Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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In Tuesday's Star Tribune, two letters highlighted the failure of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to discover air pollution problems at a Minneapolis foundry ("Excuses galore in foundry dispute," Readers Write). The problem was discovered by the Environmental Protection Agency despite the MPCA's failure. In the same issue of the paper was an article detailing the state Board on Aging's failure to monitor contracts under the Senior Nutrition Program ("Audit faults senior meal program").

Recently the Star Tribune focused on the MPCA and Department of Agriculture's failures to protect groundwater in the karst region of southeastern Minnesota ("EPA says state failed to address polluted well water, demands action," Nov. 9). The Star Tribune has detailed how those responsible for protecting abused children allow children to be returned to abusing parents, often resulting in the child's death ("In harm's way," special report, Nov. 5).

All of these exposures rest on a foundation provided by the Department of Education's abject failures in the Feeding our Future fiasco and failures by the Department of Natural Resources to protect woodlands.

It appears that Minnesota's regulatory process is in the hands and thrall of those who are supposedly regulated instead of the public, which expects protection.

Where is the governor, and where is the Legislature? Our tax dollars should be providing a competent regulatory process, one that works in the public's interest and not in the interest of those regulated.

Floyd Grabiel, Edina

To letter writers regarding Pam Pommer's observation about student loan math: It's not just math (adding and subtracting); it's really financial literacy. ("Why can't student debtors do the math?" Opinion Exchange. Nov. 14, and "Doing the math is not enough," Readers Write, Nov. 15.) And their lessons are further curriculum. Interest rates, whether variable or fixed, and inflation, whether natural or exorbitant, should be part of any long-term loan consideration for future repayment. The debtors who weren't fully discerning when they took on debt were indeed ignorant.

Shannon Leigh, Minneapolis

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Perhaps Pommer should think a little more about where her home, car and medical services with their unforgivable loans come from. Things like new construction materials, running water, power, auto mechanical systems, miracle drugs and treatments, etc. were all provided by college graduates, most of whom relied on loans. The benefits and conveniences of modern society, including great writings, music and art, were created by skilled people with higher education.

It's truly obvious that the much greater beneficiary of college education is the rest of us, not the individual.

We used to think that an educated population would benefit us all immensely and established public land grant universities. College was subsidized at substantial levels to assure a continuing benefit. Now we've reduced that subsidy so much that the only choice is gargantuan debt for the individuals who will make our children's lives better.

Selective subsidies are unfair, you may say? Everything you have is subsidized. Your home mortgage interest, the cheap federal land where your lumber came from, the oil depletion subsidy for your gasoline, the research-and-development tax breaks that the businesses keep the profit from, the medical treatment that you pay a pittance for compared to the insurance premiums paid by all the healthy people.

If I were making the financial decision to give everyone who asks a free college education at public expense, I'd do so in a heartbeat even if it only resulted in a small handful of scattered breakthroughs. Every once in a while just give me one new mRNA vaccine that saves millions, one new empowering technology like the internet or iPhone, a universally inspiring story in books or on stages and screens, an uplifting musical composition, a wondrous work of art on public display — not forgetting the raising of millions of future families out of generations of poverty. Well worth it!

Dennis Fazio, Minneapolis

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I agree with Pommer's point of view. Loans are meant and designed to be paid back, no matter the type of loan. The dictionary definition of a loan (whether mortgage, vehicle, student, whatever type) is "a thing that is borrowed, especially a sum of money that is expected to be paid back with interest." If you borrow money to buy a car, you pay it back. If you buy a home and borrow money with a mortgage, you pay it back. If you borrow money to go to school, you pay it back. Borrowing money and getting a loan is voluntary; it is a choice. The time to challenge the repayment schedule and practice is at the beginning of the loan process when reviewing the terms of repayment.

The other big consideration taking any loan is to reflect on the following. For example, what can I afford? What kind of car do I want to drive? What kind of a house do I want and in what location? What school do I want to attend, and where is my greatest value? This kind of exercise helps one separate a stretch from reality.

I have two adult children with college degrees. Each graduated from their respective college with a little, manageable debt. My wife and I sat down with each child discussing the considerations above. They each chose state schools where tuition is cheaper and class size is smaller. Both worked during college, lived in dorms, had roommates and paid their college loans. They purposely chose to attend state schools knowing full well they were responsible for any remaining debt, and they paid it.

I do not support college loan debt forgiveness. Life is about choices and consequences. I think it is incumbent on all of us to make informed decisions because we must live with the result.

Bob Doyle, Savage

I read an article from a few weeks ago in the Star Tribune that quoted Gopher coach P.J. Fleck saying that he wouldn't be able to keep his team together without a significant infusion of name, image and likeness (NIL) money ("Fleck: U is losing athletes over NIL," Sept. 29). I think Fleck is a straight shooter, and I take him at his word that NIL money (or the lack of it) will affect not only the Gophers, but all college teams — and quickly. Some people see Fleck as a whiner, and in some instances, he is. Constantly pointing out that his team is so young seems to be a constant refrain when they are losing. It's not that what you say isn't true, coach, it's just that it sets you up as the victim rather than a coach making big money to make the necessary changes. But when it comes to NIL, some people seem to take the same mindset as they do with climate change. That the people talking about the need to address the problem are whiners and complainers — not people trying to alert us all to catastrophic change.

But here's a question for you. Where is the support from the NFL, NBA and NCAA in the NIL quagmire? The NFL and NBA make billions of dollars every year. Let me rephrase. They make billions off the backs of players who are fed to them through ... their college feeder system, the NCAA. The NCAA makes a lot of money as well. If the NFL, NBA and NCAA profit to the extent that they do because of their NCAA feeder system, why aren't they ponying up to help pay for the players that populate their squads from schools like Minnesota, Indiana, Purdue and others (schools that will never be able to match Ohio State or Georgia in NIL contributions?)

Final thought. Locally, the Wilfs make significant money from their investment in the Vikings. Have they ponied up? They benefit. They have or have had athletes from Minnesota on their squad, A couple million dollars to Dinkytown Athletes would be a huge help to the kids playing Gopher sports and wouldn't hurt their local PR efforts, either.

Bob Garnaas, Eden Prairie