‘Raw Milk and Safety’

It was good old pasteurized/homogenized milk--not “raw milk”--that caused the largest outbreak of milk-caused disease in recent memory. People died and lots got plenty sick on good old pasteurized/homogenized milk--not raw milk--if I remember The Times coverage correctly.

I drink raw milk because the government standards for its production are far more stringent and much more vigorously enforced. If you want to encourage real debate about real milk problems you ought to turn your spotlight on the residues of antibiotics and other medicines in good old pasteurized/homogenized milk.

The Times recommends debate rather than litigation. But, one side in this debate is subsidized by the taxpayers. And, the litigation is in defense against years of taxpayer-subsidized, administratively generated legal assaults that have cost the dairy a lot of money. There would be no debate and no litigation without subsidized medical bureaucrats. I guarantee you the average taxpayer doesn’t give a damn if I drink raw milk and I doubt the average taxpayer wants to spend any tax dollars telling me what kind of milk I can drink.

MARK B. CASADY

Bakersfield