Uncle Sam heads to The ’Bu

Malibu, expect a knock on your door.

Beginning on Saturday, May 1, thousands of U.S. census takers will take to the nation’s streets, canvassing households that did not mail back their 2010 Census forms.

And nowhere in Los Angeles County was that return-rate worse than in the City of Malibu. As of this week, the Census Bureau had received forms from just 58% of addresses in the famed beach town, compared to a countywide average of 70%.

Malibu Mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner said he’s embarrassed by his city’s dubious civic distinction. For a year, he says, he’s been preaching: “When in doubt, fill it out.”

“I guess I need a bigger PR firm. Actually, I don’t have a PR firm,” Wagner joked.

Malibu, he explained, has a sizable number of vacation homes. Owners are not required to send back the 10-question forms. But Wagner thinks that’s only part of the explanation for the city’s poor showing.

Doing his best not to offend, the mayor said he suspects that some of Malibu’s wealthier residents probably didn’t see the form because they don’t open their own mail, while others simply tuned out the Census Bureau’s pitch that participation is crucial in determining how $400 billion in federal dollars is spent in communities across America.

“I call it: IGM—I Got Mine,” Wagner said.

The mayor noted that, despite Malibu’s glitzy reputation, a sizable portion of the city’s population of 15,000 is comprised of “working folks” who do take seriously the importance of the Constitutionally-mandated census, which occurs every 10 years. Unfortunately, Wagner said, the Census scofflaws have not put “a good face” on the city’s image.

The next phase of the count—personal visits from census workers—is expected to lift the town’s participation rate, but not by much. Ten years ago, when all was said and done, only 63% of Malibu households were accounted for in the census.

Malibu, of course, is no ordinary neighborhood. Many of the multimillion-dollar homes have elaborate security systems and are difficult to access, whether they’re located along the beach or in the canyons above the ocean. “Who knows what you have to do to get to these homes?” Wagner said. “It’s going to be tough.”

That said, Wagner insisted that city leaders are determined to encourage broad cooperation with the census takers who’ll be at the doors and gates of residents. Already, an announcement has been placed on the city’s website and ads will be purchased in local papers.

The message, Wagner said, is simple: “Get on board.”

To see how your community’s participation rates stack up, check out the U.S. Census Bureau’s interactive map.

Posted 4-29-10