Washington, DC--New York State is in danger of losing upwards of two seats in the House of Representatives in the 2012 redistricting because of a poor response to the Census Congressman Eliot Engel said.

“With a loss in Congressional seats comes a decrease in federal funding”, said Rep. Engel. “This translates to less money for our roads, schools, senior centers and state aid programs among many other programs. These are extremely important issues for the people of the Bronx, Rockland and Westchester Counties, and the rest of the state.”

The 11-term congressman said that most areas of his district have a less than 70 per cent response rate on the mailed census forms. “Filling out the 10 question Census form takes only 10 minutes, at most” he said, “as much of your time as watching one-half inning of baseball. It is inconceivable that a choice between 10 minutes of your time and funding for your local senior center is a difficult decision to make.”

Seats lost by New York will be gained in growing states such as Arizona, which are poised to increase their seats and thus wield more power and influence over federal policy in Congress.
Rep. Engel said that as the Census Bureau begins its door-to-door canvassing, answering questions for those workers is vital. “Do you want New York to have a greater say in national policies, or do you want to see Arizona gain more influence?” he asked “The ability to decide lies in the hands of New Yorkers.

New York State cannot afford to lose any federal funding, he said. The state and New York City face monumental budget deficits. “Our localities are facing similar crises. We need to fund hospitals, job-training centers and schools among all out other programs. That funding has to come from somewhere, and if not in federal aid, it could hit each and every New Yorker in their pocketbooks. Areas with the most undercounting could lose up to $3,000 per person in federal funding.”

The greater the state’s representation in Congress, said Rep. Engel, the greater the ability to provide leadership in Washington for New York's needs.

Rep. Engel said that privacy concerns have some people worried about filling out the form. “This is not a valid concern. Census information can NOT be shared, even within the federal government. If someone within the Census Bureau were to share your input with anyone - including another government agency - that worker would face up to five years in prison.”

Census Bureau officials worry that Latino communities will be discouraged from participating in the census count due to their outrage over Arizona's new immigration law. The Latino communities of New York are responsible for a significant amount of New York's population growth in the last ten years, potentially enough to withstand the population losses experienced upstate.

“After all,” he said, “isn't all of that worth 10 minutes of our time?”