ATLANTA—Big VIPS came to Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta on Monday, March 8. Mayor Kasim Reed, U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves, and Clifford the Big Red Dog spoke to kick off the 2010 Census and the Census in Schools program. Clifford is the hero of scores of books and an animated series. The officials called on the patriotism and the self interest of the students.
“This is one of the prettiest schools I’ve seen. Schools like this are connected to the census,” said Groves. Federal money as well as political representation is based on census numbers. He told the students he had personally signed 120 million letters, which were about to go out to households across the country, and his hand was tired.
“They will tell you to look out next week for the questionnaire. You are too young to vote, too young to serve your country in law enforcement or the military. But you can serve your country by telling your parents to fill out the census form.”
Groves told them they could stand up and be part of history, by making sure they are counted in the census. “You will be part of the new portrait of the country that we are drawing.”
“This is one of the prettiest schools I’ve seen. Schools like this are connected to the census,” said Groves. Federal money as well as political representation is based on census numbers. He told the students he had personally signed 120 million letters, which were about to go out to households across the country, and his hand was tired.
“They will tell you to look out next week for the questionnaire. You are too young to vote, too young to serve your country in law enforcement or the military. But you can serve your country by telling your parents to fill out the census form.”
Groves told them they could stand up and be part of history, by making sure they are counted in the census. “You will be part of the new portrait of the country that we are drawing.”
Mayor Reed, in his third month in office, said he was proud of the freshly rebuilt school. He grew up nearby, and remembered it. Reed laid out the benefits of full participation, framing it in terms of what $400 billion could do for schools and for young people. That is the amount of federal money guided by census information.
When the event concluded, Reed genially posed for pictures with students, offering smiles and handshakes and pats on the shoulder. It had been officially announced that he had another appointment and would rush away, but he did not.
When the event concluded, Reed genially posed for pictures with students, offering smiles and handshakes and pats on the shoulder. It had been officially announced that he had another appointment and would rush away, but he did not.
Director Groves addressed the adult side of census participation before the ceremony. Georgia is well below the national average in participation, at 69 percent compared to 72 percent for the rest of the country. The Census Bureau wants to make this the most accurate count possible, so they have enlisted more than 200 community organizations to help them.
“People won’t listen to me, I’m some guy from Washington,” he said. So the bureau “is working with trusted partners. We succeeded well,” he said. Some are small, like neighborhood associations, and some are big, like Best Buy.
For those who are leery of big government, he had a reassuring message. “I have friends who would prefer to live in a country with a very small central government. When there were only four cabinet departments, the census was there. The census has been here since the founding fathers. If you are a strict Constitutionalist, it’s there.”
“People won’t listen to me, I’m some guy from Washington,” he said. So the bureau “is working with trusted partners. We succeeded well,” he said. Some are small, like neighborhood associations, and some are big, like Best Buy.
For those who are leery of big government, he had a reassuring message. “I have friends who would prefer to live in a country with a very small central government. When there were only four cabinet departments, the census was there. The census has been here since the founding fathers. If you are a strict Constitutionalist, it’s there.”
