[Letter to Donna Shalala from Larry Kramer]

Feb. 4 ' 93 16. 0.

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F. 1

Larry Kramer
2 Fif th Avenue
> 2- 'Z ZNew York, N. Y. 10011
212-477-4934
4 February 93
Dr. Donna Shalala
Department of Health and Human Services
FAX: [phone]
Dear Dr. Shalala,
I am most distressed that neither you nor anyone else has responded to
any of my letters or FAXes of the past weeks.
From everything I have been able to find out it appears as if you are in
the process of 1) creating an AIDS program as bad, if not worse, than the one
you have been sent in there to improve; 2) listening to no one who has a
brain, half a brain, or any intelligent idea of how to end this plague; 3) seeking
suggestions and counsel mainly from those who fucked everything up in the
first place.
In other words, you are off to a wretched start.
As far as I am concerned, the honeymoon on this issue is over.
In the next week, I shall be busy as follows:
1) on the Larry King Show;
2) at a mass AIDS Forum in Hartford, appearing with Dr. Gallo, Jeannie
White (Ryan's mother), and, I believe Arthur Ashe, that will be filmed by ABC
Network;
3, interviewed for the main Playboy Magazine interview;
4) filmed for an extensive segment by the new ABC Forrest Sawyer
Sixty Minutes-type program that will air early in March.
I intend to criticize you, President Clinton, this new administration, and
what, so far, appears to be a complete lack of focus, perhaps even interest, in
anything having to do with AIDS, with AIDS research, with a head of AIDS
research, and with an AIDS czar. So far as I can see, AIDS has no place on
anyone's agenda down there and the inompetency that is being evidenced on
a daily basis is too pathetic to stand by ilently to witness.
CC"
Patsy Fleming FAX [phone]
Bob Hattoy FAX [phone]
Martin Delaney FAX [phone]
Jeff Schmalz FAX [phone] 5571095.0492.023