As Seattle prepares for the 2010 census, it’s important that each and every person in our community is counted. The newly-formed Seattle Complete Count Committee, launched officially by Mayor Greg Nickels in July, will help make this goal a reality by reaching out to the community and raising awareness about 2010 Census.
Accurate census data is extremely important on a national and a local level, determining how more than $300 billion in federal funding is distributed to states, cities and tribal areas. Furthermore, the Washington State Office of Financial Management estimates that Washington State loses about $800 each year in federal funding for each person that is not counted. That is federal funding that is not coming to our communities to provide vital services.
The Seattle Complete Count Committee will soon begin reaching out to local ethnic communities, distributing promotional materials in 18 languages and informative guides in more than 50 languages. The 2010 Census also will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Russian, and will have one of the shortest census questionnaires in its history: 10 questions that will take about 10 minutes on average to complete.
Working together, we can ensure that our diverse community is properly counted and recognized.