[GPCA Updates] NEWS ADVISORY: Green Party protests exclusion of Greencandidates from debates ...

[Green Party of California Updates]

                  News Advisory
           THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
                www.cagreens.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Monday, October 9, 2006


Green Party of California strongly protests
exclusion of Green candidates from debates,
including Saturday's gubernatorial ‘yawnfest'  

SACRAMENTO, Ca. (October 9, 2006) – The Green Party of California – citing
the televised gubernatorial debate here Saturday which specifically
excluded Green Party candidate Peter Camejo – is strongly protesting a
growing trend to deny California voters the opportunity to hear from
candidates from smaller parties.

Although statewide polls indicate that voters (by a 63 percent "yes" margin
in one nonpartisan poll) wanted Camejo to be invited to the debate,
Republicans and Democrats conspired to keep him out of the debate with Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and challenger Phil Angelides Saturday.

"The two, corporate-controlled parties, who accept tens of millions of
dollars from organizations representing the wealthy interests of the state,
control the airwaves by bombarding voters with senseless advertising. But
that's not enough for them," said Erika Erika McDonald, chair of the GPCA
Media Committee.

"Now the two parties have schemed to deny voters any opportunity to hear
from candidates who can really make a difference, such as Peter Camejo, who
may receive much more support if only voters would be allowed to hear from
them. Saturday's debate debacle was nothing more than a yawnfest that
turned more voters off than on," added McDonald.

Independent polls of voters and even news media outlets in the 2003 Recall
Election indicated that Green Peter Camejo won the debate after he was
invited to participate in a televised debate with Arnold and other major
party candidates.

And, it's not just the Governor's debate that Greens find themselves locked
out of this year. Just Saturday, Green Party Insurance Commissioner
candidate Larry Cafiero was blocked from attending a large "Voter Forum" in
Sacramento, where more than 1,000 voters were allowed to hear only
Republican and Democrat candidates.

"Increasingly, Green Party and other third party candidates are not being
invited to local and state forums. By denying Greens the opportunity to
speak in public forums, it hurts the voters, who are being denied the
opportunity to be informed voters. Our democracy is suffering, and that is
the real tragedy," said Cafiero.