To the Editor:
It's the lofty tone of certainty that grates. Bob Simon ("Turning Every Rock for Education Budget," Reston Connection, April 1-7), who, I hazard a guess, is comfortably able to pay ever-rising RE taxes, suggests that the county's rate should be jacked up yet again -- an extra penny yielding $22 million in revenue. Why didn't we all think of this? Why not two pennies for $44 million?
With 15 applicants per teacher job opening, he pleads the cause of "short-changed" teachers, who received 4 percent and 5 percent raises 10 years running between 2000 and 2009 and again in 2014 (Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance). How well are teachers doing in the classroom? Well, 2014 ACT test results for county public schools show only 53 percent of students as being prepared for college.
Searching for yet more of other people's money to spend, Mr Simon resurrects the idea of a "meals tax". "No one is hurt," he blithely intones. Well, not if you overlook increased meal prices, staff layoffs, and the poor folks who are hit hardest by regressive taxes.
Upset at why there's not even more money to spend on a unionized group (teachers) enjoying early retirement at 75 percent of salary, perhaps Mr Simon might find the answer in a proposed 2016 county budget that manages to downsize the 12,000 county government employees by a whopping 45!
Harry Locock
Reston