Clay Center The Dispatch by The Associated-Press
June 19, 2019
The Florida Times-Union on the importance of an accurate census count:
The census produces federal funds for Florida and increased representation in Congress. In short, it means power and money for America’s third-largest state. But Florida’s power and money will be diminished if there is an undercount of Floridians in the 2020 census.
Florida’s health care, education, transportation and environment could all be hurt if our state doesn’t receive federal funds that reflect our growing population.
And how fast are we growing as a state?
Florida’s population grew by more than 322,000 residents from July 2017 to July 2018, reported Watchdog.org. That’s like adding a new small city to our state every year. But will all of these people be counted in the 2020 census?
California is working to make sure that all of its people are counted in the 2020 census, budgeting $100 million for the project. In contrast Florida is doing next to nothing: a bill to support a thorough and accurate count died in the Florida Legislature.
Sadly, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised: after all, Florida’s leaders have consistently turned down billions in federal funds to expand Medicaid and provide health care to vulnerable Floridians. So perhaps our state leaders don’t think it’s a big deal that Florida may pay a heavy price for an inaccurate census count.