Susan Montee Endorses Minimum Wage Campaign

Montee Announces Fundraising Numbers in Race for Auditor, Family loans minimum wage campaign $150,000

July 14, 2006, St. Joseph, MO -- Democratic candidate for State Auditor Susan Montee announced her formal endorsement of the Give Missourians a Raise (GMR) Campaign, released her own auditor’s race campaign fundraising numbers and announced that her family had been strong financial supporters of the minimum wage campaign in the last quarter.

“I support the effort to raise the minimum wage because too many Missouri families are struggling to make ends meets,” Susan Montee said. “I believe that people who work for a living should be paid a livable wage and not suffer below the poverty level. I also believe that as State Auditor every taxpayer dollar taken from working families must be audited and spent free of government waste, fraud or abuse. We owe the working people of Missouri this and much more,” Montee explained.

The Montee family loaned the minimum wage campaign $150,000 to help jumpstart the effort, in the form of a loan from Jim Montee. The Montee loan was critical in efforts to obtain more than 200,000 petition signatures in support of the ballot initiative.

Missouri’s minimum wage remains at $5.15 an hour. If the ballot measure passes, it would raise the wage in Missouri by $1.35, to $6.50 an hour. It has been almost ten years since the minimum wage was increased.

“My number one focus will be the campaign for State Auditor,” Susan added. “But I am glad that we could help early to promote this important issue in Missouri. I’m pleased that the people will have the opportunity to vote to increase the minimum wage this November.”

Montee also announced that her auditor campaign received $77,667.66 in this last quarter and has $670,343.20 cash on hand.

“Much work lies ahead for all of us in the coming days and weeks leading up to both the August Primary and November General Election,” She said. Susan Montee is both a CPA and attorney and currently serves as the elected Buchanan County Auditor. Susan is also a member of the Democratic State Party Executive Committee.