Be Counted: Fill Out Your Census Forms

The 2000 Census is on its way and forms will be arriving in your mailboxes in April. The U.S. Census Bureau lists five BIG reasons to fill out the form:

1. Help Your Community Thrive. Does your neighborhood have a lot of seniors living alone, over-crowded schools or traffic congestion? Census numbers can help your community work out public improvement strategies.
2. Get Help In Times of Need. Many 911 emergency systems are based on maps developed from the Census. When floods, tornadoes or earthquakes hit, the Census tells rescuers how many people may need help.
3. Make Government Work for You. The Census is a good way to tell leaders who we are and what we need. The numbers are used to help determine the distribution of more than $100 billion in federal funds, and even more in state funds. This includes funding for hospitals, highways and school lunch programs.
4. Support American Business. Census numbers help industry reduce financial risk and identify potential markets, thus businesses are able to make the products you want.
5. Help Yourself and Your Family. Individual records are held confidential for 72 years, but you can request a certificate from past censuses. This information can be used as proof to establish your age, citizenship, residence or relationship. It could even help you qualify for a pension or obtain an inheritance.

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Cutting Down on Waste & Junk Mail

You can help save trees and water and decrease pollution in general by eliminating the demand to produce a particular waste.
One such “waste” is junk mail. Facts about junk mail:

1. 90 million trees were used in 1998 to produce junk mail in the United States;
2. only 15 percent of junk mail paper is recovered for recycling;
3. as much as 50 percent is discarded before it even gets read;
4. the inks, glues, plastics and low-quality paper used make it suitable only for low-quality recycled paper products.

Tips on Eliminating Junk Mail  

• When you send in a warranty card or join an organization, request that your name not be given to any organization for marketing purposes.
• To get your name off all credit bureau marketing lists for two years call 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688).
  You will need to provide name, address and social security numbers.
• List only your phone number and name in the phone book to keep your address unavailable to mailing list companies.
• Supermarket scanners and discount clubs are used for mailing list and marketing purposes. Register with these stores carefully.
• Some marketers use surveys, sweepstakes and contests to find you.
• Remember that giving your address could generate more junk mail.
• Ask mail-order companies, membership organizations and magazine publishers to only send catalogs or mailings you really want. Request that they not share your name and address with other marketers.
• Call catalog 800 numbers and ask to reduce the number of issues you receive.
• First-class mail and bulk mail marked “Address Correction Requested” or “Return Postage Guaranteed” can be sent back unopened. Cross your name off and write “Return to Sender – Refused by addressee – Remove name from mailing list.”
• Junk mail can be recycled as “mixed waste paper.” Remove excess plastic, product samples or other non-recyclable materials such as CD-ROMs.
• Reuse paper printed on only one side for notes or scratch paper.
• Save and reuse envelopes included in junk mail for your own purposes. Cross out the pre-printed address and any bar codes.
• Make reducing junk mail and other wastes part of your workplace procedures.

Remember the three R’s: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. Always think before you throw.
Is it recyclable? If you are not sure, call the City’s Recycling Coordinator Angela Brantley at 646-5662.

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Ways to Get Involved at the City

Tour the City. Get answers to your questions at town hall meetings. Read the City Focus. Fill out community surveys. Attend City Council and commission meetings.
Be a volunteer. Watch for City info on local cable Channel 44.
We work to provide diverse opportunities for citizen involvement because we want to keep you up-to-date and informed.
Look for the public forum on establishing City Council priorities to be held in March and take the opportunity to help shape the City’s future.
Data collected from the community survey that was distributed last fall will be shared in upcoming issues. We received more than 600 survey responses!
Watch for additional activity info in upcoming editions of the City Focus, on our Web site and in the local media.

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Rev. 02/19/08 L. Huelga  http://www.monterey.org/focus/winter2000/news.html