Letters to the Editor

Kudos for STEP UP

Thank you so much to the Banner and New Balance for the wonderful new edition, Step Up.   I’m one of hundreds of moms who regularly turn to the Banner for “news we can use.”  The Banner inserts on health and business have been invaluable. As the mother of a high school aged son, this edition in particular is phenomenal.

Just in the first edition, I got a treasure trove of information that will help my son as he prepares for college. I can also envision this new edition as a valuable resource to help diminish the incredibly high school drop out rate in communities of color with stories of success and ways to help high schoolers and others find educational alternatives.  There is so much potential with Step Up that I am excited by the possibililties for our young people.

The U.S. Census count matters

As your City Councilors, we have gladly come together around ensuring an accurate count in the U.S. Census.  From time to time, there will be issues where we have differences. Though our differences may be based on politics or policy, the U.S. Census is not one where there is any disagreement.  We all agree that full participation with the U.S. Census is in the best interest of our city, state and country.

You will soon be receiving your census questionnaire by either mail or hand delivery by U.S. Census workers. The Census is just 10 questions long and should only take a few minutes to finish. Your answers are completely confidential, as it is against the law for the Census Bureau to share your responses with anyone including law enforcement and any other federal agencies.

Why is being counted important? The Census is intended to give our federal, state and municipal government an accurate population count. The information collected by the Census is used by the federal government annually to allocate $400 billion in funding to states and communities. Census data is also used to determine future locations for schools, hospitals and housing developments.

There’s also a political importance to the Census — the data collected will be used to determine Congressional, state and local districts and go a long way to ensuring your government is responsive to your needs. The amount of congressional seats each state has is decided by the population count. We now have 10 members of Congress. If we don’t get an accurate count, we can lose a seat in Congress and drop to 9 members. That means we can literally lose a voice in Congress.

The Census is also hiring! If you are interested in applying for a position, please call 1-866-861-2010 or visit www.2010censusjobs.gov.

Be counted — it helps you and the entire community!