Blunt Memos to Yaroslavsky

Is The Times anonymous source trying to compete with the health smear and tasteless “joke” aimed at Gov. Michael Dukakis? Was there a political motive behind planting stolen memos in The Times and did the accused political consultants verify that the anonymous document was not a distorted creation?

Press pieces fomenting racism based on tawdry acquisition of campaign information can be a destructive way to start a mayoral campaign. Perhaps standards of journalism should be a shade above the level and language of the pundits running campaigns and the secret lady who provided the substance of Bill Boyarsky’s article. Everybody looks BAD, however, The Times hit bottom in accepting that the documents were authentic but not that they were stolen.

ANITA ROFF

Sherman Oaks