2010 US Census Begins
BBB Tips on Filling out Your Questionnaire and Avoiding Scammers
Austin, TX - March 16, 2010 - Every ten years, the US federal government is required to count every citizen in the country. The US Census Bureau is mailing questionnaires this week and participation is required by law. In 2000, only 68 percent of Texas residents returned their Census form and the bureau estimates that each one percent increase in mail response will save $85 million.
“Consumers need to fill their census form out because it helps allocate state funds and determines the number of seats Texas receives in the US House of Representatives,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “The goal is to count every person in the country, but consumers also need to know what to look for if someone knocks on their door impersonating a Census worker.”
BBB offers the following advice for consumers about completing the 2010 Census form:
Your information is safe. By federal law, the Census Bureau cannot share a resident’s answers with anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA, INS or any other government agency. All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.
The form is the shortest in over 200 years. According to the Census Bureau, this year’s questionnaire is the shortest since the 1700s. It is only ten questions long and, for many households, won’t take longer than ten minutes to answer. Consumers who choose to not mail their form back will be visited in person by a census worker at least three times.
Know how to identify a census worker. Door-to-door census workers will have an official badge, a shoulder bag and a confidentiality document. They will assist consumers in filling out their form by asking the same questions that appear on the questionnaire. A census worker will not ask for social security, bank account or credit card numbers and will not solicit donations. Consumers are encouraged to contact the police if someone knocks on their door impersonating a census worker.
Your answers impact Texas. The information the census collects helps determine how more than $400 billion dollars of annual federal funding is spent on services that go to benefit the public including hospitals, job training centers, schools, bridges and roads. Additionally, census information affects the numbers of seats a state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.
For more information about the 2010 US Census, visit www.2010census.gov, and to check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.
About BBB:
BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. BBB accomplishes this mission by creating a community of trustworthy businesses, setting standards for marketplace trust, encouraging and supporting best practices, celebrating marketplace role models and denouncing substandard marketplace behavior.
Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB is the preeminent resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses and charities.
Contact BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas at (512) 445-4748.
###