Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein blasted Proposition 215 during a rally at LGHS, saying it would send the wrong message to young people.

Initiative comes under fire

LGHS serves as backdrop for rally

By Shari Kaplan

With the Los Gatos High School football team as a backdrop, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein told an auditorium full of students and media representatives a week before the Nov. 5 election that Proposition 215, known as the compassionate use (of marijuana) act, had loopholes in it big enough for the entire team to run through.

The event, introduced by Los Gatos Police Chief Larry Todd as a "community rally" against Proposition 215, brought out a whole host of leaders, including White House Drug Policy Director Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), Santa Clara County Supervisor Ron Gonzales, Los Gatos Mayor Randy Attaway and San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer. Also on stage, in addition to the football team, were representatives of 15 law-enforcement agencies, LGHS cheerleaders, teachers, CASA members, and LGHS Principal Ted Simonson.

According to LGPD Capt. Jeff Miller, news about head football coach Butch Cattolico's proposal to drug-test his players reached all the way to the White House, and McCaffrey contacted the California Narcotics Officers Association to see if it was feasible to have Los Gatos included in McCaffrey's whirlwind tour against Prop 215.

The CNOA got in touch with Todd, who brought the matter up to Simonson and vice principals Craig Heimbichner and Al Simon. The Los Gatos Drug Free Community Coordinating Committee, which Todd chairs, also helped set up the event.

"We've always made a fair attempt at this school to try to keep the campus as drug-free as possible; this is up our alley," Simonson said after the rally.

Hammer echoed Feinstein's concerns about the loopholes, saying the initiative would open up marijuana use to just about anyone, adding that it was not the right message to be sending to young people.

Todd called the proposition a "de facto promotion of pot."

McCaffrey listed a number of opponents including the American Medical Association, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, three former presidents, President Bill Clinton and presidential candidate Bob Dole.

A number of students in the audience had been given "No on 215" signs prior to the event, which originally had been scheduled for the front lawn but had to be moved indoors because of rain.