Jeff, the statement, ..."Think about that. Our elected commissioners openly admit they have withheld comments to the federal government because they “support” the Tribe’s efforts to expand its land base. But they were not elected to represent the interests of a sovereign tribal government—they were elected to represent the people of Clallam County."...pretty much sums up what the citizens are crying for.
COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB THEY WERE ENTRUSTED WITH.
..."Native American tribes across the country are buying back land where their ancestors lived and putting it in federal trusts. It often makes that land exempt from local and state taxes. That's leading to tensions in the counties that suddenly experience budget shortfalls as revenue streams disappear"...
It is a problem everywhere and has been growing. Above was a snippet from NPR written in 2010!!! It is a hard fight, getting worse acre by acre. Without the support of our county trustees, who should have our backs economically, it will not be us fighting for acres of land, it will be fighting for our small portions just to live on.
And where are they getting money to buy land? (I think we all can guess). I refuse to say “back,” nor will I say “their.” Ownership has some requirements and duties. Somebody wrote an important piece on this issue. Please look for it.
If that doesn't show where their allegiance is, what will? Time and time again, our corrupt County Commissioners ignore our concerns and get erections over anything having to do with the Tribe. Let me ask you something: If they were working AGAINST us, what would they do differently? They seem to be Enemies of the People! We MUST get the word out to the naive voters so that they are aware of this. Thank you, Jeff, for your leading the charge on this. Long Live CCWD!
Tribes want their land back. They get people elected that will allow and help them do this. They remove land from tax doles(Problem). They allow it to fester until people get upset and beg for the solution (Reaction). The Solution will definitely not be what the taxpayers hope. It will be exactly what the tribes are hoping as they become the land owners and the leaseholders, you and I, will rent from them and pay the taxes for them. (Solution).
The land lease agreements that are becoming common is the model. They want to own the land. You own the house and pay them rent for the land, but also pay the property tax.
Already happening around the country. That's the final solution.
We really need to stop parroting false notions such as "their land" regarding Indian claims. "No one owns the earth, sky, oceans or life", has been asserted as having been claimed by Indians, when the U.S. Government/Railroads were rounding up tribes, et al., back in the day. Suddenly, the narrative takes a 180 turn, yet with the current claims, I would ask to see clear Title, which we possess for the home and land that we reside on/in, having been acquired with the efforts of two immediate family generation's endeavors. Reparations have been paid in full for any perceived wrongs of the past, that some believe supersede those commited against those paying, along with their ancestors, who paid their entire lives. It's time to "draw the line" between earned and granted; propaganda is what it is. We didn't make the rules, nesessarily; however, honor them to the benefit of all in a "Democracy"; changing them is a process, not a demand.
Agreed. I should have put "their land" in quotations. But the ownership of land is what truly makes someone free and unencumbered by the whims of governments. I mean outright owned without any taxes owed ever. That should be the goal of all freedom loving peoples. The tribes have discovered how to get there, how to be free of the government taxes on their land. The rest of us must stop complaining about how they are doing it and demand equal treatment with them. Stop asking that they be treated like us and demand we be treated like them. No property taxes for them, No property taxes for me. We must stop demanding they return to slavery to the government and demand we be as free as they are.
Well stated, TJ. Never mind taxing unrealized capital gains. Politicians are in favor of such circumvention of our State and United States Constitutions, as they side-step taxes via "family foundations" (non-profits) and set their children up for their life funded by other people's money. I appreciate your feedback regarding the wording, "their land", we know it's not.
I am the County Commissioners' piggy bank, and this little piggy is tired of their grubby paws raiding her savings. Thank you, Jeff, for always bringing the hard truth and facts. I'll keep fighting these tax increases, because they are not fair to any of us, and we deserve much better.
It's simple ... Elections matter. All the tribes, not just JKT, have no obligation whatsoever to consider the interests of any people other than their own tribal members. Which is why non-tribal entities should ALWAYS put their own interests ahead of those of the tribes. When the county commissioners obviously do not put county citizen interests above all others, it's time for a change.
I'm absolutely disgusted by how a few of our Commissioners behave like an elected Tribal Counsel, whose singular charter is to represent a Sovereign Nation! This Sovereign Nation has its own Government and officials. The Clallam County Commissioners one and only job is to represent the legal citizens of Clallam County, United States of America. I just can't accept Nation Building by Ozias and his gang, while the Taxpayers of Clallam foot the bill for his twisted and sordid obectives!
Our family has been on the Olympic Peninsula since 1924. My father told me a story that in the 1970s he saw a "Future" map of the Olympic Peninsula from the Department of Interior and Port Angeles, Forks, Sequim and Port Townsend didn't exist? He also told me the Elwha Dams didn't exist on the map. He told me about this way back in the late 70s early 80s.
This was a time of great turmoil on the Olympic Peninsula with the collapse of the logging and fishing industries and the Boldt decision. We went from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy overnight which IMHO is more easily manipulated by a few mainly the National Park and tribes (my tinfoil hat moment).
Whether this is true or not these stories of more and more properties being moved to tribal trust lands is beginning to make me wonder.
My father is still alive and I should ask him about it again.
Just think about this for a while….as the blood line decreases and decreases & the properties & lands grow and grow….where is this going to all end up? In the control of a few real tribal blood line members? I mean really where is this all going? Where is the end?
4 reasonable, I ask that question over and over. As the blood quantum is diluted, are the treaties made so many many years ago even relevant or apply to today? It is not about the Tribe anymore, it has become big business. The Treaties need amending to apply to the times.
I was told the same by our father during the mid-late 1960s, our family being Clallam County residents since 1930. Such a scenario was hard to believe during that time when a number of developments were being planned, especially in Sequim; namely Sunland, and with the influx of families moving to the area from "California", which has not slowed since.
I also saw documentation that George Rains had passed onto friends showing this exactly and how the national park was buying up anything they could around lake crescent to prevent people from coming. This has been a master plan for years. Wish I still had the documentation that he passed out to all his friends
Does anyone recall the Big sign ust east of Morse Creek bridge that stood for years, "Get US out of the United Nations!" I am not certain when it ws removed, but the framework was still there as of last week.
A lot of untoward things happened in the 1970s, which I’ll skip. The Boldt Decision was February 12, 1974, Lincoln’s birthday. Curious. Roe was the year before. Another curiosity - what is roe with respect to fish? William O. Douglas was on the bench for Roe but not when they declined Boldt. Douglas was popular around here with the usual suspects. He visited here in 1955? and supported those who didn’t want Highway 101 expanded to the NW corner of WA. Dead and unborn fish and babies . Why do I sense a connection? I consider Douglas as our first pedophile Supreme Court Justice. Kathy may have been legal age, but I believe with the mind of a 12 year old. Never be ashamed of your tinfoil.
The finance nerd in me has a simple solution. When property is converted from the county tax base into tribal trust land, the community permanently loses the property tax revenue that funds schools, roads, and public safety. This isn’t just a one-time hit — it’s a perpetual loss of income. A fair solution is for the tribe to compensate the county for the Net Present Value (NPV) of that lost revenue stream.
For example, if a property would have paid $1,000 annually in property taxes growing at 3% a year, and we use a 5% discount rate based on the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, the NPV works out to $50,000. In other words, removing that property from the rolls costs the community $50,000 today. By paying this amount when land is taken into trust, the county is made whole while still respecting tribal sovereignty.
The tax issue is no more important than the loss of jurisdiction issue - which gives the tribes tremendous advantages in competing against non-tribal businesses and cripples the effectiveness of any county planning attempts. These issues are existential insofar as county government is concerned. All the citizens of this county need to wake up to this fact and demand these issues be addressed - beginning with putting the proposed charter amendment requiring the county to respond to the BIA and requiring a comprehensive plan section on standards to be applied in making those responses.
That is a MUCH deeper question. That is like putting a for sale sign on one of our states. What do you think another sovereign entity should pay to buy the full control and jurisdiction of say, Hawaii? If this tribal land is technically not the USA, then should there be border fees and travel visas to cross over? Tariffs too? You can see the argument gets out of control quite quickly. I don't have a solution. From my perspective, WE are one community. If ~200 members are overly exploiting the rest of the community, there needs to be some rebalancing..
The Kommissars 'response' to the BIA will be no different than their response to us.
It's not a problem...'tribal 'sovereignty'' trumps the rule of law and common sense!
You don't usually change the behavior of beasts with coddling them, unless you get them very young!
These commies were gotten really young by the beast system and they are deeply programmed and will not EVER change their stance on a voluntary, logical basis.
They are indeed Enemies of the People and Friends of Fascism!
Commissioner Richards. The first time I heard you put it this way it made far too much sense to me. Given your experience as a former BOCCC I hope that others understand and appreciate the value of your statement and position.
So why doesn’t Commissioner Richard make motions to do just that instead of pushing a water steward that the tribe is hoping will ultimately end up in their hands? This issue is significantly important instead of allowing the troops to rally against another Commissioner and trample on all of our first amendment rights. People need to start ignoring and ostracizing those who are and have been the trouble makers in Clallam County…..quit trying to work with them and trying to be politically correct….the time is now & it’s time to stand up & act!
Working with someone and politically correct are two different things in my book. I'm not into letting frustrations dictate my actions. I think that the current state of affairs bears that out.
Steven, If our Constitution can be amended, why not the Treaties too? Amendments are made so that systems can be fluid with changing times. Nothing is forever except death and taxes. I guess the tribe only has to worry about death, the rest of us are getting taxed to death.
Not too well, unless we had wise leadership which put that money to good use to create living wage jobs and good commerce...you KNOW what they would do with that 'theoretical' money!💰🤪
That is how the math behind an NPV calculation in perpetuity works. (Annual payment/(discount rate-growth rate)) The only difference to you are the assumptions. Our actual out of pocket property tax bill has been growing closer to 9% per year for the past five years due to all of the levies. If we assumed that growth rate in perpetuity, the NPV or amount due today would be much higher (infinite). This is a deeper financial discussion that would argue a much higher discount rate as well). Taking an annual payment and dividing it by 2% or 3% should be an appropriate NPV value for a stream of revenue in PERPETUITY.
Likely true. I was simply arguing for reasonable basis to charge for the removal from the tax rolls. If not in perpetuity (which is justifiable), at least make it for 50 or 100 years.
This exercise now has me thinking... if the county offered me to pre-pay the NPV of my property taxes for say the next ten years at a 3% growth rate and a 5% discount rate, I would do that in a heartbeat! The County would get cash flow sooner and I would protect myself from any annual increase beyond 3%. SIGN ME UP!
Equity... We call think it's good, right, fair. America went from lack of equity for some, to equity, to, now, ADVANTAGE! Elected officials are frightened to address the INEQUITY that exists in plain sight. You only need look at the vast wealth of the 7 Seven Cedars and all their other possessions to see how the shift is huge and INequitable to the rest of Clallam County residents.
Absent elected leadership with a modicum of courage and common sense the entire relationship between the treaty entitled and the majority of this country's residents will become war again. There will be no horseback, or spears or arrows, but it will be war. Special rights and privileges of a few above all others will not be tolerated in a country based upon equal rights. The treaty entitled are currently in an advantageous position to negotiate their coming out position as regular citizens. Absent that the war will be economic. Taxation, travel restrictions equal to all other sovereign countries and more. This misdirected reverence for the no longer living is destined to die with time. The stereotypical image of the proud brave with horse, spear and hair feather NO LONGER LIVES. Today's treaty entitled have cell phones, computers and powered vehicle transportation. Even Government and those most sympathetic to the ghost of ancestry will eventually see the light.
Their Horses are our kommissars and their Spears are the corrupt decisions being made exclusively on behalf of a tiny minority...their Arrows are the infinite insults made to us through secret NWO deals, seizing property, locking up public property, strangling the populace in rules and taxes while letting chaos and crime run wild!
Their Feathers are in the caps of our kommissars for their noble service on behalf of the 'tribes'.
NONE OF THIS is Accidental...it's all planned...long term planning...French might be so stupid he doesn't understand...but Nozias is completely conscious of his betrayal of the people paying his salary...that's why they want private security at the courthouse.
They know what they are doing... and a completely Demonrat gov't (at all levels) means they are extremely difficult to dislodge.
Best of luck to the Patriots and Matriots of the land!😇
House Republican budget lead Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, blasted state Democratic budget writers Monday after new data revealed Medicaid cuts passed last session total more than three-quarters of a billion dollars.
“Democrats didn’t just cut Medicaid,” said Couture. “They cut out the truth and blamed others.”
According to the nonpartisan Office of Program Research, the budget passed by Democrats and signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in 2025 slashes over $782 million from Medicaid — $446 million in federal funds and $336.5 million in state matching dollars. Nearly 95% of the reductions hit general medical care, services for people with disabilities and seniors, and long-term care assistance.
“That is not just astonishing — it is disgraceful,” Couture said. “While they gutted Medicaid, they pointed fingers at the federal government. From Gov. Ferguson we’ve heard quotes like, ‘This morally bankrupt decision will cause our most vulnerable Washingtonians to lose their health care coverage’ and ‘likely force hospital closures across the state,’ in reference to H.R.1. But the truth is this happened even before H.R.1 took effect because of a budget passed by legislative Democrats and signed by him — and we have the receipts to prove it.”
Democrats hit hospitals with both program cuts and new taxes in 2025, costing $120 million in 2026 and rising to $239 million annually by 2027. These cuts will further destabilize Washington’s hospitals, which have already lost more than $4 billion since 2021, according to the Washington State Hospital Association. House Republicans fought to protect access to care, including an amendment to boost Medicaid reimbursement rates, but Democrats blocked them.
“This mix of cuts and taxes will impact all medical care in our state — not just Medicaid patients,” Couture said. “And to make matters worse, Democrats siphoned money from Medicaid to help pay for bureaucrat pay raises. That is unconscionable.”
Couture called on Democrats to “end the hypocrisy, own the damage they’ve done, and fix it before it costs lives.”
In the meantime, Couture said House Republicans will be working on a solution in the lead-up to the 2026 session.
Let us keep reminding these Individuals in our local governments that they work ONLY for us, and that they are violating the public trust and their oaths whenever they do anything else~! This helps folks see what is really going on behind those underhanded closed-door meetings AND in the future, it also removes these criminals in government's pre-planned "plausible deniability" BS where they conspire to claim that they didn't know "we" (the good folks in the community) had constant objections to their continuing abuses~! There nasty game is to always trivialize the voices of the majority to make them appear to be a minority "opinion" unworthy of listening to, however the good folks of Clallam County (and America) are starting to catch on to that dastardly game of lies and deceptions~! Cheers! Sincerely, Mike
Jeff, another FOIA request for any and all communications previous to this draft letter between “the parties” regarding this issue. Certainly the JkT and CCC have already been in discussion behind the scenes about this as a “softening” pr to the tax role debacle. Perhaps by phone or in person conversation - harder to track.
Judge Boldt in his decision called the tribes dependent. Seems to me, at the time of the treaty, they were fiercely independent. Any dependency came later when they started leaning on government (taxpayers’) money.
Well, times have changed. They don’t need our money. For the sake of their young, especially, it’s time to close the reservations. Distribute the lands, or sell them and distribute the proceeds. Make them all wealthy, but end this. We are only one nation. (I never understood how “sovereign land” meant a nation).
If you need some rationale, for our local tribes anyway, look to the Treaty of Point No Point.
Article 7. Removal from reservation and relocation at discretion of President for reason with compensation.
Article 9. Promise to be friendly to and pledge to commit no depredations on property of citizens of the Territory.
Seem there are depredations. They have violated the treaty. There is reason for the President to act.
If we are really serious about ending racism, can we tolerate continued segregation? I believe the American Indian is just as good and capable as everyone else. Remove the reservation Albatross from their necks, and let’s proceed building ONE “big beautiful” nation.
Do tribal members, of a Sovereign Nation in America, get to vote in all elections as equal American Citizens? Do American Cittizens of Sovereign United States get to vote in all Tribal elections, across the country and even locally? Do members of the US get to vote on laws, leaders, finances, rulings, and taxes that other Sovereign Nations who do business in this land (China,Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Etc) ? Tribal Sovereignty appears to be unique in a status highly beneficial to them. One-way benefits. How much taxing can we tolerate, how much BIA- support can this USA tolerate?
Is Sovereign Nation status forever, until we go broke while supporting reparations? Cutting support (food, medical, housing) of people in poverty while taxing US citizens for support of Sovereign Nations doing business in this country is fair, smart, logical?
The elected commissioners, who represent all residents including dual citizens of the tribes, may draft a letter requesting that the tribes consider an in lieu of tax fee, but won’t answer a request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs showing the impact of removal of land from tax rolls is a dereliction of duty.
Jeff, the statement, ..."Think about that. Our elected commissioners openly admit they have withheld comments to the federal government because they “support” the Tribe’s efforts to expand its land base. But they were not elected to represent the interests of a sovereign tribal government—they were elected to represent the people of Clallam County."...pretty much sums up what the citizens are crying for.
COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB THEY WERE ENTRUSTED WITH.
Tribes Clash With Counties Over Property Taxes
..."Native American tribes across the country are buying back land where their ancestors lived and putting it in federal trusts. It often makes that land exempt from local and state taxes. That's leading to tensions in the counties that suddenly experience budget shortfalls as revenue streams disappear"...
It is a problem everywhere and has been growing. Above was a snippet from NPR written in 2010!!! It is a hard fight, getting worse acre by acre. Without the support of our county trustees, who should have our backs economically, it will not be us fighting for acres of land, it will be fighting for our small portions just to live on.
And where are they getting money to buy land? (I think we all can guess). I refuse to say “back,” nor will I say “their.” Ownership has some requirements and duties. Somebody wrote an important piece on this issue. Please look for it.
They are treasonous! The penalty is rather severe.😱
Yes it is Robert - Whack em on the peepee
If that doesn't show where their allegiance is, what will? Time and time again, our corrupt County Commissioners ignore our concerns and get erections over anything having to do with the Tribe. Let me ask you something: If they were working AGAINST us, what would they do differently? They seem to be Enemies of the People! We MUST get the word out to the naive voters so that they are aware of this. Thank you, Jeff, for your leading the charge on this. Long Live CCWD!
Problem. Reaction. Solution.
This is happening all across the country.
Tribes want their land back. They get people elected that will allow and help them do this. They remove land from tax doles(Problem). They allow it to fester until people get upset and beg for the solution (Reaction). The Solution will definitely not be what the taxpayers hope. It will be exactly what the tribes are hoping as they become the land owners and the leaseholders, you and I, will rent from them and pay the taxes for them. (Solution).
The land lease agreements that are becoming common is the model. They want to own the land. You own the house and pay them rent for the land, but also pay the property tax.
Already happening around the country. That's the final solution.
We really need to stop parroting false notions such as "their land" regarding Indian claims. "No one owns the earth, sky, oceans or life", has been asserted as having been claimed by Indians, when the U.S. Government/Railroads were rounding up tribes, et al., back in the day. Suddenly, the narrative takes a 180 turn, yet with the current claims, I would ask to see clear Title, which we possess for the home and land that we reside on/in, having been acquired with the efforts of two immediate family generation's endeavors. Reparations have been paid in full for any perceived wrongs of the past, that some believe supersede those commited against those paying, along with their ancestors, who paid their entire lives. It's time to "draw the line" between earned and granted; propaganda is what it is. We didn't make the rules, nesessarily; however, honor them to the benefit of all in a "Democracy"; changing them is a process, not a demand.
Agreed. I should have put "their land" in quotations. But the ownership of land is what truly makes someone free and unencumbered by the whims of governments. I mean outright owned without any taxes owed ever. That should be the goal of all freedom loving peoples. The tribes have discovered how to get there, how to be free of the government taxes on their land. The rest of us must stop complaining about how they are doing it and demand equal treatment with them. Stop asking that they be treated like us and demand we be treated like them. No property taxes for them, No property taxes for me. We must stop demanding they return to slavery to the government and demand we be as free as they are.
Well stated, TJ. Never mind taxing unrealized capital gains. Politicians are in favor of such circumvention of our State and United States Constitutions, as they side-step taxes via "family foundations" (non-profits) and set their children up for their life funded by other people's money. I appreciate your feedback regarding the wording, "their land", we know it's not.
I am the County Commissioners' piggy bank, and this little piggy is tired of their grubby paws raiding her savings. Thank you, Jeff, for always bringing the hard truth and facts. I'll keep fighting these tax increases, because they are not fair to any of us, and we deserve much better.
It's simple ... Elections matter. All the tribes, not just JKT, have no obligation whatsoever to consider the interests of any people other than their own tribal members. Which is why non-tribal entities should ALWAYS put their own interests ahead of those of the tribes. When the county commissioners obviously do not put county citizen interests above all others, it's time for a change.
I'm absolutely disgusted by how a few of our Commissioners behave like an elected Tribal Counsel, whose singular charter is to represent a Sovereign Nation! This Sovereign Nation has its own Government and officials. The Clallam County Commissioners one and only job is to represent the legal citizens of Clallam County, United States of America. I just can't accept Nation Building by Ozias and his gang, while the Taxpayers of Clallam foot the bill for his twisted and sordid obectives!
Our family has been on the Olympic Peninsula since 1924. My father told me a story that in the 1970s he saw a "Future" map of the Olympic Peninsula from the Department of Interior and Port Angeles, Forks, Sequim and Port Townsend didn't exist? He also told me the Elwha Dams didn't exist on the map. He told me about this way back in the late 70s early 80s.
This was a time of great turmoil on the Olympic Peninsula with the collapse of the logging and fishing industries and the Boldt decision. We went from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy overnight which IMHO is more easily manipulated by a few mainly the National Park and tribes (my tinfoil hat moment).
Whether this is true or not these stories of more and more properties being moved to tribal trust lands is beginning to make me wonder.
My father is still alive and I should ask him about it again.
Ask him!!!
Just think about this for a while….as the blood line decreases and decreases & the properties & lands grow and grow….where is this going to all end up? In the control of a few real tribal blood line members? I mean really where is this all going? Where is the end?
4 reasonable, I ask that question over and over. As the blood quantum is diluted, are the treaties made so many many years ago even relevant or apply to today? It is not about the Tribe anymore, it has become big business. The Treaties need amending to apply to the times.
I was told the same by our father during the mid-late 1960s, our family being Clallam County residents since 1930. Such a scenario was hard to believe during that time when a number of developments were being planned, especially in Sequim; namely Sunland, and with the influx of families moving to the area from "California", which has not slowed since.
I also saw documentation that George Rains had passed onto friends showing this exactly and how the national park was buying up anything they could around lake crescent to prevent people from coming. This has been a master plan for years. Wish I still had the documentation that he passed out to all his friends
Well Mike French's dad and grandfather was a John Bircher
Along with Rains
He probably destroyed it all
Grandfather yes, Dad no.
Of course get rid of the evidence on the playbook
Does anyone recall the Big sign ust east of Morse Creek bridge that stood for years, "Get US out of the United Nations!" I am not certain when it ws removed, but the framework was still there as of last week.
The Boldt decision was a nightmare for everyone except tribes. I dealt with this in Alaska and have seen its effects up close.
A lot of untoward things happened in the 1970s, which I’ll skip. The Boldt Decision was February 12, 1974, Lincoln’s birthday. Curious. Roe was the year before. Another curiosity - what is roe with respect to fish? William O. Douglas was on the bench for Roe but not when they declined Boldt. Douglas was popular around here with the usual suspects. He visited here in 1955? and supported those who didn’t want Highway 101 expanded to the NW corner of WA. Dead and unborn fish and babies . Why do I sense a connection? I consider Douglas as our first pedophile Supreme Court Justice. Kathy may have been legal age, but I believe with the mind of a 12 year old. Never be ashamed of your tinfoil.
The finance nerd in me has a simple solution. When property is converted from the county tax base into tribal trust land, the community permanently loses the property tax revenue that funds schools, roads, and public safety. This isn’t just a one-time hit — it’s a perpetual loss of income. A fair solution is for the tribe to compensate the county for the Net Present Value (NPV) of that lost revenue stream.
For example, if a property would have paid $1,000 annually in property taxes growing at 3% a year, and we use a 5% discount rate based on the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, the NPV works out to $50,000. In other words, removing that property from the rolls costs the community $50,000 today. By paying this amount when land is taken into trust, the county is made whole while still respecting tribal sovereignty.
The tax issue is no more important than the loss of jurisdiction issue - which gives the tribes tremendous advantages in competing against non-tribal businesses and cripples the effectiveness of any county planning attempts. These issues are existential insofar as county government is concerned. All the citizens of this county need to wake up to this fact and demand these issues be addressed - beginning with putting the proposed charter amendment requiring the county to respond to the BIA and requiring a comprehensive plan section on standards to be applied in making those responses.
That is a MUCH deeper question. That is like putting a for sale sign on one of our states. What do you think another sovereign entity should pay to buy the full control and jurisdiction of say, Hawaii? If this tribal land is technically not the USA, then should there be border fees and travel visas to cross over? Tariffs too? You can see the argument gets out of control quite quickly. I don't have a solution. From my perspective, WE are one community. If ~200 members are overly exploiting the rest of the community, there needs to be some rebalancing..
The Kommissars 'response' to the BIA will be no different than their response to us.
It's not a problem...'tribal 'sovereignty'' trumps the rule of law and common sense!
You don't usually change the behavior of beasts with coddling them, unless you get them very young!
These commies were gotten really young by the beast system and they are deeply programmed and will not EVER change their stance on a voluntary, logical basis.
They are indeed Enemies of the People and Friends of Fascism!
Deal with it!😎
Amen
Commissioner Richards. The first time I heard you put it this way it made far too much sense to me. Given your experience as a former BOCCC I hope that others understand and appreciate the value of your statement and position.
So why doesn’t Commissioner Richard make motions to do just that instead of pushing a water steward that the tribe is hoping will ultimately end up in their hands? This issue is significantly important instead of allowing the troops to rally against another Commissioner and trample on all of our first amendment rights. People need to start ignoring and ostracizing those who are and have been the trouble makers in Clallam County…..quit trying to work with them and trying to be politically correct….the time is now & it’s time to stand up & act!
Working with someone and politically correct are two different things in my book. I'm not into letting frustrations dictate my actions. I think that the current state of affairs bears that out.
Steven, If our Constitution can be amended, why not the Treaties too? Amendments are made so that systems can be fluid with changing times. Nothing is forever except death and taxes. I guess the tribe only has to worry about death, the rest of us are getting taxed to death.
Interesting. How does that work out going forward, say 100 years, and compare to my property tax carried forward 100 years?
Not too well, unless we had wise leadership which put that money to good use to create living wage jobs and good commerce...you KNOW what they would do with that 'theoretical' money!💰🤪
That is how the math behind an NPV calculation in perpetuity works. (Annual payment/(discount rate-growth rate)) The only difference to you are the assumptions. Our actual out of pocket property tax bill has been growing closer to 9% per year for the past five years due to all of the levies. If we assumed that growth rate in perpetuity, the NPV or amount due today would be much higher (infinite). This is a deeper financial discussion that would argue a much higher discount rate as well). Taking an annual payment and dividing it by 2% or 3% should be an appropriate NPV value for a stream of revenue in PERPETUITY.
Thanks. Only problem is, the commissioners would spend it faster than the interest could even begin to accumulate.
Likely true. I was simply arguing for reasonable basis to charge for the removal from the tax rolls. If not in perpetuity (which is justifiable), at least make it for 50 or 100 years.
Yeah the climate change will have taken care of everything by then 🥸
This exercise now has me thinking... if the county offered me to pre-pay the NPV of my property taxes for say the next ten years at a 3% growth rate and a 5% discount rate, I would do that in a heartbeat! The County would get cash flow sooner and I would protect myself from any annual increase beyond 3%. SIGN ME UP!
Steven, don't count on the Commissioners supporting that. They can't even balance the county budget...too many mathematical calculations ; )
Making deals with the devil usually doesn't go well!😊
Equity... We call think it's good, right, fair. America went from lack of equity for some, to equity, to, now, ADVANTAGE! Elected officials are frightened to address the INEQUITY that exists in plain sight. You only need look at the vast wealth of the 7 Seven Cedars and all their other possessions to see how the shift is huge and INequitable to the rest of Clallam County residents.
Change your words, and I could agree. Equality not equity.
Equity, equality, etc., I think we all know what the goal was. Get above and beyond and take advantage.
Neither equity nor equality are possible when the populace is both ignorant and insane.
Keep trying, though!😎
Absent elected leadership with a modicum of courage and common sense the entire relationship between the treaty entitled and the majority of this country's residents will become war again. There will be no horseback, or spears or arrows, but it will be war. Special rights and privileges of a few above all others will not be tolerated in a country based upon equal rights. The treaty entitled are currently in an advantageous position to negotiate their coming out position as regular citizens. Absent that the war will be economic. Taxation, travel restrictions equal to all other sovereign countries and more. This misdirected reverence for the no longer living is destined to die with time. The stereotypical image of the proud brave with horse, spear and hair feather NO LONGER LIVES. Today's treaty entitled have cell phones, computers and powered vehicle transportation. Even Government and those most sympathetic to the ghost of ancestry will eventually see the light.
Their Horses are our kommissars and their Spears are the corrupt decisions being made exclusively on behalf of a tiny minority...their Arrows are the infinite insults made to us through secret NWO deals, seizing property, locking up public property, strangling the populace in rules and taxes while letting chaos and crime run wild!
Their Feathers are in the caps of our kommissars for their noble service on behalf of the 'tribes'.
NONE OF THIS is Accidental...it's all planned...long term planning...French might be so stupid he doesn't understand...but Nozias is completely conscious of his betrayal of the people paying his salary...that's why they want private security at the courthouse.
They know what they are doing... and a completely Demonrat gov't (at all levels) means they are extremely difficult to dislodge.
Best of luck to the Patriots and Matriots of the land!😇
They keep kicking the can down the road while they propose a tax hike for taxpayers. The lemmings will approve it, unfortunately.
I can only imagine what this cost OMC and especially NOHN, which is more dependent on Medicaid reimbursements.
𝗥𝗲𝗽. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗.𝗖.
House Republican budget lead Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, blasted state Democratic budget writers Monday after new data revealed Medicaid cuts passed last session total more than three-quarters of a billion dollars.
“Democrats didn’t just cut Medicaid,” said Couture. “They cut out the truth and blamed others.”
According to the nonpartisan Office of Program Research, the budget passed by Democrats and signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in 2025 slashes over $782 million from Medicaid — $446 million in federal funds and $336.5 million in state matching dollars. Nearly 95% of the reductions hit general medical care, services for people with disabilities and seniors, and long-term care assistance.
“That is not just astonishing — it is disgraceful,” Couture said. “While they gutted Medicaid, they pointed fingers at the federal government. From Gov. Ferguson we’ve heard quotes like, ‘This morally bankrupt decision will cause our most vulnerable Washingtonians to lose their health care coverage’ and ‘likely force hospital closures across the state,’ in reference to H.R.1. But the truth is this happened even before H.R.1 took effect because of a budget passed by legislative Democrats and signed by him — and we have the receipts to prove it.”
Democrats hit hospitals with both program cuts and new taxes in 2025, costing $120 million in 2026 and rising to $239 million annually by 2027. These cuts will further destabilize Washington’s hospitals, which have already lost more than $4 billion since 2021, according to the Washington State Hospital Association. House Republicans fought to protect access to care, including an amendment to boost Medicaid reimbursement rates, but Democrats blocked them.
“This mix of cuts and taxes will impact all medical care in our state — not just Medicaid patients,” Couture said. “And to make matters worse, Democrats siphoned money from Medicaid to help pay for bureaucrat pay raises. That is unconscionable.”
Couture called on Democrats to “end the hypocrisy, own the damage they’ve done, and fix it before it costs lives.”
In the meantime, Couture said House Republicans will be working on a solution in the lead-up to the 2026 session.
We’re Here We’re CCW And You Better Get Use To It !! And now we have a new definition to the words French Drain !
Great work as always Jeff Tozzer~!
Let us keep reminding these Individuals in our local governments that they work ONLY for us, and that they are violating the public trust and their oaths whenever they do anything else~! This helps folks see what is really going on behind those underhanded closed-door meetings AND in the future, it also removes these criminals in government's pre-planned "plausible deniability" BS where they conspire to claim that they didn't know "we" (the good folks in the community) had constant objections to their continuing abuses~! There nasty game is to always trivialize the voices of the majority to make them appear to be a minority "opinion" unworthy of listening to, however the good folks of Clallam County (and America) are starting to catch on to that dastardly game of lies and deceptions~! Cheers! Sincerely, Mike
Jeff, another FOIA request for any and all communications previous to this draft letter between “the parties” regarding this issue. Certainly the JkT and CCC have already been in discussion behind the scenes about this as a “softening” pr to the tax role debacle. Perhaps by phone or in person conversation - harder to track.
Judge Boldt in his decision called the tribes dependent. Seems to me, at the time of the treaty, they were fiercely independent. Any dependency came later when they started leaning on government (taxpayers’) money.
Well, times have changed. They don’t need our money. For the sake of their young, especially, it’s time to close the reservations. Distribute the lands, or sell them and distribute the proceeds. Make them all wealthy, but end this. We are only one nation. (I never understood how “sovereign land” meant a nation).
If you need some rationale, for our local tribes anyway, look to the Treaty of Point No Point.
Article 7. Removal from reservation and relocation at discretion of President for reason with compensation.
Article 9. Promise to be friendly to and pledge to commit no depredations on property of citizens of the Territory.
Seem there are depredations. They have violated the treaty. There is reason for the President to act.
If we are really serious about ending racism, can we tolerate continued segregation? I believe the American Indian is just as good and capable as everyone else. Remove the reservation Albatross from their necks, and let’s proceed building ONE “big beautiful” nation.
Tribe USA
Do tribal members, of a Sovereign Nation in America, get to vote in all elections as equal American Citizens? Do American Cittizens of Sovereign United States get to vote in all Tribal elections, across the country and even locally? Do members of the US get to vote on laws, leaders, finances, rulings, and taxes that other Sovereign Nations who do business in this land (China,Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Etc) ? Tribal Sovereignty appears to be unique in a status highly beneficial to them. One-way benefits. How much taxing can we tolerate, how much BIA- support can this USA tolerate?
Is Sovereign Nation status forever, until we go broke while supporting reparations? Cutting support (food, medical, housing) of people in poverty while taxing US citizens for support of Sovereign Nations doing business in this country is fair, smart, logical?
The elected commissioners, who represent all residents including dual citizens of the tribes, may draft a letter requesting that the tribes consider an in lieu of tax fee, but won’t answer a request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs showing the impact of removal of land from tax rolls is a dereliction of duty.