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State could lose plenty if you don’t complete census

Census still seeks workers to canvass area neighborhoods

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By Laura A. Bischoff  and Mark Gokavi, Staff Writers Updated 11:52 AM Tuesday, March 9, 2010

If ever there were a reason for filling out the U.S. Census form, here it is: It’s attached to billions of dollars in federal money.

A study by the Brookings Institution released today, March 9, found that nearly half a trillion dollars — $446.7 billion — in federal domestic assistance money is tied to census data.

Most Dayton-area residents should receive their 10-question census form in the mail soon. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, citing the Brookings Institution figure, stressed Monday how important it is for every household to complete the form and return it.

A 2 percent undercount in Montgomery County could mean the loss of $134 million in federal funding during the next decade, according to the Brookings study. The same undercount could mean losses in other counties: $35 million in Greene, $23 million in Miami, $10 million in Preble, $12 million in Darke and $38 million in Warren.

“The census determines the future of our state,” Brown said at a Cleveland rally Monday. “It determines the resources, services and funding we’ll have available to ensure our children grow up with the education and medical care they need. It determines the funding we’ll have to keep our communities safe and ensure our small businesses can grow.”

The Brookings Institution found that Ohio ranks 32 among states when it comes to federal domestic aid distributed based on the 2000 census data. Ohio received $1,283.80 per person compared with a national average of $1,469. Vermont got $2,873.67 per person while Utah ranked last at $927.22 per person.

Montgomery County pulled in only $622.81 per person, while Franklin County got four times that per capita.

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