Bustamante Defends MeCHA Membership

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante is defending his membership in a Hispanic student activist group while a college student in the 1970s. Critics claim MeCHA holds extreme separatist positions, including the belief that much of the Southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico.

But the Democratic front-runner in the recall election shrugged off criticism and said the group´s members are just students trying to get an education or raise families.

In Sacramento yesterday, Bustamante focused mainly on another issue. He accused oil companies of ripping off the state through price-gouging, and promised to take action if he´s elected governor. He says he´ll work to make gasoline a public utility, which would take an amendment to the state constitution.

Bustamante says Californians will be paying the higest prices in the nation for gas this Labor Day weekend.