Pro-Tax and Pro-Business  Thank you for your article about Mark Dierolf and his Libertarian Party agenda for Salinas ["The Libertarian vs. Salinas," Aug. 8-14]. Regarding the Utility Tax, Mr. Dierolf fails to note that the backbone of the campaign to save the tax is the Chamber of Commerce, made up mostly of small businesses. There is a lot of concern about the devastating effects repeal of the Utility Tax would have on small businesses, in spite of the rhetoric from Mr. Dierolf and others. So many important services which we take for granted would be lost if the Utility Tax were eliminated. Traffic enforcement would suffer. Code enforcement (already insufficient) would be almost eliminated. School crossing guards would be lost. Libraries would be decimated. The list goes on and on and on.

Unfortunately, Salinas is not a rich city, in spite of the wonderful surroundings. The Utility Tax is simply essential to keep what services we have now. Support maintaining essential services in Salinas for only pennies a day. On Election Day, please vote "No" on Measure O. Save Our Services, Save Our Salinas!

ERIC PETERSEN/SALINAS

Anti-Largesse and Anti-Flab

Ms. Lyons'' recent article and Ms. Cercone''s recent letter on the Salinas Utility Tax Relief Initiative focused on an ad hominem effort to belittle its author, Mark Dierolf. The article and Ms. Cercone''s letter were fraught with factual errors. The article and letter were more revealing of the authors'' political agendas than they were disparaging of Mr. Dierolf or informative as to the merits of the Utility Tax Relief Initiative.

The factual errors about Mr. Dierolf and the personal attacks upon his integrity call for an apology. Certainly such mudslinging fails to address the merits of the Salinas Utility Tax Relief Initiative which he backs and indicates a lack of substance to Ms. Lyons'' and Ms. Cercone''s position on the issue.

Mr. Dierolf''s genuine dedication to eliminating government largesse, eradicating financial mismanagement and cutting administrative flab speaks forcefully as a qualification for political office. Certainly Salinas voters have repeatedly expressed this sentiment as to Mr. Dierolf.

As for the Utility Tax Relief Initiative, like most tax relief measures, it leaves it up to the voters to decide whether there is flab and leaves it up to elected officials to decide where to trim. The utility tax relief measure proposes to cut the over $100 million dollars Salinas officials manage annually by about eight percent. Although I am generally inclined to agree politically more with Ms. Lyons, in the case of the City of Salinas, I side with Mr. Dierolf. His measure is a healthy trim of excess flab.

STEVEN ANDRE/CARMEL

Anti-Clubhouse

When I "Think Obbink" ["A Call for Calm, Aug. 22-28], I wonder how a newcomer to town with so little knowledge and experience can be qualified to be a City Councilmember. What I do know is about Obbink''s unabashed support for a 7,000-square-foot, $3 million new golf clubhouse that the City neither needs nor should be spending this kind of money on. When I "Think Obbink," I think NOT.

MAX KELLY/PACIFIC GROVE

Correction

Don Nucci, quoted in last week''s article "Where Did the Love Go?," sits on the Board of Directors of Common Ground. He is not a member of the Farm Bureau Board.

Attribution

The photo of a stringed instrument that appeared on page 21 in the August 15-21 issue was taken by Lucinda Ellison, who makes and sells mbiras through her Web site harmonicjourney.com.