Of the five Shore Pool board members who were asked yesterday when they learned of the voucher program that had been going on for 18 months, only Commissioner Mike French answered:
Hi,
I was made aware of the program because of information shared on social media; I was not aware of the program before the public was informed. I also saw roughly at the same time that Director Amiot had responded on social media and announced that the program would be paused. Around that same time, I began receiving emails from citizens sharing their thoughts on the program. Director Amiot also publicly announced that the program would be discussed at the next Board meeting, which I thought was a good idea.
Mike French
Clallam County Commissioner
Here is today's email to the county commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
When harm reduction policies are not producing improvement—or conditions are clearly getting worse—what is your threshold for pivoting, and what specific indicators trigger that decision?
This area and the entire State for that matter needs different leadership. Sadly, our current political system is dominated by only two choices. There is no legal barrier to more political parties, but political power and influence makes it entirely too difficult for others to survive. Like it or not, we typically have just two choices. One of those two choices have dominated the O.P. and the entire State for as long as this senior can remember. The question then becomes not which choice of the two, but are you satisfied with the status quo ? If you are, keep voting for more of the same. If not, give the other choice a shot. Are you fine with a child holding a jar full of disposable needles provided by your taxes ? How about two nearly fossilized Senators with enough seniority in the Senate to get this Sate whatever it wants; but they get us nothing. The only thing for sure in life is change; try it.
Hi, Geoff. “Overnight” may be a little aspirational. But, I think that we can make a significant difference rather quickly.
We can start here (Number 1 and number 8 would yield significant and immediate results):
1. End outdoor living on public land by consistently enforcing existing laws.
2. Prioritize local housing resources for individuals currently residing in Clallam County.
3. Strengthen shelter policies so services are supportive and attractive for those leaving outdoor living.
4. Expand transitional shelter capacity rather than focusing primarily on costly permanent supportive housing.
5. Reduce the cash flow that fuels addiction through clear anti-panhandling signage and public education.
6. Redirect funding from drug-use supplies to treatment programs with measurable results.
7. Expand OPNET and co-responder programs like Operation Shielding Hope.
8. Reinstate the Sheriff Department’s Chain Gang to provide outdoor opportunities for the incarcerated and remove trash and abandoned RV’s from the community.
9. Measure success by outcomes — tracking how many individuals move from addiction to sobriety and from homelessness to stable lives.
All good! But what about jobs for the hopeless? No jobs, no hope, it's the needle.
Hopelessness is the root cause of the drug problem. The current kommissars Assissted Suicide Program helps only the 'harm reduction' industry profiting from their agony.
Maybe a similar mindset, "if you're bored, you're boring."
There's no question that if people can see their possibilities then they can act to move toward those possibilities. Societies job is to highlight those possibilities, the rest is on the person needing to make a change.
I guess it depends on what jobs we're talking about. There are plenty of construction and services sector jobs. Those are a different cross-section from white collar jobs which appear to be fewer in numbers but there are jobs.
This picture says ten thousand words. Maybe I'll have the photo blown up on a posterboard, bring it to the county and city meetings, and instead of speaking during the public comment period I'll just ask for a moment of silence while everyone stares at the image for three minutes in uncomfortable quiet.
You'd think when their spending out paces their revenues and they're looking for cuts they'd want to put eyes on all these social programs and departments.
In the real world of business this is a given.
I guess they don't care because it's not their money.
I absolutely agree with the majority of Doggers, Leadership from top to bottom in our beautiful state and gem of a county must change. They have a propensity for destruction of Washington as we have loved it.
Please vote Jake Seegers, Marcia Kelbon!
They are a great local start!
My heart goes out to Jake for his family trauma that shouldn't have to be...
This entire homeless addicted people problem is fluid and dynamic, it is not static as is currently viewed by the people in charge using taxpayer money. The question is why are we still doing the same thing and not adjusting what we do as we learn more things? What I'm left with is that money is involved. To disrupt the status quo means that someone will lose out on a benefit that does not benefit the intended goal, rather the person claiming that they are helping.
We need people who have other ideas that should be infused into the equation, not doing the same old thing for the last 16 years that we claim could be fixed in 10 years.
The Wedge party, vote for Jake Seegers.
On a side note, David Zelenka's article yesterday was about these societal problems. Incredibly thoughtful perspective that is worth reading IMO.
Their intense political entrenchment is anchored in cognitive biases—such as confirmation bias and belief perseverance—strongly hinders their ability to pivot or change their views.
Let’s give Clallam County some credit in reducing harm, by reducing the supply of illegal drugs. Sheriff Brian King with the cooperation of other agencies has put a very small dent in the supply chain with the recent busts of the “pusher man”. Jake and Jeff, include this guy and law enforcement in your discussions. Who doesn’t love tough crackdown on the drug scourge?
The drug environment in Clallam County continues to change, and it has changed far faster than the resources available to address it. Our Sheriff’s Office is required to prioritize 911 response and daily public safety demands, which leaves limited capacity for the long, labor intensive investigations that drug cases require. OPNET still exists in name, but without meaningful Byrne JAG funding, while neighboring counties such as Kitsap benefit from HIDTA designation and the federal support that comes with it. Clallam County does not.
At the same time, recent state laws have reduced enforcement authority, narrowed investigative tools, and limited judicial sentencing options. Deputies, prosecutors, and judges may be committed to acting, but they can only operate within the boundaries the Legislature has created. The result is predictable: fewer tools, fewer consequences, and a drug market that replaces traffickers as quickly as they are arrested.
At the state level, many lawmakers have emphasized concepts of equality for individuals violating the law, while locally the focus has shifted toward reducing stigma around drug use rather than prioritizing effective pathways out of addiction. Commissioner Ozias has publicly stated that he explored rehabilitation centers but found them financially unsustainable. That leaves our region without the residential treatment capacity needed for individuals with severe addiction — the very population least likely to succeed in outpatient only models.
The flow of drugs into this country is deeply entrenched, and the demand remains high. Without meaningful enforcement authority, adequate funding, and treatment infrastructure, the system becomes a revolving door. What we are experiencing in Clallam County is not the result of a lack of effort by local law enforcement; it is the result of structural limitations imposed at the state and federal levels.
If we want different outcomes, we must acknowledge these constraints and begin advocating for the tools, funding, and treatment capacity that rural counties like ours need.
The people that have the ability to do something about this just DONT CARE… and they never will … just pathetic human beings lacking standards and morals
Another stupid moment. Red Roof Inn motel commercials from the last century. Maybe we aren't in the "Blue Hole" but a Giant Red Roof Inn. Sleep Easy, spend less, budget friendly and pet friendly (apartments with dog showers). "The light is always on in Clallam County". "Welcome Pilgrim".
yesterday I went to the Sequim transportation center to pick up my wife arriving on the 123 bus at 4:30. The homeless were just setting up their camp at the denture clinic for the night and a guy was nodding off while actively shooting up in the bus shelter. The public bathrooms were not available to the public (locked up) and all in a twig's toss from the police station. What do the police do for a living????
Today my husband and I are showing up for a longtime friend who is only a few months into recovery.
Someone from his past- someone he used with- has overdosed and died.
This is the part people don’t talk about when they reduce addiction to “bad choices” or act like recovery is just a matter of willpower. Early sobriety means facing moments like this head-on, when grief and memory and temptation all show up at once.
And it doesn’t help that it’s everywhere. The evidence of it- on our streets, in our neighborhoods-isn’t invisible. For someone trying to stay sober, those aren’t just passing sights. They’re triggers. They’re reminders. They’re invitations back to something that once felt like relief.
So today, we do what actually helps. We show up. We sit with him. We listen. We keep him connected to something stronger than that pull.
Before writing people off, before reducing them to a problem or a talking point, understand this: recovery is fragile, it’s ongoing, and it’s deeply human.
If you can, take a moment today to hold space-for those still struggling, and for those fighting every single day to stay sober anyway.
I wait for the day that this entire policy is recognized as one of the most recognized and deadly failures of our lifetime.
It's going to take YEARS for the environment to recover from these horrible decisions being made by these elected jackasses. Not to mention the HARM done to the young children exposed to these unspeakable filthy human-made dissasters. Wake up, Clallam county! Your beautiful land is being decimated by criminal politicians. i will vote for Jake Seegers!
I'm surprised (there I go getting stupid again) that the good land stewards up the road apiece in Blyn allow this to happen. But then you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Question for Jake - When you are elected - what is your "tough love" solution enacted immediately so that the view from our car windows and walking the beaches, parks and streets changes overnight?
If you build or allow it, they will come. If you don’t, they won’t. Making it more complex than that is exactly what the politicians, profiting from it, want.
I swear that's the ONLY reason they continue down this path
unless they're so dense and Stoopid they actually believe what they spew.
If any one of them took off their rose colored glasses and seriously took a REAL look at the consequences of their policies. Just maybe then they may question the policy. It just takes one to start asking the questions.
This is why I'm voting for Jake. If he's elected then his comments will be in the public record and cannot be silenced.
Of the five Shore Pool board members who were asked yesterday when they learned of the voucher program that had been going on for 18 months, only Commissioner Mike French answered:
Hi,
I was made aware of the program because of information shared on social media; I was not aware of the program before the public was informed. I also saw roughly at the same time that Director Amiot had responded on social media and announced that the program would be paused. Around that same time, I began receiving emails from citizens sharing their thoughts on the program. Director Amiot also publicly announced that the program would be discussed at the next Board meeting, which I thought was a good idea.
Mike French
Clallam County Commissioner
Here is today's email to the county commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
When harm reduction policies are not producing improvement—or conditions are clearly getting worse—what is your threshold for pivoting, and what specific indicators trigger that decision?
This area and the entire State for that matter needs different leadership. Sadly, our current political system is dominated by only two choices. There is no legal barrier to more political parties, but political power and influence makes it entirely too difficult for others to survive. Like it or not, we typically have just two choices. One of those two choices have dominated the O.P. and the entire State for as long as this senior can remember. The question then becomes not which choice of the two, but are you satisfied with the status quo ? If you are, keep voting for more of the same. If not, give the other choice a shot. Are you fine with a child holding a jar full of disposable needles provided by your taxes ? How about two nearly fossilized Senators with enough seniority in the Senate to get this Sate whatever it wants; but they get us nothing. The only thing for sure in life is change; try it.
Hi, Geoff. “Overnight” may be a little aspirational. But, I think that we can make a significant difference rather quickly.
We can start here (Number 1 and number 8 would yield significant and immediate results):
1. End outdoor living on public land by consistently enforcing existing laws.
2. Prioritize local housing resources for individuals currently residing in Clallam County.
3. Strengthen shelter policies so services are supportive and attractive for those leaving outdoor living.
4. Expand transitional shelter capacity rather than focusing primarily on costly permanent supportive housing.
5. Reduce the cash flow that fuels addiction through clear anti-panhandling signage and public education.
6. Redirect funding from drug-use supplies to treatment programs with measurable results.
7. Expand OPNET and co-responder programs like Operation Shielding Hope.
8. Reinstate the Sheriff Department’s Chain Gang to provide outdoor opportunities for the incarcerated and remove trash and abandoned RV’s from the community.
9. Measure success by outcomes — tracking how many individuals move from addiction to sobriety and from homelessness to stable lives.
All good! But what about jobs for the hopeless? No jobs, no hope, it's the needle.
Hopelessness is the root cause of the drug problem. The current kommissars Assissted Suicide Program helps only the 'harm reduction' industry profiting from their agony.
Hopelessness is a choice
Really? I don't think so.
Maybe a similar mindset, "if you're bored, you're boring."
There's no question that if people can see their possibilities then they can act to move toward those possibilities. Societies job is to highlight those possibilities, the rest is on the person needing to make a change.
I don't believe that. You live in CC, no jobs for you, that's not a choice it's your reality.
I guess it depends on what jobs we're talking about. There are plenty of construction and services sector jobs. Those are a different cross-section from white collar jobs which appear to be fewer in numbers but there are jobs.
This picture says ten thousand words. Maybe I'll have the photo blown up on a posterboard, bring it to the county and city meetings, and instead of speaking during the public comment period I'll just ask for a moment of silence while everyone stares at the image for three minutes in uncomfortable quiet.
Maybe you should take a walk with French and Alison Berry Unthink whom say everything is ok
You'd think when their spending out paces their revenues and they're looking for cuts they'd want to put eyes on all these social programs and departments.
In the real world of business this is a given.
I guess they don't care because it's not their money.
Good morning Jeff and Doggers,
I absolutely agree with the majority of Doggers, Leadership from top to bottom in our beautiful state and gem of a county must change. They have a propensity for destruction of Washington as we have loved it.
Please vote Jake Seegers, Marcia Kelbon!
They are a great local start!
My heart goes out to Jake for his family trauma that shouldn't have to be...
Thank you all and have a great day!
This entire homeless addicted people problem is fluid and dynamic, it is not static as is currently viewed by the people in charge using taxpayer money. The question is why are we still doing the same thing and not adjusting what we do as we learn more things? What I'm left with is that money is involved. To disrupt the status quo means that someone will lose out on a benefit that does not benefit the intended goal, rather the person claiming that they are helping.
We need people who have other ideas that should be infused into the equation, not doing the same old thing for the last 16 years that we claim could be fixed in 10 years.
The Wedge party, vote for Jake Seegers.
On a side note, David Zelenka's article yesterday was about these societal problems. Incredibly thoughtful perspective that is worth reading IMO.
https://davidzelenka.substack.com/p/vine-and-branch-what-tumwater-creek?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true
Great article. Thanks for posting
The grounding in reality vs pie in the sky is what's gripping. It's what we've always known, viscerally.
There is only one way to change course.
Our current leadership must change!
Their intense political entrenchment is anchored in cognitive biases—such as confirmation bias and belief perseverance—strongly hinders their ability to pivot or change their views.
Let’s give Clallam County some credit in reducing harm, by reducing the supply of illegal drugs. Sheriff Brian King with the cooperation of other agencies has put a very small dent in the supply chain with the recent busts of the “pusher man”. Jake and Jeff, include this guy and law enforcement in your discussions. Who doesn’t love tough crackdown on the drug scourge?
The drug environment in Clallam County continues to change, and it has changed far faster than the resources available to address it. Our Sheriff’s Office is required to prioritize 911 response and daily public safety demands, which leaves limited capacity for the long, labor intensive investigations that drug cases require. OPNET still exists in name, but without meaningful Byrne JAG funding, while neighboring counties such as Kitsap benefit from HIDTA designation and the federal support that comes with it. Clallam County does not.
At the same time, recent state laws have reduced enforcement authority, narrowed investigative tools, and limited judicial sentencing options. Deputies, prosecutors, and judges may be committed to acting, but they can only operate within the boundaries the Legislature has created. The result is predictable: fewer tools, fewer consequences, and a drug market that replaces traffickers as quickly as they are arrested.
At the state level, many lawmakers have emphasized concepts of equality for individuals violating the law, while locally the focus has shifted toward reducing stigma around drug use rather than prioritizing effective pathways out of addiction. Commissioner Ozias has publicly stated that he explored rehabilitation centers but found them financially unsustainable. That leaves our region without the residential treatment capacity needed for individuals with severe addiction — the very population least likely to succeed in outpatient only models.
The flow of drugs into this country is deeply entrenched, and the demand remains high. Without meaningful enforcement authority, adequate funding, and treatment infrastructure, the system becomes a revolving door. What we are experiencing in Clallam County is not the result of a lack of effort by local law enforcement; it is the result of structural limitations imposed at the state and federal levels.
If we want different outcomes, we must acknowledge these constraints and begin advocating for the tools, funding, and treatment capacity that rural counties like ours need.
The people that have the ability to do something about this just DONT CARE… and they never will … just pathetic human beings lacking standards and morals
Another stupid moment. Red Roof Inn motel commercials from the last century. Maybe we aren't in the "Blue Hole" but a Giant Red Roof Inn. Sleep Easy, spend less, budget friendly and pet friendly (apartments with dog showers). "The light is always on in Clallam County". "Welcome Pilgrim".
look up “body brokering”
yesterday I went to the Sequim transportation center to pick up my wife arriving on the 123 bus at 4:30. The homeless were just setting up their camp at the denture clinic for the night and a guy was nodding off while actively shooting up in the bus shelter. The public bathrooms were not available to the public (locked up) and all in a twig's toss from the police station. What do the police do for a living????
Define "police." What the officers on the streets do is because of city and leadership policy.
Today my husband and I are showing up for a longtime friend who is only a few months into recovery.
Someone from his past- someone he used with- has overdosed and died.
This is the part people don’t talk about when they reduce addiction to “bad choices” or act like recovery is just a matter of willpower. Early sobriety means facing moments like this head-on, when grief and memory and temptation all show up at once.
And it doesn’t help that it’s everywhere. The evidence of it- on our streets, in our neighborhoods-isn’t invisible. For someone trying to stay sober, those aren’t just passing sights. They’re triggers. They’re reminders. They’re invitations back to something that once felt like relief.
So today, we do what actually helps. We show up. We sit with him. We listen. We keep him connected to something stronger than that pull.
Before writing people off, before reducing them to a problem or a talking point, understand this: recovery is fragile, it’s ongoing, and it’s deeply human.
If you can, take a moment today to hold space-for those still struggling, and for those fighting every single day to stay sober anyway.
I wait for the day that this entire policy is recognized as one of the most recognized and deadly failures of our lifetime.
It's going to take YEARS for the environment to recover from these horrible decisions being made by these elected jackasses. Not to mention the HARM done to the young children exposed to these unspeakable filthy human-made dissasters. Wake up, Clallam county! Your beautiful land is being decimated by criminal politicians. i will vote for Jake Seegers!
I'm surprised (there I go getting stupid again) that the good land stewards up the road apiece in Blyn allow this to happen. But then you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Question for Jake - When you are elected - what is your "tough love" solution enacted immediately so that the view from our car windows and walking the beaches, parks and streets changes overnight?
If you build or allow it, they will come. If you don’t, they won’t. Making it more complex than that is exactly what the politicians, profiting from it, want.
Follow the money
I swear that's the ONLY reason they continue down this path
unless they're so dense and Stoopid they actually believe what they spew.
If any one of them took off their rose colored glasses and seriously took a REAL look at the consequences of their policies. Just maybe then they may question the policy. It just takes one to start asking the questions.
This is why I'm voting for Jake. If he's elected then his comments will be in the public record and cannot be silenced.