I wrote earlier about legislative leaders gathering a squadron of lobbyists to fight against the referendum that would repeal the law. Now, the pro-voucher cabal has employed veteran legal hit-woman Mary Anne Wood to intimidate the other side.

Wood, recently retained as the attorney for Parents for Choice in Education, wrote to Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller, with copies to the Utah Attorney General's Office and the Lieutenant Governor's Office, alleging criminal activity by the anti-voucher folks working to pass the referendum.

She alleges public school employees have criminally advocated their political cause against vouchers on school grounds and possibly during times for which they are paid. Her example was materials prepared by the anti-voucher group Utahns for Public Schools made available to parents at a back-to-school night held at South Jordan Elementary School, (a legal activity, according to attorneys for the Office of Education).

Another crime, she says, is a memo distributed to school employees by Office of Education attorney Carol Lear spelling out what activities are legal and what are not. Although Lear never advocates one cause over another in the memo, Wood alleges it is a pro-voucher memo.

The district attorney and attorney general both were quick to drop that hot potato, letting Wood know they have turned it over to local law enforcement.

Beware the shredder: Salt Lake City mayoral candidate David

Buhler has been kidnapped and his campaign has offered ransom of a free "I Like Dave" T-shirt for information leading to his recovery.

The kidnap victim actually was a life-size cardboard cutout of Buhler, one of 20 that were made to use in the campaign. The kidnapping, from the corner of 1300 South and 800 West in Salt Lake City, occurred Wednesday evening, just one day after Buhler survived the primary election to face Ralph Becker in the Nov. 6 general election.

Each cutout costs about $200 to produce, said Buhler. But the cost does not come close to the sentimental value attached to one's very own cardboard clone.

Speaking of thefts: The audio tapes inside a black bag stolen Wednesday night from Marcia Harmon's car, parked in the carport of her home in Sugar House, won't mean anything to the thieves. They'll probably just chuck them into a Dumpster.

But they're her entire life.

The tapes, all made by Harmon, contain music from the 1940s and 50s and she plays them during the aerobic exercise classes she teaches to senior citizens. Also stolen was her boom box, sound system and her portable microphone.

"That's what I do," she said on the verge of tears. "Without those things, I can't continue."

She has spent the past 30 years customizing the tapes she makes with music of old for the enjoyment of her elderly clients. Now it's gone.

prolly@sltrib.com