Does It Make Any Census?

By Hank Silverberg

I’ve been counted. I filled out the census form on line. It was short and sweet. Instead of getting this huge five-page form in the mail, this year those of us in areas with good internet access are being asked to go on-line and fill out the form. You’ll get a one-page letter with a special code just for your address. In more rural or internet deficient areas, you will still get a paper form. If you don’t fill out either the census on-line or on paper, someone will eventually show up at your front door to ask the same questions. 

The Census is mandated in the U.S. Constitution and has many uses, but it is primarily done so that congressional districts across the country and in each state will have approximately the same number of people. That is designed so that we are all equally represented in Congress (except those in the District of Columbia, but talking about that flaw will be saved for another day).

The Census is also used to determine how to distribute federal dollars, in a disaster for example, or for a nationwide program that  benefits everyone.

With only two people living at our place, filling it out was easy this time. That controversial question about citizenship was NOT on the form. 

The Census does ask your race. Why? It’s primarily to prevent discrimination in housing and all other kinds of places, but there is no question about religion, which is also a major source of discrimination today. They also ask your  ethnicity and give examples such as Italian, Armenian, etc.  But I am third generation American so I tried to leave it blank. They wouldn’t let me do that, so under the line looking for ethnicity I put “white.” I should have put “human.”
    

Some people are always concerned the Census is a form of Big Brother, with the government trying to find out more about you. But it’s not. It’s NEVER been political and they don’t ask about your politics.Your banker probably already knows more about you than the government anyway. 

When the letter arrives at your home, I suggest you go on -line and fill it out, or fill out the paper form. The data will be used to determine federal spending for the next ten years, so you really want to be counted.

Other things:

While the Census makes a lot of sense, the empty shelves at supermarkets across the country really don’t.

The corona virus, or Covid-19, has already changed the way most of us live. We are all being told to practice “social distancing,” which basically means staying away from large crowds, limiting our contact with other people and travel only when absolutely necessary, or just stay home.  The warning is NOT like a big snow storm or hurricane. You can’t just hunker down for a few days until the storm passes and the roads are cleared. For an undetermined future, our lifestyle has changed.

Major sporting events, concerts, and conferences have been cancelled. I spent three hours on Saturday on a webinar learning how to teach my Communications course on-line only with NO face-to-face contact with students. My school, Northern Virginia Community College, like many others across the country, has cancelled in-person classes, at least for a few weeks and maybe longer.   

Most people are doing what Americans always do—adjusting to conditions as the virus sets in. We are all hoping it goes away soon.  

As you would expect, this has also brought out the worst in people. We have been told to stock up on a few things. The stores have been crowded. One local supermarket I talked to says they did a million dollars in business from Wednesday to Friday, an all-time high. They were  frantically restocking their shelves Saturday morning.

But what were people buying?

(Empty shelves in the bread aisle at the local Giant
in Spotsylvania, Virginia, photo by Hank Silverberg) 

Hand sanitizer, hand soap, diapers, and germ-killing cleaners were gone by Wednesday. I checked with four supermarkets and a few drug stores. That makes sense.  

 Non-perishable staples like canned goods or pasta, which is what I bought, also makes sense.

But bottled water? Why? It’s not a storm. The pipes are not going to burst, nor is the electricity for the pumps going to die. The virus won’t get them. The tap will still work.

 And bread. It has a short shelf life and there's no shortage. 

 And then there is toilet paper! A few extra rolls maybe. But really, if it gets so bad and the virus last so long that you run out of your supply and you can’t get more, I would think you would be worried about other things-- like survival.  

 They were already restocking it at many places by Saturday. And of course, joking "the great T-P hoard"  was a good distraction from the growing number of Covid-19 cases.

Where there will be shortages are local hosptials already struggling to meet the demand for services. Supplies that come from overseas may also be hard to come by, since all of the world is dealing with the same crises. 

https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/03/14/massachusetts-hospitals-face-shortages-of-protective-equipment-in-coronavirus-outbreak/

Here are a number of other things you can really worry about that you may not have thought of during the barrage of media coverage:

The scammers are out in force trying to get you to buy all kinds of things you don’t need at highly jacked up prices. Face masks, including the kind that don’t really protect you from catching this virus, were selling for ten times what they used to. One televangelist, who I won’t name, even tried to convince people he could prevent the virus from making his followers sick by touching them THROUGH the T-V screen.   

There also could be an eventual shortage of some medications because their ingredients come from overseas. If you can get your doctor and insurance company to agree, a 90 day supply would be best.   

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-medicine-prescriptions-in-advance-to-prepare-coronavirus-2020-3

There are thousands of people losing their jobs because their employer has shut down. Disney, which closed Disneyworld, has promised to pay the 70,000 people who work there for the next month, to the company’s credit. But many small businesses can’t afford to do that, including vendors at sporting venues, or the closed museums at the Smithsonian, for example.   

Many small businesses could close either because no one is out there buying whatever they sell, or because their workers are staying home trying not to get sick. Think about your local movie theatre or shopping mall. Several states have closed down bars and restaurants, and  employees in those places may now lose their income. 

Many parents will be using up their vacation and sick time because their kids are home from closed schools, but they must still work.  What happens when that benefit runs out? Can they afford to stay home and lose pay? It will wreak havoc with the family budget and savings. 

(Stocks were on a rollercoaster this past week
. photo from NYSE)

These are just a few examples of how life has changed in America, and will change even more if Covid-19 really kicks in.

The overall long-term hit on the economy could be a lot more than how much you lost from your 401K or your stock portfolio. Some economists say it could send us into a recession with sharply higher unemployment.   

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/06/coronavirus-the-hit-to-the-global-economy-will-be-worse-than-sars.html

Let’s hope Covid-19 is short lived, and life can go back to normal, though after the last three years, no one is really sure what normal is. Let's hope that happens before election day.

Then we can argue how the Trump administration, probably the most incompetent in our history, failed at handling this crisis.

       (Your comments and suggestions are welcome)

                                             

(Copies of my book can be purchased at Amazon.com, BN.com or by contacting me directly for directions on how to buy  a copy with signature at a reduced price. )