Cynthia Terrell questions whether Maryland's tax policies are slanted to benefit the biggest campaign donors at the expense of 95 percent of the state's taxpayers. Her full letter from the Washington Post follows. The Voters vs. the Donors Wednesday, October 17, 2007; Page A16 The Oct. 11 Metro article "Montgomery Legislators Struggle to Serve Two Masters" suggested that Montgomery County Democrats are in a bind because of Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to increase taxes on people earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. On the one hand, these Democratic legislators want to support their Democratic governor. On the other, they are concerned that 5 percent of their constituents would face a tax increase, with most of the remaining 95 percent experiencing lower taxes. Put in those terms, how can the O'Malley proposal possibly create a conflict for Democrats who want to represent their constituents? Nearly all of these constituents would benefit from a sharp reduction in Maryland's budget deficit -- a reduction that would allow the advancement of better policies for all Marylanders -- without their having to pay more in taxes. Might the real conflict for these Democrats' be not with voters but with campaign donors, who no doubt come disproportionately from that wealthy 5 percent? Montgomery Democrats do indeed face a defining choice between "masters": Do they represent the interests of their voters or their donors? CYNTHIA TERRELL Takoma Park