CANDIDATE PAUL MARIANO REJECTS BUSTAMANTE'S HYPOCRISY

MARTINEZ, Calif. - Aug. 11, 2003 -- Gubernatorial candidate Paul Mariano today called on voters to reject the hypocrisy of Cruz Bustamante and other contenders who say they oppose the recall election but nonetheless want their shot at the governor's mansion.

If elected, Mariano vows to decline residence in the governor's mansion, refuse any salary and appoint Gray Davis as Chief of Staff in charge of the day-to-day governance of California.

His criticism of Bustamante came in response to former Clinton chief-of-staff Leon Panetta's comment about the Bustamante straddle: "It's a little like saying, 'I'm against robbing the bank, but if you want to give me a little of the money, that's OK.'"

Said Mariano, "I'm against robbing the bank-and I'll make sure the money gets back to its rightful owner."

Mariano said his vow to retain Davis makes him the only gubernatorial candidate offering voters the chance to "vote twice for democracy." A vote against the recall on the first part of the ballot is consistent with a vote for Mariano on the second part, he said, since both votes reject the recall and demand a continuation of the rightfully elected government.

Mariano believes that voters who feel the recall perverts the democratic process should have a way to keep Davis at the state's helm-and the only way to do that is to vote for Mariano.