It is time for the nation to do another census.  As provided by the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Census occurs every ten years and must include a count of every resident in the United States.  While we may think that this is just a governmental necessity, there are many reasons why we all need to make sure we are counted as part of the census.  Did you know that some of our school district and local municipality funding are determined by the census count?  If we don't get counted, that means that we don't get "our share" of tax dollars.  According to a recent article that I read, every person uncounted will cost the governmental units of Illinois more than $1,100 every year!

According to the official 2010 Census website (http://2010.census.gov/), the 2010 Census will actually be one of the shortest and simplest in U.S. history.  It will ask just ten basic questions including: name, sex, age and date of birth, Hispanic origin, race, household relationship, and if you own or rent your home.  It requires less personal information than a typical credit card application (e.g., no bank account information, salary or income, citizenship or immigration status, or social security number).  The information that is submitted is protected by law, and everyone who works for the census must swear that they will never disclose any personal information.

The Census questionnaire will be mailed to you.  If you fill out the form and mail it back, no census taker will need to visit your residence.  Most people mail back the form and the Census Bureau would rather get your form back in the mail as it saves money.  If you