The commissioners did not respond to yesterday's email asking why they completely ignore some emails. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
Before expanding or continuing current homelessness and harm-reduction programs, will the Board commit to a public work session specifically dedicated to evaluating unintended consequences — including impacts on neighborhoods, repeat criminal behavior, and strain on law enforcement — and openly discuss what policies, if any, are not working? If not, why?
Modeled a good governance reply from the perspective of an individual Clallam County Commissioner, grounded in existing law and local oversight structures.
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for this thoughtful question. As an individual Clallam County Commissioner, I agree that evaluating unintended consequences is not opposition to homelessness or harm-reduction efforts—it is responsible governance.
Clallam County already operates within established statutory and local oversight frameworks. Behavioral health and certain homelessness-related services funded through the 1/10 of 1% sales tax are authorized under RCW 82.14.460 and implemented locally through Clallam County Code Chapter 5.05, which establishes the Behavioral Health Advisory Board (BHAB) to advise the Board of County Commissioners on implementation and funding decisions (Clallam County, 2024). Funded programs submit quarterly reports, and annual summaries are published to provide transparency regarding expenditures and program outputs (Clallam County, 2021). Broader population-level indicators are also evaluated through the County’s Community Health Status Assessment (Clallam County Health & Human Services [HHS], 2022).
From a legal and compliance standpoint, the County is meeting its reporting and advisory obligations. These mechanisms primarily measure service delivery, participation levels, and client outcomes.
Where your question identifies a legitimate governance opportunity is in the integration of broader community-level impacts into that existing framework. Public health methodologies traditionally focus on individuals receiving intervention. Less frequently are environmental and system-wide impacts—such as neighborhood conditions, repeat criminal behavior trends, law enforcement workload strain, and secondary fiscal effects—formally integrated into performance review.
Under Article I, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution (1889), political authority is inherent in the people. When programs are publicly funded, the public is entitled to clarity not only about intended outcomes, but also about unintended consequences.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot unilaterally schedule a Board work session. However, I would support requesting placement of a structured public work session prior to any significant expansion or continuation of current programs. Such a session could responsibly integrate:
1. Existing BHAB and contractor performance metrics;
2. Aggregate law enforcement workload and repeat interaction data (within legal confidentiality limits);
3. Publicly reportable emergency system utilization trends;
4. Environmental and neighborhood-level indicators;
5. Fiscal sustainability analysis; and
6. Clarification of state-law constraints affecting local enforcement authority.
Evaluation does not presume that policies are failing. It ensures that policies are informed, transparent, and adaptable. Programs that are effective should withstand public review. Programs that require refinement should benefit from it.
If the Board were to determine that existing advisory and reporting mechanisms are sufficient and decline to hold a dedicated work session, that rationale should be stated publicly so residents understand how oversight is being exercised.
Compassion and accountability are not mutually exclusive. Good governance requires both.
I've been quiet for several weeks because I've moved away from Clallam County. I've been in my new community for two weeks now.
No panhandlers, no obvious homeless, no drug use in public, no garbage on roadways, clean parks, safe walking paths through wooded areas, beautiful new $120 million school, no protestors anywhere, no political signs, and no coworkers saying anything about politics.
I honestly feel like I've gone back in time, kids playing in the park, teenagers playing basketball outside, ice cream truck driving around, people laughing and picnicking outside.
I wish Clallam County could get back to this and I feel like I gave up and failed at making Sequim what I see here. But, I've decided to move on. I don't feel under scrutiny or attack constantly here and my body is detoxing from cortisol.
I will be forever a fan of Clallam County and consider it home. I'll be back if something changes, but life is short and it's pretty sad where Sequim and PA have arrived.
Clallam county is a example of how fast a conservative county for many years can be taken over by taxaholic ignorant liberals.All it takes is just a few like a barrel of apples and pretty soon the decay spreads quickly.It does look like some people lose their backbones and are influenced very easily and do not want confrontations with others so they go along with what influencers suggest or demand.
Thank you, @DeniseLapio. My hope is that if we can agree on metrics and accountability, we can have fewer circular debates and more clarity about what’s working and what needs adjustment.
This climate started more than 15 years ago when homeless counters in their surveys convinced the public that those on the streets were locals. We then had a tendency to overlook issues because they were ours. This was an out and out lie to the public. Over the years the outsiders have invaded us. They come from all over the U.S. We don’t enforce trespassing laws, we don’t enforce vagrancy laws and we don’t enforce drugs in public. We don’t have enough of a force to enforce laws. Law Enforcement is overwhelmed. The do gooders pass out free drug paraphernalia. They encourage drug use. We wait in our ER because it’s full of mental health ( like bombs they are ready to go off at any time.) Addicts are overwhelming the ER screaming in pain. Yet the normal person waits for service. Thats what we still continue to do after 15-20 years wait for service. If we don’t get rid of what is causing these problems (City and County Leadership) we’ll soon be living among an overwhelming Walking Dead. It’s time for action. No more waiting, no more enhancing the Walking Dead. Take back our community. Elect New and begin new before it’s to late.
Every county that i have seen taken over by brainwashed lunatic libtards has gone into decay with high taxes- homeless drug addicts that cause crimes all across the board.
One would think that with reality hitting you in the face that you'd realize whatever is being pitched, and continuously fails, that you'd see the problem.
I think it's all like a bad domestic violence relationship. Here's how much I love you, punch. I'm sorry, here's some money and things. OK, everything is better. PUNCH! AGAIN!
The only way to kill the government beast is to starve it to death but that process is difficult because many members of the extreme left wing are educated professionals and don't mind paying excessive taxes because their salaries depend on some type of government source. IMO not everyone should be allowed to vote.
I often wonder about the psychology of the sell-outs. I think some actually believe their own propaganda. This group is composed loyal ideologues, and their minds are fixed and cannot be altered. They are the idiots blowing whistles and dancing while holding signs and jumping in front of cars. The second group is far more cunning. This group not only occupies government offices but also sits on corporate boards. They don't believe any of the progressive social theories. They operate more sophisticated level. They use buzz words and jargon to enhance wealth and power. They prosper from the problems they create. That is my two cents.
Great stories new and old...bottom line are our current county commissioners going to get off their Globally sized support asses and listen to the businesses and citizens that pay their salary.
I’m afraid it’s too late for the Three Musketeers to change their ways. Unfortunately they have become the enemies of the county by failures and omissions. Who can trust them after reading CCW for a year or so? The arrogance is immeasurable. The attitude I pick up on is they don’t think the exposure here matters. Talk about mental health issues? To save/restore this county that dead weight needs to be used as an anchor and fresh (Jake Seegers and hopefully some other great people) need to turn the county around. We don’t work for the commissioners, and anyone that still wants to kiss their collective back sides should join the anchor they’ll go down with.
Legislators should be required to be the first to offer their homes to inhabitants of encampments. The streets and sidewalks belong to taxpayers who are restricted from safely traversing them. Legislators should be required to lead by example when imposing legislation that undermines community health and safety.
It appears former Judge Coughenour is the first Clallam official to follow through on this idea with a fetty tent on the planting strip of his 5th and Laurel property this weekend. The occupant inside had foil in hand as I walked by Saturday around noon.
I remember seeing a recreation vehicle with a noisy generator sitting in the QFC parking lot. Dope addiction is a form of gradual suicide. When a person is revived from an overdose I wonder if he is disappointed to still be alive. OTOH for every dozen who succumb to death one government employee loses his/her job and pension.
When someone on today's street drugs is revived with Narcan they go into rapid withdrawl and return to drug seeking. Different than previous decades where a user might have some time to feel remorse or seek change. The high is too strong.
The NGOs are heavily invested in pepetuating the system just as much as the govt employees.
I believe we will see more walled communities with heavy iron gates. I like your idea but we don't exist inside a just world. Our world seems to operate on more of a mechanical basis.
I think this problem began three generations ago and it involves marriage. Without a proper female mate males revert to the status of what George Gilder called the "Naked Nomad". Males have been berated since I attended college many decades ago. Now we are witnessing the result. I don't believe that culture can be separated from economics and politics. They all seem to be intertwined.
The Seattle Times is supporting the Olympia legislation to fund local news to "defend democracy." Yet here we have another fine example of the pathetic rag that is the PDN trotting out one-sided activists in an anti-democratic manner. WTH?
We really need Jake for Commissioner to bring a fully supportive third leg of the stool to properly support Clallam County lest it tip over with the current polarized lot.
I see his appeal to those, no matter they're political leaning, recognize we're a bit askew and could use a touch of course correction. This based on conversations I've had with people, after they see me wearing the Jake Seegers 2026 button, have told me that despite being left leaning they don't appreciate how our county is being run.
We have new state laws that protect the homeless drug addicts from being removed from encampments which is going to get real bad real quick due to fact our ignorant board commissioners support them.
Its a vision problem. The experts establish a "sanitation limit" for the parks and then allow the local human wreckage to pee and poop in the alley at will.
The poor tourist from Japan or Germany has to head back down the mountain while the local human wreckage just pinches a loaf in the woods or pees in a Gatorade bottle..
We need 50 more cents from Pugetropolis just to deal with sanitation.
Hey, John. What are your thoughts on the concept of "pack-in and pack-out"? How does that apply to those "ingenuitive" individuals using the Gatorade bottles (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle)?
Double standards for those they know can't pay the fine... I want to tell a court judge that so bad next time I am tacked with a violation. Why should anyone have to pay anything if the "compassion" model lets everyone off.
"It was the best of times. [ simultaneously ] It was the worst of times." I believe that we are witnessing a few systems operating at the same time. Modern technology is advancing rapidly while human evolution seems to be reversing course.
HARM REDUCTION COMPASSION OR WORDS TO THE LONG GOODBYE?
Deceased male...suicide attempt...disturbance...calling for coroner...medics LE responding...CPR in progress...trespassed...officer caution...evicted and trespassed...CPR instructions being given...social services...MAT clinic...jail...emergency response...back to the streets.
NORTH VIEW, WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA, LOW BARRIER SERVICES
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering crack pipe
My head grew heavy and my lungs were eager so I stopped for a light There she stood in the doorway as I heard the St. Anthony bell and I was thinking to myself did I just enter Hell?"
Twelve years ago I left California to escape the blight. Then a few years later I attended the SOS meeting. Now all of the dire predictions are taking a human form and I predict that the situation will become worse before it improves. We are witnessing the first stage of the "Broken Windows Theory".
That is a question we need to ask at a safety Town Hall. I have seen tagging and heard of a Cartel and gang presence here in the County. We need this Town Hall!
Steve O, correct, not violent gangs, but we have violent individuals. As the Fentanyl and other drugs get harder to get (border crack down) I imagine we will start seeing more gang activity.
I want to clarify the statement that the City Council is “waiting for guidance from the I-5 Corridor before revisiting enforcement of the trespass ordinance.”
Strictly speaking, we are waiting on guidance from the state, but that’s not the same thing as waiting to see what Seattle does.
I am waiting because of HB 2489, currently moving through the Legislature in Olympia. This bill would significantly restrict when cities can regulate certain life-sustaining activities on public property unless very specific shelter conditions are met. In practical terms, it limits local authority over camping enforcement.
HB 2489 passed out of the House Housing Committee on a 9–8 vote and has been referred to Rules 2 Review. The legislative session ends March 12, 2026. Whether this bill advances matters. If the state changes the legal framework in the middle of our process, it directly affects how we draft and enforce our local ordinances.
I need to know whether Olympia is going to change the rules before rewriting and enforcing ours.
For transparency, this is the full message I sent to our elected state officials in opposition:
"I’m writing to share my concerns about House Bill 2489. I’m a Port Angeles City Council Member, but don’t speak for the full council.
I’m concerned about how this bill would limit local authority. As drafted, HB 2489 would significantly restrict when cities can regulate certain life sustaining activities on public property. Those restrictions apply unless very specific shelter conditions are met. I don’t believe this framework reflects the real conditions cities like Port Angeles manage every day.
Over the past year, Port Angeles has taken steps to reduce unmanaged camping and vehicle encampments. That progress occurred because the City retained flexibility to respond locally. We still have much work ahead. A state mandate that removes local tools risks slowing that work.
I don’t see this issue as a lack of compassion. I see it as a question of who is best positioned to make decisions. Local governments live with the outcomes daily. We’re accountable to the communities affected by those outcomes.
For these reasons, I oppose HB 2489 as currently written. I appreciate your time and your consideration."
You can track HB 2489 here, and anyone can write directly to our legislators from this page:
For me, this isn’t about copying Seattle. It isn’t about abandoning compassion. It’s about making sure we understand what legal authority we will have before we act.
With the major cities in Pugetropolis ending their harm reduction programs and clearing encampments...These cities are not waiting...The Olympic Peninsula is at risk of being over run.
This community cannot withstand a worse problem than we already have.
Our Harm reductions programs must be terminated and our nuisance laws need to be enforced. Or we need a major influx of cash to deal with the issue/.
Our food banks are already overrun and SSA co -management program benefits are nil in Clallam County.
Pugetropolis centric Olympia treat us as their park. Now they will treat us as their human wreckage refuge. For every 25 cents Clallam County sends to Olympia, Olympia sends us $1.25. Its simple. If Pugetropolis wants us to be their human wreckage refuge they are going to have to send us $1.50 at least. Please take note Seattle is not waiting for Olympia. Their businesses are fleeing and they are trying to clean things up. We have to be ready.
A mass migration of Cubans to the US in 1980. The Cuban government considered the exodus a sort of social cleansing of the nations' so-called undesirables
A mass migration of homeless and drug addicts to Clallam County in 2026. The Wa State Capital considers the exodus a sort of social cleansing of the States' so-called undesirables.
I lived in Los Angeles during that period and remember a spate of purse snatching in McCarther Park. LAPD began an operation to arrest the thieves but ran out of police officers. I was told that the thieves were composed of two separate groups the Cubans involved in the boat lift and El Salvadorians who escaped the civil war in El Salvadore. The second group metastasized into MS 13.
Seattle is trying to clean things up? Not from what I see. They are a huge part of the problem and continue to vote in non sensable , incompetent, socialists.
I don't understand the philosophy. I heard that "a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged" but voting patterns indicate a cognitive diffidence. The situation reminds me of the gambler who is losing but keeps doubling down instead of cutting his losses.
I believe that the country has reached the last phase of the economic cycle. A recession looms and will probably occur after the mid term elections. Once employers initiate layoffs the tax base will dwindle as it did in 2008 and 2009. Government programs will dwindle and hog troughs will become empty.
Appreciate your sane voice that at a minimum this is what the locals should decide on. It's possible we disagree on what those solutions locally are, but I appreciate the distinction. This is how Olympia has been operating for some time now. They make rules and push them down on municipalities, which is an interesting contrast to the state claiming independence from the feds on a host of matters.
Think about it. Pugetropolis cleans its human wreckage out now and then the bill prevents the park from clearing human wreckage. We should be going to the federal government or the UN for humanitarian crisis level aide. Its going to get that bad. They won't need an elk crossing, they will be eating elk and dear from a stick.
John W, I too, along with many others, see Clallam County as becoming a 3rd world structure. The leaders we have don't lead, which have left us with anarchist running our county and policies.
Actually some pockets of our country are more violent than some third world cities. I would guess that some of the wealthier parts of Seattle are still safe. Kidnappings are common in parts of the third world and so far I haven't heard of Bill Gates being kidnapped and held for ransom.
Indivisible Sequim — with the backing of the League of Women Voters — has begun publicly identifying businesses whose political views differ from theirs and encouraging boycotts. ---- Only sheep need apply.
In one case, they posted photos of a local family-owned business and suggested contractors avoid working with them. ---- this is disgusting and pure evil
How much did it cost Sequim taxpayers to haul and store Marshall's pile of garbage then give it back to him a day later? Is there some NGO that bails out mentally ill meth addicts and fights for the return of their garbage pile? What an insane waste of time, money and resources.
It's situations like this that hallow out the Constitution and pervert it. Situations like this are mandated because some controlling homeless progressive attorney saw a crack and threw a pry bar in it.
I have an interesting way that the good folks of Clallam County can get the attention of the clown show that insists upon ignoring the will & wellbeing of the vast majority of us~! Jeff Tozzer, Jake Seegers, Mimi, and all of us here on The Watchdog have been doing a fantastic job of identifying the biggest problems in our local community, only to be "filtered out", ignored, gas lit, and insulted in every conceivable way. So obviously our best recourse is to remove the clowns who are causing our problems and replace them with honorable trustworthy Individuals~! Ah, but is that REALLY all that we can do? NOPE, I think not~! We should perhaps take the lead from the clown show that has infiltrated our government. It occurs to me that sone creative thinking is called for now. We are being constantly bashed & bullied with this perverted bizarre socialist concept that we need to be "inclusive and compassionate", which is the very definition of an insult for such good folks who have long proven our inclusive and compassionate nature. SO, instead of reacting to defend ourselves from clearly hostile assaults, which obviously only results in our wishes and best interests being ignored and mocked, may I suggest that we FULLY adopt this "inclusive and compassionate" agenda and apply it "liberally" (pun intended)? We have been going about this all wrong because these criminals in our government and community have just been ignoring us, not to mention common sense itself, so what if we approach some of these fine homeless folks who are in need of a safe place to roost, to see if they would be interested in occupying the public spaces IMMEDIATELY adjacent to the personal homes of the three stooges (Ozias, Johnson, and French)~? Let us not forget to spread the joy to everyone else who is in favor of these failed local government policies, because after all, inclusion means that EVERYONE pushing that evil agenda needs to experience it firsthand first, before it becomes the "new norm" for all of us~! HA~! ALL out of the very Spirit of "love & inclusivity" mind you~! We all see the harm that the drug addicted homeless have caused all of the innocent residents, business owners, and tourists in our community, not to even mention the poor drug addicted homeless who need REAL help, so the way I see it we really do need to make sure that everyone in the government who is responsible for these failed "policies" (problems) actually shares the problems with the rest of us~! Now THAT would truly be "inclusive" and even successful "harm reduction" by simply spreading out these problems so that all can share in them as "liberally" as possible~! To be sure, our failed government servants clearly have no interest in actually solving the homeless problem by their very own fake "harm reduction" definition and not a harm elimination agenda, so perhaps by having them actually live with their agenda would get their attention and be fairer, equitable, and more reasonable~? At least it would be a fun experiment where the good folks could sit back and watch these criminals in the government scream and attempt to explain why WE should accept & deal with THEIR problems, but they should not have to~! I think that their forked tongues would break off as they attempted to talk their way out of THAT~!!! It would be useful to have the entire response of the three stooges well recorded for future enjoyment as well, not to mention the public value of it... So, maybe for some hamburgers, fries, and a drink, along with a little "folding money" to make their new "home" more cozy, we can get some of these homeless folks with drug addictions to be the new neighbors of these criminals within our community & especially government??? :-)) For those who have doubts that this would be at least in some positive way prove to be an effective approach to dealing with the local failed public servants, I will remind them of a little history. The infamous Salem Witch Trials and murders lasted a very long time, and many innocent folks were killed and families destroyed by the criminals in government then. Yes, getting rid of your enemies and reducing the population is as old as government~! Older, I am sure... Anyway, at some point, some of the good folks in Salem decided upon a very inventive plan to FINALLY put an end to the madness of their criminals in government. They simply accused one of the wives of one of the leaders of the government's crime spree of being a witch herself, and suddenly, as if by witchcraft magic itself (a little hint about true history), the so-called "Witch Trials" & mass killing disgrace of Salem Massachusetts came to a screeching halt~!!! What an interesting turn of events huh? Well, I hope that my thoughts bring smiles to the faces of all of those who have been suffering the insults of these disgusting lunatics that somehow cheated & deceived their way into our government, because our Presidents Day Holiday should be a day of happiness for all good Americans who love America and their freedoms and rights~!
It's not an accident! The more problems that the Commissioners' policies create, the more federal, state, and NGO money flows in to help, and the more ends up in politicians' pockets and the more is funneled to their cronies and pet businesses that support them, the Tribe notwithstanding. This is how "The System" works and anyone who opposes it is heartless, a racist, a Nazi, a ....
You can almost admire the effort Jeff puts into this “Compassion or Collapse” episode. Only he can take ten totally unrelated things, a wagon, a scanner call, a dishwasher, a door sign, a drug bust in Canada, and stitch them together like they are clues in some grand mystery. It’s like watching someone assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions. Lots of confidence, none of the pieces actually fit.
And somewhere along the way, he’s managed to turn compassion into a weapon.
He’s made decency sound suspicious. Turned caring into an insult. Packaged other people’s pain like it’s raw material for a meme. Everything gets tossed into the blender, and somehow the smoothie always tastes like fear.
A woman in distress becomes a political prop.
A young man fighting addiction becomes a cautionary tale.
A death with no known cause becomes proof of whatever point he wanted to make that day.
Even a dishwasher becomes a symbol of societal collapse.
A Canadian meth seizure somehow becomes the commissioners’ fault.
And if he runs short on material, there’s always that $65 bus assault video to hold up like it’s a policy paper.
It’s the same routine every time. Find suffering, strip out the context, assign blame, and call it journalism.
The pattern isn’t compassion or collapse. The pattern is starting with a conclusion and working backward until enough unrelated anecdotes can be made to point in the same direction.
We’ve got real challenges here. Addiction, housing, mental health. None of them get better by turning people into props for a podcast. Real problems deserve real solutions, not a grab bag of fear, vibes, and whatever happened to scroll across your feed that morning.
@Powdermonkey, I think you’re raising a legitimate point about narrative construction.
Stories can illuminate real issues, but they can also compress context. Journalism does its best work when anecdote leads to inquiry — not when it substitutes for it.
If collapse is the concern, then the question becomes: what measurable indicators confirm or refute that claim? And if compassion is the policy lens, how do we measure its effectiveness and unintended impacts?
Anecdotes reveal a signal. Data establishes scale. Good reporting — and good governance — require both.
At what measurement do anecdotes become pattern recognition? Jeff is not conducting a controlled lab experiment. When I lived in another state a neighbor was shot in the face by an armed robber and when I complained about the condition of our neighborhood another neighbor said, "Crime is everywhere". I agreed with her statement but a neighborhood five miles west produced a much lower homicide rate because of an aggressive police force. I don't see a logical reason why we should tolerate any crime even minor offenses.
Anecdotes can absolutely be early warning signals. The key governance question isn’t whether they matter — it’s how we determine when signal becomes verified pattern and when pattern justifies a policy shift.
That requires:
• Clear baseline data
• Defined thresholds for intervention
• Measurement of outcomes under different enforcement strategies
The goal isn’t to wait for perfect data — it’s to define enough clarity to act decisively rather than reactively.
Your example about two neighborhoods highlights that enforcement posture can influence crime rates. The follow-up question becomes: what measurable indicators should Clallam County use to determine whether current strategies are reducing crime, holding it steady, or allowing it to increase?
If we don’t define those thresholds, we end up debating feelings. If we do define them, then we can adjust policy based on evidence rather than narrative.
A weapon? What's the antithesis of your statement when empathy does doesn't do what you think it does, rather exacerbates the problem and that's just for beginners. Since when is it the government's job to force taxpayers to fund their election machines?
The commissioners did not respond to yesterday's email asking why they completely ignore some emails. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
Before expanding or continuing current homelessness and harm-reduction programs, will the Board commit to a public work session specifically dedicated to evaluating unintended consequences — including impacts on neighborhoods, repeat criminal behavior, and strain on law enforcement — and openly discuss what policies, if any, are not working? If not, why?
Modeled a good governance reply from the perspective of an individual Clallam County Commissioner, grounded in existing law and local oversight structures.
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for this thoughtful question. As an individual Clallam County Commissioner, I agree that evaluating unintended consequences is not opposition to homelessness or harm-reduction efforts—it is responsible governance.
Clallam County already operates within established statutory and local oversight frameworks. Behavioral health and certain homelessness-related services funded through the 1/10 of 1% sales tax are authorized under RCW 82.14.460 and implemented locally through Clallam County Code Chapter 5.05, which establishes the Behavioral Health Advisory Board (BHAB) to advise the Board of County Commissioners on implementation and funding decisions (Clallam County, 2024). Funded programs submit quarterly reports, and annual summaries are published to provide transparency regarding expenditures and program outputs (Clallam County, 2021). Broader population-level indicators are also evaluated through the County’s Community Health Status Assessment (Clallam County Health & Human Services [HHS], 2022).
From a legal and compliance standpoint, the County is meeting its reporting and advisory obligations. These mechanisms primarily measure service delivery, participation levels, and client outcomes.
Where your question identifies a legitimate governance opportunity is in the integration of broader community-level impacts into that existing framework. Public health methodologies traditionally focus on individuals receiving intervention. Less frequently are environmental and system-wide impacts—such as neighborhood conditions, repeat criminal behavior trends, law enforcement workload strain, and secondary fiscal effects—formally integrated into performance review.
Under Article I, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution (1889), political authority is inherent in the people. When programs are publicly funded, the public is entitled to clarity not only about intended outcomes, but also about unintended consequences.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot unilaterally schedule a Board work session. However, I would support requesting placement of a structured public work session prior to any significant expansion or continuation of current programs. Such a session could responsibly integrate:
1. Existing BHAB and contractor performance metrics;
2. Aggregate law enforcement workload and repeat interaction data (within legal confidentiality limits);
3. Publicly reportable emergency system utilization trends;
4. Environmental and neighborhood-level indicators;
5. Fiscal sustainability analysis; and
6. Clarification of state-law constraints affecting local enforcement authority.
Evaluation does not presume that policies are failing. It ensures that policies are informed, transparent, and adaptable. Programs that are effective should withstand public review. Programs that require refinement should benefit from it.
If the Board were to determine that existing advisory and reporting mechanisms are sufficient and decline to hold a dedicated work session, that rationale should be stated publicly so residents understand how oversight is being exercised.
Compassion and accountability are not mutually exclusive. Good governance requires both.
Respectfully,
Commissioner
Clallam County Board of Commissioners
References
Clallam County. (2021). Clallam County one-tenth of one percent tax fund: Annual report. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11159/Clallam-County-One-Tenth-of-One-Percent-Tax-Fund---2021-Annual-Report
Clallam County. (2024). Clallam County Code Chapter 5.05 – Behavioral health sales and use tax. https://clallam.county.codes/CCC/5.05
Clallam County Health & Human Services. (2022). Clallam County community health status assessment. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20545/Community-Health-Assessment-2022
Washington State Constitution. (1889). art. I, § 1. https://leg.wa.gov/state-laws-and-rules/washington-state-constitution/
I've been quiet for several weeks because I've moved away from Clallam County. I've been in my new community for two weeks now.
No panhandlers, no obvious homeless, no drug use in public, no garbage on roadways, clean parks, safe walking paths through wooded areas, beautiful new $120 million school, no protestors anywhere, no political signs, and no coworkers saying anything about politics.
I honestly feel like I've gone back in time, kids playing in the park, teenagers playing basketball outside, ice cream truck driving around, people laughing and picnicking outside.
I wish Clallam County could get back to this and I feel like I gave up and failed at making Sequim what I see here. But, I've decided to move on. I don't feel under scrutiny or attack constantly here and my body is detoxing from cortisol.
I will be forever a fan of Clallam County and consider it home. I'll be back if something changes, but life is short and it's pretty sad where Sequim and PA have arrived.
You have obviously moved to a county that has not been taken over by liberal lunatics brainwashed by high end elected officials.
Out of State. I’m not sure you’re going to find what I described in WA.
Probably the only hope here is small old school run towns with no DSHS-behavior health buildings these state run agencies are the culprits.
Maybe with new laws being considered this session in Olympia, you'll still be able vote in our elections. 😃
LOL I moved to a beautiful county I thought unblemished by the modern propaganda and about six years ago it began to deteriorate.
Clallam county is a example of how fast a conservative county for many years can be taken over by taxaholic ignorant liberals.All it takes is just a few like a barrel of apples and pretty soon the decay spreads quickly.It does look like some people lose their backbones and are influenced very easily and do not want confrontations with others so they go along with what influencers suggest or demand.
Thank you.
Can you give us a hint where it is you moved?
Yeah I’m not hiding anything. I have moved to Joplin, Missouri. It’s like a different world out here.
Good Governance Daily Proverb:
Compassion alone does not cause collapse. Unmeasured policy and unaccountable authority do.
When outcomes are unclear, frustration fills the gap. Define success. Measure progress. Adjust course. That is governance.
Straight forward and stoic. Very reasonable, Dr. Sarah.
Thank you, @DeniseLapio. My hope is that if we can agree on metrics and accountability, we can have fewer circular debates and more clarity about what’s working and what needs adjustment.
This climate started more than 15 years ago when homeless counters in their surveys convinced the public that those on the streets were locals. We then had a tendency to overlook issues because they were ours. This was an out and out lie to the public. Over the years the outsiders have invaded us. They come from all over the U.S. We don’t enforce trespassing laws, we don’t enforce vagrancy laws and we don’t enforce drugs in public. We don’t have enough of a force to enforce laws. Law Enforcement is overwhelmed. The do gooders pass out free drug paraphernalia. They encourage drug use. We wait in our ER because it’s full of mental health ( like bombs they are ready to go off at any time.) Addicts are overwhelming the ER screaming in pain. Yet the normal person waits for service. Thats what we still continue to do after 15-20 years wait for service. If we don’t get rid of what is causing these problems (City and County Leadership) we’ll soon be living among an overwhelming Walking Dead. It’s time for action. No more waiting, no more enhancing the Walking Dead. Take back our community. Elect New and begin new before it’s to late.
Elect Jake!
We need balance in our local government, not narionally driven lopsided ideological political activists.
Every county that i have seen taken over by brainwashed lunatic libtards has gone into decay with high taxes- homeless drug addicts that cause crimes all across the board.
One would think that with reality hitting you in the face that you'd realize whatever is being pitched, and continuously fails, that you'd see the problem.
I think it's all like a bad domestic violence relationship. Here's how much I love you, punch. I'm sorry, here's some money and things. OK, everything is better. PUNCH! AGAIN!
These circumstances cannot be real. I think that I am experiencing a nightmare but I can't wake up.
We've been the fat cats for too long. The other cats have been hunting. What we're not willing to work for won't be handed over.
The only way to kill the government beast is to starve it to death but that process is difficult because many members of the extreme left wing are educated professionals and don't mind paying excessive taxes because their salaries depend on some type of government source. IMO not everyone should be allowed to vote.
Good morning Denetta,
You are far to kind to refer to the “do gooders” they are truly sellouts to the citizens in this county. I'm being nice too…
I often wonder about the psychology of the sell-outs. I think some actually believe their own propaganda. This group is composed loyal ideologues, and their minds are fixed and cannot be altered. They are the idiots blowing whistles and dancing while holding signs and jumping in front of cars. The second group is far more cunning. This group not only occupies government offices but also sits on corporate boards. They don't believe any of the progressive social theories. They operate more sophisticated level. They use buzz words and jargon to enhance wealth and power. They prosper from the problems they create. That is my two cents.
Good morning Jeff,
Great stories new and old...bottom line are our current county commissioners going to get off their Globally sized support asses and listen to the businesses and citizens that pay their salary.
Go Jake Seegers...
Go Doggers, thank you and have a great day!
I’m afraid it’s too late for the Three Musketeers to change their ways. Unfortunately they have become the enemies of the county by failures and omissions. Who can trust them after reading CCW for a year or so? The arrogance is immeasurable. The attitude I pick up on is they don’t think the exposure here matters. Talk about mental health issues? To save/restore this county that dead weight needs to be used as an anchor and fresh (Jake Seegers and hopefully some other great people) need to turn the county around. We don’t work for the commissioners, and anyone that still wants to kiss their collective back sides should join the anchor they’ll go down with.
Tacoma spent 20 million.. They are throwing money at the problem in Pugetropolis because they have it...(Money). We don't.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/03/20-million-expansion-of-tacomas-largest-homeless-shelter-in-the-works/
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/seattle-homeless-encampment-sweep
https://seattlered.com/homelessness/tacoma-camping-ban-buffer-zone/4114593
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/wa-law-homeless-sweeps-shelter-available
Legislators should be required to be the first to offer their homes to inhabitants of encampments. The streets and sidewalks belong to taxpayers who are restricted from safely traversing them. Legislators should be required to lead by example when imposing legislation that undermines community health and safety.
It appears former Judge Coughenour is the first Clallam official to follow through on this idea with a fetty tent on the planting strip of his 5th and Laurel property this weekend. The occupant inside had foil in hand as I walked by Saturday around noon.
I remember seeing a recreation vehicle with a noisy generator sitting in the QFC parking lot. Dope addiction is a form of gradual suicide. When a person is revived from an overdose I wonder if he is disappointed to still be alive. OTOH for every dozen who succumb to death one government employee loses his/her job and pension.
When someone on today's street drugs is revived with Narcan they go into rapid withdrawl and return to drug seeking. Different than previous decades where a user might have some time to feel remorse or seek change. The high is too strong.
The NGOs are heavily invested in pepetuating the system just as much as the govt employees.
I believe we will see more walled communities with heavy iron gates. I like your idea but we don't exist inside a just world. Our world seems to operate on more of a mechanical basis.
I think this problem began three generations ago and it involves marriage. Without a proper female mate males revert to the status of what George Gilder called the "Naked Nomad". Males have been berated since I attended college many decades ago. Now we are witnessing the result. I don't believe that culture can be separated from economics and politics. They all seem to be intertwined.
The Seattle Times is supporting the Olympia legislation to fund local news to "defend democracy." Yet here we have another fine example of the pathetic rag that is the PDN trotting out one-sided activists in an anti-democratic manner. WTH?
We really need Jake for Commissioner to bring a fully supportive third leg of the stool to properly support Clallam County lest it tip over with the current polarized lot.
Jake will need more common sensed conservative elected support in upcoming elections.
I see his appeal to those, no matter they're political leaning, recognize we're a bit askew and could use a touch of course correction. This based on conversations I've had with people, after they see me wearing the Jake Seegers 2026 button, have told me that despite being left leaning they don't appreciate how our county is being run.
We have new state laws that protect the homeless drug addicts from being removed from encampments which is going to get real bad real quick due to fact our ignorant board commissioners support them.
has not passed yet
Its a vision problem. The experts establish a "sanitation limit" for the parks and then allow the local human wreckage to pee and poop in the alley at will.
The poor tourist from Japan or Germany has to head back down the mountain while the local human wreckage just pinches a loaf in the woods or pees in a Gatorade bottle..
We need 50 more cents from Pugetropolis just to deal with sanitation.
Hey, John. What are your thoughts on the concept of "pack-in and pack-out"? How does that apply to those "ingenuitive" individuals using the Gatorade bottles (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle)?
Double standards for those they know can't pay the fine... I want to tell a court judge that so bad next time I am tacked with a violation. Why should anyone have to pay anything if the "compassion" model lets everyone off.
"It was the best of times. [ simultaneously ] It was the worst of times." I believe that we are witnessing a few systems operating at the same time. Modern technology is advancing rapidly while human evolution seems to be reversing course.
Not only poop and pee but vomit should not be excluded from the list.
HARM REDUCTION COMPASSION OR WORDS TO THE LONG GOODBYE?
Deceased male...suicide attempt...disturbance...calling for coroner...medics LE responding...CPR in progress...trespassed...officer caution...evicted and trespassed...CPR instructions being given...social services...MAT clinic...jail...emergency response...back to the streets.
NORTH VIEW, WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA, LOW BARRIER SERVICES
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (What a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis"
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man
"We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave"
"On a dark Clallam highway cold rain in my hair
Warm smell of urine steaming up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering crack pipe
My head grew heavy and my lungs were eager so I stopped for a light There she stood in the doorway as I heard the St. Anthony bell and I was thinking to myself did I just enter Hell?"
OMG, you are so funny!
Twelve years ago I left California to escape the blight. Then a few years later I attended the SOS meeting. Now all of the dire predictions are taking a human form and I predict that the situation will become worse before it improves. We are witnessing the first stage of the "Broken Windows Theory".
One element is still missing. I don't see evidence of violent gangs yet. Maybe that phenonium occurs in phase two.
That is a question we need to ask at a safety Town Hall. I have seen tagging and heard of a Cartel and gang presence here in the County. We need this Town Hall!
modern communication and transportation make it easy for the cartels. They just use street addicts as mules
Steve O, correct, not violent gangs, but we have violent individuals. As the Fentanyl and other drugs get harder to get (border crack down) I imagine we will start seeing more gang activity.
I want to clarify the statement that the City Council is “waiting for guidance from the I-5 Corridor before revisiting enforcement of the trespass ordinance.”
Strictly speaking, we are waiting on guidance from the state, but that’s not the same thing as waiting to see what Seattle does.
I am waiting because of HB 2489, currently moving through the Legislature in Olympia. This bill would significantly restrict when cities can regulate certain life-sustaining activities on public property unless very specific shelter conditions are met. In practical terms, it limits local authority over camping enforcement.
HB 2489 passed out of the House Housing Committee on a 9–8 vote and has been referred to Rules 2 Review. The legislative session ends March 12, 2026. Whether this bill advances matters. If the state changes the legal framework in the middle of our process, it directly affects how we draft and enforce our local ordinances.
I need to know whether Olympia is going to change the rules before rewriting and enforcing ours.
For transparency, this is the full message I sent to our elected state officials in opposition:
"I’m writing to share my concerns about House Bill 2489. I’m a Port Angeles City Council Member, but don’t speak for the full council.
I’m concerned about how this bill would limit local authority. As drafted, HB 2489 would significantly restrict when cities can regulate certain life sustaining activities on public property. Those restrictions apply unless very specific shelter conditions are met. I don’t believe this framework reflects the real conditions cities like Port Angeles manage every day.
Over the past year, Port Angeles has taken steps to reduce unmanaged camping and vehicle encampments. That progress occurred because the City retained flexibility to respond locally. We still have much work ahead. A state mandate that removes local tools risks slowing that work.
I don’t see this issue as a lack of compassion. I see it as a question of who is best positioned to make decisions. Local governments live with the outcomes daily. We’re accountable to the communities affected by those outcomes.
For these reasons, I oppose HB 2489 as currently written. I appreciate your time and your consideration."
You can track HB 2489 here, and anyone can write directly to our legislators from this page:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=2489&Year=2025
For me, this isn’t about copying Seattle. It isn’t about abandoning compassion. It’s about making sure we understand what legal authority we will have before we act.
With the major cities in Pugetropolis ending their harm reduction programs and clearing encampments...These cities are not waiting...The Olympic Peninsula is at risk of being over run.
This community cannot withstand a worse problem than we already have.
Our Harm reductions programs must be terminated and our nuisance laws need to be enforced. Or we need a major influx of cash to deal with the issue/.
Our food banks are already overrun and SSA co -management program benefits are nil in Clallam County.
This could get worse than ugly.
Pugetropolis centric Olympia treat us as their park. Now they will treat us as their human wreckage refuge. For every 25 cents Clallam County sends to Olympia, Olympia sends us $1.25. Its simple. If Pugetropolis wants us to be their human wreckage refuge they are going to have to send us $1.50 at least. Please take note Seattle is not waiting for Olympia. Their businesses are fleeing and they are trying to clean things up. We have to be ready.
Mariel Boatlift vs Olympias' Buslift
A mass migration of Cubans to the US in 1980. The Cuban government considered the exodus a sort of social cleansing of the nations' so-called undesirables
A mass migration of homeless and drug addicts to Clallam County in 2026. The Wa State Capital considers the exodus a sort of social cleansing of the States' so-called undesirables.
I lived in Los Angeles during that period and remember a spate of purse snatching in McCarther Park. LAPD began an operation to arrest the thieves but ran out of police officers. I was told that the thieves were composed of two separate groups the Cubans involved in the boat lift and El Salvadorians who escaped the civil war in El Salvadore. The second group metastasized into MS 13.
Seattle is trying to clean things up? Not from what I see. They are a huge part of the problem and continue to vote in non sensable , incompetent, socialists.
Seattle is still actively sweeping encampments while the state legislature is discussing policy changes, I believe is what he is referencing
I get that, I just don't believe Seattle, with its' new "leadership" will do anything real and substantial. They are a huge cause of this.
They ran them off three blocks...Your right to be skeptical
I don't understand the philosophy. I heard that "a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged" but voting patterns indicate a cognitive diffidence. The situation reminds me of the gambler who is losing but keeps doubling down instead of cutting his losses.
I believe that the country has reached the last phase of the economic cycle. A recession looms and will probably occur after the mid term elections. Once employers initiate layoffs the tax base will dwindle as it did in 2008 and 2009. Government programs will dwindle and hog troughs will become empty.
Appreciate your sane voice that at a minimum this is what the locals should decide on. It's possible we disagree on what those solutions locally are, but I appreciate the distinction. This is how Olympia has been operating for some time now. They make rules and push them down on municipalities, which is an interesting contrast to the state claiming independence from the feds on a host of matters.
Just like the new law there producing about overriding our Sherriff elections.
Think about it. Pugetropolis cleans its human wreckage out now and then the bill prevents the park from clearing human wreckage. We should be going to the federal government or the UN for humanitarian crisis level aide. Its going to get that bad. They won't need an elk crossing, they will be eating elk and dear from a stick.
John W, I too, along with many others, see Clallam County as becoming a 3rd world structure. The leaders we have don't lead, which have left us with anarchist running our county and policies.
Actually some pockets of our country are more violent than some third world cities. I would guess that some of the wealthier parts of Seattle are still safe. Kidnappings are common in parts of the third world and so far I haven't heard of Bill Gates being kidnapped and held for ransom.
Indivisible Sequim — with the backing of the League of Women Voters — has begun publicly identifying businesses whose political views differ from theirs and encouraging boycotts. ---- Only sheep need apply.
Invidious Sequim
In one case, they posted photos of a local family-owned business and suggested contractors avoid working with them. ---- this is disgusting and pure evil
How much did it cost Sequim taxpayers to haul and store Marshall's pile of garbage then give it back to him a day later? Is there some NGO that bails out mentally ill meth addicts and fights for the return of their garbage pile? What an insane waste of time, money and resources.
It's situations like this that hallow out the Constitution and pervert it. Situations like this are mandated because some controlling homeless progressive attorney saw a crack and threw a pry bar in it.
OH GOODIE~!
I have an interesting way that the good folks of Clallam County can get the attention of the clown show that insists upon ignoring the will & wellbeing of the vast majority of us~! Jeff Tozzer, Jake Seegers, Mimi, and all of us here on The Watchdog have been doing a fantastic job of identifying the biggest problems in our local community, only to be "filtered out", ignored, gas lit, and insulted in every conceivable way. So obviously our best recourse is to remove the clowns who are causing our problems and replace them with honorable trustworthy Individuals~! Ah, but is that REALLY all that we can do? NOPE, I think not~! We should perhaps take the lead from the clown show that has infiltrated our government. It occurs to me that sone creative thinking is called for now. We are being constantly bashed & bullied with this perverted bizarre socialist concept that we need to be "inclusive and compassionate", which is the very definition of an insult for such good folks who have long proven our inclusive and compassionate nature. SO, instead of reacting to defend ourselves from clearly hostile assaults, which obviously only results in our wishes and best interests being ignored and mocked, may I suggest that we FULLY adopt this "inclusive and compassionate" agenda and apply it "liberally" (pun intended)? We have been going about this all wrong because these criminals in our government and community have just been ignoring us, not to mention common sense itself, so what if we approach some of these fine homeless folks who are in need of a safe place to roost, to see if they would be interested in occupying the public spaces IMMEDIATELY adjacent to the personal homes of the three stooges (Ozias, Johnson, and French)~? Let us not forget to spread the joy to everyone else who is in favor of these failed local government policies, because after all, inclusion means that EVERYONE pushing that evil agenda needs to experience it firsthand first, before it becomes the "new norm" for all of us~! HA~! ALL out of the very Spirit of "love & inclusivity" mind you~! We all see the harm that the drug addicted homeless have caused all of the innocent residents, business owners, and tourists in our community, not to even mention the poor drug addicted homeless who need REAL help, so the way I see it we really do need to make sure that everyone in the government who is responsible for these failed "policies" (problems) actually shares the problems with the rest of us~! Now THAT would truly be "inclusive" and even successful "harm reduction" by simply spreading out these problems so that all can share in them as "liberally" as possible~! To be sure, our failed government servants clearly have no interest in actually solving the homeless problem by their very own fake "harm reduction" definition and not a harm elimination agenda, so perhaps by having them actually live with their agenda would get their attention and be fairer, equitable, and more reasonable~? At least it would be a fun experiment where the good folks could sit back and watch these criminals in the government scream and attempt to explain why WE should accept & deal with THEIR problems, but they should not have to~! I think that their forked tongues would break off as they attempted to talk their way out of THAT~!!! It would be useful to have the entire response of the three stooges well recorded for future enjoyment as well, not to mention the public value of it... So, maybe for some hamburgers, fries, and a drink, along with a little "folding money" to make their new "home" more cozy, we can get some of these homeless folks with drug addictions to be the new neighbors of these criminals within our community & especially government??? :-)) For those who have doubts that this would be at least in some positive way prove to be an effective approach to dealing with the local failed public servants, I will remind them of a little history. The infamous Salem Witch Trials and murders lasted a very long time, and many innocent folks were killed and families destroyed by the criminals in government then. Yes, getting rid of your enemies and reducing the population is as old as government~! Older, I am sure... Anyway, at some point, some of the good folks in Salem decided upon a very inventive plan to FINALLY put an end to the madness of their criminals in government. They simply accused one of the wives of one of the leaders of the government's crime spree of being a witch herself, and suddenly, as if by witchcraft magic itself (a little hint about true history), the so-called "Witch Trials" & mass killing disgrace of Salem Massachusetts came to a screeching halt~!!! What an interesting turn of events huh? Well, I hope that my thoughts bring smiles to the faces of all of those who have been suffering the insults of these disgusting lunatics that somehow cheated & deceived their way into our government, because our Presidents Day Holiday should be a day of happiness for all good Americans who love America and their freedoms and rights~!
Sincerely, Mike
It's not an accident! The more problems that the Commissioners' policies create, the more federal, state, and NGO money flows in to help, and the more ends up in politicians' pockets and the more is funneled to their cronies and pet businesses that support them, the Tribe notwithstanding. This is how "The System" works and anyone who opposes it is heartless, a racist, a Nazi, a ....
You can almost admire the effort Jeff puts into this “Compassion or Collapse” episode. Only he can take ten totally unrelated things, a wagon, a scanner call, a dishwasher, a door sign, a drug bust in Canada, and stitch them together like they are clues in some grand mystery. It’s like watching someone assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions. Lots of confidence, none of the pieces actually fit.
And somewhere along the way, he’s managed to turn compassion into a weapon.
He’s made decency sound suspicious. Turned caring into an insult. Packaged other people’s pain like it’s raw material for a meme. Everything gets tossed into the blender, and somehow the smoothie always tastes like fear.
A woman in distress becomes a political prop.
A young man fighting addiction becomes a cautionary tale.
A death with no known cause becomes proof of whatever point he wanted to make that day.
Even a dishwasher becomes a symbol of societal collapse.
A Canadian meth seizure somehow becomes the commissioners’ fault.
And if he runs short on material, there’s always that $65 bus assault video to hold up like it’s a policy paper.
It’s the same routine every time. Find suffering, strip out the context, assign blame, and call it journalism.
The pattern isn’t compassion or collapse. The pattern is starting with a conclusion and working backward until enough unrelated anecdotes can be made to point in the same direction.
We’ve got real challenges here. Addiction, housing, mental health. None of them get better by turning people into props for a podcast. Real problems deserve real solutions, not a grab bag of fear, vibes, and whatever happened to scroll across your feed that morning.
@Powdermonkey, I think you’re raising a legitimate point about narrative construction.
Stories can illuminate real issues, but they can also compress context. Journalism does its best work when anecdote leads to inquiry — not when it substitutes for it.
If collapse is the concern, then the question becomes: what measurable indicators confirm or refute that claim? And if compassion is the policy lens, how do we measure its effectiveness and unintended impacts?
Anecdotes reveal a signal. Data establishes scale. Good reporting — and good governance — require both.
At what measurement do anecdotes become pattern recognition? Jeff is not conducting a controlled lab experiment. When I lived in another state a neighbor was shot in the face by an armed robber and when I complained about the condition of our neighborhood another neighbor said, "Crime is everywhere". I agreed with her statement but a neighborhood five miles west produced a much lower homicide rate because of an aggressive police force. I don't see a logical reason why we should tolerate any crime even minor offenses.
@SteveO, that’s a fair question.
Anecdotes can absolutely be early warning signals. The key governance question isn’t whether they matter — it’s how we determine when signal becomes verified pattern and when pattern justifies a policy shift.
That requires:
• Clear baseline data
• Defined thresholds for intervention
• Measurement of outcomes under different enforcement strategies
The goal isn’t to wait for perfect data — it’s to define enough clarity to act decisively rather than reactively.
Your example about two neighborhoods highlights that enforcement posture can influence crime rates. The follow-up question becomes: what measurable indicators should Clallam County use to determine whether current strategies are reducing crime, holding it steady, or allowing it to increase?
If we don’t define those thresholds, we end up debating feelings. If we do define them, then we can adjust policy based on evidence rather than narrative.
That’s where governance has to live.
A weapon? What's the antithesis of your statement when empathy does doesn't do what you think it does, rather exacerbates the problem and that's just for beginners. Since when is it the government's job to force taxpayers to fund their election machines?
Truth