SIGNATURE GATHERERS IN OREGON PAID LATE

Progressive Campaigns Inc., who hired more than 400 people to circulate
petitions, says 'glitches' have been resolved

About 250 people who gathered signatures for two Oregon initiatives were
late getting paid by Progressive Campaigns Inc.

Progressive hired more than 400 people to circulate petitions for campaigns
to legalize marijuana for medicinal use and to divert some state lottery
money for parks and wildlife preservation. The marijuana proposal qualified
for the Nov. 3 ballot. The parks measure, which collected more signatures
than any initiative campaign this year, is expected to qualify this week.

The owner of the Santa Monica, Calif.-based petition management company
conceded there were payroll glitches, but said they've been straightened out.

"We were definitely late, there's no question about that," said Angelo
Paparella. "I think there was some miscommunication about when there was
going to be someone in our field office to pick up the checks."

The deadline for turning in petitions to the state Elections Divison was
July 2. Progressive intended to pay workers by July 8, Paparella said.
"People were paranoid because they knew we had finished up the campaign and
left . . . and (they) started to think the worst."

About 100 people were paid in person over the weekend, around 150 checks
were mailed this week and everyone who is owed money will get it, Paparella
said.

"Seeing is believing," said Cathryne Seem-Ruggiero, who said the company
owes her $1,132.75. "They've promised so many times that I have no faith
left," said Seem-Ruggiero, who collected signatures in late June and early
July.

Some employees left Oregon to work on a medical marijuana campaign in
Colorado. "Part of the issue is trying to locate everybody. We had hundreds
of people working for us," Paparella said.

The Bureau of Labor and Industries has not received any complaints about
Progressive failing to pay workers, a bureau spokeswoman said.

Progressive has been in business since 1992 and has collected about 15
million signatures around the country, Paparella said.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski