Courtesy of Statesman Journal
The Statesman Journal has done a write up on Secretary of State Kate Brown’s participation in a recent Census event on the steps of the Capitol. The Secretary spoke about the importance of a complete count for the State of Oregon, both in terms of federal dollars and the possibility of adding an all-important sixth congressional district.
From the article:
Secretary of State Kate Brown urged residents to participate at Wednesday’s event on the steps of the state Capitol.
“It means money for Oregon,” Brown said. “We want to make sure we get our fair share. … Our state government and our local governments need every dollar.”
Brown spoke with a group of Canby High School students who visited the Capitol and sat in on the Legislative session as part of their Future Business Leaders of America group.
So why exactly is a complete and accurate Census count so important to the state of Oregon?
To put the count’s impact in real terms, there will be close to $400 billion dollars in federal funding to be distributed over the next few years. The results of the 2010 Census count will be major factor in helping decision makers in Washington, D.C. decide where those funds will go. In these tough economic times for the state, this is a big deal. As Michael Burns, the deputy regional director of the U.S. Census Bureau mentions in the article, each person counted means roughly $1,400 for state and local governments.
To give you an idea of where this money can be used, here are just a few examples of where federal money was allocated in 2007:
- Food stamps – $30.4 billion
- Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers – $16.1 billion
- National School Lunch Program – $8.6 billion
- Head Start – $6.2 billion
- State Children’s Insurance Program – $5.5 billion
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program – $5.3 billion
- Foster care (Title IVE) – $4.5 billion
- Child Care Mandatory & Matching Funds – $2.9 billion
- School Breakfast Program – $2.1 billion
These are programs that have a massive impact on people’s lives.
The Census count will also determine whether or not Oregon’s population has grown so much since the last count that we require a sixth congressional district. This would mean that Oregon would have another Representative to join our already stellar representation in the US Congress. Greater representation in Washington means a louder voice for Oregonians; and this is a good thing.
Census forms will arrive by mid-March of this year. We are hoping to make 2010 the most complete count in Oregon’s history. It’s in our hands!
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