Make it count

The 2010 Census has officially begun.

Census Director Robert Groves started the process himself Monday, going by dogsled to an Inupiat Eskimo village in northern Alaska and presenting residents the 10-question forms that most Americans will be asked to fill out.

Beginning in Alaska, Sarah Palin’s old hunting grounds before she found the soothing heat of public scrutiny, is coincidental, we’re told. Census Bureau officials say they want to take care of Alaska before spring thaws turn many roads and trails to muck and make it virtually impossible to reach some areas. The 1990 count also began in Alaska, for the same reason.

But the message of the long-distance outreach effort is clear: All U.S. residents, even in the most remote areas, should be counted to get the most accurate count possible.

The launch comes even as a new Pew Research Center poll indicates that nearly one out of every five Americans might not bother to fill out the census forms. Ten percent of those surveyed told Pew that they might participate, but they might not; 4 percent said they probably would not, and 2 percent said they definitely wouldn’t. Another 2 percent said they’re not sure yet.

Let’s hope that some of these people found time to talk to Pew, they’ll also be inclined to talk to the Census folks when they show up at the door.

Meanwhile, National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders (known as CONLAMIC for its Spanish name) and other groups want Hispanics to boycott the census to protest the lack of progress on immigration reform.

Such a strategy makes no sense; it actually defeats the purpose these leaders are trying to achieve. As the popular saying goes, there’s strength in numbers, and greater numbers of Hispanics in the overall count will not only show just how large the Hispanic population actually is, but it also will indicate that those people are willing to take an active role in determining their own destiny. Leaders in Congress and the various state capitals will have no choice but to pay attention.

The Rio Grande Valley is in the middle of the mix. This area remains one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States, and continues to be heavily Hispanic. As the demographic goes, so goes the Valley.

Many people promote census participation by saying that it can lead to more government funding. That also is the wrong approach; more Americans should be willing to assert their independence from government and call for less funding everywhere — which would result in less taxation and regulation. In short, people would have more freedom to live their lives as they best see fit, with less government intrusion.

Census figures determine representation in Congress. Because of their relative growth, Texas is expected to add at least two more congressional seats, with at least one of those likely to include South Texas. How those districts are drawn up will be significant; after all, while its population is largely homogenous in its support for Democrats, its political power remains split among three long districts that are dominated by the larger populations in Corpus Christi and San Antonio.

So it shouldn’t be about money. All Valley residents should take the short time to make themselves counted. It could mean having a stronger voice in Austin and Washington, and that could help lessen the likelihood that we’ll be subject to ignorant legislation like immigration limits, trade restrictions and border walls.

The very quality of our future is at stake. For this reason all Valley residents should participate fully in the census. Otherwise, the effects of any undercounts and lack of participation could plague us for the next 10 years.