Make Sure #Adams County Counts
Bud Nason has been writing some very informative columns lately about aspects of the Constitution and I’m going to join with him for a moment. We all read a lot about the Constitution, but people seldom pay attention to the fact that the only specific government program mentioned in the Constitution is the decennial census. Yes, the census is so important to the health of our democracy that the Founders put it in the Constitution.
The 2020 Census will be happening in just a few months and it is vital to make sure everyone in Adams County gets counted. Census results directly affect two things: political power and money. The number of seats we get in Congress, the number of electoral votes in presidential elections, and our representation in Harrisburg are all based on the census population count. This isn’t a “red” or “blue” issue: whoever represents us, we want Adams County to speak with as loud a voice as possible.
In addition, over $600 billion annually in federal funds for schools, roads, and other purposes are distributed at least in part on the basis of population. If the people don’t get counted, the county, the borough, or the townships still have to provide services but they may not be getting the proper federal funding.
Adams County typically has an undercount of about 20-25%. Imagine if we could cut that shortfall in half. That would make a huge difference to the schools and to groups like SCCAP, the Housing Authority, etc. The Adams County Complete Count Committee is a coalition of community members – government, business, nonprofits, clergy, community groups – who are working to ensure we get the most complete and accurate count possible. In particular, we’ll be identifying groups – homeless people, college students, migrant workers, people who live in rural areas – who are hard to count and developing plans to make sure they get counted.
There are lots of reasons people might not fill out a census form. They might not be aware of the 2020 census or that they are supposed to participate. They may think it’s too hard, or that it’s not important. The Complete Count Committee will be working over the next few months to make sure everyone is aware of the Census, to show how important it is, and to make sure it’s as easy to fill out the questionnaire as possible. There will be lots of places where people who don’t have an Internet connection can fill out the form, most notably all the branches of the Adams County Library.
But by far the biggest reason it may be hard to get a complete count this year is that so many people don’t trust the government with their information. Trust in government is probably at an all time low and whether you’re an immigrant worried about ICE or a gun owner worried about ATF – or just someone with a healthy mistrust of the government, you may be reluctant to share your personal information with anyone from a government agency.
In reality, the information you share with the Census is far safer than the information you share with your bank or credit card company. Strong legal requirements prohibit the Census from sharing personally identifiable information. Individual census employees can be punished with jail time and up to a $250,000 fine. Nobody – not ICE, not the FBI, not the IRS – can get your personal information. The message the Census is spreading is that everyone’s participation is easy, important, and safe.
On a related topic, the Census is looking to hire several hundred temporary enumerators. Although they’re counting on most people to respond on their own, they need LOTS of people to follow up. They will be doing the count at places where lots of people live, like prisons, homeless shelters, college dorms, and senior citizens homes. Then later this summer, they will go around and count people who didn’t reply to the original form and the reminders. The pay is excellent for a part-time job ($16.50 an hour), the hours are flexible, and it’s an excellent chance for college students, stay at home parents, retirees, or part-time workers to do some good for the country and earn a pretty decent income while they’re at it. You don’t need a resume and you don’t need experience. You can apply online at https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html
Leon Reed is chair of DFA’s government accountability task force and is coordinating the Adams County 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.