According to Marianne Stebbins, chair of Ron Paul's Minnesota campaign, "liberty" Republicans apparently cherish the freedom to "drink raw milk from each other's farms" ("Minnesotans in mix as GOP fights over its brand," Aug. 27).
But, if they need a veterinarian to care for a sick cow, they may be out of luck. With cutbacks in state support for higher education, tuition at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine keeps going up.
With cutbacks in federal funding, Minnesota got no funds in the federal loan repayment program that offers vet schools grads up to $25,000 annually for three years if they practice in underserved areas.
Moreover, graduate students no longer qualify for federally subsidized Stafford loans. Coming out of school with an average student loan debt topping $140,000, fewer and fewer vets can afford to serve rural areas. I suppose there is a libertarian solution to the problem.
Perhaps vet students can follow Mitt Romney's suggestion and borrow the money from their parents.
DAVID AQUILINA, Minneapolis
