AT TAXPAYERS' EXPENSE

To the editor:

What's wrong with this picture:

Paula R. Cooper, now 31, was once the most notorious criminal in Indiana.

At age 15, she admittedly stabbed to death an elderly neighbor, stole $10
and her car. She was convicted and sentenced to death. The Indiana Supreme
Court overturned the death penalty and she had her sentence commuted to 60
years in jail. She spent three years in solitary confinement for assaulting
a guard. She is now a graduate of Martin College with a bachelor's degree
in humanities. She is parole eligible in 2017.

In 1965 the Federal Government passed the Higher Education Act authorizing
low-interest loans for college education to those in financial need. In
1986, President Reagan amended the act to prevent anyone convicted of a
drug related crime from receiving a loan. Students ignored the question and
continued to receive loans. In 1998 Congress stipulated that beginning with
the 2000-2001 academic year, if the question went unanswered the loan was
denied. Fraudulent answers could be prosecuted. Literally tens of thousands
of students no longer qualify for loans. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is
sponsoring HR 786 to repeal this drug provision.

Ms. Cooper has enjoyed a college education financed by our tax dollars. A
working family's child convicted of a drug offense as simple as possession
of marijuana would not even qualify for a loan that must be repaid.

Please contact your legislators to let them know your opinion about HR 786.

Send a letter on line at: www.RaiseYourVoice.com

Clark Brittain
Bloomington