AP and staff reports

You don’t want to let the Census Bureau know whether you have indoor plumbing? Then don’t answer the question — but send the census form back so you’ll be counted, say local census officials.

Natchez-Adams County census officials are urging residents to fill out their Census 2000 forms — even the long forms — despite concerns over personal questions.

It’s better to turn in the form with some questions left blank than to not turn it in at all, said Adams County Supervisor Lynwood Easterling, a member of the Natchez-Adams&160;County Complete Count Committee.

&uot;Do not discard the form,&uot; he said &uot;Fill the form out as much as you can.&uot;

In recent weeks, Easterling said he had gotten at least 20 calls from people concerned about the form and personal questions, such as income. Long-form questions ask everything from your income level to whether your dwelling has indoor plumbing and kitchen facilities.

Worries over an invasion of privacy have caused concern nationwide and pop up every census, Census Bureau officials say.

Even though all information is confidential, Easterling said, &uot;I can understand why some people would not be happy with answering all those questions.&uot;

People have been asking whether an incomplete form will still count, he added.

&uot;Yes, it will count,&uot; Easterling said. &uot;Fill it out as complete as you’re comfortable with. We have got to have a good turnout.&uot;

Adams County and Mississippi need a good head count because it will impact state representation in Congress and the allocation of federal funding.

Of the 115 million households in the country, one in six received a copy of the long census form. While the short form only includes a handful of questions, the long form has 53.

”I think they are just going a little overboard on this. I don’t tell anybody how much money I make, and it’s really nobody’s business either,” said James Snead of Virginia Beach, complaining about a question that asked for his annual income. Snead received the form two weeks ago, filled out just his name and address, and promptly mailed it back with a letter of protest.

Natchez-Adams County Complete Count Committee member Gretchen Kuechler said people should feel assured that census date is confidential. &uot;We’re trying to convince people it is a safe thing,&uot;&160;she said. &uot;And no one is going to be able to connect their responses with their names.&uot;

The envelopes that census forms arrive in are emblazoned with the sentence, &uot;Your response is required by law.”

The director of the Census Bureau, Kenneth Prewitt, said his agency needs all the questions on its forms answered because the results are crucial to redistributing federal funds for local services.

-How do fire companies know how to get to a fire? They use maps that are drawn from Census Bureau demographic data, Prewitt says.

-Why does the government want to know if you are a veteran? To find out if adequate services for veterans are being provided in your community. If not, maybe a new veterans hospital should be built, Prewitt says.

According to a national survey commissioned in March by the Census Bureau, 72 percent of Americans said they intended to participate, and 75 percent felt the allocation of public funds was a persuasive reason to complete their questionnaire.

”Intrusive, not at all. I don’t think they ask probing questions. It affects many things that go on in my community,” said Raenard Brown of Washington, as he waited in line at a job fair recruiting temporary workers for the Census Bureau.

On Saturday, Census Day, the Clinton administration stepped up its campaign to encourage participation.

The president, in his weekly radio address, said ”those who suggest that filling out your census form isn’t essential are plainly wrong.” He said he realized Americans are concerned about their privacy ”and that’s why I also want to stress that the information you provide is strictly, absolutely confidential,”

Some Republicans in Congress say they have received a number of complaints about census forms, and have told callers to leave intrusive questions unanswered.

Last week, GOP presidential candidate George W. Bush said that if he received the long form he was not sure he would fill it out. The Texas governor did not advise people not to complete the form, but added, ”If they’re worried about the government intruding into their personal lives, they ought to think about it.”