Election candidates must commit to reducing debt

I read, with interest, about the many “existential” threats affecting our country. Things such as illegal immigration, climate change, abortion rights and governmental corruption are often mentioned. However, I believe one of the most worrisome is our growing national debt.

In 2000, our national debt was $5.674 trillion. At the end of former President Barack Obama's time in office (2016) the debt had increased to $19.573 trillion. Former President Donald Trump's years increased the debt to $26.945 trillion. At the end of President Joe Biden's term, the debt is estimated to reach as high as $35 trillion.

It doesn't matter which party is in office, the debt is becoming a runaway train. The annual interest payments on the current debt is, for the first time, reported at over $1 trillion. The U.S. debt per U.S. citizen is approximately $98,625.

I'm not an economist, but I have to believe the more money a country prints to service its debt only works to make the money folks saved for retirement less valuable. High interest rates and inflation are eating into the savings of everyone, especially seniors on fixed incomes. I'm not sure we're dealing as much with a lack of revenue as we are with wasteful spending and overregulation. I believe it's past time to hold our elected officials accountable for the fiscal mess they created and fail to address.

Whoever you vote for in the coming elections, please make reducing public debt one of your criteria when evaluating a candidate. I recently read one reader say he was voting for a straight Democratic Party ticket. I think that's how we got in this mess. We're Americans first — vet the candidate and hold them accountable. If not, expect future reductions, particularly in both your Social Security and Medicare programs.