Costly Census count worth every penny

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) - Norfolk resident Herbie Williams had quite a to-do list Wednesday. On a tiny pad of paper in his pocket, the list includes filling out his census form.

His commitment is what the U.S Census Bureau is counting on, as the U.S. Constitution requires a head count every 10 years.

There is $400 billion of federal money at stake every year for roads, schools, health care, public safety and the list keeps going says Tammie McGee, U.S. Census Bureau spokesperson.

"It's used to monitor and enforce equal employment opportunities and identify segments of the population who are not getting the medical services they need," she said.

To garner a good response, the bureau is bombarding your mailbox. The pre-letters came first, which like most, Eric Dowling tossed. "I knew it was coming, I saw the commercials," he said.

The hype has made this year's census the costliest ever. WAVY.com tallied it up: advertising alone was $300 million, and pre-letters and reminders totaled $85 million. The grand total spent on the Census was about $14 billion.
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McGee says it will be worth every penny if you mail it in.

"If we can increase the mail back participation rate by 1 percent nationwide, taxpayers save $85 to $490 million."

WAVY.com learned it will cost taxpayers $57 per household if a census worker comes to your door, so bureau workers recommend filling out the forms.

"It kind of determines what kind of money the federal government gives to folks."

Look for a reminder card in your mailbox starting March 22.