In the Public Interest

“Nobody controls Jimmy and nobody ever will,” said Rosalynn Carter just before the election. But – the question facing the new President in January is a reverse one. That is, can he control the powerful corporate forces which lead to inflation, pollution, and consumer abuse? Mr. Carter recently received an early signal along this line…

Historians are fond of writing that Americans have rarely indulged themselves in either ideologi­cal or utopian thinking. While the nation’s past has been etched from time to time by both ideologues and utopians, the overwhelming approach, it is said, has been pragmatic — tending to ordinary problems with hardheaded solutions. But these are not ordinary…

General Motors complains that it pays more for health insurance than for steel. Blue Cross is placing advertise­ments around the country pointing out the costs of surplus hospital beds, unnecessary surgery, facility dupli­cation and other wasteful practices that are sending hospital bills soar­ing. Blue Cross predicts that hospital stays could reach an average price of…

On Oct. 10, 1973, the Food and Drug Administra­tion (FDA) published an official notice warning that progestins — synthetic sex hormones — had never been proven effective in preventing miscar­riages and had been implicated in causing birth de­fects. The labels to physicians carry warnings along such lines at the present time. Yet in 1975, about…

Last January, Jimmy Carter said, “I would like to be known as the foremost protector of consumers.” Well, he now has a Presidential opportunity to defend the health, safety and economic rights of the biggest group in America from the ravages of monopoly, market chicanery, product hazards and the corporate-indentured agencies of government. Based on…

In any analysis of the recent election returns, the burgeoning importance of issues being decided by direct popular vote — the other elections, they might be called — deserves more than passing notice. For these referenda on consum­er, tax, environmental, spending, ener­gy and government disclosure subjects reflect the growing maturity of the citi­zen action movement.…

LONDON — A profile in political courage may be emerging from Britain in the form of Mr. Tony Benn, the United Kingdom’s Minister for Energy. The issue is whether Britain should initiate its commercial fast breeder reactor program or proceed with a national debate over this risk-laden technology with full disclosure of information by the…

The notice was on the letterhead of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW). It read: “Asbestos: The Deadly Killer,” followed by these words — “We invite you to a screening of a slide show explaining asbestos — its dangers and what workers can do .to protect themselves. Thurs., Oct. 14, 1976, Conference Room,…

Congress has been taking its lumps lately in the polls and in the political campaigns. Much of this criticism is deserved. But it should not obscure the very fine work done by individual members of Congress. Now that the current session has ended it is time to note a few exam­ples: 1. REP. TOM HARKIN,…

Mike Horrocks is a patient man. He has to be. For as the major domo of our Public Citizen Forum, he invites high government officials to appear and then waits for their response. He invited Jimmy Carter and after some waiting the Democrats’ candidate came, spoke and answered questions at the Forum on August 9.…