Armenian National Committee of Florida
931 NE 48th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
Tel. (954) 401-9787 – E-mail. ancflorida@att.net
PRESS RELEASE
October 15, 2004
Contact: Bedo Der-Bedrossian ~ Tel: (954) 401-9787
FLORIDA SENATE CANDIDATE SCORES 100% ON ANCA QUESTIONNAIRE
Betty Castor Signals Support for Genocide Recognition, Increased
Aid, Expanded Trade, and an End to the Blockades
WASHINGTON, DC – In a move welcomed by Florida’s growing Armenian
community, “Sunshine State” Senate hopeful Betty Castor responded
positively to each of the nine questions on the Armenian National
Committee Of America (ANCA) Candidate Questionnaire.
The Questionnaire features nine questions about recognition of the
Armenian Genocide; U.S. support for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh;
U.S.-Armenia economic relations; Self-determination for Nagorno-
Karabakh; Conditions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan; the Turkish
blockade of Armenia, and; the U.S.
subsidy of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline bypass of Armenia.
Despite its growing Armenian community, estimated at over 30,000,
Florida remains among the shrinking number of states in which
neither Senator has cosponsored the Genocide Resolution, S.Res.164.
or actively supported Armenian American issues. Both Senators –
freshman Bill Nelson (D) and Bob Graham (D), who is retiring after
three six-year terms in the Senate – have been largely unsupportive
of Armenian American issues and unresponsive to the concerns of
sizable Armenian communities in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa/St.
Petersburg, Ocala, Orlando, Fort Meyer, Jacksonville, Tallahassee,
and elsewhere throughout the state.
Castor is running against Mel Martinez, the Bush Administration’s
former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to succeed
Senator Graham. The race is widely considered to be among the most
competitive in the nation. Castor has served as a state senator,
as Florida Education Commissioner, and as a university president.
She founded the nationally recognized Healthy Kids insurance
program.
Those interested in learning Mel Martinez’s positions on Armenian
American issues can contact his campaign and urge him to complete
the ANCA Candidate Questionnaire. His campaign manager, Scott
Barnhart, can be reached by phone through the campaign’s operator
at (407) 897-3130; the campaign’s political director, Nathan Blake,
can be contacted via email at nate@melforsenate.org. For complete
contact information for the Martinez campaign:
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The Armenian National Committee of South Florida commended one of
its local activists, Michael Toumayan, for urging Betty Castor, in
behalf of the ANC of South Florida, to state her positions on
Armenian issues by filling-out the ANCA Candidate Questionnaires.
In addition Michael has also worked closely with the Castor’s
senior aides and arranged for the campaign to send a representative
to deliver an address to the Armenian Americans attending the
Florida “Kef for Kerry” on October 24, 2004.
For an Adobe PDF version of the ANCA Questionnaire:
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The ANCA chapter contacts for Florida are:
ANC – Central Florida
Ara Manoogian
aracar@earthlink.net
ANC – Gulf Coast
Richard O’Brien
fladem04@yahoo.com
ANC South Florida
Bedros Der Bedrossian
ancflorida@att.net