FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2010
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Senator Pileggi Hosts United States Census Complete Count Discussion in West Chester

WEST CHESTER – Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-9) hosted a meeting this morning at West Chester University with community, business, academic and government leaders to discuss the importance of motivating residents to respond to the 2010 United States Census.

"It is vital that every person in Pennsylvania be accurately counted," Senator Pileggi said. "Census data helps determine how more than $400 billion in federal funds are allocated every year to our local communities for new hospitals, schools, and other vital programs in our state and region. It also determines how many members Pennsylvania will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and is used to redraw the boundaries of both Congressional and state Legislative districts."

Philip Lutz, Assistant Regional Census Manager with the U.S. Census Bureau in Philadelphia who is involved in his fourth Census, discussed how the census will be conducted locally and how area officials can educate communities about the importance of the census.

"As trusted voices, local officials can deliver a strong message that will motivate communities to participate in the 2010 Census," Lutz said. "It is critically important for every person to stand up and be counted. These community leaders can interpret this information and convey how it affects communities at the local level, enabling people to visualize how these data affect their lives on a daily basis."

The Census, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, is a count of every person living in the United States and its territories.

"This year, census forms will have only 10 questions and should only take 10 minutes to complete," said Senator Pileggi. "I strongly encourage everyone to fill out this form and mail it back promptly to help ensure an accurate count."

Answers to the census questionnaire are strictly confidential and cannot be shared with other government agencies – not even law enforcement officials or the IRS. The penalty for violating the confidentiality of Census information is a five-year prison term and a fine of $250,000.

More information about the 2010 Census, including census taker jobs, is available at http://www.2010census.gov.

Contact:

Erik Arneson
(717) 787-4712