Amid coronavirus, census more important than ever

It may not seem all that important right now, given all that is going on. The coronavirus pandemic is threatening to impact La Crosse’s share of federal money. The 2020 Census is now underway, and the timing couldn’t be worse. It isn’t exactly a good time to be knocking on the door of strangers and asking them personal questions. Much of the census is being done online, or by mail. By now most of you should have heard from the Census Bureau. According to their schedule, every American should have received an invitation to participate in the census. Even though we have lots of other things to think about, it is important that everyone complete the 2020 census. It not only provides a count of the U.S. population, but also determines how much federal aid cities and states get. That includes money for Medicaid, Head Start, school lunch programs and roads. The census also determines how many seats each state gets in the United States Congress. It is important that everyone in La Crosse take time to complete a census form. Especially as many college students have left campus and are in danger of not being counted, even though they make up about a fifth of La Crosse’s population. So, if you are looking for something to do, and aren’t we all, you could find less productive things to do than filling out a census form to stand up and be counted.

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