The Census is here! The Census is here!

Residents of Michigan have received their census form and local officials can play a key role in ensuring its completion.

The Census Bureau's "Take 10" campaign gives local officials a wide range of tools to inspire your community to fill out the form. You can get updates on the proportion of households that have mailed back the 2010 Census forms and view differences between your community's participation rates and those of neighboring communities or other areas across the country.

The tools include:

• an interactive, map-based, "Take 10" web site that allows local areas to track and compare their 2010 census mail back participation rates, which will be updated on a daily basis at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ and to look up their 2000 census particpation rates.
• an electronic toolkit is available which includes talking points, sample speeches, new releases, newsletter copy, event suggestions, flyers, stickers, and doorknob hanger templates and more. 
• Suggestions on how to use friendly competition with other communities to inspire participation in the census.

When its completed, the census will deteremine not only redistricting of legislative and congressional district boundaries, but how much money is distributed to communities for road and bridge projects, hospitals, job training programs, and a whole laundry list of items that receive federal funding.  Please do all you can to encourage participation.

Arnold Weinfeld covers federal issues for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.