Some people have complained about having to fill out census forms, as well as about the cost the federal government incurs in carrying out this once-a-decade exercise.

But while Americans maintain their right to complain, the fact remains that census statistics help determine how much federal money is allocated to sections of the country, including Butler County. Also, census numbers help in the redrawing of congressional and state legislative district boundary lines — also a once-a-decade process.

Whether people are opposed to the census or not, for privacy or other considerations, it's important that they comply with the census requirement stipulated in Article 1, Section 2, of the Constitution.

And, when they comply by mailing back their census form, rather than waiting for census workers to visit their homes, they are helping the federal government save money.

The Census Bureau has said that if every home mailed its completed form, the savings to the government would be $1.5 billion.

According to the bureau, each percentage point increase in mail response saves $85 million.

Therefore, it was troubling to learn that only 61 percent of residents of the city of Butler had, based on numbers released Monday, mailed their completed census forms back to the government. Actually, it is inexcusable that so many city families chose not to take the few minutes necessary to complete their form.

On the national front, Monday's number — a response rate of 56 percent — is as troubling, but a community like Butler should not be so low on the response scale.

The Census Bureau made this year's population count about as simple as anyone could expect. There are no "long forms" like in the past.

And, while many people are busier now than they've ever been, the few minutes necessary for filling out the form should have been set aside by virtually everyone by now.

Again, those who have not — for whatever reason — filled out their form and who continue to adhere to that stance might be hurting their community in terms of competition for federal funds, and eventually might also have a negative impact on their state and federal legislative representation.

Commendably, most Butler County municipalities have better census compliance than the city's — the overall county rate was 67 percent as of Monday — but even in the outlying areas the census response is not what it should be by now — well within the 90 percent range.

While it is understandable that some households might have circumstances causing questions about how their forms should be filled out, the Census Bureau has given plenty of notice on how to get answers to those questions.

Obviously, in some cases, the lack of response is because of no good reason — laziness, stubbornness, or a shortsighted form of protest. But not only are non-respondents inconveniencing and hurting the government's attempts to conduct the census as cost-effectively as possible, but their delay in responding could have a negative effect on financial benefits that their community might eventually realize as a result of theirs and their neighbors' timely participation.

The more that the government spends on the census, the less it is likely to have available for other projects. Therefore, timely participation is a win-win situation even for those who don't think a census should be conducted.

Census Day, the specific day population was to be reflected in census data, was Thursday. Although various factors make it impossible to exactly pinpoint the nation's exact total population number, the current census process probably is the best that can be expected.

Those who haven't already sent in their completed forms should allocate a few minutes to do so. After all, it will be 10 years before they again will be asked to cooperate with a national population count.