Prop. 28

* The battle for and against Prop. 28, which will repeal Rob Reiner’s Prop. 10 tobacco tax, is not between babies and big tobacco. It’s between the taxpayers of California and a Hollywood do-gooder who believes it is his right and responsibility to determine our lifestyle choices for us. Reiner’s programs “for the children” may be wonderful and his motives may be pure, but taxation without representation is wrong no matter what its purpose.

Your editorial of Feb. 21 implies that teen smoking has declined 28%, which is absolutely false. You also suggest that the Prop. 10 bureaucracies are under the supervision of our elected officials. Our representatives won’t see where the massive amount of money extorted from a small segment of California taxpayers is going until long after it has already been spent, during the annual audit. Sorry. That’s not oversight.

M.L. HERRIN

Alta Loma

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* While I am in favor of helping the children of this state I do not believe a tax that discriminates against smokers is the way to fund such programs. More important, this unfair tax could set the stage for future unjustified taxes against other minority groups in this state.

Please, voters, read between the lines and see it as it is: A tax that singles out a group of people to foot the bill for all. We must not allow this to happen. Vote yes on Prop. 28 and repeal this unfair tax.

BEN FOSS

Baldwin Park