GOVERNOR CRIST ANNOUNCES 2010 CENSUS PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
~~ ~~Five businesses to enlist minority and ethnic community groups to reach historically hard-to-count populations~~ ~~
February 26, 2010
Contact:
GOVERNOR’S PRESS OFFICE
(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE – As part of his ongoing effort to ensure Florida receives its fair share of federal funding and representation, Governor Charlie Crist announced the contractors for the 2010 Sunshine Census integrated public awareness campaign. Worth an estimated $2 million, the campaign is designed to mobilize the most influential outreach, public relations and grassroots network possible.
“Florida is striving for a precise response rate for the 2010 Census, and I am confident the contractors will help ensure this is a successful effort,” said Governor Crist. “I am confident this team will help collect an accurate representation of Florida’s diverse population in the 2010 Census, so Florida’s community representatives are reflected in our nation’s capital.”
Prospective contractors were asked to demonstrate their ability to involve businesses, faith-based groups, community organizations, elected officials, grassroots and ethnic organizations in targeting hard-to-count segments of Florida’s population and increase participation in the 2010 Census. Governor Crist encouraged businesses, organizations and advocates for Florida’s minority and other hard-to-count populations to become involved in the 2010 Sunshine Census.
The goal of the 2010 Sunshine Census is to count every man, woman and child who lives in Florida. The four-month campaign effort is especially focused on reaching historically hard-to-count populations by incorporating grassroots, television, radio, print, outdoor and Internet outreach.
The following contractors will assist with targeted outreach efforts to secure a complete count:
· Moore/Ketchum Partnership will target African-American and Caribbean-American individuals, as well as college and university students, part-time Florida residents, and rural counties including persons living in rural areas of critical economic concern.
· Ron Sachs Communication Inc. will target American Indian and migrant farm worker populations.
· Florida Association of Broadcasters will target homeless persons, including homeless veteran populations.
· Salter Mitchell will target persons with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities.
· MGSCOMM will target Hispanic-American populations.
March 15, 2010, census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household throughout Florida. Completed forms are due to be returned by mail by Census Day, which is April 1, 2010. These short forms take only minutes to fill out, but will have an impact on Florida’s future for the next 10 years. Between April and July 2010, census takers will visit households that did not return a questionnaire by mail.
In February 2009, Governor Crist signed Executive Order 09-41, creating the 2010 Sunshine Census Statewide Complete Count Committee, and appointed 45 Floridians to serve on the committee until December 31, 2010. The Statewide Complete Count Committee mirrors Florida’s diverse population to ensure an accurate count of the people who reside in Florida in 2010 and represents a wide array of community-based and faith-based organizations, local governments, media and advertising groups, and businesses.
About the Census
Information obtained by Census Bureau employees is kept, by law, strictly confidential for 72 years. Census Bureau employees have taken an oath to protect confidentiality and are subject to a jail term, fine – or both – for disclosing any information that could identify a respondent of a household.
In December 2010, the Census Bureau will deliver population counts to the President of the United States for apportionment, the process of proportionately dividing the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states.
Conducted every 10 years as required by the U.S. Constitution, the 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States. Census data is used to determine Congressional seats to states, to choose offered community services, and to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments annually. The 2010 Census consists of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete and will be one of the shortest questionnaires to date. Confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide is protected by strict confidentiality laws.
The first nationwide census was taken in 1790 by the U.S. marshals on horseback and counted 3.9 million people. The first Florida census was taken in 1830 when Florida was still a territory and counted 34,730 people. The most recent census was taken in 2000 and counted more than 281 million people nationwide and approximately 15.9 million in Florida. When the census first began in 1790, its sole purpose was to determine the number of seats each state had in the U.S. House of Representatives. Today, in addition to this purpose, the U.S. Census also affects the amount of federal funding received by the states, counties and cities.
For more information, please visit www.SunshineCensus2010.com.
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