Letters to the Editor, Sunday Nov. 9

The Government Rewrites the History of Jan. 6

Editor: Two federal prosecutors have been placed on leave by the Justice Department, and references to the Jan. 6 Capitol events have been removed from court filings (“Justice Department strips Jan. 6 references from court paper and punishes prosecutor who filed it,” pressdemocrat.com). According to our own government, the event never happened.

Countries that have rewritten or chosen to forget their own histories include Russia, Hungary, China, and Germany.

What else would the Justice Department want us to forget? For me, it would be the phrase “land of the free and home of the brave.” When that description disappears from history, then what?

Another Audit Isn’t the Answer for Santa Rosa Schools

Editor: Teachers and staff at Santa Rosa City Schools are calling for another audit of the district’s accounts (“Teachers union rallies for outside audit,” Nov.).

An audit only verifies whether spending and balances are correctly documented. It does not assess whether the spending is necessary or effective. Audits take time and money that the teachers, staff, and district do not have.

I have examined the district’s finances over the years. Audits have consistently returned perfect or nearly perfect results. These formal audits take about six months.

Several years ago, using the Public Records Act, I obtained detailed financial records and reviewed the numbers carefully.

"Justice Department strips Jan. 6 references from court paper and punishes prosecutor who filed it."

"Teachers union rallies for outside audit."

Author’s summary: The letters reflect concerns about government revision of history and the limitations of financial audits in evaluating school district spending efficiency.

The Press Democrat — 2025-11-10