Located in: News
Posted on: February 22nd, 2010

Census Bureau begins the official count

Photo By: Andrea Hawkins

Photo By: Andrea Hawkins

Andrea Hawkins
Opinions Editor

Most people have seen the signs and commercials about the 2010 Census. The Census is a 10 year count of people in the United States of America. One purpose is to help the government determine how much funding towns will receive.
Four hundred billion dollars is set aside to fund schools, hospitals, roads, job training centers, and senior centers across America, according to the Census 2010 website.
The massive count will start on March 1. The western slope of Colorado alone will train 1,676 workers to perform the monstrous task.
“Next week we are training 1,000 people to hand deliver the census,” said Bill Hugenberg, the local Census office manager. He said that most of the city will get the census in the mail, but those in rural areas will get it via hand delivery.
They plan to implement the count to “group quarters” such as Mesa State College residence halls.
“All students living in the dorms are required to fill out the Census because they are technically on their own,” said Chip Thomas, MSC housing director.
First they will swear in MSC employees, who will handle the information, to keep the students’ information private. Residential assistants will hand out the Census personally to the students living on cProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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pus, and the residential directors will handle the information once the forms have been completed.
The Census Bureau isn’t only looking for students to fill out their form, but Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
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ey also have job opportunities available.
In order to become a Census worker students need take a standardized test to qualify.
“Most Census workers will work evenings and weekends which are perfect for students’ schedules,” said Nan Janney, assistant manager of the local office.
According to Janney, the tests will be held in the ACB building on March 2 and 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Questions include simple math, directional skills, and organizational skills. The test determines what sort of job a student can get. The whole process of applying and doing the test takes about an hour and a half. The Bureau is also in need of people who are bilingual.
According to Hugenberg, it is a $5,000 fine for anyone who does not participate in the Census.

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