“Recently the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey (ACS) as part of its FY 2013 budget process. Established in 2005 by a bipartisan vote in Congress, the ACS has replaced the so-called long form that was taken every 10 years as part of the decennial census process. Each year three million American households are asked 50+ questions on such issues as housing, education, and transportation as part of this vital rolling survey which provides businesses, policymakers and local government with an annual snapshot of our country. The ACS helps businesses identify customers and local businesses. That’s why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Federation and the International Council of Shopping Centers oppose its elimination. ACS data is also used to allocate $450 billion each year in federal support to state and local governments for such activities as public health, public education, transportation and road construction. Additionally, community planners and researchers use the ACS data to plot America’s progress. In this report Eliminating America’s Playbook the Census Project has compiled scores of case studies and comments on why the ACS is one of the most useful tools the nation has to measure how its communities are doing each year. These case studies and comments are organized nationally, and, in some states, by topic area. Contact information is included with each case study or comment.”