SAN FRANCISCO, CA—At a press conference today about the environmental and societal impacts of California's dependence on oil, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and current Treasurer Phil Angelides signed a pledge to refuse to accept campaign dollars from the oil companies. Angelides said these companies' ecological negligence and their price gouging are harming California's small businesses and the environment.

Angelides delivered his press conference on the corner of 8th and Harrison, across the street from a Shell station, at around 2:30pm. After hearing from Mayor Gavin Newsom, small business owners and alternative-fuel advocates, Angelides came on stage and presented himself as an opposition candidate who would stand up against price gouging and environmental destruction. He said that he would promote sustainability not just in words, but also in action.

At the beginning of the question-and-answer session of the press conference, activists with the San Francisco-based human rights group Global Exchange stepped forward with a pledge that asked Angelides to live up to his words. The pledge, which is being presented to all incumbents and challengers in the 2006 election, calls for the "separation of oil and state," for campaigning politicians to refuse oil corporation donations. According to Global Exchange's website, oil companies have donated more than $116 million to politicians since 1998, and three quarters of current lawmakers in Washington have accepted donations from the oil and gas industry.

Angelides did not hesitate to sign the pledge.

"We are glad that Angelides has decided to stand against Big Oil," said Independence from Oil director Mike Hudema. "Oil companies are currently affecting political decisionmaking with campaign contributions, at the expense of the health of our communities and our foreign policy. It's time to demand that our democracy separate itself from these influences. Now, the question is: will Schwarzenegger stand up to the challenge and sign the pledge too?"

More information about the Separation from Oil and State campaign can be found here: http://www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/oil/Separation.html