WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader59% in Winnebago County have returned Census forms

59% in Winnebago County have returned Census forms

UNDATED (WREX) - So far 59% of residents in Winnebago County have filled out and returned their 2010 U.S. Census forms.

Rockford city leaders hope to promote participation in the Census by making today "Census Day" to remind people to fill out their forms. In 2000 Rockford's response rate was 70%.

Wisconsin is leading the way in participation, tied with South Dakota with a 62% participation rate statewide.

You can see your county's participation rate on the U.S. Census interactive map, available at the following link: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ and Winnebago County's updated rate is available at the top right of this story.

Census experts estimate that every additional 10,000 people counted in the Census would result in $120 million more in federal funding for local governments.

The Better Business Bureau says one of the main reasons people don't fill out their Census form is because they don't trust the government or don't think it is safe.

"Some myths are floating around that are leading people to believe that the census is inconvenient or unsafe, but the opposite is true," said Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. "Not only has the Census Bureau made safety and ease a priority, it's also in the public's best interest to respond to the census because it will help the individual's voice be heard."

The BBB offers the following reasons why you should participate:

It's safe - By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA, INS or any other government agency. All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.

It's easy - The mail-in census form is only ten questions long and, for many households, won't take longer than ten minutes to answer. If you don't return the form, you'll be visited at your home by a census taker at least three times. Avoid the hassle and just fill out the form.

It allocates money and resources to help you - The information the census collects helps determine how more than $400 billion dollars of annual federal funding is spent on infrastructure and services that go to benefit the public including hospitals, job training centers, schools, bridges and roads.

It saves you money – For every 1 percent increase in mail response, the government—and ultimately taxpayers—save $80 to $90 million. Those who do not fill out their census forms will have to be re-contacted, which is extremely expensive.

It helps your voice be heard - Redistricting is the process of changing electoral district and constituency boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The BBB does warn that the Census Bureau will, on occasion, call individuals directly regarding a survey. Individuals who are contacted by someone in the Census should go to  http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/ to confirm that it is not a scam.