We’re filling out our Census forms (March 15)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
Mrs. Doud and I can’t wait for our Census forms to arrive in the mail this week as promised. We will fill them out and send them back because we want it to be known, for present and future generations, that at this time and in this place we were Americans, we were Californians and we were Maderans.
Also, it’s the law. As we are residents of the city, we are required to participate in the Census.
Think about that last statement. Being a resident doesn’t necessarily mean one is a citizen. Some who are not citizens, who may be here illegally, but are still residents, may not want to fill out a Census form because they fear being busted and being sent back to where they came from. Well, that won’t happen.
The Census, like your income tax forms, are private.
But if a resident, whether citizen or non-citizen, doesn’t fill out a Census form, he or she may be doing harm to the community.
The federal government hands out about $400 billion a year to state, local and tribal governments based on Census counts. If you aren’t counted, you deprive your community of your share of those monies.
Mrs. Doud and I want Madera to have all the money it can get just from the fact that we live here. We love living here. It is just the right place for us.
We happened to spend a couple of weekends over on the coast the past month, and while we enjoyed ourselves (I have some nice, new fat from all the meals I ate), we were very glad to get back home to paradise.
For one thing, in Madera, we don’t have to spend hours and hours waiting in traffic. Prices are more reasonable here. And we know a lot of the people.
So, we want Madera to benefit. We are going to fill out our Census forms, and we hope you do, too.
I just want to know WHY before every other race, on job applications, and local job postings, even on the census, The first question is: Are you Hispanic? Let Mexico count their own people. The second is do you speak Spanish?
Mexicans are not Hispanics. Unless Mexico is now Spain or somewhere in that general area.. Why does it even matter that that is being asked though? I suppose people will always find something to complain about when they have nothing better to do, myself included.. Ha ha.