Jane Midgley
Jane Midgley
Democratic Agenda
More than 1,200 people attended the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee initiated Democratic Agenda Conference held November 16-18, 1979, at the International Inn and Metropolitan AM Church in Washington 1 DC. The conference focused on "corporate power'; as the key barrier to "economic and political democracy," concepts many Democratic Agenda participants defined as "socialism.'
The Democratic Agenda meetings attempted to develop anti-corporate alternatives" through influencing the direction of the Democratic Party during the period leading to the July 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York.
A Democratic Alliance Youth Caucus meeting concentrated on on-campus and offcampus organizing in Support of "Big Business Day and other anti-corporate movements." Speakers included Mark Levinson, National Chair, DSOC Youth Section; Frank Jackalone, chair, United States Students Association; Jane Midgley, Washington Peace Center and "anti-militarist activist;" and Bob Chlopak, "anti-nuclear activist" and director, National Public Interest Research Group Clearinghouse.[[1]
Consumers Opposed to Inflation in the Necessities
An article posted in the September, 1979 edition of Democratic Left by Jane Midgley:[2]
- ACCUSING PRESIDENT CARTER of continuing the "Nixon-Ford energy ripoff," William Winpisinger, president of the International Association of Machinists and vice-chair of DSOC, kicked off discussion of the present energy situation at the first of a series of teach-ins on inflation. Organized by Consumers Opposed to Inflation in the Necessities (COIN), the June 27 Washington, D.C. teach-in brought together groups that want to curb inflation.
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- A fall offensive to combat energy inflation was announced by Heather Booth, head of the Citizen/Labor Energy Coalition...COIN Executive Director Roger Hickey noted that COIN is a "self interest coalition," since inflation threatens everyone's livelihood. More than 70 groups belong to COIN..."
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- "United Auto Workers President Douglas Fraser criticized the administration's policy of slowing economic growth as an anti-inflationary measure."
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- "The COIN analysis quotes Council on Wage and Price Stability Director Barry Bosworth as estimating that about one million additional unemployed and a loss of $100 billion in output would lower the inflation rate by only one percentage point.
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- "Mark Green, director of Congress Watch, attacked another supposed cure for inflation-weaker environmental and health and safety regulation. Calling regulation a 'scapegoat' for inflation, he urged continuing government regulation to control corporate abuse."