The commissioners did not answer yesterday's email. Here is today's question:
Dear Commissioners,
Why weren’t millions in interlocal revenue from Port Angeles and Sequim clearly included or disclosed in the county’s budget forecasts before the levy lid lift vote? And going forward, what changes will you make to ensure all known revenue is fully and clearly presented to the public before decisions like tax increases are put on the table?
Modeled Governance Response — Individual County Commissioner
Context: This response illustrates how a county commissioner could address concerns raised about budget disclosure and levy decision-making using established governance standards.
Thank you for this question. When voters are asked to consider a levy lid lift, they are entitled to a clear and complete picture of the County’s financial position at the time the decision is presented — including all known or reasonably anticipated revenue sources.
Statewide guidance for counties emphasizes that revenue forecasting and budget development should identify known funding sources early and present assumptions clearly before levy decisions are placed before voters (Municipal Research and Services Center [MRSC], n.d.-a). The concern raised here is not whether interlocal revenues from Port Angeles and Sequim exist today, but whether those revenues were known or reasonably anticipated prior to the levy vote and, if so, how they were reflected in public budget forecasts and voter-facing materials.
If interlocal revenues were incorporated into financial assumptions but not clearly disclosed to the public at the time of the levy decision, that represents a disclosure and process gap — not necessarily misconduct, but a governance issue that warrants public review.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot retroactively revise past materials or speak for the full Board. However, I agree that this question goes to the heart of transparency and voter trust. I will ask that the Board review how known and anticipated revenues are identified, documented, and communicated during budget forecasting and levy deliberations.
I will also request that this issue be placed on a future agenda so the Board can discuss, in open session, whether changes are needed to ensure future budget forecasts and levy proposals clearly distinguish between projected tax revenue and other known funding sources. This discussion should include how interlocal agreements and service arrangements are documented and reported, given that such agreements rely on clear contract terms and board-level oversight to ensure transparency (MRSC, n.d.-b).
Transparency before a vote matters. Budget decisions should not require residents to piece together information after the fact or rely on trust alone when clearer disclosure standards already exist (MRSC, n.d.-c).
References
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.-a). Revenue guide for Washington counties.
Context: This response illustrates how the full Board of County Commissioners could respond following public discussion.
Following public discussion, the Board of County Commissioners acknowledges concerns regarding how interlocal revenues were presented in budget forecasts prior to the levy lid lift vote.
The Board has directed staff to review budget forecasting and disclosure practices, including how known and anticipated interlocal revenues are incorporated into public materials before levy or tax decisions are considered. The goal is to ensure that future budget forecasts and levy proposals provide voters with a complete and understandable financial picture.
The Board will review recommended changes in an open public meeting and provide an opportunity for public comment before adopting any revised disclosure practices.
Sorry about the podcast, folks. There are a few missing sections so it sounds like we are jumping from topic to topic. We will get it fixed for tomorrow.
If a Commissioner is making $119,00 + benefits from Clallam County. one must wonder if this commissioner job isn't just a side gig to the 50 plus boards and NGO's these fellas are on presently. Where do they find the time to serve?
Thank you, Jake, for connecting the dots. Such a troubling situation on many fronts. Ultimately it is another systemic failure of our current elected BOCCC. I'm ready to have you in office to apply the diligence you are showing that questions not only what we spend money on, but also how we spend that money. There's far too much chumminess going on that has people far too comfortable in their positions. Is the BOCCC capable of terminating CFO Lane?
Having sat on collective bargaining teams on multiple contracts as a small government employee I can tell you that it is massively persuasive, and 100% acceptable to claim inability to pay. Now if the claim is a known lie vs just ineptness, then we're going to have deputies running around feeling like they've been stiffed, and that sets a dangerous undercurrent to performance. This is unsettling to me.
Possibly a point of clarification on how budgets work. Hasn't the county been stating that they are in positive financial territory with respect to reserves and all this has to do with maintaining a sufficient reserve fund? Sorry to be a luddite, I need to be better at understanding what's going on when I hear these various discussions.
Now given this "sudden" revelation of found funds, the last thing I want to see is the BOCCC decide that with these "new" funds that they'll go on a drunken spending spree on pet projects. The CFO could do well to initiate a "burn down" review of every contract the county has with any entity to ensure we aren't being taken advantage of.
In any negotiation, it’s expected that the other side will say, “That’s impossible.” The difference here is that the public record reflected a multi-million-dollar deficit for three consecutive years — a deficit that should not have existed. Under those conditions, the union would have been far more likely to believe the county truly could not afford higher compensation.
Yes, maintaining reserves is important. But the county’s own forecasts showed annual operating deficits of $3–4 million, which, if accurate, would have rapidly depleted those reserves without drastic intervention.
That’s why I share your concern about this “sudden” financial revelation.
What makes this even more troubling is that, during this same period, the commissioners refused to eliminate even an obviously unnecessary $13,000 payment to the Master Gardeners for public reassurance about the noxious weeds program — a cost the county engineer himself objected to. The commissioners ignored him.
MK, you are not a luddite. I have sat thru several of these budget meetings and have come out of them dazed and confused. Which means nothing is as presented. When people deflect, muddle, and lie about line items in a budget, you know the numbers have been jumbled and fumbled. Keep asking questions until you get an answer you understand.
I believe the County Commissioners are ONLY able to hire/fire the CEO (county manager). Only the county manager can terminate the employees that serve for him.
The budgets are A COMPLETE MYSTERY as to how they work, and what they do. And, they're kept mysterious for a reason. It's 3-card monte -- a confidence game to misdirect us, as they keep shuffling around the three cards while the dealer is talking incessantly to "find the lady". No matter which card you pick -- OOPS, you lose!
I'd really like to see an independent, citizens advisory committee to oversee the budget. We have some amazing, great financial minds here. The county would be daft to not take advantage of the volunteer help.
I implore you to call a special meeting to address the issues involving mismanagement of funds by the Clallam County Board of Commissioners as proposed by one of your fellow commissioners, Ron Richards. This special meeting will give you the opportunity to address an issue which affects you and the rest of the citizens of Clallam County equally. It will also give you the opportunity to fulfill your obligation to serve us all in correcting a perceived lack of transparency displayed by our county representatives.
I elect Eric as the 2025 Clallam County Mover & Shaker Award. You've been instrumental in getting the hospital to agree to record their meetings. Thank you.
It's so time for replacing our commissioners...I like to treat all I meet with respect, but they make it very hard with what they support in Harm Reduction and follow it up with gifting our tax dollars to their pet NGO's. Incompetence ought to be the last straw...A little DOGE and they should be in jail!
Thank you, Jake, for making a difficult analysis easier to understand. Listening to the Board and CFO review the budget became more and more confusing with each meeting. It was so confusing, I didn't know what to address during public Q & A. That's when you know nothing is adding up deliberately. What irked me the most is that these people blamed the property owners for fighting them on raising our taxes! CC is grateful to have someone who wants the public to understand how our gov't is and is not working. And right now it isn't. Jake Seegers 2026!
Thank you, Jake Seegers, for your most welcomed & timely article~!
We here are greatly encouraged by the wonderful voters' who heroically rejected the scam artists in the local governments scheme to defraud folks with their "levy lift" nonsense last November. The clear rejection of the lies & deceptions that the criminals within the government were spewing, proves that most folks in Clallam County do understand that the local government, that ONLY exists to serve us, is dominated by a gang of blood sucking liars, thieves, and crooks~! We know that there are good honorable folks in the government who are working in the best interests of the community, however clearly, they need more help & support from the good folks in Clallam County. I am afraid that at this point it is becoming increasingly clearer that "we" have no other option but to start formal proceedings to purge ALL of these criminals in government from their positions. These "usual suspects" are constantly being caught in their shady schemes and obviously they have no Intention of keep their oaths to serve the will and best interests of the good folks who live & work here. Enough is enough~! These Individuals have become too dangerous for everyone at this point, because the general public absolutely MUST be able to know when there is a REAL emergency, or sooner or later people will get hurt or die as a result of the lack of trust in our government... I wish all of the good folks of Clallam County and especially The Watchdog, a very happy New Year and welcome them to come together after January 1st to start the formal process to remove these (as yet unindicted) criminals from our government, so we can immediately improve life here for all~!
I don't often speak for others; however, on behalf of the good folks in Clallam County I apologize to you, Jeff Tozzer, and the other good folks in our governments who have been valiantly working to do the right things in this "den of vipers" that you have found yourselves in~! Many of "us" have tried to work with the Individuals in government who have constantly failed to do their jobs, but obviously that has not been successful and our efforts have been ignored. We just can't allow this to continue, so have a great New Year's Day and together "we" will make sure that Clallam County becomes a happy & prosperous community~! Cheers! Mike
Hope springs eternal. Looking forward the future is so bright we will wear sunglasses at night. Chin up, volunteer, write to our leaders, then write again if no response. Beat them down with persistence. “We can outlast any pukes the government throws at us, why? We have had so much experience doing that. Go citizens of this great nation, a little energy from many will turn the tides.
Do we really know that there are honorable people in law enforcement and government working on the high level of drug use/ homeless ness in Clallam county? Sure were a lot of pictures that indicated no one gives a damn except citizens. I don’t see that we are working toward freedom. I don’t feel safe from the insane addicted population. I think we coddle them. Think of any other illegal activity in the county that we help the criminals do a better job at it! Do we encourage speeding by having signs that say (UP TO YOU) ? Do we give out to-go cups with ice at the liquor store for the drive home?
Do we provide credit card info so thieves can use numbers of others? Maybe if we had a warm building with free computers, wait, we do. The library. I’m sick to death of these worthless mother fluffers messing up the community. This was a nice area to retire. What do you think those looking to retire would do after seeing the photos?
This needs to be priority # 1. Jail would help. People in charge with intestinal fortitude would be nice! And I don’t mean nail chewers. Jake is great but if we don’t rally our resources this county will be a slum just like Seattle and Portland.
Really think about how that would impact the quality of life and your assets (homes, lots, fields etc)
Clallam county allowing this to continue is the biggest disappointment by government in my adult life. DO BETTER!
Nice to see that you are alive and kicking~!!! ;-))
Very good "rant" and I completely agree~! Oh, and then some, that I dare not express because some jack ass may report me to the "speech police"~! Ha Ha Ha~!!! Yes, it is very good and completely understandable to question if there are ANY good folks in government and I can see how the crimes of some of them definitely reflect poorly upon EVERYONE in government... However, over the decades I have had many occasions to speak confidentially (off the record) with some of the good folks in government positions in different places, and they are constantly under attack from the criminals and their evil minions, so they are VERY careful how hard they push back against the dirty government clowns. Most Americans are completely unaware that pushing back against even these small-town hoods in government, can get those who do murdered, because things really are THAT BAD in a great many places in the US. Wherever there is any power, there are usually those who are more than willing to kill for it... We do need to support the good folks everywhere, especially in government when they are still working to make positive changes, because without them our problems would be FAR worse and we would lose some of the best sources of REAL information that we have from the "inside". I will let you think about that for a while ;-) Yes, it all sucks, but that is the price of decades of rigged elections and criminals infesting our governmental systems without enough people doing anything about it. Many of us are completely disgusted and have had enough of the criminals in our governmental systems here, which is why I just today suggested that "we" come together after January 1st to start planning a recall petition (and strategy) to remove ALL of the known bad actors that we know for sure that exist in the Clallam County Government. We can and should start to discuss this effort to remove these scumbags ASAP, so I am happy to say that a few folks have already indicated that they agree. Yes, absolutely, the rate that our community is declining is absolutely horrific. I can't discuss one of the efforts that I am personally working on right now, here, but I am working on another way to address the criminal behaviors that some in our governments have been engaged in... I do understand that the local "optics" look very bad right now, however my greatest effort, and skills, are in monitoring and studying the bigger picture on the American national and even world level, which directly impacts what happens right here in "Paradise" and every other local community in America and beyond. So, I can safely encourage you and other American Patriots that things are in fact better than it would seem. For instance, President Trump and the white hats have JUST closed the J Edgar Hoover FBI building permanently from what I have seen quietly reported, they recently rolled the Federal Reserve back into the US Treasure Department and terminated the employment of 70% of the IRS employees~! No media outlets are reporting it, but there has been a HUGE building federal tax revolt of Americans underway for a long time now, and the unconstitutional federal income tax is doomed. The tariffs are proving to be extremely effective, so amazing things have been very quietly going on right in front of everyone's faces. That last Venezuelan oil tanker was very quietly reported by US Military style signaling to have been captured, was because it had nuclear bombs on it that were ultimately headed out way~! Make no mistake, you, I, and many here in Clallam County have every right to be angry, and we should be, but as I have been saying for a very very long time, the level and depth of our REAL problems are absolutely catastrophic and deadly beyond belief for the vast majority of Americans and folks all over the world~!!! All of the problems that we have here locally can over time be fixed, but unfortunately there are FAR more dangerous and deadly threats that are being worked on right now, so everything will need to be handled as soon as it can safely be dealt with. I have been doing everything that I possibly could to wake folks up to these threats for nearly 60 years now, so just imagine what I and the few others like me have gone through in our lives as we have been watching the decline of America and so many other countries~? Not that "we" really matter, but I know that you and many others, especially here on "The Watchdog", are also terribly frustrated at just how difficult it is to wake many others in our community up to the real problems~! Imagine what President Trump and the white hats are going through! GEEEEEZE~! Keep the faith my friend, because "we" are actually winning this very old war against humanity and there will be FAR better times ahead when the dust settles~! For now, all we can really do is come together to push back upon the criminals of humanity everywhere that they exist, refuse to comply with unconstitutional BS, and try to help those who are suffering along the way~! MANY good folks are suffering and need help right now, so let us all do what we can to support each other because that is what America is really all about~! Have a happy New Year and stay safe~!
If you’ve been reading even some of the posts or podcasts from Jeff Tozzer, Jake Seeger, and others and the condition of our cities and County you probably feel the frustration. I don’t want to rant( it is fruitless) I want to start a protest, a rally, a comprehensive signing petition. I want to shake the complacency out of those in charge.Why aren’t we given a written report on the progress to clean the slum?
Once a month, let us know
(Math matters) how will this mess be made right?
How about once a week, one tiny, little glimmer of hope.
Throw us a bone, for the love of god. Help us help you by being a much larger group that the town petition signers and willing volunteer workers.
That is always a concern but not like Next Door. At least on CCWatchdog we can use adult words(you know they have more than one syllable. Hopefully-2026 is blessed for all the good people trying to live a good life and contribute to society!
I see why you are so understandably concerned, wonderful Patriot Susan...
Exposing myself to the "stupid" that I understand frequents the "Next Door" web site "chat fest" I do avoid it as much as possible. My best analyst does however keep an eye on what goes on in the Next Door "conversation pit", so I do get frequent updates, but my blood pressure remains steady and under control ;-) Ha! Yes, there are great folks who attempt to have rational common-sense discussions on "Next Door"; however, they constantly have to deal with unconstitutional censorship, trolls, political fanatics, social terrorists, bullies, and many of those who obviously dwell at the absolute bottom of the Intellectual swimming pool~! Ha Ha Ha~! "Bottom feeders suck~! An old fisherman's joke :] Anyway, I absolutely LOVE the astoundingly accurate and insightful line from the original John Wayne movie "True Grit", where Glen Campbell says "You've done nothing, when you have bested a fool"~! HA~! These days, decades after the criminals in government intentionally strategically attacked the mental health service community all across the US by cutting funding and therefore terminating most of the system that addressed mental illness and unleashed the afflicted upon our society, "we" have MANY sick people who constantly disrupt our world and vote for more of the same "disruptions". So, the Next-Door platform is a magnet for dysfunctional people with a great many mental problems, as opposed to the VAST majority of great Americans who regularly come together to participate in the rational "Clallam County Watchdog" platform~! There can be some value for folks who learn from Next Door's Online discussions, but I thank God that I have already done my duty personally monitoring such mine field venues of angry mental masturbation~! God bless and protect the good folks who attempt to communicate anything of value on Next Door~! Say, is it true that one of the Next Door "censors" is really Mark Ozias??? I have to wonder just how much "we" (taxpayers) are paying Ozias to constantly attack our community and country~? Anyway, one of the more obvious scams of Next Door and the other politically slanted & controlled web sites, is that they thrive upon giving good folks the false impression that the numbers of the un-American anti-Constitutional clowns and criminals are FAR higher than they really are~! They use very simple minded "force multiplier" techniques to trick the vast majority of Americans into believing that "America is split in half" politically, which is PURE BS~! In fact, ALL of the reputable analysts and scientific methods available very clearly prove that somewhere between 70 to 80% of ALL Americans are definitely NOT on board with the criminals of humanity and their constant unconstitutional socialist march to communistic satanic Hell on earth~! This evil trickery has in the past been very successful in making good Americans feel that they were in the minority or worse, all alone. It also gives HUGE support and encouragement to the mentally weak and/or insane, who LOVE to see their delusional "fraudulent numbers" supported in any way that they can because they are desperate to feel even false vindication of their deeply sick and twisted beliefs... What "we" (Americans) are actually experiencing, is what is known in Military circles as "a color revolution" where very evil people of power have been working to divide Americans against each other in every possible way~! I would be extremely careful of becoming entangled in emotional reactions, because emotional people NEVER make good decisions ;-) American and in fact world history is literally FULL of cases where the few very powerful criminals of humanity successfully tricked people into doing things that they would NEVER have done on their own, just by creating a hysterical emotional response of the people... We will together terminate these criminals by lawful means, correct the path of America and humanity, and over time repair the damage that has been dome over the past 150+ years~! No one wants these good things to come to pass more than I do, but it did take thousands of years for the world to get into this disaster, so it will unfortunately take some time to work our way out of it... Patience when actions are needed is a disaster in the making, and actions when patience is needed is also a disaster in the making, so "we" are in a VERY delicate time of history~! Right now, President Trump and the white hats are VERY concerned about the potential of extreme violence! This is NOT because these "sissy mary" lunatic socialist democrats in the population will cause much trouble, because they would be quickly "evaporated" if they challenged the greatest standing army on earth (the American conservative Patriots). It is however because "IF" Americans learn too much truth too fast, MANY otherwise peaceful law-abiding Americans would definitely hunt down these criminals of humanity in & outside of government to kill them all~! Many innocent men, women, and children would be harmed, disabled, or killed in the process, and the devastation to our cities, towns, and environment would make folks wish they could "go back" to the problems that we currently face today... We need to be VERY careful what we wish for~! As an American Constitutionalist I must do what I can to avoid that very real possibility, because "we" (Americans) need to remain peaceful unless we are attacked, so that our future and example to future generations is based upon The American Constitution and not vigilante "mob rule"~! Hang in there and keep up the good work~!!!
Sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats! That is perfect. You write with great knowledge, insight and a way with words (wisdom) Plus you bring me back to reality. Not that I’m a concealed weapon toting woman, however I did go to gun school (NRA) and the range for some real life shooting. (This should be a requirement) I know a guy that shot his knee trying to unholster his gun. (Showing off)
Anyway, I’m looking forward to being more involved in Clallam County this year and I am putting much energy into my body language in group settings. You know, just like the commissioners who never act like they comprehend the public comments. So if they quit raising taxes in Clallam and we can afford our forever home, that will become a reality.
May need to have you edit a few things. That’s what’s nice about writing a book. The truth doesn’t need to be edited out.
I appreciate you staying up to date on next door. Sounds like they are not so restrictive in written comments. Still don’t miss a minute of it, except when they trash on Jeff. and I can fight back. Well it’s almost midnight, sure enjoy and learn from your input . You are like the big brother I deserved, and everyone that knows my brother agrees, he is an odd person, in every way possible. My sister has a mental illness
and doesn’t take her meds. So I’m the only normal (?) one. Plus my parents liked me the most, so did the grandparents, I had 4 of them. What a gift!
I am basking in the effervescent glow of your wonderful compliments, Patriot Susan C Bonallo~! ;-) Starting off the New Year with such a "swelled head" may make it difficult for me to find a hat that fits! HA~! Well, the way I see this sick comedy called "life in America" these days, I just can't help but call the troublemakers out for precisely what they do and who they really are. It takes a special kind of treasonous "crazy" to hide their true intentions, like "gun confiscation" (not "control") and willingly, gleefully, accepting what was obviously the 2020 election fraud (Installing THEIR mini "dictator king" while fraudulently pretending to be against kings when it suddenly suits their twisted agenda). These treasonous backstabbing enemies of America and The Constitution know that their evil agenda will NEVER be accomplished if they were to tell the truth. So yes, they are at best "sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats" and very FAR from trustworthy people of honorable good faith like most Americans really are~! We all have our flaws, and there are also seriously Ignorant RINO "fake Republicans" who obviously don't understand The American Constitution, America, or the very definition of "Freedom" itself~! However, there will be a very special place in Hell for those who are utterly without Honor who believe "the ends justifies the means" and laws do not apply to them, because they have the blood of many millions of good Americans and human beings from all over the world on their hands now (especially after THEIR COVID mass murder crimes against humanity)... Like little rotten spoiled brats of the worst kind, oh, and I bet that they really were TOTAL nightmares in their childhoods, these scumbags never learned to play well with others and to mind to their own business. These same lunatics can't take care of themselves and their own families worth a damn, but they always work to tell everyone else how they should live, what they should think & say, and what they can and cannot do~! OH! But if anyone dares to point out one of their REAL flaws, suddenly they scream that good folks that they know nothing about are homophobic, antisemitic, prejudiced, blah blah, blah~! Even worse, many of "us" are well aware that at the very root of these sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats, is the greatest satanic evil that ever existed on earth because there is in fact a concerted well organized effort to absolutely destroy America and "rebuild it" into their dirty life sucking communist/Marxist Hell on earth, where they "think" that they will have total control over everyone and they can then become the true domineering bullies that they have always dreamed of becoming... They will NEVER get that chance again because too many Americans are already aware of too many truths and they are learning more every day. Just wait until the same focus that is now destroying the Minnesota criminal cabal of corruption comes right here to Washington State (because that has actually already begun my friend ;-)) California will obviously soon be revealed to have the largest criminal octopus of government, NGO's, and criminals of humanity in America, and that will definitely lead to the evil sissy mary lunatic democrats' demise there~! When the average American starts to add up ALL of the "tentacles" in ALL of the states (I usually prefer to call them "testicles" because of what they REALLY do to ALL Americans ;-)) of the old massive evil octopus, it will become very obvious that the same evil "swamp" has been intentionally destroying their lives since they were born and there will be decisive actions all across the country to terminate it and lawfully prosecute ALL of the nasty evil players who were involved... So perhaps you can see just how the serious homeless and drug problems will be addressed, from the top down as opposed to attempting to correct the problems one by one on the local level~? The interesting thing is that lunatic socialists really are flat out stupid and Ignorant in the textbook sense, because history is FULL of nothing but examples of what happens when their evil dictatorship (fake democracy) has come into power. Yes, the first thing is that mass murders of the remaining people who understand that Individual freedom is critical to life takes place, but shortly following the extermination of all of the folks who pose any threat to the new dictatorship, the next to be exterminated are these very same "sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats" themselves because they are no longer needed or wanted... Like many pirates of the olden days in history, when it comes time to divide up the "riches" and the power is on the table, suddenly, these "useful idiots" are an unnecessary burden and potentially troublesome, so "off they go" into the garbage dump of human refuse that finally got them what they really wished for, and so well earned~! So, we are actually saving these miserable socialist democrats Marxist/Communists wretches lives, but the good news is that they will forever live with the disgrace of everyone knowing that when America needed them the most, they stuck their "knives" in the backs of all who were doing their Patriotic duty~! They will die of a thousand "shames"~! So, my friend, I wish you the very best New Year and "we" (the REAL American Patriots) shall make it through these historically difficult, dangerous, and deadly times together, to see an amazing America that few ever believed could happen~! The BOOMING Economic period ahead will be historic, but there will be a great many more vastly important things eventually coming to pass if "we" can become the owners and caretakers of our country and our freedoms~! What I am seeing coming from behind the scenes of this constant "swamp gas machine" is absolutely astounding and I am sure that the vast majority of Americans and eventually all folks in the world will be thrilled with the possibilities of the future...
Admittedly I am a bit self absorbed in the pursuit retirement, leaving the majority of the future of Clallam County hopefully to more youthful pragmatic and visionary residents like Jake Seegers. The CCD is a non-regulatory entity. Self descriptive, it is self regulated and by description is not regulated by nor should it be funded by Government. I find the goals and intent of the CCD laudable, but I also find it to be exclusively voluntary and in Government terms non-essential. The CCD should not benefit from any area taxation or Government funding. To repeat; nonessential. Similarly, all effort and funding for minority-ism, ( MWBE, DEI, LGBTQ+, native/indigenous/aboriginal, other nationality, etc. ), must be recaptured and invested in our public safety, AKA law enforcement. Those who desire to invest in minority-ism or conservation are free to do so; voluntarily and outside of Government.
I fought hard in my younger life for wild fish when it was very unpopular and at the expense of my family. I and wild fish lost repeatedly and miserably. It is time for the next generation to take the baton.
I fought for consumer protection laws (all of which have been neutered with riders on other bills). But, the youth need mentors.... and that's our new job.
And most salient here, that is easy to miss. A few days ago CRC Richards put out a call here on the CCWD for people to write to the CRC members requesting a special meeting this week to address this problem.
I appreciate Jake echoing that need, it's just easy to miss it because there's so much here.
Of the thousands of subscribers to the Watchdog this is a good time to take a few minutes to write and/or call them requesting that they hold a special meeting.
Absolutely, MK. Ron is working to bring real accountability to county leadership on behalf of Clallam’s citizens. I sincerely hope the other charter commissioners join his effort.
How can one individual impact the county commission in a positive way?
What do you see as positive? Poking everyone on the commission in the nose? Reaching across the table seeking common ground? Are you willing to compromise your values and reach across the table, working from within the system to slowly improve it?
Question two, re: deputies wages. Does the chart show benefits? I have found that benefits paid to an employee cost the employer an additional sixty percent above their wages.
I, like many of the readers of these blogs, find the current county policies towards the homeless despicable and counterproductive.
Forcing the homeless into shelters and getting them off the street seems like a reasonable idea, but they are free people entitled to live in a tent. Or so I am told.
A year ago, I helped a homeless man. I was contacting the shelter in Port Angeles to arrange for a bed for him. They had one available. The homeless man told me that he would rather sleep under a tree that enter a shelter. He told me that if he went into a shelter he would leave with 'nothing'. I bought him clothes at the local goodwill and a backpack. Have not seen Him since.
I can imagine a solution to his problem. Make the shelter safe for those who want to live in them.
Thank you for your comment. I’ve heard the same feedback about the shelter many times myself. According to Serenity House’s most recent annual report, more than 40% of its beds are unoccupied on average. I agree completely: together, making the shelter a clean, safe, and genuinely attractive alternative to living in the woods would be one of the most meaningful steps we could take toward addressing homelessness in our county.
The chart shows deputy wages, not including benefits.
As for your broader question — I won’t compromise my core values. There are certainly areas where compromise makes sense, but on many of the issues facing Clallam County, what’s needed is not adjustment around the edges, but a fundamental shift in approach.
One pattern has become clear to many of us who follow county governance closely: across boards, committees, and departments, there is remarkably little dissent from the same conventional thinking that has failed to produce real solutions for more than a decade. As a result, the public often finds itself without true allies inside county government. That’s something we must change — together.
And we will. One commissioner, one elected official, one appointed board member, and one department head at a time. I’m comfortable being early in that process. Our community is hungry for solutions that produce tangible results, and together we are a powerful force for change. A few consistent 2–1 votes by the Board of Commissioners will only further ignite community engagement and accountability that cannot be ignored.
So to your question: "How can one individual impact the county commission in a positive way?"
It won’t be just one individual. It will be a community, working together for change. We’ve already seen it, and I have no doubt where it leads.
2026 is the first step.
2027, we replace another commissioner.
2028, another.
Together, the citizens of Clallam County will make sure of it.
Yes, Jake. One step at a time and First things First. Step one, put yourself out there. First thing for the County is to get you voted in, and French voted out. We'll take the next steps as they come. SEEGERS 2026!
If exposing the truth equates to a poke in the nose. Then there is something wrong with this picture. As citizens, we have a right to know how our government is being run. We definitely are not getting the whole story from the powers that be. I say. Thank you Jake and Jeff for enlightening us. And if someone gets a red nose or a red ass over it. So be it. They had it coming.
Glen, defunding the NGO's that are supported by members of Commission would/is a waste of time. They hold the cards (as witnessed by the Charter Review year long failure) Accountability will only come with destroying the "house of cards", but yes, absolutely we need to defund the useless NGO's.
Don't forget that it is our illustrious commissioners who repeatedly fund the Serenity House and other homeless advocacy groups yet demand no results for their generosity of taxpayer dollars-safety, cleanliness or sobriety are not metrics they've demanded. That's why poking with sticks is necessary Mr. Jinsun. The public should have expectations about their elected officials and government staff because they are public servants.
One definition that needs to be re-tooled, what is it to be "homeless?" When people choose to not live in a "home" (another definition that needs to be re-tooled), are they indeed "homeless?"
You'll not find me tossing that term around with the abandon.
Oddly, we call people who camp, campers. We call people who are forever moving about transients. We call people who are always on cruise ships "cult cruisers". We call people who move from one hotel to another travelers. We call people who have decided to live in vans and travel about nomadic. These are all people who are houseless, not homeless.
The problem is that we group people into one group which muddles the meaning.
And, yes, I agree "shelters" are not anywhere that are safe, for the most part. And, our county commissioners could do way better by paying attention to their favorite "NGO" Serenity House.
Require that they spend a week at one.... I'm sure things would change. (One night several years ago, is not enough.)
These people must have learned the new math they teach in our schools. It is close that counts. Unfortunately I am afraid they were not very good pupils but were given a passing grade. Duh
The next county meeting list of checks has yet another large line item for the HRHC for "warmth and hygiene". Why is the HRHC spending so much money on warmth and hygiene at the paraphernalia center when there are numerous other organizations that address this issue. They have spent several thousands over the last few months on "warmth and hygiene" that keeps people dirty, cold and HIGH on the streets. Why spend money from Opiate Settlement Funds on overlapping services when other agencies that provide the same are more likely to get people into recovery?
Regarding criminal justice expense billing, who pays when a case must be sent back for retrial to due errors and failures of the system? We have TWO very serious cases up for retrial now.
Convicted triple murderer Dennis Bauer is in Clallam jail awaiting retrial- who pays for his jailing, indigent defense, etc. during the retrial process? Convicted child rapist Miguel Angel Medel Lopez, previously deported twice and returned three times, and with other criminal history in the county since his last illegal return has been granted a retrial due to local system failures. In addition to sanctuary state protection he will also receive taxpayer funded interpretation and indigent services. Who gets billed for that when county level failures are why we have to repeat this? The entire local criminal justice system needs a serious audit.
The boldness of narcotics dealers operating in the line of sight from the county courthouse and the "scenic HWY 101" is another huge red flag. It is so visually obvious what is happening at the local grocery to everyone. There have been major cartel busts in the region yet our city leaders are more concerned with ICE actions than stopping cartel activity literally out their windows. What is really going on here?
Notably the new public defender caseload requirements and public defender payments are on the next county agenda.
"They have spent several thousands over the last few months on "warmth and hygiene" that keeps people dirty, cold and HIGH on the streets." That's a good point, Susie.
Thank you, Jake, for shining more light on the modern dark ages of Clallam County!
A couple thoughts while reading:
In the potential expenditures reduction section, under ‘outside agency support’ there is the dues/mandated support amount of $129,000+; just wondering if they group the WSAC fees into that, even though membership is not mandated based on what I’ve researched.
In the 7% exercise section at the end regarding the $300,000 that will come from increased license and permit fees, 70% of that is $210,000 which will go to personnel costs, based on the ‘How do we spend our funding’ chart. Are they really that ignorant to not recognize that personnel costs are what is killing the budget more than anything else? I like to think they’re smarter than that, but I have my reservations. 😄
I suppose it makes sense that other county commissioners would think Mark Ozias is doing good work with the budget — just look at how many other counties are worse off than Clallam, and it’s probably those commissioners.
Thank you, Jake, for doing what you do to make Clallam County better — and thank you, Watchdog, for the new theme song!
Can anyone tell me where to find the full 'Description' column, the description is cut off. Example on page 9 of 438 of the packet for Tuesday, 12/30 meeting:
Vendor 0048781 Mielke, Todd ATM WSAC LEADERS CONFEREN 1043.34. The description column is cut off. On page 14 for HHS and all pages, the description is cut off. What does
HADM - WARMTH/HYGENE S, $3,890.73 represent ?
HOPS . AMAZON - MOUSE PA - $175.36 ? On page 15. These are just a few examples. Where do I find the full description?
Does $175.36 sound like a lot for a mouse pad? Maybe they purchased more than one?
The commissioners did not answer yesterday's email. Here is today's question:
Dear Commissioners,
Why weren’t millions in interlocal revenue from Port Angeles and Sequim clearly included or disclosed in the county’s budget forecasts before the levy lid lift vote? And going forward, what changes will you make to ensure all known revenue is fully and clearly presented to the public before decisions like tax increases are put on the table?
All three commissioners can be reached by emailing the Clerk of the Board at loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov.
Modeled Governance Response — Individual County Commissioner
Context: This response illustrates how a county commissioner could address concerns raised about budget disclosure and levy decision-making using established governance standards.
Thank you for this question. When voters are asked to consider a levy lid lift, they are entitled to a clear and complete picture of the County’s financial position at the time the decision is presented — including all known or reasonably anticipated revenue sources.
Statewide guidance for counties emphasizes that revenue forecasting and budget development should identify known funding sources early and present assumptions clearly before levy decisions are placed before voters (Municipal Research and Services Center [MRSC], n.d.-a). The concern raised here is not whether interlocal revenues from Port Angeles and Sequim exist today, but whether those revenues were known or reasonably anticipated prior to the levy vote and, if so, how they were reflected in public budget forecasts and voter-facing materials.
If interlocal revenues were incorporated into financial assumptions but not clearly disclosed to the public at the time of the levy decision, that represents a disclosure and process gap — not necessarily misconduct, but a governance issue that warrants public review.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot retroactively revise past materials or speak for the full Board. However, I agree that this question goes to the heart of transparency and voter trust. I will ask that the Board review how known and anticipated revenues are identified, documented, and communicated during budget forecasting and levy deliberations.
I will also request that this issue be placed on a future agenda so the Board can discuss, in open session, whether changes are needed to ensure future budget forecasts and levy proposals clearly distinguish between projected tax revenue and other known funding sources. This discussion should include how interlocal agreements and service arrangements are documented and reported, given that such agreements rely on clear contract terms and board-level oversight to ensure transparency (MRSC, n.d.-b).
Transparency before a vote matters. Budget decisions should not require residents to piece together information after the fact or rely on trust alone when clearer disclosure standards already exist (MRSC, n.d.-c).
References
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.-a). Revenue guide for Washington counties.
https://mrsc.org
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.-b). Contracting for services.
https://mrsc.org
Municipal Research and Services Center. (n.d.-c). 2026 budget suggestions.
https://mrsc.org
Modeled Governance Response — Board Follow-Up
Context: This response illustrates how the full Board of County Commissioners could respond following public discussion.
Following public discussion, the Board of County Commissioners acknowledges concerns regarding how interlocal revenues were presented in budget forecasts prior to the levy lid lift vote.
The Board has directed staff to review budget forecasting and disclosure practices, including how known and anticipated interlocal revenues are incorporated into public materials before levy or tax decisions are considered. The goal is to ensure that future budget forecasts and levy proposals provide voters with a complete and understandable financial picture.
The Board will review recommended changes in an open public meeting and provide an opportunity for public comment before adopting any revised disclosure practices.
You'd think someone would get the message when offered such excellent ways to address this matter.
@MK, never underestimate the power of persistence ;-)
Sorry about the podcast, folks. There are a few missing sections so it sounds like we are jumping from topic to topic. We will get it fixed for tomorrow.
I thought it was my shifty internet. 😂
Shifty podcaster!
If a Commissioner is making $119,00 + benefits from Clallam County. one must wonder if this commissioner job isn't just a side gig to the 50 plus boards and NGO's these fellas are on presently. Where do they find the time to serve?
county employees also receive the "and spouse/and dependents" health insurance premiums covered by the county
Yes and I commend the County and the benefits for all family member.
Right!! Could you even imagine giving 100% to all their jobs. I couldn't.
Thank you, Jake, for connecting the dots. Such a troubling situation on many fronts. Ultimately it is another systemic failure of our current elected BOCCC. I'm ready to have you in office to apply the diligence you are showing that questions not only what we spend money on, but also how we spend that money. There's far too much chumminess going on that has people far too comfortable in their positions. Is the BOCCC capable of terminating CFO Lane?
Having sat on collective bargaining teams on multiple contracts as a small government employee I can tell you that it is massively persuasive, and 100% acceptable to claim inability to pay. Now if the claim is a known lie vs just ineptness, then we're going to have deputies running around feeling like they've been stiffed, and that sets a dangerous undercurrent to performance. This is unsettling to me.
Possibly a point of clarification on how budgets work. Hasn't the county been stating that they are in positive financial territory with respect to reserves and all this has to do with maintaining a sufficient reserve fund? Sorry to be a luddite, I need to be better at understanding what's going on when I hear these various discussions.
Now given this "sudden" revelation of found funds, the last thing I want to see is the BOCCC decide that with these "new" funds that they'll go on a drunken spending spree on pet projects. The CFO could do well to initiate a "burn down" review of every contract the county has with any entity to ensure we aren't being taken advantage of.
MK, this is such an insightful comment.
In any negotiation, it’s expected that the other side will say, “That’s impossible.” The difference here is that the public record reflected a multi-million-dollar deficit for three consecutive years — a deficit that should not have existed. Under those conditions, the union would have been far more likely to believe the county truly could not afford higher compensation.
Yes, maintaining reserves is important. But the county’s own forecasts showed annual operating deficits of $3–4 million, which, if accurate, would have rapidly depleted those reserves without drastic intervention.
That’s why I share your concern about this “sudden” financial revelation.
What makes this even more troubling is that, during this same period, the commissioners refused to eliminate even an obviously unnecessary $13,000 payment to the Master Gardeners for public reassurance about the noxious weeds program — a cost the county engineer himself objected to. The commissioners ignored him.
MK, you are not a luddite. I have sat thru several of these budget meetings and have come out of them dazed and confused. Which means nothing is as presented. When people deflect, muddle, and lie about line items in a budget, you know the numbers have been jumbled and fumbled. Keep asking questions until you get an answer you understand.
I believe the County Commissioners are ONLY able to hire/fire the CEO (county manager). Only the county manager can terminate the employees that serve for him.
The budgets are A COMPLETE MYSTERY as to how they work, and what they do. And, they're kept mysterious for a reason. It's 3-card monte -- a confidence game to misdirect us, as they keep shuffling around the three cards while the dealer is talking incessantly to "find the lady". No matter which card you pick -- OOPS, you lose!
I'd really like to see an independent, citizens advisory committee to oversee the budget. We have some amazing, great financial minds here. The county would be daft to not take advantage of the volunteer help.
I really like your Citizens Advisory Committee idea, Mimi.
It's fantastic.
I would be amazed if they would follow any advise from an advisory committee?
Perhaps, but it would be fun to beat them with it.
Sent today
Clallam County Charter Review Commission
I implore you to call a special meeting to address the issues involving mismanagement of funds by the Clallam County Board of Commissioners as proposed by one of your fellow commissioners, Ron Richards. This special meeting will give you the opportunity to address an issue which affects you and the rest of the citizens of Clallam County equally. It will also give you the opportunity to fulfill your obligation to serve us all in correcting a perceived lack of transparency displayed by our county representatives.
I elect Eric as the 2025 Clallam County Mover & Shaker Award. You've been instrumental in getting the hospital to agree to record their meetings. Thank you.
I second!
Yea!
Thank you Jake and Jeff,
It's so time for replacing our commissioners...I like to treat all I meet with respect, but they make it very hard with what they support in Harm Reduction and follow it up with gifting our tax dollars to their pet NGO's. Incompetence ought to be the last straw...A little DOGE and they should be in jail!
Well one of them from my district at least...
Thank you, Jake, for making a difficult analysis easier to understand. Listening to the Board and CFO review the budget became more and more confusing with each meeting. It was so confusing, I didn't know what to address during public Q & A. That's when you know nothing is adding up deliberately. What irked me the most is that these people blamed the property owners for fighting them on raising our taxes! CC is grateful to have someone who wants the public to understand how our gov't is and is not working. And right now it isn't. Jake Seegers 2026!
Jake -- Thank you !!! The Safeway conversation was really powerful and scary.
Thanks, Kristin. Scary that it is happening in broad daylight and right in front of our kids!
Thank you, Jake Seegers, for your most welcomed & timely article~!
We here are greatly encouraged by the wonderful voters' who heroically rejected the scam artists in the local governments scheme to defraud folks with their "levy lift" nonsense last November. The clear rejection of the lies & deceptions that the criminals within the government were spewing, proves that most folks in Clallam County do understand that the local government, that ONLY exists to serve us, is dominated by a gang of blood sucking liars, thieves, and crooks~! We know that there are good honorable folks in the government who are working in the best interests of the community, however clearly, they need more help & support from the good folks in Clallam County. I am afraid that at this point it is becoming increasingly clearer that "we" have no other option but to start formal proceedings to purge ALL of these criminals in government from their positions. These "usual suspects" are constantly being caught in their shady schemes and obviously they have no Intention of keep their oaths to serve the will and best interests of the good folks who live & work here. Enough is enough~! These Individuals have become too dangerous for everyone at this point, because the general public absolutely MUST be able to know when there is a REAL emergency, or sooner or later people will get hurt or die as a result of the lack of trust in our government... I wish all of the good folks of Clallam County and especially The Watchdog, a very happy New Year and welcome them to come together after January 1st to start the formal process to remove these (as yet unindicted) criminals from our government, so we can immediately improve life here for all~!
Sincerely, Mike
Thank you and Happy New Year, Mike!
You are most welcome Jake~!
I don't often speak for others; however, on behalf of the good folks in Clallam County I apologize to you, Jeff Tozzer, and the other good folks in our governments who have been valiantly working to do the right things in this "den of vipers" that you have found yourselves in~! Many of "us" have tried to work with the Individuals in government who have constantly failed to do their jobs, but obviously that has not been successful and our efforts have been ignored. We just can't allow this to continue, so have a great New Year's Day and together "we" will make sure that Clallam County becomes a happy & prosperous community~! Cheers! Mike
Hope springs eternal. Looking forward the future is so bright we will wear sunglasses at night. Chin up, volunteer, write to our leaders, then write again if no response. Beat them down with persistence. “We can outlast any pukes the government throws at us, why? We have had so much experience doing that. Go citizens of this great nation, a little energy from many will turn the tides.
Very good Patriot Susan C Bonallo~!
HA~! I am thinking that you may have written some dandy song lyrics here ;-)) Keep up the great work, because "we" are dancing to our own music~!
Cheers~!
Mike
Hey Mike,
Do we really know that there are honorable people in law enforcement and government working on the high level of drug use/ homeless ness in Clallam county? Sure were a lot of pictures that indicated no one gives a damn except citizens. I don’t see that we are working toward freedom. I don’t feel safe from the insane addicted population. I think we coddle them. Think of any other illegal activity in the county that we help the criminals do a better job at it! Do we encourage speeding by having signs that say (UP TO YOU) ? Do we give out to-go cups with ice at the liquor store for the drive home?
Do we provide credit card info so thieves can use numbers of others? Maybe if we had a warm building with free computers, wait, we do. The library. I’m sick to death of these worthless mother fluffers messing up the community. This was a nice area to retire. What do you think those looking to retire would do after seeing the photos?
This needs to be priority # 1. Jail would help. People in charge with intestinal fortitude would be nice! And I don’t mean nail chewers. Jake is great but if we don’t rally our resources this county will be a slum just like Seattle and Portland.
Really think about how that would impact the quality of life and your assets (homes, lots, fields etc)
Clallam county allowing this to continue is the biggest disappointment by government in my adult life. DO BETTER!
HA~!
Hello Patriot Susan C Bonallo~!
Nice to see that you are alive and kicking~!!! ;-))
Very good "rant" and I completely agree~! Oh, and then some, that I dare not express because some jack ass may report me to the "speech police"~! Ha Ha Ha~!!! Yes, it is very good and completely understandable to question if there are ANY good folks in government and I can see how the crimes of some of them definitely reflect poorly upon EVERYONE in government... However, over the decades I have had many occasions to speak confidentially (off the record) with some of the good folks in government positions in different places, and they are constantly under attack from the criminals and their evil minions, so they are VERY careful how hard they push back against the dirty government clowns. Most Americans are completely unaware that pushing back against even these small-town hoods in government, can get those who do murdered, because things really are THAT BAD in a great many places in the US. Wherever there is any power, there are usually those who are more than willing to kill for it... We do need to support the good folks everywhere, especially in government when they are still working to make positive changes, because without them our problems would be FAR worse and we would lose some of the best sources of REAL information that we have from the "inside". I will let you think about that for a while ;-) Yes, it all sucks, but that is the price of decades of rigged elections and criminals infesting our governmental systems without enough people doing anything about it. Many of us are completely disgusted and have had enough of the criminals in our governmental systems here, which is why I just today suggested that "we" come together after January 1st to start planning a recall petition (and strategy) to remove ALL of the known bad actors that we know for sure that exist in the Clallam County Government. We can and should start to discuss this effort to remove these scumbags ASAP, so I am happy to say that a few folks have already indicated that they agree. Yes, absolutely, the rate that our community is declining is absolutely horrific. I can't discuss one of the efforts that I am personally working on right now, here, but I am working on another way to address the criminal behaviors that some in our governments have been engaged in... I do understand that the local "optics" look very bad right now, however my greatest effort, and skills, are in monitoring and studying the bigger picture on the American national and even world level, which directly impacts what happens right here in "Paradise" and every other local community in America and beyond. So, I can safely encourage you and other American Patriots that things are in fact better than it would seem. For instance, President Trump and the white hats have JUST closed the J Edgar Hoover FBI building permanently from what I have seen quietly reported, they recently rolled the Federal Reserve back into the US Treasure Department and terminated the employment of 70% of the IRS employees~! No media outlets are reporting it, but there has been a HUGE building federal tax revolt of Americans underway for a long time now, and the unconstitutional federal income tax is doomed. The tariffs are proving to be extremely effective, so amazing things have been very quietly going on right in front of everyone's faces. That last Venezuelan oil tanker was very quietly reported by US Military style signaling to have been captured, was because it had nuclear bombs on it that were ultimately headed out way~! Make no mistake, you, I, and many here in Clallam County have every right to be angry, and we should be, but as I have been saying for a very very long time, the level and depth of our REAL problems are absolutely catastrophic and deadly beyond belief for the vast majority of Americans and folks all over the world~!!! All of the problems that we have here locally can over time be fixed, but unfortunately there are FAR more dangerous and deadly threats that are being worked on right now, so everything will need to be handled as soon as it can safely be dealt with. I have been doing everything that I possibly could to wake folks up to these threats for nearly 60 years now, so just imagine what I and the few others like me have gone through in our lives as we have been watching the decline of America and so many other countries~? Not that "we" really matter, but I know that you and many others, especially here on "The Watchdog", are also terribly frustrated at just how difficult it is to wake many others in our community up to the real problems~! Imagine what President Trump and the white hats are going through! GEEEEEZE~! Keep the faith my friend, because "we" are actually winning this very old war against humanity and there will be FAR better times ahead when the dust settles~! For now, all we can really do is come together to push back upon the criminals of humanity everywhere that they exist, refuse to comply with unconstitutional BS, and try to help those who are suffering along the way~! MANY good folks are suffering and need help right now, so let us all do what we can to support each other because that is what America is really all about~! Have a happy New Year and stay safe~!
Sincerely, Mike
If you’ve been reading even some of the posts or podcasts from Jeff Tozzer, Jake Seeger, and others and the condition of our cities and County you probably feel the frustration. I don’t want to rant( it is fruitless) I want to start a protest, a rally, a comprehensive signing petition. I want to shake the complacency out of those in charge.Why aren’t we given a written report on the progress to clean the slum?
Once a month, let us know
(Math matters) how will this mess be made right?
How about once a week, one tiny, little glimmer of hope.
Throw us a bone, for the love of god. Help us help you by being a much larger group that the town petition signers and willing volunteer workers.
What we’ve done isn’t working. See photos of PA.
That is always a concern but not like Next Door. At least on CCWatchdog we can use adult words(you know they have more than one syllable. Hopefully-2026 is blessed for all the good people trying to live a good life and contribute to society!
Ah HA~!
I see why you are so understandably concerned, wonderful Patriot Susan...
Exposing myself to the "stupid" that I understand frequents the "Next Door" web site "chat fest" I do avoid it as much as possible. My best analyst does however keep an eye on what goes on in the Next Door "conversation pit", so I do get frequent updates, but my blood pressure remains steady and under control ;-) Ha! Yes, there are great folks who attempt to have rational common-sense discussions on "Next Door"; however, they constantly have to deal with unconstitutional censorship, trolls, political fanatics, social terrorists, bullies, and many of those who obviously dwell at the absolute bottom of the Intellectual swimming pool~! Ha Ha Ha~! "Bottom feeders suck~! An old fisherman's joke :] Anyway, I absolutely LOVE the astoundingly accurate and insightful line from the original John Wayne movie "True Grit", where Glen Campbell says "You've done nothing, when you have bested a fool"~! HA~! These days, decades after the criminals in government intentionally strategically attacked the mental health service community all across the US by cutting funding and therefore terminating most of the system that addressed mental illness and unleashed the afflicted upon our society, "we" have MANY sick people who constantly disrupt our world and vote for more of the same "disruptions". So, the Next-Door platform is a magnet for dysfunctional people with a great many mental problems, as opposed to the VAST majority of great Americans who regularly come together to participate in the rational "Clallam County Watchdog" platform~! There can be some value for folks who learn from Next Door's Online discussions, but I thank God that I have already done my duty personally monitoring such mine field venues of angry mental masturbation~! God bless and protect the good folks who attempt to communicate anything of value on Next Door~! Say, is it true that one of the Next Door "censors" is really Mark Ozias??? I have to wonder just how much "we" (taxpayers) are paying Ozias to constantly attack our community and country~? Anyway, one of the more obvious scams of Next Door and the other politically slanted & controlled web sites, is that they thrive upon giving good folks the false impression that the numbers of the un-American anti-Constitutional clowns and criminals are FAR higher than they really are~! They use very simple minded "force multiplier" techniques to trick the vast majority of Americans into believing that "America is split in half" politically, which is PURE BS~! In fact, ALL of the reputable analysts and scientific methods available very clearly prove that somewhere between 70 to 80% of ALL Americans are definitely NOT on board with the criminals of humanity and their constant unconstitutional socialist march to communistic satanic Hell on earth~! This evil trickery has in the past been very successful in making good Americans feel that they were in the minority or worse, all alone. It also gives HUGE support and encouragement to the mentally weak and/or insane, who LOVE to see their delusional "fraudulent numbers" supported in any way that they can because they are desperate to feel even false vindication of their deeply sick and twisted beliefs... What "we" (Americans) are actually experiencing, is what is known in Military circles as "a color revolution" where very evil people of power have been working to divide Americans against each other in every possible way~! I would be extremely careful of becoming entangled in emotional reactions, because emotional people NEVER make good decisions ;-) American and in fact world history is literally FULL of cases where the few very powerful criminals of humanity successfully tricked people into doing things that they would NEVER have done on their own, just by creating a hysterical emotional response of the people... We will together terminate these criminals by lawful means, correct the path of America and humanity, and over time repair the damage that has been dome over the past 150+ years~! No one wants these good things to come to pass more than I do, but it did take thousands of years for the world to get into this disaster, so it will unfortunately take some time to work our way out of it... Patience when actions are needed is a disaster in the making, and actions when patience is needed is also a disaster in the making, so "we" are in a VERY delicate time of history~! Right now, President Trump and the white hats are VERY concerned about the potential of extreme violence! This is NOT because these "sissy mary" lunatic socialist democrats in the population will cause much trouble, because they would be quickly "evaporated" if they challenged the greatest standing army on earth (the American conservative Patriots). It is however because "IF" Americans learn too much truth too fast, MANY otherwise peaceful law-abiding Americans would definitely hunt down these criminals of humanity in & outside of government to kill them all~! Many innocent men, women, and children would be harmed, disabled, or killed in the process, and the devastation to our cities, towns, and environment would make folks wish they could "go back" to the problems that we currently face today... We need to be VERY careful what we wish for~! As an American Constitutionalist I must do what I can to avoid that very real possibility, because "we" (Americans) need to remain peaceful unless we are attacked, so that our future and example to future generations is based upon The American Constitution and not vigilante "mob rule"~! Hang in there and keep up the good work~!!!
Sincerely, Mike
Sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats! That is perfect. You write with great knowledge, insight and a way with words (wisdom) Plus you bring me back to reality. Not that I’m a concealed weapon toting woman, however I did go to gun school (NRA) and the range for some real life shooting. (This should be a requirement) I know a guy that shot his knee trying to unholster his gun. (Showing off)
Anyway, I’m looking forward to being more involved in Clallam County this year and I am putting much energy into my body language in group settings. You know, just like the commissioners who never act like they comprehend the public comments. So if they quit raising taxes in Clallam and we can afford our forever home, that will become a reality.
May need to have you edit a few things. That’s what’s nice about writing a book. The truth doesn’t need to be edited out.
I appreciate you staying up to date on next door. Sounds like they are not so restrictive in written comments. Still don’t miss a minute of it, except when they trash on Jeff. and I can fight back. Well it’s almost midnight, sure enjoy and learn from your input . You are like the big brother I deserved, and everyone that knows my brother agrees, he is an odd person, in every way possible. My sister has a mental illness
and doesn’t take her meds. So I’m the only normal (?) one. Plus my parents liked me the most, so did the grandparents, I had 4 of them. What a gift!
Happy New Year my friend.
Respectfully and sincerely,
Susan.
HA! HA! HA!
I am basking in the effervescent glow of your wonderful compliments, Patriot Susan C Bonallo~! ;-) Starting off the New Year with such a "swelled head" may make it difficult for me to find a hat that fits! HA~! Well, the way I see this sick comedy called "life in America" these days, I just can't help but call the troublemakers out for precisely what they do and who they really are. It takes a special kind of treasonous "crazy" to hide their true intentions, like "gun confiscation" (not "control") and willingly, gleefully, accepting what was obviously the 2020 election fraud (Installing THEIR mini "dictator king" while fraudulently pretending to be against kings when it suddenly suits their twisted agenda). These treasonous backstabbing enemies of America and The Constitution know that their evil agenda will NEVER be accomplished if they were to tell the truth. So yes, they are at best "sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats" and very FAR from trustworthy people of honorable good faith like most Americans really are~! We all have our flaws, and there are also seriously Ignorant RINO "fake Republicans" who obviously don't understand The American Constitution, America, or the very definition of "Freedom" itself~! However, there will be a very special place in Hell for those who are utterly without Honor who believe "the ends justifies the means" and laws do not apply to them, because they have the blood of many millions of good Americans and human beings from all over the world on their hands now (especially after THEIR COVID mass murder crimes against humanity)... Like little rotten spoiled brats of the worst kind, oh, and I bet that they really were TOTAL nightmares in their childhoods, these scumbags never learned to play well with others and to mind to their own business. These same lunatics can't take care of themselves and their own families worth a damn, but they always work to tell everyone else how they should live, what they should think & say, and what they can and cannot do~! OH! But if anyone dares to point out one of their REAL flaws, suddenly they scream that good folks that they know nothing about are homophobic, antisemitic, prejudiced, blah blah, blah~! Even worse, many of "us" are well aware that at the very root of these sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats, is the greatest satanic evil that ever existed on earth because there is in fact a concerted well organized effort to absolutely destroy America and "rebuild it" into their dirty life sucking communist/Marxist Hell on earth, where they "think" that they will have total control over everyone and they can then become the true domineering bullies that they have always dreamed of becoming... They will NEVER get that chance again because too many Americans are already aware of too many truths and they are learning more every day. Just wait until the same focus that is now destroying the Minnesota criminal cabal of corruption comes right here to Washington State (because that has actually already begun my friend ;-)) California will obviously soon be revealed to have the largest criminal octopus of government, NGO's, and criminals of humanity in America, and that will definitely lead to the evil sissy mary lunatic democrats' demise there~! When the average American starts to add up ALL of the "tentacles" in ALL of the states (I usually prefer to call them "testicles" because of what they REALLY do to ALL Americans ;-)) of the old massive evil octopus, it will become very obvious that the same evil "swamp" has been intentionally destroying their lives since they were born and there will be decisive actions all across the country to terminate it and lawfully prosecute ALL of the nasty evil players who were involved... So perhaps you can see just how the serious homeless and drug problems will be addressed, from the top down as opposed to attempting to correct the problems one by one on the local level~? The interesting thing is that lunatic socialists really are flat out stupid and Ignorant in the textbook sense, because history is FULL of nothing but examples of what happens when their evil dictatorship (fake democracy) has come into power. Yes, the first thing is that mass murders of the remaining people who understand that Individual freedom is critical to life takes place, but shortly following the extermination of all of the folks who pose any threat to the new dictatorship, the next to be exterminated are these very same "sissy mary lunatic socialist democrats" themselves because they are no longer needed or wanted... Like many pirates of the olden days in history, when it comes time to divide up the "riches" and the power is on the table, suddenly, these "useful idiots" are an unnecessary burden and potentially troublesome, so "off they go" into the garbage dump of human refuse that finally got them what they really wished for, and so well earned~! So, we are actually saving these miserable socialist democrats Marxist/Communists wretches lives, but the good news is that they will forever live with the disgrace of everyone knowing that when America needed them the most, they stuck their "knives" in the backs of all who were doing their Patriotic duty~! They will die of a thousand "shames"~! So, my friend, I wish you the very best New Year and "we" (the REAL American Patriots) shall make it through these historically difficult, dangerous, and deadly times together, to see an amazing America that few ever believed could happen~! The BOOMING Economic period ahead will be historic, but there will be a great many more vastly important things eventually coming to pass if "we" can become the owners and caretakers of our country and our freedoms~! What I am seeing coming from behind the scenes of this constant "swamp gas machine" is absolutely astounding and I am sure that the vast majority of Americans and eventually all folks in the world will be thrilled with the possibilities of the future...
Sincerely, Mike
Admittedly I am a bit self absorbed in the pursuit retirement, leaving the majority of the future of Clallam County hopefully to more youthful pragmatic and visionary residents like Jake Seegers. The CCD is a non-regulatory entity. Self descriptive, it is self regulated and by description is not regulated by nor should it be funded by Government. I find the goals and intent of the CCD laudable, but I also find it to be exclusively voluntary and in Government terms non-essential. The CCD should not benefit from any area taxation or Government funding. To repeat; nonessential. Similarly, all effort and funding for minority-ism, ( MWBE, DEI, LGBTQ+, native/indigenous/aboriginal, other nationality, etc. ), must be recaptured and invested in our public safety, AKA law enforcement. Those who desire to invest in minority-ism or conservation are free to do so; voluntarily and outside of Government.
Time to dust off your walking boots and get out here with the rest of the white-hairs.
I fought hard in my younger life for wild fish when it was very unpopular and at the expense of my family. I and wild fish lost repeatedly and miserably. It is time for the next generation to take the baton.
I fought for consumer protection laws (all of which have been neutered with riders on other bills). But, the youth need mentors.... and that's our new job.
100%
And most salient here, that is easy to miss. A few days ago CRC Richards put out a call here on the CCWD for people to write to the CRC members requesting a special meeting this week to address this problem.
https://www.ccwatchdog.com/p/how-did-they-let-this-happen/comment/191940837
I appreciate Jake echoing that need, it's just easy to miss it because there's so much here.
Of the thousands of subscribers to the Watchdog this is a good time to take a few minutes to write and/or call them requesting that they hold a special meeting.
Absolutely, MK. Ron is working to bring real accountability to county leadership on behalf of Clallam’s citizens. I sincerely hope the other charter commissioners join his effort.
I sent my email in yesterday.
I agree. Thank you for the call to action. The more people who write to the Charter Review Commissioners and back Commissioner Richards, the better.
Mr. Seegar,
How can one individual impact the county commission in a positive way?
What do you see as positive? Poking everyone on the commission in the nose? Reaching across the table seeking common ground? Are you willing to compromise your values and reach across the table, working from within the system to slowly improve it?
Question two, re: deputies wages. Does the chart show benefits? I have found that benefits paid to an employee cost the employer an additional sixty percent above their wages.
I, like many of the readers of these blogs, find the current county policies towards the homeless despicable and counterproductive.
Forcing the homeless into shelters and getting them off the street seems like a reasonable idea, but they are free people entitled to live in a tent. Or so I am told.
A year ago, I helped a homeless man. I was contacting the shelter in Port Angeles to arrange for a bed for him. They had one available. The homeless man told me that he would rather sleep under a tree that enter a shelter. He told me that if he went into a shelter he would leave with 'nothing'. I bought him clothes at the local goodwill and a backpack. Have not seen Him since.
I can imagine a solution to his problem. Make the shelter safe for those who want to live in them.
Michael,
Thank you for your comment. I’ve heard the same feedback about the shelter many times myself. According to Serenity House’s most recent annual report, more than 40% of its beds are unoccupied on average. I agree completely: together, making the shelter a clean, safe, and genuinely attractive alternative to living in the woods would be one of the most meaningful steps we could take toward addressing homelessness in our county.
The chart shows deputy wages, not including benefits.
As for your broader question — I won’t compromise my core values. There are certainly areas where compromise makes sense, but on many of the issues facing Clallam County, what’s needed is not adjustment around the edges, but a fundamental shift in approach.
One pattern has become clear to many of us who follow county governance closely: across boards, committees, and departments, there is remarkably little dissent from the same conventional thinking that has failed to produce real solutions for more than a decade. As a result, the public often finds itself without true allies inside county government. That’s something we must change — together.
And we will. One commissioner, one elected official, one appointed board member, and one department head at a time. I’m comfortable being early in that process. Our community is hungry for solutions that produce tangible results, and together we are a powerful force for change. A few consistent 2–1 votes by the Board of Commissioners will only further ignite community engagement and accountability that cannot be ignored.
So to your question: "How can one individual impact the county commission in a positive way?"
It won’t be just one individual. It will be a community, working together for change. We’ve already seen it, and I have no doubt where it leads.
2026 is the first step.
2027, we replace another commissioner.
2028, another.
Together, the citizens of Clallam County will make sure of it.
Yes, Jake. One step at a time and First things First. Step one, put yourself out there. First thing for the County is to get you voted in, and French voted out. We'll take the next steps as they come. SEEGERS 2026!
Thank you for your support (past, present and future), Denise!
Denise, we will have Seegers on the Commissioners Board in 2026. I have not one doubt ; )
Jake, IMO the only way to take back control of agenda’s and spending is voting. Your statement:
“ONE COMMISSIONER, ONE ELECTED OFFICIAL, ONE APPOINTED BOARD MEMBER, AND ONE DEPARTMENT HEAD AT A TIME”
In 2026, we WILL elect you who is dedicated to good governance.
In 2027, we WILL find someone to vote in who also has dedication required of a Commissioner
In 2028, we WILL be a community united, not divided and begin complete recovery.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built.
Thanks, Jennifer. I agree. Voting is how we'll do it!
If exposing the truth equates to a poke in the nose. Then there is something wrong with this picture. As citizens, we have a right to know how our government is being run. We definitely are not getting the whole story from the powers that be. I say. Thank you Jake and Jeff for enlightening us. And if someone gets a red nose or a red ass over it. So be it. They had it coming.
Let's just start with defunding the NGO's ... If they have a great program, it will get all the donations needed from the public.
More accountability would be high on my wish list!
Great idea, Glen(:
Glen, defunding the NGO's that are supported by members of Commission would/is a waste of time. They hold the cards (as witnessed by the Charter Review year long failure) Accountability will only come with destroying the "house of cards", but yes, absolutely we need to defund the useless NGO's.
Don't forget that it is our illustrious commissioners who repeatedly fund the Serenity House and other homeless advocacy groups yet demand no results for their generosity of taxpayer dollars-safety, cleanliness or sobriety are not metrics they've demanded. That's why poking with sticks is necessary Mr. Jinsun. The public should have expectations about their elected officials and government staff because they are public servants.
One definition that needs to be re-tooled, what is it to be "homeless?" When people choose to not live in a "home" (another definition that needs to be re-tooled), are they indeed "homeless?"
You'll not find me tossing that term around with the abandon.
Oddly, we call people who camp, campers. We call people who are forever moving about transients. We call people who are always on cruise ships "cult cruisers". We call people who move from one hotel to another travelers. We call people who have decided to live in vans and travel about nomadic. These are all people who are houseless, not homeless.
The problem is that we group people into one group which muddles the meaning.
And, yes, I agree "shelters" are not anywhere that are safe, for the most part. And, our county commissioners could do way better by paying attention to their favorite "NGO" Serenity House.
Require that they spend a week at one.... I'm sure things would change. (One night several years ago, is not enough.)
Thanks, Mimi. I always appreciate your thoughts.
These people must have learned the new math they teach in our schools. It is close that counts. Unfortunately I am afraid they were not very good pupils but were given a passing grade. Duh
So they can huff foilies at 12 pm-4am. I don't think the monkey's huffed anything. That's like being worse than a monkey.
Questions:
The next county meeting list of checks has yet another large line item for the HRHC for "warmth and hygiene". Why is the HRHC spending so much money on warmth and hygiene at the paraphernalia center when there are numerous other organizations that address this issue. They have spent several thousands over the last few months on "warmth and hygiene" that keeps people dirty, cold and HIGH on the streets. Why spend money from Opiate Settlement Funds on overlapping services when other agencies that provide the same are more likely to get people into recovery?
Regarding criminal justice expense billing, who pays when a case must be sent back for retrial to due errors and failures of the system? We have TWO very serious cases up for retrial now.
Convicted triple murderer Dennis Bauer is in Clallam jail awaiting retrial- who pays for his jailing, indigent defense, etc. during the retrial process? Convicted child rapist Miguel Angel Medel Lopez, previously deported twice and returned three times, and with other criminal history in the county since his last illegal return has been granted a retrial due to local system failures. In addition to sanctuary state protection he will also receive taxpayer funded interpretation and indigent services. Who gets billed for that when county level failures are why we have to repeat this? The entire local criminal justice system needs a serious audit.
The boldness of narcotics dealers operating in the line of sight from the county courthouse and the "scenic HWY 101" is another huge red flag. It is so visually obvious what is happening at the local grocery to everyone. There have been major cartel busts in the region yet our city leaders are more concerned with ICE actions than stopping cartel activity literally out their windows. What is really going on here?
Notably the new public defender caseload requirements and public defender payments are on the next county agenda.
"They have spent several thousands over the last few months on "warmth and hygiene" that keeps people dirty, cold and HIGH on the streets." That's a good point, Susie.
Excellent new song
Thank you, Jake, for shining more light on the modern dark ages of Clallam County!
A couple thoughts while reading:
In the potential expenditures reduction section, under ‘outside agency support’ there is the dues/mandated support amount of $129,000+; just wondering if they group the WSAC fees into that, even though membership is not mandated based on what I’ve researched.
In the 7% exercise section at the end regarding the $300,000 that will come from increased license and permit fees, 70% of that is $210,000 which will go to personnel costs, based on the ‘How do we spend our funding’ chart. Are they really that ignorant to not recognize that personnel costs are what is killing the budget more than anything else? I like to think they’re smarter than that, but I have my reservations. 😄
I suppose it makes sense that other county commissioners would think Mark Ozias is doing good work with the budget — just look at how many other counties are worse off than Clallam, and it’s probably those commissioners.
Thank you, Jake, for doing what you do to make Clallam County better — and thank you, Watchdog, for the new theme song!
Thank you, Clallamity for helping hold our elected officials accountable!
Good question on the "dues/mandated support."
Can anyone tell me where to find the full 'Description' column, the description is cut off. Example on page 9 of 438 of the packet for Tuesday, 12/30 meeting:
Vendor 0048781 Mielke, Todd ATM WSAC LEADERS CONFEREN 1043.34. The description column is cut off. On page 14 for HHS and all pages, the description is cut off. What does
HADM - WARMTH/HYGENE S, $3,890.73 represent ?
HOPS . AMAZON - MOUSE PA - $175.36 ? On page 15. These are just a few examples. Where do I find the full description?
Does $175.36 sound like a lot for a mouse pad? Maybe they purchased more than one?