Paul Lodico is the Socialist Workers Party candidate for Common Council. But he is not that interested in getting votes. In fact, he is not running to win the election.
Instead, Lodico is interested in “posing programs for struggle.” That is, he wants to organize committees of research teams to study such areas as housing, welfare, medical care, unions and other factors of life in the city. These committees will involve those already interested in each area. In the study of welfare, for example, Lodico hopes to use the aid of welfare workers and ADC mothers.
The first objective of each committee will be to gather the facts that have so far been unavailable to the people. Lodico cites the fact that figures concerning the number of Detroit men killed in Vietnam are presently kept from the public.
Once these facts are obtained, the committees can make the information available to the people, probably through pamphlet form. Then, the community can formulate programs of action.
The success of these projects, says Lodico, “depends on the response of the people. Finally, the committees will summarize their research by attempts to discover who really runs Detroit and the characteristics of its social structure.
Lodico contends that the society needs to be transformed to socialism. The people, he says, have been misinformed about socialism since their knowledge of it comes through the capitalist media.
“Socialism,” he says, “identifies with the struggle of the oppressed.”
Lodico feels that people will be receptive to the campaign because they realize “the old answers don’t fit.” They feel that this campaign may provide them with the new answers that are needed.