An organizing committee meeting is set for Friday at the offices of Erie County United, 202 W. 11th St., Suite A.

Cole Schenley understands that many people "treat socialism like a dirty word."

He's looking to change that in Erie and Crawford counties.

Schenley, a 36-year-old bookstore manager, is working to launch an Erie-area chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, a group with roughly 40,000 members nationwide that has embraced policies such as free college education and health care, free child care and paid family leave, a universal basic income, and new renewable energy policies that significantly reduce or eliminate carbon emissions.

An organizing meeting is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. at 202 W. 11th St., Suite A. The meeting is taking place at the offices of Erie County United, a grassroots, largely volunteer group of citizen advocates. The public is invited.

"I've been a DSA member for a couple of years now. ... Right now we have just over 40 dues-paying DSA members in Erie and Crawford counties," Schenley said. "The misconception is that this is an entirely new political party; it's not that. We're really just trying to be one of the homes for the left in a lot of ways, and we're trying to make sure government works for everyone, not just an elite few."

Democratic socialism has gained momentum within the Democratic Party in recent years.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders collected more than 12 million votes in the 2016 Democratic primaries running as a Democratic socialist, and the DSA heavily backed the campaign of now-freshman U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York and DSA member who defeated 10-term U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley in the 2018 primary.

Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, have recently proposed the Green New Deal, a House resolution that aims to make sweeping changes to tackle climate change. It aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and guarantee jobs and health care for every American.

The proposal has been criticized by many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who compared it to "a high school term paper" and predicted it would lead to the shutdown of American energy and air travel.

Schenley said the Ocasio-Cortez/Markey proposal underscores the progressive thinking of many candidates nationwide that the DSA supports. He also said he was inspired by the Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez campaigns.

"The Green New Deal, for example, is a throwback to a different kind of time," Schenley said. "We're really trying to make sure everyone has a roof over their head, food in their belly, health care. Government should be for the many, not the few."

The DSA describes itself on its website as "the largest socialist organization in the United States."

The website further states: "We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. We are a political and activist organization, not a party; through campus and community-based chapters, DSA members use a variety of tactics, from legislative to direct action, to fight for reforms that empower working people."

Kate Koehle, a regional organizer for Erie County United, plans to attend and supports Schenley's efforts.

"Voters are ready for brave, values-oriented candidates," Koehle said.

A Facebook post about the Erie DSA meeting states that those who attend "will be talking about taking the next steps to become a full-fledged DSA chapter and about goals we have as a group for 2019."

Schenley referred to Friday's gathering as an organizing committee meeting.

"We are not an official chapter and we still have to pass bylaws. But we're well on our way," Schenley said. "It's about time."

Kevin Flowers can be reached at 870-1693 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNflowers.