Budget Surplus

Re “Give Tax Plan a Head Start in Congress,” Commentary, Dec. 13: The American public has said time and time again that it prefers that any budget surplus be used to pay off the national debt. So [the poll cited by Bruce R. Bartlett] leaves out that alternative.

That is like a survey that asks whether you are more disturbed by someone misinforming you about a happening in the government than about misinforming you about a happening in their personal life. The answer would obviously be that people are more disturbed about information pertaining to the government, but the real question should be about misinformation in any form. Bartlett gets the answer he wanted and all of us still want the national debt paid off.

J.D. KEITHAHN

San Juan Capistrano