City needs its residents to take part in 2010 census

From Staff Reports

MONTEZUMA — Why was the message of counting used for Montezuma’s Christmas Parade theme? Having every Montezuma citizen understand how much their personal participation in the 2010 Census is the very best possible gift that we can all give each other.

This Christmas, tell everyone you know how important they are to you and to our hometown. The 2010 Census is an opportunity for every single one of us to help each other... tell a friend that their count matters to you.

“... an accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives,” C.N. Le, professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, once said.

According to Camille Bielby, Montezuma downtown development authority manager, to symbolize that each person who participates in the Census is giving the gift of being counted, Montezuma DDA volunteers constructed a Census-themed Christmas display. “We are integrating the displaying into the Christmas decorations for the Depot and Museum to participate in the Citizen Georgian’s Macon County Business Holiday Window Contest,” said Bielby.

The DDA display is an interactive project in which palm prints have been placed inside a lighted open hand so that everyone can include their own personal autograph directly on the exhibit. “During the months of December and January,” according to Bielby, “the Historical Museum will feature an exhibit showing what Macon County looked like ‘Through the Eyes of Censuses’ Past.’ ”

Be sure to visit the Museum to see the exhibit and autograph the Christmas display sign on the depot platform.

Undercounted communities are under-funded communities. That’s why it’s so important that everyone fill in the 10 question Census form and promptly mail it back — it’s the gift that will keep on giving. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more. Communities with low response rates will be undercounted, which will mean all services for the next decade will be underfunded.

“When you do the math, it’s easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community,” Bielby said. “Give the gifts of better infrastructure, more services and a brighter tomorrow for everyone by telling someone you love about the Census today. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, bridges, tunnels and other public works projects, and emergency services. Tell everybody you know that everyone counts in 2010!”

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