Senator Stavisky urges Queens residents to send in their Census forms

You have a big refund coming – Be sure to send in your Census form so Queens gets its share of state and federal resources

You’ve already received your Census 2010 questionnaire in the mail - it’s your ticket to tens of thousands of dollars for better schools, health care and transportation in your neighborhood.  Please fill it out and send it in today – the Census questionnaire has only 10 easy questions, takes about 5 minutes to fill out, and costs nothing. 

The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.  Federal, state and local governments base their spending decisions on Census data.  How much money will be available to our community for schools, clinics and roads is based on how many people the Census says are living here.  The government provides more than $30,000 in resources for each person counted in the Census.  If you knew were going to get a tax refund that large you’d be sure to send in your return right away.

But thousands of people in our community were not counted in the last Census.  In fact, not even half the households in some neighborhoods returned their Census forms.  That means we were passed over for millions of dollars in state and federal resources.  Our community lost out.

But we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.  Just  fill out your Census form and return it by mail to ensure your tax dollars come back home and go to work right here in our community. 

Don’t worry - your privacy will be protected.  It doesn’t matter if you have someone living with you the landlord doesn’t know about, if you have unpaid parking tickets, or if you are not a citizen.  The Census is prevented by law from sharing the information you provide on the questionnaire.

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky’s office is working with neighborhood churches, schools and businesses to make sure everyone understands how important it is to be counted in the upcoming 2010 Census. 

You can make sure our community gets its fair share.  Let your neighbors know returning the Census form is easy, safe and important for our future.

If you have any questions about the Census, or need help with the questionnaire, please contact Senator Stavisky’s office at (718) 445-0004.