For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Contact: Cres Vellucci, press secretary, 916-996-9170

ATTENTION: Daybook/Assignment Desk

Gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo goes
public Thursday in his criticism of new
minimum wage plan, calls it "fraud"

SACRAMENTO — Green Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo will hold a
press briefing here Thursday to provide details of his criticism of the
minimum wage plan announced by the Democratic Party leadership and Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger. The bill is scheduled to be heard Thursday in the
Senate.

NEWS CONFERENCE ADVISORY
Thursday, August 24, 9:30 a.m.
North Steps of Capitol

Camejo has blasted the minimum wage plan, calling it an election-year
"fraud"designed to cut wages for the lowest paid workers in the state. The
"deal" announced by the governor and Democratic Party leaders would
increase the minimum wage from $6.75 — where it has been stuck since 2002 —
to $8 an hour by 2008.

Camejo has cited the non-partisan California Budget Project research that
shows, despite the raise, it's only superficial and does not benefit
workers in the end. He said that workers would have to earn at least $10.09
an hour in 2005 to equal, in today's dollars, the minimum wage of $1.50 an
hour in 1968.

Camejo is expected to present statistics showing that the GOP and Democrats
are engaging in a joint exercise to get re-elected, and doing it on the
backs of the working poor in the state.