Description : Pre-interview with Alan Cranston  Alan Cranston (former Senator) with Paige Martinez & Sam Sills--at office on March 15, 1994.  Discuss particularly Legal Services and CRLA and Cranston's fight to keep them going when first Gov. Ronald Reagan and then Nixon tried to cut funding.  Talks about early attempt by CRLA to get poor and older people access to Medicaid[later corrected as MediCal]--ultimately successful which cost state lots of money.  Discusses the types of attacks that Reagan and particularly Meese tried to kill it--legilslature in D.C. to kill it.  Generally Cranston is asked about such matters and often has 'vague memory" of it, but says he would have to look it up.  Cranston does remember trying to take CRLA/Legal Services out of OEO to make it independent and therefore less succeptible to threats by Nixon, etc.  Had better support during Ford and Carter--budget around 350 million.  400million with Hilary Clinton, who was formerly on the Board.  Advises talking with Jim Lorenz and Crus Lorenzo who ran it in the early days.  Martinez/Sills asks about Reagans appeal in early days and how many underestimated him.  Talks about CRLA's power--had allies with Cesar Chavez, etc. who was able to mobilize and get support quickly and effectively.  Disagrees with question that WOP created to co-opt Civil Rights movm't--rather effort to score political points and right sense of injustice.  Counter 19 91(approx).
Notes : Audio CD created by Marr Sound Archives, Miller Nichols Library, Kansas City,  10/22/04.  Copy of item no. 38094, side 1. Preservation copy.  Preservation and digitization of this interview were made possible by a gift from Janet Becker.
Physical description : Mam-a Gold CD is 44.1kHz, 16bit Stereo or Dual Mono. 35 mins.