A recent commentary by Brian Rogers ("What about the national debt?" May 31) makes the point that reducing the debt is primary for the health of the nation. He does not mention the deterioration of roads, bridges and other public infrastructure that will require investment (spending that mostly has been postponed). Or that the United States has the strongest currency in the world so investors will not switch to other nation's currencies unless we screw up ours.
We also have one of the lowest interest rates on our debt. On the other hand, for some reason most businesses did not pay their workers a cost of living adjustment when productivity was increasing. This was even when there was low inflation, and the effect on workers has added up when compounded.
My last two jobs (as a chemist) had no significant pay increases over 15 years. It is also common that when there is a merger, the workers take the fall while investors and management are sacred. I can't see paying down the national debt as being more important than taking care of the population.
Carlton Nelson, Baltimore