Eva M. Clayton: “the Census, as we are all aware, is important to our nation for a host of serious reasons. Not only is the decennial…”

“the Census, as we are all aware, is important to our nation for a host of serious reasons. Not only is the decennial census the largest peace-time mobilization of American resources and personnel, it is a great day for civic participation and engagement! This is perhaps one of the most important features of the Census. The day the Census is taken is the one day in which everyone has the opportunity to make their presence known! On April 1st, everyone is equal--every response is equally important to the nation; to states and local communities. In this great melting-pot we call the United States, the significance of Census participation cannot and should not be understated. Everyone--every citizen in this nation counts--and everyone should be counted--as the implications of the Census count are critical to each and everyone of us. The Census count influences the manner in which billions of federal dollars are allocated to states and local governments. This affects all of us--rich and poor alike--as these funds are used for our roadways, educational systems, hospitals, health care and for so many other important initiatives. That is why, I am dismayed with those who oppose using modern statistical methods to provide a more accurate Census count. We now know with certainty that the undercount of minorities is well-documented. For example, the 1990 census missed 8.4 million people. The majority of those overlooked were children, the poor and people of color.”