In the Public Interest

Almost daily, big indus­try’s top executives are de­manding a moratorium or drastic slowdown in the country’s efforts to advance the health and safety of its citizens. Albert W. Turner was once an executive with Southern California Gas Co. Today, as chairman of the California Occupational Safety and Health Stand­ards Board, he has lashed out at…

Almost daily, big indus­try’s top executives are de­manding a moratorium or drastic slowdown in the country’s efforts to advance the health and safety of its citizens. In the process of excusing their own mismanagement and shortsightedness, these corporate bosses are coor­dinating a powerful drive to make the peoples’ health and safety the first area of…

Can consumers in Michigan change the position of Sen. Robert Griffin (R-Mich.) against the consumer protec­tion bill (S. 707) in time to enact this important inflation-fighter before Con­gress goes home this month? This interesting experiment in de­mocracy is now going on throughout Michigan with our support and en­couragement. Petitioners are asking citizens to sign manifestos…

The retail price of antifreeze has tripled between 1973 and 1974, soaring from approximately $1.90 a gallon to $5.50 a gallon. Bewildered consumers want to know why. Wouldn’t you think that somewhere in a federal government that is supposedly committed to fighting inflation and anti-competitive practices there would be a coherent report or explanation? Well,…

Ed and Joyce Koupal, the indefatig­able leaders of the People’s Lobby in California, think Americans should re­discover those mechanisms of self-gov­ernment—the initiative, the recall and the referendum — and they’re taking their skilled signature-gathering expe­rience nationwide to build support for a constitutional amendment establish­ing a national initiative and national recall. Last June the Koupals were…

Before it is possible to ex­pect effective anti-inflation­ary policies to come out of Washington, the Ford administration will have to ask itself if it is willing to oppose some old or pro­posed pro-inflationary prac­tices. Here is a handy checklist of pro-inflationary direc­tions which many elected and appointed politicians would rather not talk about with citizens…

On a TV talk show at the end of October, Phil Donahue, the earnest host of the syndicated Daily Talkfest, asked former General Motors president Edward Cole whether he thought the oil companies were profiteering by charging too high prices. Cole looked unconvincing when he delivered the customary auto industry line on its fraternal petroleum…

The safe drinking water bill is in trouble. Buffeted by the combined efforts of that stolid fraternity — the oil industry and the White House — the bill, H. R. 13002, has moved with glacial slowness through the House Commerce Committee. The Senate has already passed similar legislation. At every opportunity its opponents have hacked…

Residential utility con­sumers are fighting mad about the drastic increase in electric, gas and tele­phone bills. Electricity rates, for example, rose 55.4 percent on the average during the first half of this year for the country’s 50 largest utili­ties. But consumers have no strategy, other than sporad­ic protests and underfunded lawsuits, to try and redress…

Will voluntary programs to fight inflation and save energy work, if given the backing of the White House and the major civic, business and labor groups in the country? Notwithstanding the enthusiasm of President Ford, there are many people who think that not much can come of voluntary efforts at mobilizing the country. Only mandatory…