Most Valuable Personnel

Regarding the May 3 Metro article "Agency Reopens Six Abuse Cases," about the reexamination of closed child abuse and neglect cases in the District in the wake of the deaths of Banita Jacks's four daughters:

When I read that social workers were working nights and weekends to do this, I recalled a recent letter to the editor that had bothered me, and when I dug it up I realized why: Here was John R. Powers of Alexandria complaining on April 17 ["A Falloff We Know Well"] about the supposedly low salaries paid to Washington Nationals baseball players.

Yet we have District social workers working nights and weekends to protect and serve our most vulnerable people. I'm guessing they don't make as much money as baseball players.

When someone can explain to me why baseball is more important than our children, I'll understand how it is possible to complain about the salaries of baseball players.

THANKFUL VANDERSTAR

Washington