Oral history interview with John F. Foran

210 Pages·2003·5.4 MB·English

by  California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State

California StateArchives
State GovernmentOral HistoryProgram
Oral History Interview
with
JOHN F, FORAN
CaliforniaStateLegislator
1963-1986
April 23, May 14, 21,28, June4,2003
Sacramento, California
By LauraMcCreery
Regional Oral History Office
University ofCalifornia, Berkeley
RESTRICTIONS ONTHIS INTERVIEW
None.
LITERARYRIGHTS AND QUOTATIONS
This manuscriptisherebymadeavailablefor researchpurposes only.No partofthe manuscriptmay be
quotedfor publicationwithoutthe written permission ofthe California State ArchivistorRegional
Oral History Office, University ofCaliforniaatBerkeley.
Requests for permissionto quote for publicationshouldbe addressed to:
CaliforniaState Archives
1020 O Street, Room 130
Sacramento, California 95814
or
Regional Oral History Office
The BancroftLibrary
University ofCalifornia
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
The requestshould include information ofthe specificpassagesand identificationofthe user.
It is recommended thatthis oral history be citedas follows:
John F.Foran,Oral HistoryInterview, Conducted2003 byLauraMcCreery, RegionalOral
History Office, University ofCaliforniaatBerkeley,for the CaliforniaState Archives
StateGovernment Oral History Program.
TABLE OF CONTENTS-JohnForan
INTERVIEWHISTORY i
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY ii
SESSION 1,April 23, 2003 1
Irish origins—parentsand siblings—youthand schooling in San Francisco—St Joseph's
Preparatory Seminary and SacredHeartHigh School—UniversityofSan Francisco
[USFJ-U.S. Army service and leg injury duringthe KoreanWar,early 1950s—completing
undergraduate study at USF, 1956-graduatingfrom USF law schooland passing the state
barexam, 1959—marriageto CostanzaIlacqua(1958)andstarting afamily-recruitmentto
stateattorney general's office,thenheaded by StanleyMosk-workingwith state appellate
and supreme courts aspart ofAG's staff-close friendship with Leo McCarthy since high
school and USF—Democratic political campaigns ofPhil Burton and others in San
Francisco-state and national campaigns ofPat Brown, John F.Kennedy, Adlai
Stevenson—runningfor 23'"'^ assembly districtseatvacated by John O'Connell, 1962.
SESSION2, May 14, 2003 26
Working for StanleyMosk, Attorney General, duringPat Brown's governorship—Pat
Brown's work style and his programs on highways, water, higher education-committee
assignments as anew assemblyman, from 1963—fellow"freshman"—serving on and then
chairing assembly transportation committee—transportationlegislators: Randolph Collier,
Eugene McAteer, Tom Carrell—interactions with public works and highways departments
andlaterCaltrans-adventof"one person, onevote"—redistricting—exodusfrom assembly
to senate—Northernand Southern California power shifts inthe
legislature—JesseUnruhasspeakerofthe assembly, 1960s-assemblyJudiciarycommittee
andFinance andInsurance committee—constituency ofthe 23*^*^ assembly district (eastern
San Francisco)—SanFrancisco mayors (George Christopher, Jack Shelley) and
supervisors—locallegislators: Phil and JohnBurton, Willie Brown, MiltonMarks, Leo
Ryan-Leo McCarthy's electionto assembly, 1968, and assembly speaker, 1974.
SESSION3, May 21, 2003 63
Story ofbeing kidnapped with Leo McCarthy in the 1950s-authoringthe Pure Air Actof
1968—relatedauto and transportation issues-promotionofpublic transit and regional,
multi-modaltransportationsystems-GoldenGateBridgeAuthorityandotherBayArea
transit modes and agencies-The MetropolitanTransportation Commission, 1970—
regional government-RonaldReagan's gubernatorial administration—bipartisan
atmosphere ofthat era—Bob Monagan and BobMoretti as assembly speakers-Transit
DevelopmentAct, 1974.
SESSION 4, May 28, 2003 107
CaliforniaTransportationCommission: "anti-pork" funding—members, chairs-later
changes to transportation funding in the 1990s-emphasis on local control—chairing the
senatetransportation committee during Jerry Brown's governorship-raising gastax and
vehicle-relatedfees to assure federal matching funds, 1982—subsequentgas tax and fee
increases in the George Deukmejianadministration—joining withAssemblymanBill
Bakeron the "pothole bill," SB-300-more on Metropolitan TransportationCommission,
public transit, regionalism—importance oflong-range planning to transportation—effects
ofterm limits—moreon assembly-chairing Ways-andMeans committee—starting
"suspense flle"-seeking George Moscone's 8^*^ district senate seat, 1976—SanMateo
constituents—PhilBurtonand reapportionment—working with local congressional
legislators-making political peace withPhil and JohnBurton-comparing state senate to
assembly—JimMills and David Roberti as pro tems-developing close friendship with
DavidRoberti.
SESSION 5, June 4, 2003 165
Legislationon criminal identificationsystemfrom latent fingerprints—tort reform
legislation, 1980s: SB-75 limits painand suffering damages-changingviews on torts-
fiscal impactongovernment's "deeppockets"-constituents ofthe 8^*^ senate district-
views onrepresentativegovernment—reelectioncampaignsfor the statesenate—wife'srole
in political life—choosingto retire from state senate, 1986-appointmentat Nossaman
GuthnerKnoxElliottin Sacramento—attorney and registered lobbyist: transportation
emphasis—Quentin Kopp as successorin state senate—Kopp's campaignagainstLou
Papan-recalling assembly speakership battle, 1980-Willie Brownsupplants Leo
McCarthy-loss ofbipartisanlegislature in California-currentbudgetcrisis-term limits—
foimding the Sacramento SeminarwithJohnKnox and Paul Priolo.
INTERVIEW HISTORY
Interviewer
LauraMcCreery
SeniorInterviewer, Regional OralHistory Office,University ofCalifornia, Berkeley
Oral History Consultantsince 1996
B.A., San Diego State University
M.S., San Jose State University
Interview Time andPlace
April 23, 2003 Session ofone hour Sacramento
May 14,2003 Sessionofone and one-halfhours Sacramento
May 21, 2003 Sessionofone andthree-fourths hours Sacramento
May 28, 2003 Sessionoftwo and one-fourthhours Sacramento
June 4,2003 Sessionofone and one-halfhours Sacramento
Editing
The intervieweredited for punctuation, paragraphing,and spelling, verifiedpropernames,
and compileda table ofcontents and biographical summary. Mr. Foran reviewed thetranscript,
making frequent but minor correctionsand additions.
Tapes and Interview Records
The audio recordings ofthe interview are inTheBancroftLibrary, University of
Californiaat Berkeley. Records relatingto the interview are at the Regional Oral History Office.
Masteraudio recordings are deposited inthe CaliforniaState Archives.
Biographical Summary
John F.Fpran isasecond-generationnative ofSanFrancisco, California. Bomin 1930, he
attendedparochial schools andthe University ofSanFrancisco. Hewas wounded incombat while
servingintheU.S. Army's 7thInfantry Division duringtheKorean War,afterwhich heretumedto
his college studies. He holds aB.A. cum laude inhistory (1956) anda law degree (1959), both
fromtheUniversity ofSan Francisco. He isamember ofthe StateBar ofCalifornia.
Afterlawschool, Mr.Foranservedforthree years asadeputyto California'sthen-attorney
general, Stanley Mosk. He then went onto private practice ofthe law asafounding partnerofthe
San Franciscofirm ofLeonoudakis, Kleineger&Foran.
Mr.Foranransuccessfully in 1962 for the 23rd Districtseat ofthe state assembly, where
he served until ,1976.He chairedthe TransportationCommittee for four years, authoring both the
Pure AirAct of 1968and the law creating theMetropolitanTransportationCommission. He also
succeeded Assemblyman Willie Brownas chairofthe Waysand Means Committee, a positionhe
heldfrom 1974to 1976.He played akey roleintheelection ofhis lifelong friend Leo McCarthy
as assembly speakerin 1974.
In 1976 Mr.Foran ran for the state senate in aspecial electionto replace SenatorGeorge
Moscone. He wenton to representwestern San,Francisco in the 8th senatorial districtofthe
Califomialegislaturefor ten years, where he again chaired the TransportationCommittee.He
authored S.B. 215 of1981, informally knownasthe "gas tax bill," which represented asignificant
multifacetedtransportationrevenue package. He was a memberofboth the State Public Works
Boardandthe CaliforniaTransportationCommissionfor abouttenyears.
Mr.Foranleft the assembly in 1986 to retumto private practicewiththe Sacramento firm
Nossaman, Guthner, Knox&Elliott,LLP.Today he remains alegislativeadvocatebeforethe state
legislatureand various departments and executive branch agencies ofstate government.
[Session 1,April 23,2003]
[Tape 1, SideA]
McCREERY: This is LauraMcCreery speaking. On this tape, I'll be interviewing John
Foranin his Sacramento office for the State Government Oral history Program.
Well, we'll startoffwith a little background, so I'll askyouto state your
date ofbirthand thentalk a little bit aboutwhereyouwere bom.
FORAN: Okay, sure. I was bomin San Francisco, July 11,1930. I am a son oftwo San
Francisco natives. Both my father and my motherwere bomin San Francisco,
and bothofthem wentthroughthe earthquake of1906. My father lived south
ofMarket [Street] at thattime, and my mother lived in theExcelsior district.
They would tell us some stories aboutit, and it was very interesting.
McCREERY; What did they tell you aboutthe earthquake?
FORAN: Well,my father in particulartalked aboutthe chimney falling down in their
home. My mother lived in a fairly small cottage in the Excelsiordistrict on
ParisStreet. Whenthe earthquakehit, mostofthe then-residentialareas ofSan
Francisco were pretty severely damaged, particularlyby the fire, so they
actually took in the refugees from the otherparts ofSanFrancisco. The
Excelsiorwasn'tvery well builtup, but they did have abackyard, and people
went outthere and my mother's family let them sleep on the porch. It was
done, I think, by many people where houses were still standing. Many
refugees ofthe earthquake wentto the tent city in Golden Gate Park.
McCREERY: Well,perhaps you'll tell me a little bit more abouttheir own backgrounds, and
give their names.
FORAN: Oh, sure. My father's name was James Edward Foran. He was at different
times an electricalinspector, or he had an electrical contractbusiness, and then
he became an electricalinspectorfor the city and countyofSanFrancisco. He
was a city inspectoruntil he died ratherprematurely. He died at the age of
fifty-eight in 1944. He was an ensignin the navy in World WarI,and he was a
brilliantmathematician. People would sendproblems to him from all over,
whichhe justenjoyed solving as a hobby. He did teach numerous young kids,
high school kids and others, mathematics. He coulddo cube roots in his head.
McCREERY: That's wonderful. Well, do youknow much abouthow long his family had
beenin the city at thatpoint?
FORAN: It's very difficultto trace backthe ancestry. Onbothsides, it's ofIrish
ancestry. My mother's name was Egan. Hermaidenname was McDermott.
Onmy father's side, my grandmother's maiden name was Meehan, and she
married JohnForan. WhenI've beento Irelanda couple oftimes, it was
hopeless tryingto trace anybodybecausein the 1916uprising, almostall ofthe
custom house records were destroyed. So unless you knowthe parish where
somebody was bom and baptizedyou couldn'treally trace anyone. I haven't
beenable to trace anyone backthat far exceptone time whenwe were in
Ireland. Some ofthem came from near Rascommon, which was where my
mother's mother was from. But nottoo far fromRascommon, on my father's
side,I guess,there's avillagecalledBally Foran. All ithas initisachurchand
a bar and a grocery store [laughter]. But Ihave no way ofconnecting it,and
there are otherspellings ofForan, Fordand O'Foran, Forain, which sounds
more like the Normantype ofpeople.
McCREERY: Well,talk a bit aboutyour mother's side ofthe family.
FORAN: Onmymother's sidetherewerefourbrothersandone sister. Theygrewupin
the Excelsior district ofSanFrancisco. Shewasat one time a telephone
operator,but thenwhenshemarriedmyfathershedidn'twork anymore. She
was quite a character.
McCREERY: How so?
FORAN: Oh,inmanyrespects. Sheusedto godowntowneveryday andexchange
things,get atieonedayandreturnitthe nextday. Shejust lovedtogodown
anddothingslikethat. Shewasjust acharmingladywhoeverybodywanted
to talk to. One particularincidentoccurred whenI was at college at USE
[University ofSanFrancisco]. I was a member ofthe studentcouncil
government, so I had a tux and I had to go to a number ofthe schoolfunctions
and dances. I asked her one time when she was going downtown ifshe would
stopatSelix's, whichisonKearnyStreet,andpickmeupacummerbundto go
with this tux. So she went downto Selix's and she wentinthere-she didn't
hear too well—andshesaid,'Twantaconcubineformy son." Andthe guy
said,"A what,lady?" Andthenshesaid,"a blackone." [Laughter] Andhe
wentintothebackroomandcouldn'twaitonher. Hehadtohavesomebody
else come out, he was laughing so hard. Anyway, I thinkthere was a
columnist~atthat time, SanFrancisco hadfour newspapers—I think in the
DailyNews it was mentioned by one ofthe columnists. [Laughter]
McCREERY: [Laughter] It certainly communicates the colorful side ofthings. Well, what
partoftown did your family live in whenyou came along?
FORAN: In the outerMission, which is near St. Mary's Park. My sisterstill lives in St.
Mary's Park. Shebuilt ahouse inthe earlyfifties there. I grew up there on
Murray Street. My father owned apair offlats, so we lived in one flat and he
rented outthe otherone. There was a Swedishlongshoremannamed
Hendersonwho lived upstairs, and they were the renters, the tenants.
McCREERY: And siblings?
FORAN: Siblings. I have two sisters and one brother. The brotheris dead. He was an
electrician. He was inthe MerchantMarine during World WarII. My younger
sisterworked for the telephone company, Pac Bell, and she has retired. My
othersister, my oldersister, was marriedto Tim McSweeney, who was with
The SanFranciscoExaminerand ran the circulationdepartment. She didn't
work until herhusband was in his lateryears. When she wentto work, she
startedatthe Giants ballpark,andthenshewentto workfor the city registrarof
voter's office. She's noweighty-two, and she workedimtil she was about
eighty. She was in charge ofthe personnelretirement and pensiondepartment
for the SanFrancisco municipal courts. Ofcourse, there aren'tmimicipal
courts anymore; they've beencombined withthe superiorcourts.
McCREERY: Now, what aboutyourearly schooling?