Census is important to the Mat-Su Valley

To the editor:

A tremendous amount of information, some correct and some erroneous, regarding the Census 2010 has been circulating and I would urge everyone to use the Census 2010 website or visit your local Questionnaire Assistance site for answers to your questions.

In the past week I have had the pleasure of being in contact and working with Census 2010 officials and have been very impressed with their genuine interest in our community.

The importance of the census being as complete as possible is a monumental undertaking that can only be accomplished by taking several steps to provide all individuals the opportunity to participate in this most important privilege of civic responsibility.

The most frequent question I have heard in the past week has been the concern of individuals like myself who rely on a post office box to receive my mail rather than home delivery.

And here is the answer to that question: Census forms are not sent to P.O. boxes because the census is all about counting people where they live and sleep, so each form must be tied to a physical location. Census workers will visit houses that rely on P.O. boxes between May 1 and July 10.

By supporting the census, you’re helping to provide for schools, hospitals, job training and much more in your communities. In addition, the information is used to help community and business leaders to reach informed decisions regarding necessary planning and development for your community.

No matter how it gets accomplished, through mailing it in or talking for a very few minutes with a census worker, please know that your participation in this undertaking is an important occasion of exercising your rights as a citizen.

Linda A. Combs

Palmer