2010 Census form...should you or should you not fill it out?  There has been some talk about whether it is a good thing to fill out the census form or whether it is simply an invasion of privacy and a means for the government to use the information against you.

There have even been posts on Active Rain regarding the pros and cons so I thought I would share with you what the Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) has recommended to their members.  The following appeared on both the FAAR FORUM (blog) and FARR's member web site.

Take a moment to fill out the census...it's crucial to local funding for schools as well as road construction and maintenance.

By Rene Daniels On March 5, 2010

Be sure to participate in the upcoming U.S. Census.  When your form arrives by mail in mid-March, please fill it out and mail back promptly.  There are only ten questions, so it will take just a few minutes to complete. 

Census participation is important for many reasons, not the least of which is to assure that our area gets its share of an estimated $400 billion in federal funds for uses such as schools and road construction and maintenance.

FAAR mentions two of the benefits that are based on the information received in the answers on the census form.  There are others.  The number of representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives is determined by the population of each state.  The greater the population, the more representatives a state has.

There are concerns on the part of some that it is an invasion of privacy used by the government to obtain personal additional personal information on its citizens.  Are these valid concerns or are they a bit irrational?  Check to see for yourself. 

The deadline was April 1, 2010 (and that was no April Fool's Day joke), however, forms can still be mailed in.  In fact, by mailing them in you will help save the government money (hope that strikes a cord with all of those that are concerned about government spending). 

If the form is not returned a census worker will probably show up at your residence.  That costs taxpayers much more than the cost of a $.44 cent.  Something to think about.

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