing help, in a wide variety of areas. The unemployed, the homeless and the disenfranchised, most particularly. This year, the Census survey will consist of ten questions and should only take ten minutes to complete with a Census worker.
Minnesota is part of the Kansas City Regional count, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Regional office phone number is, 913-728-6728, or you can call the main number of, 1-800-861-2010 or 1-800-728-4748, for more information. The web site is www.census.gov.
