To the Editor:

The Board of Supervisors and School Board should give the approximately 12,000 classroom teachers salary increases, but give no raises to other school and county employees. They should hold real estate taxes constant to spare the moderately poor, who are the most hurt by real-estate tax increases, many fleeing the county when taxes are raised and others becoming welfare dependent. Politicians gain by raising taxes so they can pay their employees more, employees who will dutifully re-elect them. Politicians gain also by making more people dependent on government, people who will re-elect them so welfare continues. Selfishness, not altruism, makes them raise taxes. Eventually, they will suffer the consequences of selfishness.

Fred Costello

Herndon