LETTERS: Ex-CCSD official’s guilty plea lacking

To the editor:

After reading the article concerning former Clark County School District official Priscilla Rocha, I believe she deserves and needs our prayers (“Guilty pleas accepted in school theft,” March 6 Review-Journal). After years of committing thievery, she stated that the main reason she was pleading guilty was her fear of ill health. Repentance for her abysmal behavior in repeatedly stealing from the taxpayers and students of Clark County was not mentioned.

I find it not only amazing, but intolerable that such scheming and dishonesty could go undetected in CCSD since 2007. Is there no one overseeing department funding? Is there no one Ms. Rocha must answer to when money is missing? Does no one care? It’s incredible that such negligence could persist. Where were the authorities — who found the amount of theft to be $289,000 — during the years the thievery was taking place?

Now that she is a retired thief, will she be entitled to the same benefits as those civil servants who are honorable?

Perhaps those recipients of Clark County taxpayer-provided electronics in Ensenada, Mexico, have a high regard for Ms. Rocha, but her willful disregard of the law shows her true colors. It would seem that those students interested in acquiring knowledge of the English language deserve a teacher who extols the virtues of the American legal system and could pass those virtues on to the students.

JOANNE CAMPBELL

BOULDER CITY

Ferguson needs to vote

To the editor:

I read the article on Attorney General Eric Holder’s report absolving Officer Darren Wilson of any wrongdoing in the shooting in Ferguson, Mo. (“Ferguson officer won’t face charges, but report details police bias,” March 5 Review-Journal). But the report also indicted the police department and elected officials as racist.

I find it hard to understand why the black community in Ferguson, which constitutes 67 percent of the population, doesn’t show its frustration by going to the polls, voting out those in power and electing those whom they feel will give them a fair shake. Instead of “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” or rioting and looting, go vote.

RON ANDERSON

LAS VEGAS

Government disclosure

To the editor:

After listening to Hillary Clinton’s news conference on her email operations, if the public allows her to refuse having even an independent party look at her “private” server, we have lost our representative republic. In other words, the government no longer works for us, we work for the government.

Think back to all the refusals of disclosure by the government, going on for years now. Maybe Jonathan Gruber, one of the chief architects of Obamacare, was right in noting that most of the public is stupid. If not stupid, then they’re at least ill-informed.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Experience has shown that even under the best forms of government, those entrusted with power have, in time and by slow operations, perverted it to tyranny.” This seems to be the case from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

DAVID JARONIK

PAHRUMP

Ignoring constituents

To the editor:

Regarding the article on a new cemetery (“County OKs Islamic cemetery despite neighbors’ objections,” Thursday Review-Journal), this is another case of elected officials not listening to their constituents.

If the Clark County Commission thinks it is a good idea to locate a cemetery in a residential area, why doesn’t it just propose another location, preferably where all the commissioners live? How about it, commissioners? Put your money where your mouth is.

MARLENE DROZD

LAS VEGAS