Until 8 p.m. includes Twin Cities area

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Some governors have mailed their census
forms in front of cameras, or turned them in before the April 1
deadline to encourage people to participate in the once-a-decade
population count. Others have sent them back with less fanfare.


      Not Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a potential Republican
presidential candidate.


      With billions in federal aid and one of his state's eight U.S.
House seats on the line, Pawlenty said Friday he hasn't opened the
envelope containing his census form more than a week after he
proclaimed Census Day.


      "It's sitting on my desk in Eagan, and I threw it to the
side," the two-term governor said on his weekly WCCO Radio show
after a caller asked how he was promoting census participation.
"I'm going to fill it out in a timely manner."


      A Pawlenty spokesman later said the governor plans to complete
the form this weekend.

      Pawlenty's relaxed attitude contrasted with cranked-up state
efforts to count everyone. State demographer Tom Gillaspy said
undercounting as few as 1,500 residents could mean losing a
congressional seat.


      State census coordinator Mario Vargas said Pawlenty's remarks
surprised him.


      "We understand that he is going to reply, which is the most
important part of the process," Vargas said. "If it's a little
late, it's a little late."

      The U.S. Census Bureau is asking people to send their forms by
April 16 before census takers start going door to door in May. It
costs the federal government 42 cents to send the form, compared
with $57 to send a counter out.


      Federal law requires people to participate in the census.


      At least two other governors, both Democrats, have yet to
respond to the census. Spokesmen said Maryland's Martin O'Malley
plans to fill out his form, while Wyoming's Dave Freudenthal is
still waiting for his to arrive in the mail.
      


Among Pawlenty's Republican colleagues, Louisiana's Bobby
Jindal, Mississippi's Haley Barbour and Florida's Charlie Crist
have mailed back completed forms, their offices said.


      "It's good to practice what you preach, isn't it?" Crist said
Friday.


      Democrats Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Beverly Perdue of North
Carolina and David Paterson of New York held news conferences to
fill out or mail their forms.


      Wisconsin has the nation's best participation rate, with
three-quarters of households sending back completed forms.
Minnesota and Iowa are tied for second at 73 percent, compared with
a national rate of 64 percent.


      In Eagan -- the Twin Cities suburb where Pawlenty lives when he's
not at the governor's official residence in St. Paul -- 77 percent
of residents have sent in the census.


      Pawlenty said he got two forms, one for Eagan and one for St.
Paul. He said he plans to use the Eagan form. 


Spokesman Brian
McClung said the official residence form was completed and
returned, listing no inhabitants.
      

Gallery

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Politics and Government News

Martiga Lohn

Author

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty says he hasn't filled out his census form, which was due more than a week ago. He's one of only a handful of governors who have not yet sent in their forms.

Minn. Gov. Pawlenty hasn't yet sent in census form

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