Have you been counted? The 2020 Census is a few short questions, and the data is protected. You have one more month to get counted, and we find out from Kamau Chege, Manager of Washington Census Alliance, just how important that count is to all of us.
First, if you have not yet participated in the census, go to my2020census.gov or WeCountWashington.org and get that done! You have until the end of this month, October 31, to be counted.
Second, why does it matter? Well, all kinds of benefits and funds are provided to communities based on population counts–school resources, transportation dollars, public libraries, and almost anything else based on public money. So, having an accurate count will ensure that your neighborhood gets the resources that it should.
But it goes even further than that. Our state legislature is divided into legislative districts based on population. Across the state, across all neighborhoods, new lines will be drawn by our state Redistricting Commission to map out where political power lies. It’s always about power, and this is one of the areas where the power of the people really can change the face of government.
Check out the information at the Washington Census Alliance (wacensusalliance.org) and find out more about what’s happening now and what’s planned for 2021.
If you have feedback on this episode, or ideas for other programs please get in touch!
Evelyn Lopez: @True_Tacoma truetacoma@gmail.com
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