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One of America’s largest peacetime government operations is powering up, gathering stats, fascinating facts and significant data that will impact everything from voting districts to how much federal funding your hometown gets.

Local and national census bureaus are preparing for the 2010 Census. Locally, more than 1,200 jobs are being created to help with the effort.

“Our mission is to reach everyone,” said Marty Coffman, Knoxville census office manager.

Once every 10 years the census is conducted nationwide to count every person residing in the United States. It’s required under federal law.

“We’re trying to pull together millions of people across the country,” Coffman said.

The Knoxville Census Bureau is part of the Charlotte region that covers Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. The Knoxville office is responsible for counting people in Knox, Blount and Sevier counties. Coffman estimates 600,000 people, all of whom need to be counted, reside within the three counties.

The census will be sent out nationwide in mid-March. April 1 is the return deadline.

This year’s census form has 10 questions that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates will take participants 10 minutes to complete.

For every census that is not returned by April 1, a field census-taker will be sent out to personally collect information – door to door, face to face.

The Knoxville Census Bureau is building a group of 1,200 field census-takers. The job is temporary and part time, paying $12.75 an hour with mileage reimbursed at 50 cents a mile.

“Participation is vitally important,” said Jewel Carter Warnock, media specialist at the Charlotte Regional Census Center.

Of the several hundred thousand surveys that will be sent to East Tennessee households, Coffman estimates a quarter will have to be completed by a personal visit.

The federal government uses census information, such as population size and demographics, to decide where and how to allocate more than $400 billion to states and local governments.

“If you haven’t been counted, then money isn’t allocated back into your community,” Carter Warnock said.

The distribution of money for roadways, education, community organizations and political power are all decisions leaders will make based on census figures.

“You want to put the money were it makes sense. This information will drive these decisions for the next 10 years,” Coffman said.

National and regional census offices have developed a campaign to educate communities about the importance of filling out their census forms.

Earlier this month the Census “Portrait of America” road tour rolled through Oak Ridge and Morristown.

Thirteen vehicles are traveling across the U.S. through April with mobile and educational exhibits and displays. Samples of census questions are provided for people to see and answer.

“I think the biggest thing people walked away with from the mobile was seeing how easy it is to complete the form. We really want to get the fear out of people by letting them know that it is private and safe,” said Carter Warnock.

Each census-taker is sworn by oath to protect the privacy of the information collected.

Census-takers are needed in order for the census to be completed.

Interested applicants must first set a testing date through the census toll-free line. Appropriate identification will be needed to take the test.

The testing time period is divided into two hours. In the first hour paperwork is filled out, and the second hour is allocated for the test.

Applicants have to pass the test and a background check in order to be moved to the applicant pool.

Coffman expects to test 8,000-9,000 people, with the results to be entered into an applicant pool.

Source: Knox News