The Big Snitch

Big Brother, move over. If the self-proclaimed Peoples Bicentennial Commission--currently waging a revolution against Big Business rather than George III--has its way, secretaries will be tattling on corporate executives, and instead of grilling steaks at dinnertime, wives will be grilling their husbands. The kids have not yet been invited to join the big snitch, but wait.

The PBC's first brainstorm along these lines was an offer to pay $25,000 to any secretary whose boss is imprisoned as a result of her information. Now PBC has sent out 24,000 letters to executives' wives, suggesting that they ask their husbands if they or any colleagues have been involved in criminal activity. To 1,000 wives of the corporate creme de la creme, tape cassettes have also been mailed. These tapes carry the voice of PBC Founder Jeremy Rifkin, 32, a Harvard-educated anti-establishmentarian. "Would your husband inform the authorities if he were aware of illegal conduct among friends and associates?" asks Rifkin. "Would you inform the authorities if you uncovered such information? What better time than this evening to start such a discussion?" And, perhaps, to end a marriage?

PBC Co-Chairman Ted Howard concedes that response to the campaign thus far has been minimal. Nonetheless, he adds, "there is discussion around the corporate watercoolers of America like never before." Now, if only those watercoolers could be bugged . . .

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