Region's lax response to census is costing money

Idaho and Washington residents aren't doing their part to cut federal spending - but they have lots of company.

With just one week to go, mail-in response rates for the 2010 census are trailing response rates from 10 years ago in 48 of the 50 states. Currently, only North and South Carolina are doing better than they did in the 2000 census.

In Idaho, 69 percent of households have mailed back their census forms so far, compared to 75 percent 10 years ago. Washington's response rate is 65 percent, down from 72 percent in 2000.

Response rate is a major factor in the total cost of conducting the census. If people don't mail back their census forms by Friday, census workers will have to come knocking on doors to fulfill the constitutional requirement to count every American. That costs the federal government a lot more money - an estimated $85 million for every 1 percent decrease in mail participation rates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Beginning Monday, anyone who hasn't received a census form can visit a local help center to pick up a copy.

The forms are only mailed to physical addresses. Consequently, if the U.S. Postal Service doesn't deliver to someone's home, they won't get one. Deni Luna, a media specialist with the census bureau, said people have two options in that case.

"They don't have to do anything - which means they'll get a knock on their door (from a census worker) sometime after May 1," Luna said. "If they do want to pick up a form, they can visit a help center and request one."

Among other locations, help centers are at Clarkston's City Hall; Lewiston city offices at 1424 Main St.; Idaho Department of Labor offices in Lewiston, Grangeville and Orofino; the Nez Perce Tribal headquarters in Lapwai; Eastside Marketplace in Moscow; Neill Public Library in Pullman; and Cascade Public Library in Cascade.

Hours of operation and other help center locations can be found online at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/bcqac-textview.php.

Whether they received a census form or not, any households that haven't mailed them back by Friday will be scheduled for a visit from a census worker.

Mail-in response rates for communities in this region ranged from 81 percent in Deary to 29 percent in McCall. Lewiston was at 73 percent, compared to 81 percent in 2000. Moscow, Pullman and Clarkston were at 66 percent, 59 percent and 64 percent, respectively. Nez Perce County, at 70 percent, had the highest participation of any county in the region; Valley County, at 29 percent, had the lowest in either state.

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Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2274.