I-70 Census Showdown

From the St Louis Business Journal:

Slay Vs. Funkhouser In Census 2010 Wager

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser have agreed to a friendly bet to see which city can get the highest mail-in response for the 2010 Census.

The losing mayor has agreed to send the winner a case of his hometown’s favorite beer and most delicious barbeque.

Let the trash talking begin.

Slay’s press secretary, Kara Bowlin, said St. Louis would send Schlafly beer and Pappy’s BBQ. “But we also don’t plan on losing,” she said.

Funkhouser’s spokesman, Mark Siettmann, said Kansas City would send Boulevard beer and a to-be-determined barbeque.

“We’ve been putting off the decision knowing we wouldn’t have to send anything,” he said.

The winner will be announced May 3.

Jokes and jawing aside, a lot of money is on the line.

Every year, the federal government distributes more than $400 billion nationwide, or about $1,300 per person, based on census counts. That means the city of St. Louis, with an estimated population of more than 354,300 people, has more than $460 million to gain or lose, depending on how many people fill out the 10-question form. For the greater St. Louis area’s 2.8 million people, that means $3.7 billion.

That wager seems a little self serving.  How about beer and BBQ for everyone who sent in a census form for the winning city?