The commissioners did not reply to yesterday's email. Here is the question asked today:
Dear Commissioners,
The article calls for reporting on impacts on parks, litter, vandalism, and nearby residents, not just services provided. Will the County commit to publishing quarterly impact reports with both positive and negative indicators of harm-reduction outcomes, and if so, what metrics would you include?
All three commissioners (who fund the Harm Reduction Health Center) can be reached by contacting the Clerk of the Board at loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov
This illustrates how a commissioner could engage the question directly and move it into the public process.
Thank you for raising this question. When the County funds a program with visible impacts on public spaces and nearby residents, it is reasonable to ask not only what services are provided, but what effects—both positive and negative—are experienced in the community.
While I cannot commit the County to new reporting requirements on my own, I agree that this warrants public discussion. I will ask the Board to consider whether quarterly impact reporting would enhance transparency and oversight of harm-reduction investments.
I will request that this topic be placed on a future Board agenda so it can be discussed openly by the full Board, consistent with the Open Public Meetings Act (MRSC; RCW 42.30).
This shows how the Board could respond after public discussion.
Following public discussion, the Board of County Commissioners acknowledges the request for clearer reporting on the impacts of county-funded harm-reduction programs.
By majority vote in an open public meeting, the Board has directed staff to develop a proposed framework for quarterly impact reporting that includes both positive and negative indicators related to program outcomes and community impacts. The intention is to enhance transparency, inform oversight, and foster public understanding.
The proposed framework will be presented at a future meeting for public review before any final direction is given.
Thank you for taking the time to document and share this, Anonymous. The delivery motorcycle is routinely parked next to Tumwater Creek, near the bridge off the truck route (on County-owned land). Local residents see what’s going on. Unfortunately, our leaders continue to look the other way while funding policies that perpetuate our local drug haven.
The same stories about the harm that harm reduction has caused is happening EVERYWHERE. It certainly can’t be maintained. The question is, how soon will the pendulum swing back to a common sense and “evidence based” approach? The pictures supplied is evidence that there is abuse of a system that is not working, and has been a problem since inception.
Nov 15, 2023 These mayors (and their councils and, in some cases, state legislatures) pursued and adopted radical policies and legislation that allowed the fentanyl crisis to hit historic records. We saw DEFUNDED POLICE, effectively legalized drugs by refusing TO ENFORCE DRUG LAWS, prosecutors GO EASY ON THOSE THAT DID END UP GETTING ARRESTED, and similarly PERMISSIVE HOMELESS POLICIES.
Harm reduction does the opposite of reducing harm
Amber Tejada with the Hepatitis Education Project responded, then added that it’s not about getting addicts off their drugs. They seek to “FACILITATE AND CHAMPION” drug use under the belief that ADDICTS SHOULD BE FREE TO CONTINUE USE.
That is the true philosophy behind Peoples Harm Reduction Alliance(PHRA) the agency that pushed the current harm reduction approach on the west coast and some other cities. The lead staff person at Clallam HRHC during the covid /expansion years (Lisa Al Hakim) came from PHRA and returned through the revolving door to an executive position there after leaving CC.
She proved herself to PHRA to get the promotion. She set up the program, she set up the pipeline, and she set up CC to suffer the consequences. CC is the sacrificial lamb.
“Al-Hakim left Clallam to return to her position as the Operations Director of the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance (PHRA)—a group that EXPLICITLY OPPOSES ADDICTION TREATMENT PHRA describes itself as “UNAPOLOGETICALLY IN SUPPORT OF DRUG USERS” and their director has publicly stated they “refuse to be complicit in the death of our community members by sending them to treatment that doesn’t work.”
The syringe exchange existed in PA long before her arrival but she was definitely heavily involved with it's expansion into current form including renting a separate building with a contracted increasing rate(now $4k month) and extensive remodeling, mobile services to the west end, etc.. Why was the HRHC allowed to charge thousands monthly for "extra help" through a temp agency for years during covid and after while county depts had to cut staff- probably hiring active users who couldn't pass county employment standards is my guess. She and Shiloh Jama (aka Shiloh Murphy) are driving forces behind thr destruction we see in cities everywhere. Why did the county employ someone whose own facebook page self declared them as an "Anarcho Arab"?
SEEE!? My instincts are often correct! Just a self-pat on the back.
I know my claims are often outrageous but it doesn't mean they aren't accurate.
The U.S. government, without the open knowledge of the people...(we have been complicit through our ignorance and 'comfort')...has made millions of enemies all over the world...and now have invited/allowed millions of angry, rageful beings into the States to wreak havoc, similar to what gov't agencies have done outside our borders. They will use any means to carry out the agendas they have for the total destruction, genocide and domination they perceive the U.S. of being guilty of... I love my country but I despise the Government(s) of corruption!
It's a Spiritual battle playing out in the physical realms...take care of your souls while navigating the insane asylum!😎
Omg! The interview with Murphy is revealing! He/she essentially says they want to empower drug users to have a “ voice “ in drug laws because the lawmakers aren’t drug users and don’t understand. They are for “ dignity” for drug users and stopping the stigma against them. At one point said …..”we’re against the war on drugs”. He’s a drug user himself but filled with “love” for his fellow users. Everyone should watch this YouTube video interview. I had no idea the “ harm reduction” of needle exchange had morphed into an entire care package for drug users. Users who discard the trash they get for free in our public places. How is this reducing harm?
This group has created programs that enable drug use and we are paying for it. Radical -compassion has hijacked the health of not only drug users, but the health of so many citizens and towns and cities across the country. This concept of “ health” has created unhealthy towns and unhealthy environments for our citizens and turned our public places into danger zones.
Anarco Arab refers to adherence to anarchist thought and movements within an Arab group.. the embodiment of "Arab Spring" (Egypt, Syria, Tunisia) based on Omar Aziz's writings known by his nom de guerre of Abu Kamel.
(Nom de guerre is like a nom de plume, only it's an assumed name for someone who engages in combat or other rebellious enterprise).
An anarchist believes in a stateless, anti-hierarchical society (borderless) rejecting all forms of authority. They dream of a world where people are in decentralized networks -- ranging from peaceful community to radical raging disruption.
So, I'd say anyone claiming to be an "Anarco Arab" is not: a.) local to Clallam County, but an import; and b.) not working to strengthen our community; plus, c.) shouldn't be associated with government.
She spent time in Portland before she came to Clallam She posted about her car being stolen in Portland on the PNW stolen cars group and lamented the loss of her "needle ferry." Then "poof" like magic she has a Clallam county salary and the county purchases a decked out van to deliver drug use tools to the west end and guess who drove it around?
The main import from that country is piracy. What did our leaders think would happen? Isn't the average IQ between 68 and 73? I don't think that community will produce many physicists unless the PhD certificates are forged.
Dec 27, 2025: 83 miles from PA, in Belltown Seattle, Andrea Suarez, founder of the nonprofit, We Heart Seattle, described the area as a FAILED EXPERIMENT IN PERMISSIVE POLICING. Suarez said. “We’ve just got to turn this ship around and go back to basics… we canceled accountability.”
The corner of First and Blanchard in Belltown was once a vibrant property listed for $3.8 million, but it has recently transformed into an abandoned hub for squatters, open drug use, and piles of stolen goods
Looking forward, Suarez called for a “return to basics” regarding PUBLIC SAFETY and addiction, urging the new administration under Mayor Katie Wilson to move toward RECOVERY-ORIENTED PROGRAMS. She argued that the city must stop “handing out foil and glass pipes” and instead focus on programs that “HAVE AN END GOAL OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY"
You nailed the Democrats tool: Selective enforcement of laws. You and I focus on laws-- they don't. They use laws as lawfare against us and the non-enforcement as enabling what enriches them.
The fentanyl hit the streets HARD the same time 'presciption' opioids were withdrawn from common use...coincidence? Yes, coincidence means two or more things happening at the same time...the only question is whether the coincidence was incidental or intentional. No surprise where I stand on it!😝
Meth's analog is more like ADHD drugs (liberally applied to the adolescent brain).
Opioids were replaced with fentanyl, to a point.
Unfortunately, then Xylazine was added -- a vet sedative, highly adulterated, which is the real nightmare began. The newest "oh shit" drug to get into the mix are Nitazenes -- another class of potent synthetic opioids (20x more potent than fentanyl).
(I actually long for the good-old-days of heroin addicts...they were downright civilized.)
So, actually, the "harm reduction" is promoting harm, and is a health emergency foisted on the area by itself, by a bunch of slick talkers, who are lying to everyone.
Thanks Mimi for that chemistry lesson. I am old enough to remember when Quaaludes and Valium complimented the bong at frat parties. That was before cocaine invaded the disco club restrooms. Snorting Coke on the top of a toilet seat might be more dangerous the drug itself. I saw a documentary about a family in West Virginia featuring a member who shook a pill bottle filled with Oxycontin and said "This is the Hillbilly mating call". I think as long as humans enjoy altering their brain chemistry drugs will exist.
Nor I Robert and thanks for that brief history lesson. Until now I never saw the connection between the two events. Also, kudos for your excellent example of pattern recognition. Correlation or causation is the issue facing us. The topic requires further investigation. Correlation doesn't prove causation but two events occurring at the same time can imply causation especially when other variables such as a financial profit are involved. There were strict controls on Oxy and all of a sudden, its cousin became an illicit drug.
That little “war” on drugs has left people who (with chronic pain) have zero relief now. A patient with no history of abuse but was somewhat able to function, now is struggling with stomach ulcers from ungodly amounts of ibuprofen without the relief. Will a doctor go to jail or be hung if he gets a chronic sufferer wanting to live?
Just because DEA/ATF/FBI etc can’t manage illegal uses, why destroy the hope of patients that were already being maintained. That’s like “this chemo regime works well on you, but it was given to someone without cancer and it killed them, so it’s been recalled, take two Advil!
I think one of the Freak Brothers said, "Dope will help person survive a period without money better than money will assist a person lacking dope". That philosophy was probably the pre curser to the modern porch pirate.
Pictures don’t lie and these photos tell the story of Clallam County’s failed policies. “Harm reduction” is a public health philosophy with no comprehensive data linking to specific metrics other than 78% of overdose survivors engaged with services with paramedic intervention, and 3% success rate for engagement without the paramedic team on scene. ClallamCounty’s overdose fatality rate went from the second highest in Washington State (71 per 100,000) to the eleventh highest as of March 2025 (no numbers yet). Are we winning yet??
Thank you, Jeff, and thank you to Anonymous for submitting the photos. The Asian American business owner is my best friend and she can tell you some wild stories about what happens in the parking lot across the street, who has come barreling in to her business swinging at her and her husband, who has come in pleading for food or drink, who has defecated in her doorway, who is shooting up on the side of her building etc.
Thank you anonymous for this documentation. It’s just like I said about a month or so ago that these harm reduction kits don’t do a damn thing to help these people except further their drug use and deface our once beautiful town. A picture is worth 1000 words.
Who in there right mind being a tourist would want to come here.
Is commissioners need to be woken up and as citizens of Clallam County we should demand this get eradicated.
please. For years we had Hollywood producers, legislators, governors, corporate heads, lobbyists and the like on cocaine. You could always spot a 'coke decision' by its ridiculousness. (Remember "Cop Rock"? "Howard the Duck", "Waterworld")
Those films Mimi described were terrible. During one of them I walked out of the theater though I should have demanded a refund. In addition to the cocaine parties the explanation for the poor decisions might involve a heavy doses of pot laced with PCP and horse tranquilizers. I had a friend who was a script editor and he said during meetings with the casting directors the executives frequently wet their pants.
My boss was sent to company medical for a piss test and failed. He spent Christmas inside an inpatient rehab facility. He was forced to tell the crew about his recovery and while he was talking, he blew his nose, and his handkerchief was filled with blood. He was demoted but latter reached a high level in middle management, so yes functional addicts exist and often excel. They are probably outliers existing on tail of the normal curve. I think the high achiever alpha males prefer drugs that stimulate the central nervous system. I doubt if any of the huff paint or sniff glue.
I understand the frustration but political folly seems to be infecting many parts of the country. There is no guarantee that the next place won't become Port Angeles with bums crapping on walls. The process is similar to the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Idaho seems to have a lot less of it, and the politiciians actually listen to and follow the constituents' wishes. What a concept-- a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Wouldn't it be great if that described our country? Oh....wait...
jedj, I don't think people move just because of the politics. People usually have multiple issues, when combined, it makes the decisions for them.
I agree with you, there is no perfect place. I absolutely love Washington. I will stand my ground and I do believe Clallam County CAN and WILL become an example that the citizens can take back their local government ; )
I love the lush forests, the mountains, the large bodies of water, the mild marine climate. I don't like the political climate but the leftists here are too old to attack me though I didn't enjoy my suspensions on Nextwhore.
I think they are high on acid and selling whisky to Indigenous people. During the next meeting try to get close and see if the eyeballs are dilated. The one who fervently hates Jeff looks like a stoner.
You describe government action fueled by misplaced compassion.
The far east government in China is getting revenge on the world for the opium wars. They have a long memory.
I am saddened that what you describe in this article is not continuous front-page news in our local professional newspapers. I doubt most people even want to acknowledge this disaster that is happening in front of our eyes.
And people who have posted on this site continually deny there is a problem, even with multiple personal stories, real charts and graphs, and photos. They don't want you to know the truth because the truth will expose them as also complicit.
The deep-state players use EVERY possible tool...'infiltraition', subversion, capitalism, socialism/communism, racism, violence, mind-control, finance, ALL Politics, ALL corruption...it isn't one thing...but it's one goal! Total subjugation and domination!😎
Thank you for the person taking the photos. Sad to stay it is evidence but it will land deaf ear when it comes to the health dept, city and county leaders, and even PBH. These people are encouraging the use.
How do you think the NGO’s money is being funneled
I have a family member who has dismantled many things and then leaving it on our property. I have spent thousands of dollars cleaning up his mess, from old cars full of drug paraphernalia, parts to who knows what, garbage, etc. Drug users don’t care who they hurt they just want their drugs. The family member just recently got out of jail which does not stop him.
He has become one of the revolving people we all talk about. I’m in constant guard watching what happens in my area, things have been stolen, money, etc all the usual things that drug use leads to. Things need to stop and the leaders need to be leaders and protect our community . This town offers nothing for our young people so many turn to drug use.
Watchdoggers already know, and care, about what is happening to the Clallam County community vis-a-vis the failed Harm Reduction programs. I see the same thing in and around Sequim on a regular basis. Thank you to the Anonymous citizen who stepped forward to begin to fight back against this insanity. And thank you, Jeff, for being the catalyst that has both started the ball rolling for constructive change, and for giving a growing cadre a forum where their concerns can be heard. Here's to a brighter 2026 for our neighborhoods!
I really have a problem with local leaders that are very much aware of the ongoing problems but continually look away. Why do these same people get voted in time and time again? It amazes me!!!! I am a long time resident of Clallam county of 51 years. The decline really began about 20 years ago or a little longer.
There needs to be more protesting against this on a regular basis. But somehow protesting against Trump “Not our king” is more important. These political leaders need a slap in the face. In particular the ones that are also voting for tax increases like Mark Ozias. That guy somehow just keeps climbing the ladder.
Nothing will change until there is a more of a strategic plan set in place. Our local politicians and city council members need to know enough is enough!
The decline is national, even global and is part of the plan to demoralize people to the point they will give up their liberty to the 'controllers' with just a whimper!🥸
Way back when, the word drugs was used and we were told what could happen if we used them, they put the fear in us. Now they make it sound like it's no worse than having an extra cup of coffee. It's also no longer addiction, it's a disease. Maybe if they stop candy coating everything and tell it like it really is, lives would actually be saved.
Amen! This is why I have zero compassion for people that did this to themselves. Zero. Even as a child I knew the dangers of drugs and addiction, and took the high road throughout life. If people are going to be stupid enough to get addicted, that's their problem to solve, not mine.
Give them all they want, in an isolation community and then live-stream 24-7 so the world can see...and they can see...when they are 'sober'...objectivity is important for change for the better.
Ironic, isn't it?...While hundreds of millions of dollars flow into casinos and fish culvert 'programs', we are watching our communities implode right in front of us...facilitated by 'public employees'! Weird doesn't even begin to describe it!...But insane does!😎
There are two reasons that I like this post. One being that an ordinary citizen cared enough and decided to do something to show everyone in our county what's going on. More people are deciding to become engaged at a level beyond writing comments. I'm thankful for these people. The second reason is that it's evidence, for those who for various reasons look away, don't see because they aren't in the area, or those who herald harm reduction and will decide to deride any changes from their money machine.
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I just realized that I'm 100% for Harm Reduction. Being true to the radical ideology I'm going to change the definition to suit my agenda. Harm reduction is:
- not providing drug paraphernalia in order to make the consumption of illegal drugs easier
- arresting those who violate the law
- aggressively arresting drug dealers
- providing for services that only support recovery/rehab once an addict has found their rock-bottom and wants to change.
.
.
On the brighter side, I see that the City of Port Angeles Parks Department will let citizens know when there's an immediate risk to public safety at one of their parks, but I haven't heard of them doing the same for needles left behind by junkies or for bodily fluids contamination.
And finally, what goes on in the I-5 corridor stands a good chance of happening right here. A Washington State Trooper was pulled from her patrol car and then drove away on I-5 by a suspect who had just smoked meth. Thanks, harm reduction, of old.
Thank you Watchdog for the telling photographic journey, but what strikes me most poignantly as I move about our county is what I do not see. Children riding their bicycles, walking to their friends or Grandma's house, families meeting in the parks making new friends there, or even playing in their own yards! nor old friends or new acquaintances chatting on the sidewalks, in parking lots or lingering inside businesses. Instead we scurry off to the safe haven of a locked car or a house, curtains drawn. A sort of Harm Reduction Plan in itself and a certain sign of a failing society.
Such a good point, MB! We've focusing on what we are now seeing as normal that has replaced what used to be normal as you mentioned. Everyone seems to be hiding from the new normal. It hurts the heart.
Thank you, @mb & @DeniseLapio. Your comment stayed with me because it names something we rarely say out loud: the loss of ordinary community life has become so normalized that we barely recognize it anymore.
Yesterday morning, at 7:38 a.m., driving down Peabody Street on my way from Forks to an 8:00 a.m. shift at OMC, I watched a man step away from the side of a church where he had been sleeping and urinate in full view of the street. I kept driving. I felt disgust, sadness, judgment — and then I felt something harder to admit: my own complicity in how normalized this has become.
It’s easy to tell ourselves this is “compassion.” That we shouldn’t judge. That we don’t know his story. But allowing a human being to live — and be seen — in conditions stripped of dignity is not compassion. It is the opposite. It is a system failing both the person living it and the community around them.
What struck me most was not just what I saw, but what I didn’t do. I went on to my shift in healthcare — a system I participate in, one that helps people in real and meaningful ways, and one that is also deeply reactive and fragmented. I earn a paycheck there that pays my family’s health insurance premium, and I’m able to tell myself that I am doing my part — that I am contributing, that I am helping, that my family is protected. That story is comforting. It also creates distance between me and what I had just witnessed outside.
That distance matters. It allows me to move on, to feel virtuous, to compartmentalize suffering as something separate from the systems I rely on and benefit from — even when those systems are not producing health in the broader sense.
Later that day, my daughter asked if I could stop at the Lincoln Street Safeway on my way home. I told her no — not because it wasn’t on the way, but because it didn’t feel safe. What stopped me cold was realizing that to her, this isn’t shocking. This is the world she’s growing up in. It’s normal to be wary of grocery stores. It’s normal to see people urinating or defecating in public. It’s normal to plan your movements around fear.
That realization is devastating. When conditions like this become “just how things are,” we stop asking whether they should be. And that’s how systems quietly drift away from the values we think we still hold.
If we cannot make something as basic as a neighborhood grocery store feel safe and welcoming for families, elders, and kids, then we need to be honest that our systems are producing outcomes we no longer believe in.
The system is perfectly designed to get the outcomes it gets. If we want different outcomes, we have to change the system. And to change the system, we have to change the policy. To change policy, elected officials need tools — clear metrics, honest reporting, and the courage to measure not just services delivered, but the lived impacts on community life.
I’m sharing this not to shame anyone — including myself — but because comments like yours remind us what our North Star should be. Children outside. Neighbors talking. Families gathering without fear. Human dignity restored — for everyone.
Thank you for saying what so many of us feel but struggle to articulate.
Try walking around these areas on a Tues or Fri afternoon when HRHC operates or during the Saturday morning aftermath and you will see why. Territorial methed out madmen cracking whips at passerby at Tree Park, registered sex offenders camping near dream park, drug tents along the waterfront trail.
We need small groups to go out together for walks, picnics, games etc and peacefully reclaim public space
Personally I want to see a non violent lead by example approach. I understand the frustration that leads to certain sentiments. But we have to be better than the bare minimum we expect from others I appreciate the thoughtful, reasoned approach of leaders like Jake Seegers and Dr..Sarah.
I agree and often thought about whether folks could organize, flood the areas with an extensive presence, including the brawniest and most intimidating brothers and sisters among us. I am as disgusted and fearful as any at what is allowed in front of our eyes, but truly cry for what I no longer see.
So thankful I’m not dealing with someone I love & care about who is addicted and living in Clallam County. So thankful 🤗. MAT clinic or not being an addict in this county is way too easy plus the county goes against most rehab treatment counseling programs, AA & Al-anon, NA and Nar-anon programs to be and stay clean & sober.
Son-in-law will enter another professional rehab center (Betty Ford) again in a few weeks, 4th or 5th time in 7 years & before that there was many cold turkey withdrawls tries and attempts that obviously didn’t work. That is how hard it is to be clean…… His journey began age 17 and he is 40 now. He is a professional but his existence is like an emotional & financial roller coaster for himself & our daughter, they have two young children who fortunately don’t know any difference so far. Along with this type of life comes so much more uncertainty than what sober individuals are faced with. I’m very thankful they live in a Washington County that doesn’t have a Health Director & County elected officials like Clallam County, it’s hard enough without being handed everything to encourage continued drug abuse & homelessness…. so please pray for the people faced with ugly monsters that they will eventually seek help to be successfully clean, sober and lead productive lives in society no matter where they are. Below is another example of how to
maintain sobriety……..What is a sober living community?
Sober living houses (SLHs) are "alcohol- and drug-free living environments for individuals attempting to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs". They are typically structured around 12-step programs or other recovery methodologies.
So why is this county spending money to provide supplies to do the opposite?
4rd, you know and see how hard it is to break addiction. Not only are we supplying the addiction equipment, but the worse part is if one is truly trying to quite, the housing situation makes it a sure fail. If people around you are using, you will use again.
Rob and Michelle Reiner. Anyone who believes abetting hard drug usage does not impact the mind is an accomplice to mentally deranged criminal behavior.
yes but there were some other things at play --- such as questionable parenting, shipping a 14 year old boy off to 'drug treatment' and failing to stop and listen to their troubled child (putting up with a 2-year-olds tantrums in a 10-15-20 year old "child".)
I'd say it "went on for a long time" 17 times in drug treatment, and if he didn't go he'd be kicked out and homeless. I'm sorry, but, there was more going on.
He reminds me of someone, absolutely "on the spectrum" (dad refused to get any diagnosis for him, or treatment -- didn't want the family "shame" and didn't want to spend the money on "bullshit therapists").
The guy I know only self-medicates to calm his rage. Rage against Dad. Rage against Mom. Rage against is sister (who committed suicide.)
Like Reiner his father was a hater --- who was obsessed with hate. Very focused, angry hate, that permeated every conversation with anyone, anywhere. In his case he was a rocket scientist who hated those above him. So much so, the disallowed his son to take a free ride to Stanford (kid is brilliant) because a former boss taught there.
I've know the guy since I was a kid, and his parents tolerated his tantrums, too. And at 6'6" these were pretty memorable -- as an adult. There was a reason he was evicted so many times.
sure, but would drug treatment be appropriate for a 14 year old? I know of many people horribly mentally damaged by the "tough love" camps (and badly abused). And, 14 is a pretty tender age -- I'd think family therapy would have been more beneficial.
Bill: PROSPERITY for a uniquely beautiful peninsula that has such great potential... Not the dumping ground it has become with the MAT clinic, harm reduction and indifferent horse blinder Political Climbing County Commissioners.
Gee, what if our fiber optic hadn't been given to one company, and sold to a private company for the financial gain of a very few? What if we had actually developed it for software developers to move here? There are a lot of 'what ifs".
The commissioners did not reply to yesterday's email. Here is the question asked today:
Dear Commissioners,
The article calls for reporting on impacts on parks, litter, vandalism, and nearby residents, not just services provided. Will the County commit to publishing quarterly impact reports with both positive and negative indicators of harm-reduction outcomes, and if so, what metrics would you include?
All three commissioners (who fund the Harm Reduction Health Center) can be reached by contacting the Clerk of the Board at loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov
Modeled governance response (individual commissioner):
This illustrates how a commissioner could engage the question directly and move it into the public process.
Thank you for raising this question. When the County funds a program with visible impacts on public spaces and nearby residents, it is reasonable to ask not only what services are provided, but what effects—both positive and negative—are experienced in the community.
While I cannot commit the County to new reporting requirements on my own, I agree that this warrants public discussion. I will ask the Board to consider whether quarterly impact reporting would enhance transparency and oversight of harm-reduction investments.
I will request that this topic be placed on a future Board agenda so it can be discussed openly by the full Board, consistent with the Open Public Meetings Act (MRSC; RCW 42.30).
Modeled governance response (Board follow-up):
This shows how the Board could respond after public discussion.
Following public discussion, the Board of County Commissioners acknowledges the request for clearer reporting on the impacts of county-funded harm-reduction programs.
By majority vote in an open public meeting, the Board has directed staff to develop a proposed framework for quarterly impact reporting that includes both positive and negative indicators related to program outcomes and community impacts. The intention is to enhance transparency, inform oversight, and foster public understanding.
The proposed framework will be presented at a future meeting for public review before any final direction is given.
Illustrative example (not a policy decision):
One way quarterly impact reporting could be structured.
Quarterly Harm-Reduction Impact Dashboard
Service & Health Outcomes
• Client contacts, referrals, connections to care
• Reported overdose reversals and follow-up outcomes
Community & Environmental Impacts
• Park and public-space litter or cleanup data
• Vandalism or property-damage reports near program sites
Public Safety & Quality-of-Life
• Calls for service or complaints related to the area
• Trends in reported disturbances nearby
Community Feedback
• Structured input from nearby residents and businesses
• Summary of concerns raised and actions taken
Reporting both positive and negative indicators allows the public and policymakers to assess outcomes, trade-offs, and needed adjustments over time.
References
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.). County commissioner roles and responsibilities.
https://mrsc.org/explore-topics/officials/roles/county-commissioners
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.). Performance measurement for local governments.
https://mrsc.org/explore-topics/management/performance-measurement
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.). Open Public Meetings Act basics.
https://mrsc.org/explore-topics/public-meetings/opma/open-public-meetings-act-basics
Revised Code of Washington. (n.d.). RCW 42.30: Open Public Meetings Act.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.30
Thank you for taking the time to document and share this, Anonymous. The delivery motorcycle is routinely parked next to Tumwater Creek, near the bridge off the truck route (on County-owned land). Local residents see what’s going on. Unfortunately, our leaders continue to look the other way while funding policies that perpetuate our local drug haven.
The same stories about the harm that harm reduction has caused is happening EVERYWHERE. It certainly can’t be maintained. The question is, how soon will the pendulum swing back to a common sense and “evidence based” approach? The pictures supplied is evidence that there is abuse of a system that is not working, and has been a problem since inception.
https://mynorthwest.com/seattle-red/rantz-opinion/rantz-seattle-waste-federal-funds-tackling-drug-crisis-created/3939453
Nov 15, 2023 These mayors (and their councils and, in some cases, state legislatures) pursued and adopted radical policies and legislation that allowed the fentanyl crisis to hit historic records. We saw DEFUNDED POLICE, effectively legalized drugs by refusing TO ENFORCE DRUG LAWS, prosecutors GO EASY ON THOSE THAT DID END UP GETTING ARRESTED, and similarly PERMISSIVE HOMELESS POLICIES.
Harm reduction does the opposite of reducing harm
Amber Tejada with the Hepatitis Education Project responded, then added that it’s not about getting addicts off their drugs. They seek to “FACILITATE AND CHAMPION” drug use under the belief that ADDICTS SHOULD BE FREE TO CONTINUE USE.
That is the true philosophy behind Peoples Harm Reduction Alliance(PHRA) the agency that pushed the current harm reduction approach on the west coast and some other cities. The lead staff person at Clallam HRHC during the covid /expansion years (Lisa Al Hakim) came from PHRA and returned through the revolving door to an executive position there after leaving CC.
She proved herself to PHRA to get the promotion. She set up the program, she set up the pipeline, and she set up CC to suffer the consequences. CC is the sacrificial lamb.
WHY ARE DRUG PUSHERS AND THE PHRA ALIKE? BOTH OF THEM MAKE A PROFIT OFF OF ADDICTION.
Jeff covered this in one of his articles
https://www.ccwatchdog.com/p/county-department-becomes-reconciliation
“Al-Hakim left Clallam to return to her position as the Operations Director of the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance (PHRA)—a group that EXPLICITLY OPPOSES ADDICTION TREATMENT PHRA describes itself as “UNAPOLOGETICALLY IN SUPPORT OF DRUG USERS” and their director has publicly stated they “refuse to be complicit in the death of our community members by sending them to treatment that doesn’t work.”
The syringe exchange existed in PA long before her arrival but she was definitely heavily involved with it's expansion into current form including renting a separate building with a contracted increasing rate(now $4k month) and extensive remodeling, mobile services to the west end, etc.. Why was the HRHC allowed to charge thousands monthly for "extra help" through a temp agency for years during covid and after while county depts had to cut staff- probably hiring active users who couldn't pass county employment standards is my guess. She and Shiloh Jama (aka Shiloh Murphy) are driving forces behind thr destruction we see in cities everywhere. Why did the county employ someone whose own facebook page self declared them as an "Anarcho Arab"?
SEEE!? My instincts are often correct! Just a self-pat on the back.
I know my claims are often outrageous but it doesn't mean they aren't accurate.
The U.S. government, without the open knowledge of the people...(we have been complicit through our ignorance and 'comfort')...has made millions of enemies all over the world...and now have invited/allowed millions of angry, rageful beings into the States to wreak havoc, similar to what gov't agencies have done outside our borders. They will use any means to carry out the agendas they have for the total destruction, genocide and domination they perceive the U.S. of being guilty of... I love my country but I despise the Government(s) of corruption!
It's a Spiritual battle playing out in the physical realms...take care of your souls while navigating the insane asylum!😎
Here's some insight into Murphy. The KUOW story says it all.
https://www.kuow.org/stories/heroin-saved-my-life-shilo-murphy-stands-drug-users/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luu0Qo_Q-R0
MK…..thank you for posting these resources!
Omg! The interview with Murphy is revealing! He/she essentially says they want to empower drug users to have a “ voice “ in drug laws because the lawmakers aren’t drug users and don’t understand. They are for “ dignity” for drug users and stopping the stigma against them. At one point said …..”we’re against the war on drugs”. He’s a drug user himself but filled with “love” for his fellow users. Everyone should watch this YouTube video interview. I had no idea the “ harm reduction” of needle exchange had morphed into an entire care package for drug users. Users who discard the trash they get for free in our public places. How is this reducing harm?
This group has created programs that enable drug use and we are paying for it. Radical -compassion has hijacked the health of not only drug users, but the health of so many citizens and towns and cities across the country. This concept of “ health” has created unhealthy towns and unhealthy environments for our citizens and turned our public places into danger zones.
well... I would promote (on zoom) that my pronouns were "she/it" but they had to be used together.....
Anarco Arab refers to adherence to anarchist thought and movements within an Arab group.. the embodiment of "Arab Spring" (Egypt, Syria, Tunisia) based on Omar Aziz's writings known by his nom de guerre of Abu Kamel.
(Nom de guerre is like a nom de plume, only it's an assumed name for someone who engages in combat or other rebellious enterprise).
An anarchist believes in a stateless, anti-hierarchical society (borderless) rejecting all forms of authority. They dream of a world where people are in decentralized networks -- ranging from peaceful community to radical raging disruption.
So, I'd say anyone claiming to be an "Anarco Arab" is not: a.) local to Clallam County, but an import; and b.) not working to strengthen our community; plus, c.) shouldn't be associated with government.
Why don't you wish to say anything racist? You must be White. LOL
She spent time in Portland before she came to Clallam She posted about her car being stolen in Portland on the PNW stolen cars group and lamented the loss of her "needle ferry." Then "poof" like magic she has a Clallam county salary and the county purchases a decked out van to deliver drug use tools to the west end and guess who drove it around?
That makes sense.
It's a moooslum plan to destroy the infidel nation! See Minnesota!🤓
The main import from that country is piracy. What did our leaders think would happen? Isn't the average IQ between 68 and 73? I don't think that community will produce many physicists unless the PhD certificates are forged.
How many eggs can one mosquito lay?
Dec 27, 2025: 83 miles from PA, in Belltown Seattle, Andrea Suarez, founder of the nonprofit, We Heart Seattle, described the area as a FAILED EXPERIMENT IN PERMISSIVE POLICING. Suarez said. “We’ve just got to turn this ship around and go back to basics… we canceled accountability.”
The corner of First and Blanchard in Belltown was once a vibrant property listed for $3.8 million, but it has recently transformed into an abandoned hub for squatters, open drug use, and piles of stolen goods
https://seattlered.com/homelessness/belltown-soda-zone-fallout/4115782
A return to pragmatism
Looking forward, Suarez called for a “return to basics” regarding PUBLIC SAFETY and addiction, urging the new administration under Mayor Katie Wilson to move toward RECOVERY-ORIENTED PROGRAMS. She argued that the city must stop “handing out foil and glass pipes” and instead focus on programs that “HAVE AN END GOAL OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY"
You nailed the Democrats tool: Selective enforcement of laws. You and I focus on laws-- they don't. They use laws as lawfare against us and the non-enforcement as enabling what enriches them.
They subvert law with legalities and gaslighting!🤪
BINGO! Democrat politicians are pure scum, and the voters that elect them, pure stupidity!
Souless creatures!
The fentanyl hit the streets HARD the same time 'presciption' opioids were withdrawn from common use...coincidence? Yes, coincidence means two or more things happening at the same time...the only question is whether the coincidence was incidental or intentional. No surprise where I stand on it!😝
Meth's analog is more like ADHD drugs (liberally applied to the adolescent brain).
Opioids were replaced with fentanyl, to a point.
Unfortunately, then Xylazine was added -- a vet sedative, highly adulterated, which is the real nightmare began. The newest "oh shit" drug to get into the mix are Nitazenes -- another class of potent synthetic opioids (20x more potent than fentanyl).
(I actually long for the good-old-days of heroin addicts...they were downright civilized.)
So, actually, the "harm reduction" is promoting harm, and is a health emergency foisted on the area by itself, by a bunch of slick talkers, who are lying to everyone.
Thanks Mimi for that chemistry lesson. I am old enough to remember when Quaaludes and Valium complimented the bong at frat parties. That was before cocaine invaded the disco club restrooms. Snorting Coke on the top of a toilet seat might be more dangerous the drug itself. I saw a documentary about a family in West Virginia featuring a member who shook a pill bottle filled with Oxycontin and said "This is the Hillbilly mating call". I think as long as humans enjoy altering their brain chemistry drugs will exist.
Nor I Robert and thanks for that brief history lesson. Until now I never saw the connection between the two events. Also, kudos for your excellent example of pattern recognition. Correlation or causation is the issue facing us. The topic requires further investigation. Correlation doesn't prove causation but two events occurring at the same time can imply causation especially when other variables such as a financial profit are involved. There were strict controls on Oxy and all of a sudden, its cousin became an illicit drug.
That little “war” on drugs has left people who (with chronic pain) have zero relief now. A patient with no history of abuse but was somewhat able to function, now is struggling with stomach ulcers from ungodly amounts of ibuprofen without the relief. Will a doctor go to jail or be hung if he gets a chronic sufferer wanting to live?
Just because DEA/ATF/FBI etc can’t manage illegal uses, why destroy the hope of patients that were already being maintained. That’s like “this chemo regime works well on you, but it was given to someone without cancer and it killed them, so it’s been recalled, take two Advil!
I think one of the Freak Brothers said, "Dope will help person survive a period without money better than money will assist a person lacking dope". That philosophy was probably the pre curser to the modern porch pirate.
It has to come to an end...our commissioners are behind the times! Thanks Jennifer!
Pictures don’t lie and these photos tell the story of Clallam County’s failed policies. “Harm reduction” is a public health philosophy with no comprehensive data linking to specific metrics other than 78% of overdose survivors engaged with services with paramedic intervention, and 3% success rate for engagement without the paramedic team on scene. ClallamCounty’s overdose fatality rate went from the second highest in Washington State (71 per 100,000) to the eleventh highest as of March 2025 (no numbers yet). Are we winning yet??
Thank you, Jeff, and thank you to Anonymous for submitting the photos. The Asian American business owner is my best friend and she can tell you some wild stories about what happens in the parking lot across the street, who has come barreling in to her business swinging at her and her husband, who has come in pleading for food or drink, who has defecated in her doorway, who is shooting up on the side of her building etc.
We should have a meet up at her business soon, it's a great little place
Susie I am there almost every day! You say when and we will make it happen!
Let me know, too.
This is gonna be fun ❤️
And we wonder why our health care systems are insolvent, going bankrupt and with professional health care givers fleeing the area.
Thank you anonymous for this documentation. It’s just like I said about a month or so ago that these harm reduction kits don’t do a damn thing to help these people except further their drug use and deface our once beautiful town. A picture is worth 1000 words.
Who in there right mind being a tourist would want to come here.
Is commissioners need to be woken up and as citizens of Clallam County we should demand this get eradicated.
I thought when I moved here 5 years ago that the local politicians were smoking crack
I was wrong they are on meth. Knowing what I know now they might be dealing.
And, yes, ladies and gents...it is possible to have 'functional addicts' running governments...addicted to power and control if nothing else!😎
No ethics oversight...guaranteed corruption!😎
please. For years we had Hollywood producers, legislators, governors, corporate heads, lobbyists and the like on cocaine. You could always spot a 'coke decision' by its ridiculousness. (Remember "Cop Rock"? "Howard the Duck", "Waterworld")
Those films Mimi described were terrible. During one of them I walked out of the theater though I should have demanded a refund. In addition to the cocaine parties the explanation for the poor decisions might involve a heavy doses of pot laced with PCP and horse tranquilizers. I had a friend who was a script editor and he said during meetings with the casting directors the executives frequently wet their pants.
My boss was sent to company medical for a piss test and failed. He spent Christmas inside an inpatient rehab facility. He was forced to tell the crew about his recovery and while he was talking, he blew his nose, and his handkerchief was filled with blood. He was demoted but latter reached a high level in middle management, so yes functional addicts exist and often excel. They are probably outliers existing on tail of the normal curve. I think the high achiever alpha males prefer drugs that stimulate the central nervous system. I doubt if any of the huff paint or sniff glue.
It truly makes you consider the possibility along with other nefarious enterprises.
We moved her 12 years ago. We're moving out in a couple of months.
I understand the frustration but political folly seems to be infecting many parts of the country. There is no guarantee that the next place won't become Port Angeles with bums crapping on walls. The process is similar to the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Quite possibly, but I am going with the odds. I am too old to see Idaho switch in my lifetime.
Stick around! There is problems where ever you go. I am staying to try
and correct the goofballs running this place. It can be done
Idaho seems to have a lot less of it, and the politiciians actually listen to and follow the constituents' wishes. What a concept-- a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Wouldn't it be great if that described our country? Oh....wait...
NOI, I just had relatives move out of Idaho. Study the county you want to move to and the local politics. Basically same issues we are having.
Didn’t they just murder 4collegestudents there? Enjoy the snow
and potato’s.
jedj, I don't think people move just because of the politics. People usually have multiple issues, when combined, it makes the decisions for them.
I agree with you, there is no perfect place. I absolutely love Washington. I will stand my ground and I do believe Clallam County CAN and WILL become an example that the citizens can take back their local government ; )
I hope you are right about taking back our government. We will continue the fight with you all, remotely, and always in spirit!
In our case, we LOVE where we are in Sequim, so the move is 100% because of political reasons.
I love the lush forests, the mountains, the large bodies of water, the mild marine climate. I don't like the political climate but the leftists here are too old to attack me though I didn't enjoy my suspensions on Nextwhore.
What is black and brown and looks good on a local politician? Answer: two Dobermans.
We're old too, and the abundance of medical care where we're going is also something i researched.
Many shocks but no real surprises...if that's a thing!😎
I think they are high on acid and selling whisky to Indigenous people. During the next meeting try to get close and see if the eyeballs are dilated. The one who fervently hates Jeff looks like a stoner.
You describe government action fueled by misplaced compassion.
The far east government in China is getting revenge on the world for the opium wars. They have a long memory.
I am saddened that what you describe in this article is not continuous front-page news in our local professional newspapers. I doubt most people even want to acknowledge this disaster that is happening in front of our eyes.
And people who have posted on this site continually deny there is a problem, even with multiple personal stories, real charts and graphs, and photos. They don't want you to know the truth because the truth will expose them as also complicit.
The Dems would say,"what make you such an expert on drugs? You've never done drugs".
I am an expert on how my money is earned and spent!
The deep-state players use EVERY possible tool...'infiltraition', subversion, capitalism, socialism/communism, racism, violence, mind-control, finance, ALL Politics, ALL corruption...it isn't one thing...but it's one goal! Total subjugation and domination!😎
that fishwrap hasn't been a 'professional newspaper' for more than a decade, maybe two.
They have received a copy of this photo essay. Today
Next Door is having some real “butt hurt” today, as I turned them on to this photo tour of harm reduction. Ouch!
Thank you for the person taking the photos. Sad to stay it is evidence but it will land deaf ear when it comes to the health dept, city and county leaders, and even PBH. These people are encouraging the use.
How do you think the NGO’s money is being funneled
I have a family member who has dismantled many things and then leaving it on our property. I have spent thousands of dollars cleaning up his mess, from old cars full of drug paraphernalia, parts to who knows what, garbage, etc. Drug users don’t care who they hurt they just want their drugs. The family member just recently got out of jail which does not stop him.
He has become one of the revolving people we all talk about. I’m in constant guard watching what happens in my area, things have been stolen, money, etc all the usual things that drug use leads to. Things need to stop and the leaders need to be leaders and protect our community . This town offers nothing for our young people so many turn to drug use.
POWER Abusers don't care who they hurt either...and leave horrifying messes in their wake as they slime their way up the ladder of 'success'!😜
Big Pharma and Jamestown Sklallam tribe... Money grubbing partners! They seem to lead Furgeson and friends by the nose.
Watchdoggers already know, and care, about what is happening to the Clallam County community vis-a-vis the failed Harm Reduction programs. I see the same thing in and around Sequim on a regular basis. Thank you to the Anonymous citizen who stepped forward to begin to fight back against this insanity. And thank you, Jeff, for being the catalyst that has both started the ball rolling for constructive change, and for giving a growing cadre a forum where their concerns can be heard. Here's to a brighter 2026 for our neighborhoods!
I really have a problem with local leaders that are very much aware of the ongoing problems but continually look away. Why do these same people get voted in time and time again? It amazes me!!!! I am a long time resident of Clallam county of 51 years. The decline really began about 20 years ago or a little longer.
There needs to be more protesting against this on a regular basis. But somehow protesting against Trump “Not our king” is more important. These political leaders need a slap in the face. In particular the ones that are also voting for tax increases like Mark Ozias. That guy somehow just keeps climbing the ladder.
Nothing will change until there is a more of a strategic plan set in place. Our local politicians and city council members need to know enough is enough!
The decline is national, even global and is part of the plan to demoralize people to the point they will give up their liberty to the 'controllers' with just a whimper!🥸
"Make sure to stay hydrated if using stimulants."
Way back when, the word drugs was used and we were told what could happen if we used them, they put the fear in us. Now they make it sound like it's no worse than having an extra cup of coffee. It's also no longer addiction, it's a disease. Maybe if they stop candy coating everything and tell it like it really is, lives would actually be saved.
Amen! This is why I have zero compassion for people that did this to themselves. Zero. Even as a child I knew the dangers of drugs and addiction, and took the high road throughout life. If people are going to be stupid enough to get addicted, that's their problem to solve, not mine.
"Make sure to wash your hands before use"
What? Dirty hands are the least of the BIG worries.
"Make sure to live through your drug usage"
"Make sure you don't fry your brain"
"Make sure you don't damage every organ in your body"
"Make sure you have identity so we can notify your next of kin"
Give them all they want, in an isolation community and then live-stream 24-7 so the world can see...and they can see...when they are 'sober'...objectivity is important for change for the better.
Ironic, isn't it?...While hundreds of millions of dollars flow into casinos and fish culvert 'programs', we are watching our communities implode right in front of us...facilitated by 'public employees'! Weird doesn't even begin to describe it!...But insane does!😎
There are two reasons that I like this post. One being that an ordinary citizen cared enough and decided to do something to show everyone in our county what's going on. More people are deciding to become engaged at a level beyond writing comments. I'm thankful for these people. The second reason is that it's evidence, for those who for various reasons look away, don't see because they aren't in the area, or those who herald harm reduction and will decide to deride any changes from their money machine.
.
.
I just realized that I'm 100% for Harm Reduction. Being true to the radical ideology I'm going to change the definition to suit my agenda. Harm reduction is:
- not providing drug paraphernalia in order to make the consumption of illegal drugs easier
- arresting those who violate the law
- aggressively arresting drug dealers
- providing for services that only support recovery/rehab once an addict has found their rock-bottom and wants to change.
.
.
On the brighter side, I see that the City of Port Angeles Parks Department will let citizens know when there's an immediate risk to public safety at one of their parks, but I haven't heard of them doing the same for needles left behind by junkies or for bodily fluids contamination.
https://www.cityofpa.us/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1960
.
.
And finally, what goes on in the I-5 corridor stands a good chance of happening right here. A Washington State Trooper was pulled from her patrol car and then drove away on I-5 by a suspect who had just smoked meth. Thanks, harm reduction, of old.
https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-patrol-trooper-carjacking-christmas-day-alexander-eugene-smith-driving-under-the-influence-highway-interstate-5-court-appearance
Thank you Watchdog for the telling photographic journey, but what strikes me most poignantly as I move about our county is what I do not see. Children riding their bicycles, walking to their friends or Grandma's house, families meeting in the parks making new friends there, or even playing in their own yards! nor old friends or new acquaintances chatting on the sidewalks, in parking lots or lingering inside businesses. Instead we scurry off to the safe haven of a locked car or a house, curtains drawn. A sort of Harm Reduction Plan in itself and a certain sign of a failing society.
Such a good point, MB! We've focusing on what we are now seeing as normal that has replaced what used to be normal as you mentioned. Everyone seems to be hiding from the new normal. It hurts the heart.
Thank you, @mb & @DeniseLapio. Your comment stayed with me because it names something we rarely say out loud: the loss of ordinary community life has become so normalized that we barely recognize it anymore.
Yesterday morning, at 7:38 a.m., driving down Peabody Street on my way from Forks to an 8:00 a.m. shift at OMC, I watched a man step away from the side of a church where he had been sleeping and urinate in full view of the street. I kept driving. I felt disgust, sadness, judgment — and then I felt something harder to admit: my own complicity in how normalized this has become.
It’s easy to tell ourselves this is “compassion.” That we shouldn’t judge. That we don’t know his story. But allowing a human being to live — and be seen — in conditions stripped of dignity is not compassion. It is the opposite. It is a system failing both the person living it and the community around them.
What struck me most was not just what I saw, but what I didn’t do. I went on to my shift in healthcare — a system I participate in, one that helps people in real and meaningful ways, and one that is also deeply reactive and fragmented. I earn a paycheck there that pays my family’s health insurance premium, and I’m able to tell myself that I am doing my part — that I am contributing, that I am helping, that my family is protected. That story is comforting. It also creates distance between me and what I had just witnessed outside.
That distance matters. It allows me to move on, to feel virtuous, to compartmentalize suffering as something separate from the systems I rely on and benefit from — even when those systems are not producing health in the broader sense.
Later that day, my daughter asked if I could stop at the Lincoln Street Safeway on my way home. I told her no — not because it wasn’t on the way, but because it didn’t feel safe. What stopped me cold was realizing that to her, this isn’t shocking. This is the world she’s growing up in. It’s normal to be wary of grocery stores. It’s normal to see people urinating or defecating in public. It’s normal to plan your movements around fear.
That realization is devastating. When conditions like this become “just how things are,” we stop asking whether they should be. And that’s how systems quietly drift away from the values we think we still hold.
If we cannot make something as basic as a neighborhood grocery store feel safe and welcoming for families, elders, and kids, then we need to be honest that our systems are producing outcomes we no longer believe in.
The system is perfectly designed to get the outcomes it gets. If we want different outcomes, we have to change the system. And to change the system, we have to change the policy. To change policy, elected officials need tools — clear metrics, honest reporting, and the courage to measure not just services delivered, but the lived impacts on community life.
I’m sharing this not to shame anyone — including myself — but because comments like yours remind us what our North Star should be. Children outside. Neighbors talking. Families gathering without fear. Human dignity restored — for everyone.
Thank you for saying what so many of us feel but struggle to articulate.
Try walking around these areas on a Tues or Fri afternoon when HRHC operates or during the Saturday morning aftermath and you will see why. Territorial methed out madmen cracking whips at passerby at Tree Park, registered sex offenders camping near dream park, drug tents along the waterfront trail.
We need small groups to go out together for walks, picnics, games etc and peacefully reclaim public space
Personally I want to see a non violent lead by example approach. I understand the frustration that leads to certain sentiments. But we have to be better than the bare minimum we expect from others I appreciate the thoughtful, reasoned approach of leaders like Jake Seegers and Dr..Sarah.
I agree and often thought about whether folks could organize, flood the areas with an extensive presence, including the brawniest and most intimidating brothers and sisters among us. I am as disgusted and fearful as any at what is allowed in front of our eyes, but truly cry for what I no longer see.
So thankful I’m not dealing with someone I love & care about who is addicted and living in Clallam County. So thankful 🤗. MAT clinic or not being an addict in this county is way too easy plus the county goes against most rehab treatment counseling programs, AA & Al-anon, NA and Nar-anon programs to be and stay clean & sober.
Son-in-law will enter another professional rehab center (Betty Ford) again in a few weeks, 4th or 5th time in 7 years & before that there was many cold turkey withdrawls tries and attempts that obviously didn’t work. That is how hard it is to be clean…… His journey began age 17 and he is 40 now. He is a professional but his existence is like an emotional & financial roller coaster for himself & our daughter, they have two young children who fortunately don’t know any difference so far. Along with this type of life comes so much more uncertainty than what sober individuals are faced with. I’m very thankful they live in a Washington County that doesn’t have a Health Director & County elected officials like Clallam County, it’s hard enough without being handed everything to encourage continued drug abuse & homelessness…. so please pray for the people faced with ugly monsters that they will eventually seek help to be successfully clean, sober and lead productive lives in society no matter where they are. Below is another example of how to
maintain sobriety……..What is a sober living community?
Sober living houses (SLHs) are "alcohol- and drug-free living environments for individuals attempting to maintain abstinence from alcohol and drugs". They are typically structured around 12-step programs or other recovery methodologies.
So why is this county spending money to provide supplies to do the opposite?
It's obvious, isn't it? Intentional destruction.🤔
4rd, you know and see how hard it is to break addiction. Not only are we supplying the addiction equipment, but the worse part is if one is truly trying to quite, the housing situation makes it a sure fail. If people around you are using, you will use again.
Rob and Michelle Reiner. Anyone who believes abetting hard drug usage does not impact the mind is an accomplice to mentally deranged criminal behavior.
yes but there were some other things at play --- such as questionable parenting, shipping a 14 year old boy off to 'drug treatment' and failing to stop and listen to their troubled child (putting up with a 2-year-olds tantrums in a 10-15-20 year old "child".)
That's all conjecture on your part. We do know he had addictions. That much is fact and it went on for a long time.
I'd say it "went on for a long time" 17 times in drug treatment, and if he didn't go he'd be kicked out and homeless. I'm sorry, but, there was more going on.
He reminds me of someone, absolutely "on the spectrum" (dad refused to get any diagnosis for him, or treatment -- didn't want the family "shame" and didn't want to spend the money on "bullshit therapists").
The guy I know only self-medicates to calm his rage. Rage against Dad. Rage against Mom. Rage against is sister (who committed suicide.)
Like Reiner his father was a hater --- who was obsessed with hate. Very focused, angry hate, that permeated every conversation with anyone, anywhere. In his case he was a rocket scientist who hated those above him. So much so, the disallowed his son to take a free ride to Stanford (kid is brilliant) because a former boss taught there.
I've know the guy since I was a kid, and his parents tolerated his tantrums, too. And at 6'6" these were pretty memorable -- as an adult. There was a reason he was evicted so many times.
This Reiner kid had bigger issues than the drugs.
17 times in drug treatment and 'dad' didn't do anything??? To my 'not been there' knowledge drug treatment facilities have therapists...
sure, but would drug treatment be appropriate for a 14 year old? I know of many people horribly mentally damaged by the "tough love" camps (and badly abused). And, 14 is a pretty tender age -- I'd think family therapy would have been more beneficial.
What do you suppose Port Angeles would be like if illegal drugs where unavailable, and working class jobs where available.
Bill: PROSPERITY for a uniquely beautiful peninsula that has such great potential... Not the dumping ground it has become with the MAT clinic, harm reduction and indifferent horse blinder Political Climbing County Commissioners.
This is precisely what Ron Allen told the Sequim City Council would never happen.
If their lips are moving....😎
the potential for downtown PA businesses to thrive and provide working class wage opportunities is dammpened by the drug activity
It would have better chances at organic prosperity vs scrapping for grants to get by and siphoning off those funds for special interests.
It would look like it did when I moved here 30 years ago!
Gee, what if our fiber optic hadn't been given to one company, and sold to a private company for the financial gain of a very few? What if we had actually developed it for software developers to move here? There are a lot of 'what ifs".
Why don't our so-called leaders try a radically different approach instead of throwing money at the ineffective programs?
How about they try a couple of years of saying, "sorry, not sorry, we have nothing to give you."
There may be some layoffs in the agencies that have burgeoned to "help" with drug addiction but I'm sure those skills are transferrable, right?
Revolving doors in justice and politics!🤓
define: leaders.
Anything to launder tax money.
Taxes have consequences!😱
ROTFL!