Wednesday, February 17, 2010

It is census time once again -- that time when surveys are mailed out to every household in the U.S. A lot rides on this once-a-decade compilation of data, and that holds true for the residents of the Florida Keys.

The federal government describes the census this way: "The census defines who we are as a nation. ... Taken every 10 years it affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars of federal funding."

How many billions, you ask? The data gathered during the census determines how over $300 billion dollars in federal funds are spent.

The Florida Keys hold an unfortunate distinction when it comes to the census -- the county has the lowest participation rate in the state of Florida. Nationally, the participation rate hovers around 65 percent. In the Florida Keys, that rate is closer to 51 percent.

Why is this significant? The government uses the census data it compiles to extrapolate information about the uncounted 49 percent.

The people who return U.S. Census forms tend to be retired or second-home owners. While these categories of residents are certainly part of the Keys community, they only reflect one aspect of the demographic picture. Without the participation of the working class, especially those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder, the data get skewed upward. The result is a statistical picture that doesn't show the true nature of the Keys.

During a recent town hall meeting, Key West County Commissioner Heather Carruthers explained that with an apparent decline in population throughout the county, it may fall below a threshold of 75,000 residents, thus designating Monroe as a rural county.

This rural designation can have benefits, depending on the makeup of the population. There are rural designations for everything from highways to economic development programs, and the designation could help the county obtain funding for wastewater projects.

One challenge for the U.S. Census Bureau -- and local governments that stand to benefit from accurate data -- is some residents, especially non-citizens, fear that the information collected will somehow be used against them.

That simply is not the case. The Census Bureau information is, by law, confidential. Census workers are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of census responses, with violations holding penalties of up to five years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000. The bureau takes privacy very seriously, sharing no information about individuals with other agencies -- including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Over the next month, census forms will be mailed out to the public. April 1, officially Census Day, marks the beginning of household visits to those who did not return the forms they received in the mail. The census wraps up in December, with the official counts delivered to the president.

We urge everyone in Monroe County to participate. Watch for the census package in the mail, fill it out and mail it back. It is in everyone's best interest to see that accurate data is obtained, thus ensuring that county residents benefit to the fullest from that chunk of their paychecks that goes to Washington, D.C.

-- The Citizen