Everyone said it would take 10 minutes to fill out the 2010 Census.
Karen Rubin, an opinion writer for Long Island Populist Examiner, said “everyone lied.”
“It took two minutes, maybe three,” Rubin said.
John McDonald, mayor of Cohoes, said this year’s form is much simpler and much shorter than the form he filled out 10 years ago.
“I finished it from beginning to end in eight minutes, and I did not rush to fill it out,” McDonald said. “The form is what they promise – simple, safe and secure.”
But despite the short, 10-question form, some California cities, including Compton and Inglewood, are behind the rest of the country in returning forms.
While 52 percent of households nationally have mailed back their forms, only 40 percent of Compton households and 39 percent of Inglewood households have returned their forms.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attempted to motivate these Angelenos to stand up and participate in this once-in-a-decade event.
“I am calling on a little friendly competition between cities, [where] the prize will be funding for services and projects that will benefit your community for generations to come,” Villaraigosa said. “We need to show these other cities once and for all that Los Angeles is the greatest city in the world, with residents who represent the most civic pride.”
In 2000, more than 76,000 Angelenos went uncounted. Villaraigosa’s blog lists that number as “the second highest undercount in the nation, resulting in a loss of about $206 million in state and federal funding for local services and programs.”
What do you think?
Is it the city’s responsibility to make sure all of its residents do not go uncounted? Or is it the resident’s responsibility to stay informed? What should be done to make sure residents understand the importance of this event?
Compton Residents send your Census Forms.
This would help our great city become a better city.
The South Los Angeles Report: you should come out with a report of the forgotten unincorporated area of Los Angeles County;Willowbrook. Willowbrook it is a community between, the city of Compton and the city of Los Angeles(Watts);however, many people have never heard about it until recently with the New plans for the NEW MLK Hospital OR many residents do not know that they live inside Willowbrook and not Compton or Los Angeles City, like many folks think they do.
This article was really great…keep on posting such stuff…great work….