Mayor Slay Urges People to Fill Out and Mail In Census Form

 

Contact:                                                                                               March 15 2010

    Kara Bowlin                                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    314-622-3479

 

Mayor Slay, Charlie Dooley, Community Leaders Urge People to

Fill Out and Mail In Census Forms

 

St.   Louis – Mayor Francis Slay and County Executive Charlie Dooley joined Anna Crosslin, President of the International Institute and James Buford, President of the Urban League of St. Louis for a press conference urging individuals to fill out and send in their 10-questions Census forms, which arrive in homes starting today, March 15, 2010. The press conference was located outside the North side of City Hall, where a giant inflatable Census form was set up.

 

“The Census is critically important to our City,” said Mayor Slay. “St. Louis stands to lose $1300 per year for each person who is not counted. One person not counted in this year’s census could cost the City $13,000 over ten years. The City needs that money for everything from roads to schools to Meals on Wheels. Many of the things that people like about their City are funded based on Census data.”

 

The 2010 Census is vitally important to all St. Louisans because it directly affects the amount of federal funding it receives for schools, highways, health care, economic development and many other essential public needs. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, you should be counted in the 2010 Census because it determines how more than $400 billion in federal funding in distributed annually. The Census also influences political representation because census data is used to allocate the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the states based on population.

 

The information collected in the Census is kept strictly confidential and is only used for statistical purposes. The Census Bureau is prohibited by federal law from sharing anyone’s personal information with any other federal agency or law enforcement.

 

Census workers will be available to help individuals fill out their Census form in City Hall starting this Friday. Site hours are Mon 8-12, Tues 9-12, Wed 8-12, Fri 8-12. Replacement forms will be available for people who have lost or not received their Census forms.

 

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