2010 Census is Coming

Highlights from presentation made at October Town Council:

It's Important: How undercounting impacts our County: $636 million- the estimated revenue lost in Federal funding to the County of Los Angeles from 2002 to 2012 because of the undercount in 2000 (not including funds from State programs that are distributed to local governments based on official population counts).

The U.S. Census Bureau is required by the Constitution to count every resident in the United States every 10 years. It is estimated that $400 billion in annual Federal funding is distributed based on the Census data on infrastructure and services.

In March of 2010, Census forms will be delivered to every residence in the County of Los
Angeles. The Census form consists of 10 short questions and includes a postage-paid envelope to mail back. If the form is not mailed back, a Census taker will visit the residence and ask the questions from the form. The majority of the County will receive English-only materials; however, households in areas with high concentrations of Spanish-speaking residents will receive a bilingual version.

It's Easy: 10 questions, 10 minutes
It's Safe: Your answers are protected, your identify is safe

Huge communication campaign to get the word out. Would love to have Altadena on board.

www.Census.gov website and open up positions for jobs
Pasadena census office is on Altadena drive
Website: http://2010.census.gov/

Read ahead for more detailed information regarding security.

Be Cautious About Giving Info to Census Workers . With the U.S. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country. Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist? BBB offers the following advice:

** If a U.S. Census worker knocks on your door, they will have a badge, a handheld device, a Census Bureau canvas bag, and a confidentiality notice. Ask to see their identification and their badge before answering their questions. However, you should never invite anyone you don't know into your home.
** Census workers are currently only knocking on doors to verify address information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card or banking information to anyone, even if they claim they need it for the U.S. Census.

REMEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ASK, YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO TELL THEM HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT YOUR ADDRESS. While the Census Bureau might ask for basic financial information, such as a salary range, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION. The Census Bureau will not ask for Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers, nor will employees solicit donations. Any one asking for that information is NOT with the Census Bureau. AND REMEMBER, THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS DECIDED NOT TO WORK WITH ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) ON GATHERING THIS INFORMATION. No Acorn worker should approach you saying he/she is with the Census Bureau.

Eventually, Census workers may contact you by telephone, mail, or in person at home. However, the Census Bureau will not contact you by Email, so be on the lookout for Email scams impersonating the Census. Never click on a link or open any attachments in an Email that are supposedly from the U.S. Census Bureau. For more advice on avoiding identity theft and fraud, visit www.bbb.org

PLEASE SHARE THIS INFO WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.