Editor:

Hank, your skills as a political analyst of all things Humboldt are sometimes spot-on ... but not this time ("Town Dandy," Sept. 9). In your zeal to tie this package up with a neat, glib little bow, I'd say you overlooked quite a bit of the obvious.

Here's the real reason people don't seem to care much anymore: This whole thing with the Balloon Track has dragged on for way, way too long. Why? Because Mr. Arkley, at a certain point, stopped getting it his way, and started throwing a big, fat temper tantrum. I'd say it started when he ran smack afoul of the law with a patently illegal cleanup plan and a state agency (the Coastal Commission) that he couldn't lean on or intimidate. Up until that point, his carpet-bombing of a small town with literally millions in false and misleading propaganda seemed to really be working. Even, I daresay, on yourself. Once upon a time, the editor of the one print outfit that could hold an actor's feet to the fire through long-form cover stories drawing attention to acts of perfidy, well, decided to hang it up - at least on this particular issue. That's really unfortunate, because the perfidy hasn't gone away.

It may be easier to be smug and point the finger all around to blame everyone, but that's just ... smug.

Where have you gone, Hank DiMaggio?

Neal Latt, Eureka