Stand up and be counted, Iowans

When you think of April and government, we're quickly reminded of income taxes. The due date for individuals' federal form is April 15, for Iowans' state return, it's April 30.

This April, there's another federal form to complete: The U.S. Census. You should have received your form in the mail by now. We urge everyone to fill it out and return it before the end of the month.

Some citizens object to the census, saying it invades privacy and gives government information it doesn't need. But the information is confidential, and the form simply counts people and asks a few questions about their age, ethnicity and gender. The long form has been replaced by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which annually surveys a scientifically determined sample of the population to update housing and population changes.

There are many valid reasons to comply with the census:

l Most important, the once-a-decade census provides the basic information necessary to our representative form of government. It determines how many seats a state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. And Iowa's risk of losing a seat is greater if everyone is not counted.

l The data is used to determine how federal money is allocated to state and local governments. Iowans deserve to get their fair share for education, highway projects and other vital needs.

l Small businesses and non-profit organizations often use the demographic information when planning to open new stores or provide new services in a community. It can stir economic growth and assist local leaders in targeting neighborhoods that need assistance.

l For those households that don't fill out the forms or return them, census takers must check on them door-to-door beginning in May, driving up the census cost - an average of about $57 per household instead of just postage. And that translates into potentially millions of dollars in extra, unnecessary expense.

l It's the law.

Iowans typically have responded well. In 2000, Iowa ranked No. 1 in initial response rate: 76 percent compared to the national rate of 67 percent.

Let's do even better this time, Iowans. Stand up and be counted.

This national survey has been conducted since 1790, and your participation is required by the Constitution. The census is not the place for political statements. Make your candidate and policy preferences known at the polls this November.