Census encourages participation

Web posted January 13, 2000

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By Pat Willis
South Carolina Bureau

WARRENVILLE -- Nearly 2 percent of Aiken County's residents were not counted in the 1990 U.S. census.

So the Census Bureau made an upward adjustment, estimating the population at 123,309 instead of 120,940. But it was only an estimate, and there is no accurate count of the population in the county or anywhere in the nation.

Angela Franks, outreach coordinator for the Census office in Columbia, wants to do better in 2000.

Speaking Wednesday to the Midland Valley Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Franks said the Census Bureau needs the help of active members of every community in Aiken County to ensure an accurate count.

``People who have difficulty reading and writing need our help,'' she said. ``Undercounting is also heavy among minorities -- African-Americans and Hispanics -- and in low-income communities. Some people do not trust the government, and they may not want to fill out the forms. But we have to get the message out that `Yes, it's safe to answer the census.'''

Each census-taker and volunteers who help in assistance centers take an oath of confidentiality. Those who violate that oath face a $5,000 fine and five years in prison. By law, the Census Bureau cannot share the information with anybody -- not the president, the FBI, the immigration office, your neighbor or your employer.

But it is important that each person be counted.

Each man, woman and child left uncounted in the 1990 census cost Aiken County $25,000 during the decade, according to figures released by the Aiken County Counts Committee.

A grass-roots committee such as the one organized last fall in Aiken County is part of the Census Bureau's strategy to reach out in the community for help in making sure the numbers accurately reflect the county's population, Ms. Franks said.

Chaired by Assistant County Administrator Joan Wilson, the committee has selected assistance sites throughout the county in easily accessed places like Council on Aging nutrition sites, public housing, churches and fire stations.

``We need volunteers for those sites to help people in those hard-to-reach groups who may have trouble filling out the form,'' Mrs. Wilson said.

``It won't take much time and people can volunteer for one or two hours a day, one day a week, if that's all the time they can spare.''

Census forms go out during the last week of March, and April 1 is the target date for them to begin coming in, Ms. Franks said.

In most cases, one in six households will get the short form with five items on it. But in very rural areas, one in two households will get the long form, which has 32 items on it.

``It matters that a person is counted because hundreds of billions of dollars come back to states and counties based on the Census counts,'' Ms. Franks said.

Reach Pat Willis at (803) 279-6895.