Hellenic News of America
Oct 15 2004

Greek-American Voters United on Major Issues of Concern

Results of HCS Voter Survey
Over 85% of Respondents Did Not Know Positions of 2004 Presidential
Candidates

Below are the texts of the survey questions and the responses of the
participants:

Question 1: As a registered voter, are all or any of these
issues–Cyprus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate/Halki School of Theology,
Albania, and FYROM–important to you?

Responses: 91% responded that these issues were important; 9 %
indicated that they were not.

Question 2: Would the positions of candidates on any of these issues
influence your vote in the upcoming November presidential election?

Responses: 78% registered a “yes;” 22% said “no.”

Question 3: Do you know the positions of President George Bush,
Senator John Kerry, and Mr. Ralph Nader on the four key issues
(Cyprus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Albania, and FYROM)?

Responses: 88% said that they did not know the position of the
candidates, with 12% responding that they were informed of their
positions.

Question 4: If you do not know the positions of the three major
presidential candidates on these four key issues (Cyprus, Ecumenical
Patriarchate/Halki, Albania, and FYROM), would you like to learn what
their positions are?

Responses: 90% responded “yes,” while 10% indicated that they had no
interest in learning their positions.

Question 5: Keeping in mind that media commentators and experts
identify several issues as critical to U.S. voters, namely, the state
of the economy, education, the environment, health care, and
security, among others, would you consider voting for a presidential
candidate based on his views on the issues important to
Greek-Americans (Cyprus, the Ecumenical Patriarchate/Halki, Albania,
and FYROM)?

Responses: 75% said “yes” to this question; 25% responded “no.”

Question 6: To which political party do you belong?

Responses: Democrats, 32%; Independents, 44%; Republican, 27%

Question 7: Are you aware that over a million Greeks, together with
1.5 million Armenians and 700,000 Assyrians were victims of the
genocide which took place in Anatolia starting in 1908 when the
Neo-Turks took over?

Responses: 93% responded that they were aware; 7% said that they were
not aware.

Question 8: In which state are you legally registered to vote?

Responses: [The editors have decided to group the individual states
listed in answers into regions.] North, 55%; South, 14%; East, 19%;
West, 12%.

Question 9: Would you consider writing a letter to one of the major
presidential candidates?

Responses: 70% of the respondents said “yes,” while 30% indicated
“no.”

Question 10: Are you aware of the existence of the Congressional
Caucus on Hellenic Issues?

Responses: 65% said “yes,” with the remaining 35% responding “no.”

Question 11: Is your Representative a member of the Congressional
Hellenic Caucus? See 108th Congress Hellenic Caucus list co-chaired
by Carolyn B. Maloney and Michael Bilirakis at

Responses: Split evenly—50% “yes,” 50% “no.”

Question 12: If not [answering “no” to question 11], do you consider
the Hellenic issues important for you to encourage your U.S.
Representative to join the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and will you
do so?

Responses: An overwhelming 91% responded “yes,” with only 9% of the
survey takers indicating “no.”

Conclusions

Although many different conclusions might be drawn from the survey
responses, the HCS Survey Team examined the results in an objective
fashion and concluded the following:

§ The overwhelming majority of survey participants (90%) indicated
that these issues were important to them, with over 75% specifying
further that their November votes could be influenced by the
positions of the candidates on these issues.

§ The respondents were committed enough to the specified issues to
express a willingness (65%) to write a letter to one of the major
presidential candidates.

§ Over 50% of the respondents indicated an awareness of the existence
of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues and a willingness to
encourage their Congressional Representative to join the caucus.
§ Over 90% indicated they were aware of the genocide(s) which took
place in Anatolia starting in 19908 when the Neo-Turks took over.

A Select Sampling of Respondents’ Comments

§ “We need to form more effective district lobbies in most
congressional districts. We also need more AHIPAC seminars on the
issues in every Greek community [in order] to mobilize and educate
the Greek-Americans about the issues.” [Independent from California
who offered to help]

§ “I am of Turkish descent. The flip side of the coin is that we feel
these issues, however valid they may be towards Greeks or Armenians,
encourage racism towards us as Turkish-Americans and discrimination
towards Turkish people in general. There are better ways to deal with
these matters than through Congress. Since I did take time to answer
your questions, you should not throw them out of your survey. We are
all after all ‘Americans.'” [Democrat from Pennsylvania]

§ “I am and have been very sympathetic to Greek issues, however, I am
a citizen of the USA and my vote strictly is based on the safety and
well being of this nation’s citizens.”

§ “I suggest that you [HCS] send out email that we can forward to
other friends [and] Hellenes who would like to go to this site and
vote on these issues. This is very good!! Congratulations for doing
this. Thank you so much. [Republican from New Hampshire]

§ “a) My Representative (Henry Waxman) is a member of the Hellenic
Caucus. However, I believe he is also a member of the Turkish Caucus.
What is AHI doing in such cases?

b) What is AHI doing to promote policy changes in the US State
Department? Are we (as a Hellenic community) providing scholarships
to students with the intent for them to enter foreign service and,
hence, influence US foreign policy?

c) In everything we do (as a Hellenic community), it seems that we
are reacting rather than acting.

d) It is vitally important that big-money Greeks collude their
efforts. There are so many organizations and people whose actions are
not coordinated. Do we really need so many groups? It does not how
cohesion and power.” [Independent from California]

§ “I would like to see support from HEC for H.R. 594/S. 349 to repeal
the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) that cheats workers out of
the Social Security benefits they have paid into. Congress can pass
legislation to repeal the WEP. For example, Representatives McKeon
(R-CA) and Berman (D-CA) and Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Collins
(R-ME) have introduced bills (H.R. 594/S. 349) to repeal the WEP. See
the URL concerning this issue at
among other sites. Thank
you, Vasilis Kirikos (Bill Herald)” [Democrat from Maryland]
§ “We need to focus on making Greece amore powerful country. We all
hope that they keep the momentum from the Euro world cup victory and
the super success of the Olympics. Greece and Greek diaspora around
the world (primarily Greek-Americans) should work hard to improve the
economy of Greece. Even though the Olympics was a success, it was
done under massive pressure and time constraints. Imagine if Greece
worked at the highest levels of efficiency without massive pressure?
The trait of a Greek being independent is both a blessing and a
curse. Let’s us have some workshops/seminars on how we can keep our
“independence” but learn how we can work together.

There is not doubt that the world fears Greece and its people, as to
what great things they can accomplish if they worked together.
The military must be made stronger and yes, Greece push for aid but
also do what it must do what it can on its own to build its own
military.” [Independent from California]

§ “Greek-Americans should support included Turkey in the EU. A
Europeanized Turkey is the best hope for a full Turkish troop
withdrawal from Cyprus, the reopening of the seminary in
Constantinople, and would allow Greeks to move back to the former
capital of the Byzantine Empire (and perhaps persuade the European
Commission to push for Agia Sophia to reopen as a cathedral).”
[Independent from Washington, D.C.]

The HCS Survey Team would like to thank the American Hellenic
Institute of Washington, DC for offering survey questions and
background information for discussion. Thanks are due the
Pan-Macedonian Association, Inc. for their active participation in
publicizing the survey and in offering background information and
survey questions. Most importantly, however, HCS would like to
express their appreciation to all of the people who took the time to
take the survey and pen their comments.