CENSUS HERE IS AS ABOUT AS GOOD AS ITGETS

This is the year of the U.S. census. Taking a head count across the land is required by the Constitution. There are many reasons for a census, but if you listen to the publicity being generated for this year's count, you would think it's all about greed.

The first U.S. census in 1790 was -- if you believe the criticism of a fellow named George Washington -- a flop. The man regarded as the Father of Our Country wasn't happy with that census. He didn't like the way it apportioned the House of Representatives, for one thing.

The United States and its every-10-year head count have come a long way in the past 210 years. The stakes have grown considerably. Not only is the matter of congressional representation at stake, but billions and billions of federal dollars are up for grabs.

As a result, most of the publicity put out by the U.S. Census Bureau emphasizes how important it is to count every single American in order to make sure your state or county or city won't lose a single dollar.

A recent story in the Southeast Missourian informed us that the last census, in 1990, missed some 32,000 Missourians. And officials estimate that undercount has cost Missouri about $20 million a year in federal funds over the past decade.

But another story that focused on the 1990 census results from Southeast Missouri painted another picture. For the most part, virtually everyone in our part of the state was counted. In most of the counties around here, 99.5 percent of the residents were accounted for, which is pretty darn close even for government work. As a matter of fact, Ste. Genevieve County and Perry County both counted too many folks.

(How the Census Bureau determines whether or not everyone was counted is an interesting tale in itself. Basically, the accuracy of the census is determined by a statistical computer model that some would say is more accurate than failing to properly count heads.)

For most rural areas of Missouri, the figures are similar. It is in the urban centers of Kansas City and St. Louis where most of the missing 32,000 weren't counted. This means Kansas City and St. Louis didn't get $20 million a year in federal funds over the past decade. Even if the count was 100 percent accurate statewide, the extra money would go to the urban areas, not to the Bootheel or the Pony Express region around St. Joseph.

When you factor in the political ramifications of the census, you can quickly see why urban congressmen and governments are so keen to get a full count.

It would be nice if the Census Bureau would stop browbeating us outstate folks who apparently do a pretty good job of filling out census forms. The focus should be on finding ways to get an accurate count in the big cities.