State, local leaders encourage support for census count efforts

State and local leaders gathered at the Cape Girardeau census office Monday to drum up support for the upcoming headcount.

"The bottom line is we just have to get it right," said Mayor Jay Knudtson, to community leaders and census workers assembled to kick off the 2010 census. The statistics, he said, will help drive funding and branding for the city's future.

Ten-question surveys will be mailed in March. The census numbers are used to allocate funding and set U.S. House of Representatives district boundaries.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder stressed the importance of keeping seats in the House. A small population decline could affect the state's representation, he said.

"We are still on the cusp of going from nine to eight seats," he said.

He said the federal government allocates $400 billion to states each year based on census data and an accurate count will give Missouri its fair share, he said.

Kinder also said he would like to see an improvement over the city's 69 percent response rate from the 2000 census.

Countywide there was a 73 percent response rate in 2000. In Scott County, 68 percent of residents responded. Perry County and Bollinger County had response rates of 72 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

Real estate agent Thomas Meyer is heading Cape Girardeau's complete count committee. He said a 100 percent response rate is his goal.

"I'm very optimistic about that," he said. "Why not?"

He said the committee will be using more human contact as its strategy. As opposed to mass mailings, he said, committee members will be handing out literature and promotional items.

"We know personal contact is the most effective," he said.

The 20-member committee is composed of school, city and civic leaders. The participating organizations contributed about $15,000 to the committee's budget, he said.

"It's your duty," he said during the event. "It's your duty to your community."

There will be 40 to 50 full-time temporary employees working out of the Cape Girardeau office, said Jeff Mansfield, census office manager.

"Our push right now is recruiting," he said.

Throughout the census, more part-time field workers will be recruited to work throughout the office's 31-county area. The office will be managing the count from Ste. Genevieve County to the Bootheel. It also stretches as far west as Douglas and Laclede counties.

In more rural areas, he said, surveys will be delivered by census workers. After the initial wave of responses are collected, census workers will go around to houses.

Depending on the initial response, Mansfield said more people will be hired to help collect surveys. Information on job opportunities is available by calling 1-866-861-2010.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

623 S. Silver Springs Rd. Cape Girardeau, MO