FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 23, 2008

Urges Elected Officials to Stop Spending California into Bankruptcy

(Sacramento, CA) – The Consumer Alliance for a Strong Economy today launched a statewide cable television advertising effort urging the Governor and the Legislature to stop spending California into bankruptcy. The advertisements will be seen by viewers in the Los Angeles, Monterey, Sacramento, Salinas, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara media markets.

In the advertisement titled “Spender,” it is pointed out that the Legislature is considering a $14 Billion healthcare program despite a record budget deficit. The advertisement also calls attention to the Governor’s plan to release 22,000 prison inmates as a way to help close the budget gap.

“The public has a right to know that elected officials in Sacramento have a spending addiction, and we are encouraging people to take action and contact their legislators and the Governor to say ‘enough is enough’,” said CASE spokesman Chris Wysocki.

Wysocki added, “The fact is that we have more revenue today than ever before, and we need our elected leaders to act responsibly and control the growth of spending. The Governor and the Legislature have failed to face reality by continuing to increase spending by unsustainable levels, and now is the time to show some fiscal discipline.”

“CASE will continue to act as a monitor of the healthcare and budget debate in California, and we are hopeful that the ultimate solution will be one that contains no tax increases to fund a big government healthcare scheme while at the same time preventing prisoners from being released onto local streets,” concluded Wysocki.

To view the commercial or to learn more about CASE, please feel free to visit www.ConsumerAlliance.org or call (916) 444-1502.