As the U.S. Census Day approaches on April 1, it’s important to every community that everyone take the Census. For every man, woman and child not counted, we will lose $17,000 over 10 years.
If just one percent of people in our six-county region sit out, we will lose $380 million. Dozens of state and federal programs allocate funds to your community based on how many people live there. Every 10 years, the Census is used to make sure every community across the country gets a fair count.
The potential losses to our community are real—and we’ve already been feeling them for the last decade. Sacramento County is one of the top ten hardest to count places in the country. That adds up to an enormous loss for our schools, roads, and services.
We need to count everyone regardless of ethnicity, country of origin, or the circumstances in which they live. Our representation in Congress for a decade is based on how many people are here on April 1. It’s too important for anyone to not be counted.
Tell your friends, family and neighbors to take the Census. Your answers won’t be shared with other government departments, but by filling out the form, you will help fund schools, roads, and services for your community.
Linda Budge is a Rancho Cordova councilmember and Kevin Hanley is an
Auburn councilmember.
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