CENSUS 2010: BEING COUNTED

Photo by STEPHANIE LAMBERT
Sen. Gary Siplin, chairman of the FLBC, along with other
members of the Black Caucus, encourages citizens to take part in
the upcoming Census.

BY DOMINIQUE SHAW
Outlook Staff Writer

The Florida Legislative Black Caucus is making it a priority to inform the state about the 2010 Census by initiating Census Awareness Day.  Census Awareness Day, which was held Jan. 27, allowed the 26 members of the FLBC to feature various events in their districts for areas that had low participation during the 2000 Census.

“I know the census is really important and I want to be a part of it,” said Pamela Manuel, 41, a Tallahassee resident. Manuel added that she didn’t receive information for the last census so she wasn’t able to participate.  The FLBC will ride buses through the neighborhoods and speak with students at schools to update them on how to ensure that their parents are counted.

“It is critical more than ever that we’re counted,” said Rep. Hazelle P. Rogers, D-Lauderdale Lakes.  The FLBC will meet with city and community leaders about money they will lose to elderly persons, cultural purposes and others.

“There are people who want  to do it, but don’t know about it,” said Manuel, who also said she doesn’t hear anyone talking about the Census. The 2010 Census questionnaire will consist of 10 questions and Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, chairman of the FLBC, said it is important for everyone to be counted since every year, about $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to local, state and tribal governments, based on census data.

“Citizens who are not counted cost the state about $2,000 per person in funding,” he said during a news conference Jan. 20 in the Capitol.   Rep. Alan Williams, D Tallahassee, says the FLBC doesn’t want people from the community to be worried and not participate in the census because of such things as financial problems they may have.

“It’s about trust; there should be no fear,” said Williams, adding that when it comes to service, they want to be certain they’re making the community feel comfortable and confident enough to fill out census forms.

Other representatives were excited to share their plans for Census Awareness Day. Rep. Mia Jones, D Jacksonville, said she has scheduled a two-day job fair at the local colleges.  Last week, Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, Deerfield Beach, went to public housing projects.  Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, hosted a community Census Awareness Volunteer Phone Bank Jan. 27 at the St. Petersburg NAACP chapter headquarters.

Williams has also partnered with Florida A&M University to go door-to door in hard-to-count areas.  Those are areas that are, traditionally, not counted the way they should be, according to Williams. “Older people don’t fill them out because they don’t know how to fill out forms; the door-to-door will help,” said Rose Bell, 47, a Tallahassee resident.

At the awareness day, those in need of jobs in Tallahassee also had the opportunity to meet potential employers.  “There are still opportunities for jobs,” said Williams, who added there would be a series of Census job fairs in Tallahassee.

Dominique Shaw may be contacted at dshaw@capitaloutlook.com