Census Data Essential, Clinton Says

President Clinton summoned all Americans on Saturday to make their presence felt by completing this year’s census forms completely and accurately.

“Those who suggest that filling out your census form isn’t essential are plainly wrong,” Clinton said in his weekly radio address. “An inaccurate census distorts our understanding of a community’s needs, denies people their fair share of resources and diminishes the quality of life not only for them but for all of us.”

This year’s count is the 22nd national census since the first count was conducted in 1790.

In his radio remarks, Clinton addressed the complaints of some Republican leaders about the extensive questions posed by the long census form, which goes to 1 of every 6 U.S. households.

“I know Americans are concerned about their privacy, and that’s why I also want to stress that the information you provide is strictly, absolutely confidential,” Clinton said. “Individual information will not be available to anyone outside the Census Bureau for any reason.”

Rep. J.C. Watts Jr. (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Republican Conference, said Republicans share the goal of a full and accurate census count.

“It’s unfortunate that some in President Clinton’s party have suggested otherwise and are trying to use the census to spread misinformation and score political points,” Watts said.

He nevertheless asserted that “millions of Americans have expressed an unprecedented level of concern for their privacy when asked to complete the long form.”

“While it may be the shortest long form in history, it has raised more questions than any of its predecessors,” Watts said.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush said Thursday that he “can understand why people don’t want to give over that information to the government. And if I have the long form, I’m not sure I would either.”

The Census Bureau sent questionnaires to the country’s 115 million households in March. Officially they want to know how many people are living and how they are living in each home on April 1.

Clinton said the count is crucial to the nation’s development and well being, apart from its constitutional purpose of allocating seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives.