A U.S. Census Bureau field representative is in SouthwestMississippi conducting the American Community Survey and updatinginformation on the 2000 census.

“This is an extremely important survey,” said Thomas Rankin,field representative. “It’s used to determine State Aid roadfunding and federal funding for Head Start, federal aid to schools,Meals on Wheels and other programs.”

Rankin said he has received some reticence from residents inanswering his questions, some of which can be personal.

“Because of all the publicity about identity theft and that sortof thing, people are really reluctant to tell anything to somestranger who knocks on their door,” he said.

Census Bureau field representatives are easy to identify, Rankinsaid. They will wear a badge signifying their employment with theagency and the agency’s logo will be clearly displayed on theirlaptop computer.

“I want to emphasize that any information given will be keptconfidential,” he said. “By law, the Census Bureau cannot publishor release to anyone any information that would identifyanyone.”

The reticence, he said, is because of a change in the way thecensus is conducted. People are not expecting a census taker attheir door.

The 2000 census was the last to feature the “long form,” whichasked a majority of the questions Rankin is asking during hispresent visits.

“What they found out was that by the time they got theinformation worked up, it was out of date,” he said.

The American Community Survey was started nationwide last yearto address the need created with the elimination of the long form.It has been tested in a sample of counties across the country since1996.

The survey provides critical social, demographic and housinginformation for a community each year, instead of once in 10 years.It will replace the long form in the 2010 census, which will focussolely on counting the population.

An individual address has a chance of selection only once in afive-year period. The survey polls 2.5 percent of the housing unitsin a county to reflect on the community as a whole, Rankinsaid.

Households targeted by the survey are notified first by mail andgiven time to respond. After a reasonable amount of time, Rankinsaid, attempts are made to reach the residents by telephone.

It is only then, he said, that a field representative visits thehome. Typically, only 5 percent of targeted households require aphysical visit.

“We do the cleanup work when other attempts to get theinformation fail,”Rankin said.

Residents are required by law to provide census information, hesaid. However, there are refusals.

“Theoretically, you can be fined $100 for refusing toparticipate, but I’m not aware of anyone ever being fined,” Rankinsaid.

Refusals, though, cannot be replaced and can have a significanteffect on the community’s final report.

“It’s important for Brookhaven to answer these questions becauseeveryone involved in this represents about 40 households or 130people,” he said.