Census “pop-up” shop, which is traveling around the state.
ANSONIA — With the clock ticking, officials converged on Ansonia Tuesday to urge people to fill out their U.S. census forms.
Local and state elected officials joined outreach workers to send that message at a press conference held outside Ansonia City Hall.
Ansonia’s census-participation rate currently stands at 66.1 percent, lower than than Connecticut’s statewide average of 69 percent. And the deadline for signing up people comes at the end of this month.
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti urged citizens to take the census, arguing it will help the town and Valley get “their fair share of federal and funding”, which is based on Census figures.
U.S. Rep. Rep. DeLauro warned citizens that if Connecticut does not receive enough funding, local leaders might make up for it in ways they may not like — namely, increased municipal taxes or service cuts. And now COVID-19-related funding is at stake, DeLauro pointed out.
“Taking it,” she said of the census, “is literally a matter of life or death.”
State Rep. Kara Rochelle and State Sen. George Logan also spoke at the event, emphasizing that the census is about earning local citizens their fair share of government aid and political power.
With three weeks left before the Sept. 30 deadline, the mayor promised to send out another round of robocalls as an extra reminder.
Rabhya Mehrotra photo
Outreach worker Lisa Moore, flanked by Ansoina Mayor David Cassetti and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, pitches sign-ups.
So why aren’t people filling out the census?
“It’s two things: fear and anger,” said Denise Martinez, who does community outreach for the census through New Opportunities, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty across 60 Connecticut cities towns like Ansonia.
“The census affects all of our work, so I’m here to make sure it represents us,” she said. Part of her job is to ask strangers on the street if they’ve taken the census.
Mid-interview, she stopped a woman who was passing by and asked the question in Spanish.
“People are afraid, especially undocumented folks,” Martinez explained. “They’re not sure how the information will be used.” Others, she said, are fed up. “Some people just feel the government isn’t helping them anyways. I always say to them, ‘Isn’t this how change will start?’“
Indeed, immigration status is a prominent reason why families do not fill out the census. Speakers at the press conference emphasized that filling out the census is safe and secure. “People should never be afraid,” said Assistant Regional Census Manager Lisa Moore. “The Census bureau is not allowed to share information with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] or other federal and state government agencies.”
Rep. DeLauro echoed a similar sentiment: “It should never be an immigration issue for any family.”
“The census will impact our lives in every way, so tell your neighbors, friends, family,” Rochelle concluded. “Our community — and funding — matters.”
