Why are there nearly as many public elementary schools and health clinics in Park Slope as there are in Bushwick, a much larger and more populous neighborhood? There are a number of reasons, but according to a
recent discussion on the Brian Lehrer Show, one is that a higher percentage people in neighborhoods like Park Slope fill out census forms. The result: more people counted yields more federal funds for things like schools and health care.
What's true in Bushwick is true in most any neighborhood with high rates of poverty: few people return the forms, depriving those people of federal funds for important services.
So here's a project for all of you block associations looking for something to do: how about making sure your neighbors return their forms?
(Photo: Rubin 110)
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