The League of Women Voters did not respond to an email requesting clarification on its assertion that it is a nonpartisan organization. Here is today's email sent to the commissioners and Dr. Berry:
Dear Commissioners and Dr. Berry —
Please take time to listen to this podcast conversation. It’s an interview with Stacey Richards, a local woman who has now been sober for more than 25 years. She talks about the day she hit rock bottom, the role consequences played in her recovery, and how finally getting into treatment changed the course of her life. How do you view experiences like hers when shaping county policy around addiction? Do stories like this — where accountability and treatment were key turning points — factor into how you evaluate Clallam County’s current approach?
Below is a modeled response showing how a public health officer could answer this question. It is not an official response from the Clallam County Public Health Officer.
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for sharing this podcast. Stacey Richards’s statement that “pain is the touchstone to growth” is a powerful reminder that recovery often begins when consequences become real and change can no longer be postponed.
Yes, experiences like hers should inform how county leaders evaluate addiction policy. From a public health perspective, accountability and treatment are not competing ideas. The real policy question is whether the county has built a system where, when a person reaches that turning point, treatment is actually available, referrals happen quickly, and follow-up support is strong enough to reduce the risk of relapse or overdose. Evidence-based care for opioid use disorder includes medications for opioid use disorder, behavioral health treatment, and ongoing recovery support (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024; Washington State Health Care Authority [HCA], n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
Clallam County recognized that principle early. In 2015, the county proposed mandatory reporting of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses to enable public health to respond quickly, offer naloxone, review treatment options, and build timely local data for prevention and intervention (Clallam County Health and Human Services [CCHHS], 2015). The proposal called for reports within 24 hours from Olympic Medical Center Emergency Department, Forks Emergency Department, and the county coroner, followed by direct public health outreach (CCHHS, 2015). That local approach was later described in the peer-reviewed literature as an early rural public health model for mandatory overdose reporting and follow-up (Frank et al., 2018).
But from the public’s perspective, conditions have changed dramatically since 2015. What was once an innovative early-response model is no longer enough on its own. By 2020, Clallam County’s opioid surveillance dashboard was already tracking a more complex landscape, including adverse outcomes, treatment, risk reduction, prescribing practices, and community perceptions. It reported 95 overdose reports in 2019, with heroin involved in 94% of reported overdoses, and explained that the dashboard existed to inform practice decisions and interventions (Clallam County, 2020). The county’s 2017 community health assessment also described the opioid epidemic as a countywide threat tied to overdoses, deaths, childhood trauma, and property crime, while noting growing support for harm reduction, co-response, and medication-assisted treatment (Clallam County Community Health Assessment, 2017). Using the 2022 assessment alongside it would better show how the public health context has evolved over time.
Today, the county’s response infrastructure is broader than it was in 2015. Clallam County’s Health & Human Services page still publicly lists the overdose-reporting document and surveillance report, and the Harm Reduction Health Center now publicly describes services including naloxone, syringe services, wound care, in-house treatment assessments, and referrals to community partners (Clallam County, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
That change matters. In 2026, the public is not simply asking whether the county recognizes addiction as a problem. The public is asking whether the county’s larger system is producing visible results: faster access to treatment, fewer overdoses, stronger recovery pathways, better coordination across public health and public safety, and sufficient transparency for residents to judge whether the current approach is working. Clallam County’s 2025–2030 Homeless Housing Plan reflects that broader expectation by calling for an equitable, accountable, and transparent response system, stronger coordination, and more refined measures to evaluate progress (Clallam County, 2025).
So yes, stories like Stacey’s still matter. But they should now be understood within a much broader public context than existed in 2015. Her story reminds us that recovery is often shaped by both consequences and access to care. The county’s responsibility is to make sure its response is evidence-based, measurable, humane, and transparent enough for the public to see whether it is actually working.
Frank, C. J., Kushner, S. E., Doran, D. A., & Stehr-Green, J. (2018). Mandatory reporting of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in a rural public health department. American Journal of Public Health, 108(12), 1646–1648. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304690
The interview boils down to analyzing and using a common sense approach. Harm Reduction is throwing gasoline on a fire, allowing the fire to spread by feeding it more tinder.
Life is not free, it has to be earned to be appreciated.
Jennifer. I agree with you. When we are parents we teach our children about personal responsibilities and accountability. These lessons are for everyone.
Prudent municipal stewardship requires that welfare provisions incorporate clear measures of civic accountability to prevent unintended systemic dependency and ensure the sustainable remediation of public blight.
The discussion features an ethical critique of municipal policy regarding addiction and homelessness, specifically in Clallam County. Stacey Richards, a long-term recovery advocate, argues that providing support services—such as free food and clothing—without stringent requirements for accountability constitutes "negligence" and unintentionally enables continued addiction. This perspective raises fundamental governance questions about how public health strategies should balance aiding vulnerable populations with addressing the resulting impacts on public spaces and civic safety.
Statutory & Policy Support
RCW 36.32.120 (General Powers of Legislative Authorities):
This statute grants County Commissioners the legislative authority to "make and enforce by appropriate ordinances or resolutions all such police and sanitary regulations as are not in conflict with state law". This applies directly to the debate, as the County's methods for managing addiction and homelessness must address both public health and compassion, and the enforcement of public order and sanitation regulations necessary to preserve the common good. [app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/]
Clallam County Charter (Article I, Section 1.2 - Powers):
The Charter affirms that Clallam County possesses all powers granted to counties by the Washington State Constitution and state laws. This provides the overarching legal mandate for the County to establish administrative policies—including those concerning welfare, public safety, and accountability—that are currently under ethical scrutiny in the public forum. [clallam.county.codes/Charter]
We have at least one county commissioner who seems to refute that people with lived experience are subject matter experts, while those that have classroom knowledge are more credible. I would like to have our public spaces, parks, sidewalks, trails, buses, entrance to businesses, etc. back. One commissioner claims public safety is his number one priority, yet continues to put all his support towards programs that do not seem to be improving life for ALL of us.
Hi Stacey. I have a a very similar story. As drugs and alcohol became my way of dealing with life, I had to get to rock bottom before deciding that this is not how I want to live. My friends and family who thought they were helping me by “loaning me money” etc. only delayed getting to the bottom.
Our harm reduction policies are prolonging the journey to rock bottom. The addicts are being enabled to continue their behavior and Society pays the price ( trash, theft etc.). Life under this policy is too comfortable, there is no rock bottom.
Rich, if advise comes straight from the horses mouth, I believe it. If it comes from a jackass who can only bray from a Commissioner chair, it's just hee haw.
Wow! How good a story. Too bad the old ways of getting clean have disappeared. I grew up in an addicted family and can remember the tragedies and heartbreak that it brought and how many people it has affected. Stacey has shown a reversal of that and has affected lives in a positive way. Go girl!
Thank you Jake and Stacey for another enlightening interview. Stacey's journey thru addiction and recovery hopefully will find its way to someone who is struggling. Stacey has many solid points about the realities of life addicted to drugs including the consequences. More and more people are listening and understanding about addiction because of the brave people who stand up and speak up. I place more value on Stacey's knowledge on this plaguing issue than on a rubber stamped bought-and-paid-for college degree.
Denise, you are right. I am deeply grateful to Stacey for having the courage to speak up and share her experience with our leaders. We should be listening to those who have successfully navigated recovery, not to “experts” who surround themselves with like-minded supporters and present data shaped to support their own conclusions.
Stacey Richards’s story is powerful because it reminds us that compassion without accountability can become enablement. But ACEs and newer PCEs research add an important layer: some adults are living out damage that began in childhood, and communities ignore that at their own expense. Clallam’s own data showed about 1 in 3 adults had 3 or more ACEs, above the state average, and local leaders linked the opioid crisis to childhood trauma, overdoses, and property crime (Clallam County Community Health Status Assessment, 2017; Clallam County Community Health Assessment, 2017). Positive childhood experiences matter too—people do better when they grow up with safety, belonging, stable relationships, and structure (Bethell et al., 2019; Sege et al., 2025). So this is not an excuse framework. It is a cause-and-correction framework: clear public boundaries, real accountability, stronger families, and better recovery pathways upstream.
References
Bethell, C. D., Jones, J., Gombojav, N., Linkenbach, J., & Sege, R. D. (2019). Positive childhood experiences and adult mental and relational health in a statewide sample: Associations across adverse childhood experiences levels. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), e193007. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3007
Clallam County Community Health Assessment. (2017). Community health assessment. Clallam County.
Clallam County Community Health Status Assessment. (2017). Community health status assessment. Clallam County.
Clallam County Community Health…Sege, R. D., Aslam, M. V., Peterson, C., Hannan, K., Burstein, D., Rosenberg, J., Donofrio, M., Linkenbach, J., Bethell, C. D., & Harper Browne, C. (2025). Positive childhood experiences and adult health and opportunity outcomes in 4 US states. JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2524435. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.24435
Thank you Jake Seegers, Jeff Tozzer, and Stacey Richards~!
This really is an excellent article that truthfully reveals the horrible trap of substance abuse, drug addiction, that destroys SO many lives and tears the very fabric of society~! The sad fact of human behavior is that the vast majority of folks will NEVER change the errors of their ways until the personal pain level is SO great, that changing their ways clearly becomes the easier path to follow. We as an entire country are literally currently going through this very process today, so that "we" as a society will accept the new better America and world that we have as a people been foolishly avoiding for a great many years. The big picture (Macro) view of what Americans are really experiencing today is very much about breaking the addiction of "Big Government" and the unconstitutional corporate "nanny state" that too many are terribly addicted to, so that we as a country can transition to a community of FAR more healthy Individuals who have freedom, rights, and personal responsibilities that require every capable American to stand on their own two feet~! The similarity between what Stacey Richards is heroically revealing here and what the entire country (and world) is experiencing is really quite striking~! That said, it should be noted that there is always a small % of any population who can and do have the personal Individual strength (stubbornness?) to overcome and conquer their addictions and/or personal issues on their own, however "we" as a people in America (and the world) need to be together to help and support each other as we grow and mature to work towards our true potential~! We can no longer afford to be seduced by the "easy road" to life, because that is an evil lie that is not achievable and always leads to a disaster of dependency. Individual freedom and rights have a serious cost of personal responsibility and that is what America was founded to have as our "Guiding Light" into the future~! The "Bigger Picture" of what is really going on today, will in fact help a great many avoid and/or conquer their personal addictions and other personal issues that they have, because many engage in poor behavior when the entire country & world are following the wrong path and the feeling of hopelessness infects society... There is great hope for everyone going forward~! Great job Jake, Jeff, and Stacey~! Your article here has FAR greater implications than most currently realize ;-)
I share my thoughts because I realize I have been judgmental rather that informative on some commentary. Most of our troubles have a foundation in self. We may be angry. We may be addicted to drugs or alcohol. We may have been abused. I still maintain our personal growth will need respect for others as well as self.
The importance of respect. March 8,2026.
As I read the different opinions I see some harsh comments. Whether I agree or disagree, I realize my opinions, and others, often lack respect. A key point here is to remember other’s feelings. We can disagree and still be civil. This is not easy, but the comment(s) should be a reflection of who you are.
First is self respect. Who do you see in the mirror? Are you satisfied with the image? Are there some changes to your lifestyle that would improve your self image? Is there a picture of kindness?
Regardless of your history, regardless of you personal discomfort, you can be respectful of other’s feelings. You don’t need to inflict your injuries on others. You can still disagree, but there should still be respect toward other human beings. Offer knowledge instead of anger. This is a reflection of who YOU are.
When I make comments I should try to present my argument(s) based on logic, reason, and verifiable sources. Am I being truthful, or spreading rumors? Am I being condescending, arrogant, mean, or hurtful? What do I gain from name calling? What are my motives? Do I wish to share information or condemn? Is this a teaching suggestion or harmful comment? Do I have my own self respect?
I maintain that none of us have a permission to be harmful. We can disagree, but maintain kindness, no matter what another might display. Keep the high ground. This is our self-respect.
I was once told a story about anger. Consider “Anger” as if it were a bowling ball. It is heavy, large enough to be hard to carry, and you have no easy way to keep it with you. The solution is to put it down and walk away.
Offer respect to everyone. Respect the person you see in the mirror. We can then have meaningful conversations.
I may not know what is in someone's heart, but their actions are what gets judgement. I don't confuse judging as being bad when it's rooted in facts. If we don't judge then we might as well toss out laws and rules.
Respect is a two way street. I cannot have a meaningful conversation with someone who doesn't respect themselves or others. That's a waste of time.
It is not our place to judge people or say they are good or evil. God gave us believers the wisdom of right and wrong. We can not see what is in others hearts
but I know what is in mine. I pray for y enemies that they might become nicer more educated and conservative. I know my prayers are not answered in CC very often.Got to get Jake to win so we can start reversing the trend.
Jennifer. Yes, fight when necessary . My problem, tongue in cheek, is I am too old to physically fight any more. By the time my brain realizes I am in danger it will be too late. So, I write opinions and use words as weapons. Our society is divided. Many have views I think are destructive. I try to voice my beliefs that may, repeat, may cause readers to think about improving our society. Fight when you have no other choices. I like to remind readers that most of our problems have been around for many years. My questions are often addressed to those who are self-serving and nothing will change their behavior. As I have stated before, there is NO cure for stupid. (Forrest Gump). If we conservatives find common ground, and encourage more voters to vote, we may build a better America. This is still the best place to live in the entire world.
I have some experience with addiction, as what the treatment profession calls an enabler. Upon taking my beloved to a treatment institution I was schooled on enabling. Self described, it is when one who cares for the addicted enables their addiction by ignoring their bad behavior, making excuses for them, etc.. The most significant component of my enabling training was that I must have the courage to let my addicted beloved hit their own bottom. It took a while, but I realized that when either I, another or society takes the results of their choices away from them they have also taken away their right to make their own choices. A great example is a baby crawling toward a fire. Concern is most always shared with the baby, vocally. If the baby is picked up before reaching the fire, it does not personally learn why it should not touch it. You can call it tough love. I now call it reality. An additional component to allowing some harm experience, is that it makes voices of concern more meaningful.
And the commissioners' policies prevent addicts from hitting rock bottom. Could this be what they are doing intentionally, disguised as compassion, to build their homeless/problems for more federal money to launder?
Sorry for the ongoing cynicism, but I have ZERO trust for most career politicians!
So, what is the magic solution to ending addictions, of all types? What would be the ideal way to create a healthy society free from drug use? Jail? Asylums? Locked up treatment centers? Ignore? Reduction of harm? Or opportunity to self-help? What is the solution?
Here's the complicated part, in my opinion. People frame this as and all or nothing. We keep hearing the words "solution" and there's no reality in that qualification.
The solution people want is to not to feel bad for the people who are struggling for myriad reasons.
Until people get it through their heads that watching the realities of society unfold in front of them are a result of personal choice that they can do nothing about, then we're going to keep having this in my opinion ridiculous discussion about solutions.
As such, the solution is to learn to deal with shitty situations that you truly have no control over and to manage your feelings about that.. This isn't to say that for someone who wants to get clean that options shouldn't be available, although I really think that that turns into a money-making machine more than the realities of a 12-step.
There is so much to unravel in those questions. We have the big picture and then the local picture which of course we are concerned about. As to solutions, IMO, there will never be an end to drug use. This country has a healthy appetite for drugs. Think back in the 70's, 80's thru Miami and the cocaine cowboys and then into NYC. These were the "old" cartels. The two now, Sinaloa and the very, very violent Jalisco (CJNG) out of Jalisco Mexico operate in nearly every 50 states and at least 40 countries worldwide. The designation as Foreign Terrorist Groups allows the expansion of federal laws into these cases. And yes, these cartels are here in WA.
These cartels exist for money, they have vast financial resources, they are now "franchised based" across the country, a proclivity for violence and use corrupt officials as well. They have clandestine labs in Mexico for vast distribution routes into this country, mainly entering thru California and Arizona. They use Chinese money laundering networks, crypto exchanges, bulk cash smuggling, trade base money laundering and the list goes on.
The use of research, intel, surveillance and undercover operatives, we will never have enough to shut this all down in this country. These cartels are smart, they realize and countersurveil our operations at times. They also are involved heavily in human trafficking, where they actually are able to make more money as once a drug is cosumed, that's it, but a human.......
Anyway, in my opinion as stated we will never rid. But with the right lawmakers elected we can work to change the laws to address this. We can continue with asset forfeiture laws as well, which hit them in the pocketbook. But we cannot continue catch and release these folks to go out and commit the drug selling over and over again even at the very local level. As stated this is franchised base and there exists organizational charts from localized dealer leaders, to the street guy reporting on up the chain, it's complicated.
We must consistently work with our lawmakers , sigh, which in some states truly don't get it.
The League of Women Voters did not respond to an email requesting clarification on its assertion that it is a nonpartisan organization. Here is today's email sent to the commissioners and Dr. Berry:
Dear Commissioners and Dr. Berry —
Please take time to listen to this podcast conversation. It’s an interview with Stacey Richards, a local woman who has now been sober for more than 25 years. She talks about the day she hit rock bottom, the role consequences played in her recovery, and how finally getting into treatment changed the course of her life. How do you view experiences like hers when shaping county policy around addiction? Do stories like this — where accountability and treatment were key turning points — factor into how you evaluate Clallam County’s current approach?
Below is a modeled response showing how a public health officer could answer this question. It is not an official response from the Clallam County Public Health Officer.
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for sharing this podcast. Stacey Richards’s statement that “pain is the touchstone to growth” is a powerful reminder that recovery often begins when consequences become real and change can no longer be postponed.
Yes, experiences like hers should inform how county leaders evaluate addiction policy. From a public health perspective, accountability and treatment are not competing ideas. The real policy question is whether the county has built a system where, when a person reaches that turning point, treatment is actually available, referrals happen quickly, and follow-up support is strong enough to reduce the risk of relapse or overdose. Evidence-based care for opioid use disorder includes medications for opioid use disorder, behavioral health treatment, and ongoing recovery support (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024; Washington State Health Care Authority [HCA], n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
Clallam County recognized that principle early. In 2015, the county proposed mandatory reporting of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses to enable public health to respond quickly, offer naloxone, review treatment options, and build timely local data for prevention and intervention (Clallam County Health and Human Services [CCHHS], 2015). The proposal called for reports within 24 hours from Olympic Medical Center Emergency Department, Forks Emergency Department, and the county coroner, followed by direct public health outreach (CCHHS, 2015). That local approach was later described in the peer-reviewed literature as an early rural public health model for mandatory overdose reporting and follow-up (Frank et al., 2018).
But from the public’s perspective, conditions have changed dramatically since 2015. What was once an innovative early-response model is no longer enough on its own. By 2020, Clallam County’s opioid surveillance dashboard was already tracking a more complex landscape, including adverse outcomes, treatment, risk reduction, prescribing practices, and community perceptions. It reported 95 overdose reports in 2019, with heroin involved in 94% of reported overdoses, and explained that the dashboard existed to inform practice decisions and interventions (Clallam County, 2020). The county’s 2017 community health assessment also described the opioid epidemic as a countywide threat tied to overdoses, deaths, childhood trauma, and property crime, while noting growing support for harm reduction, co-response, and medication-assisted treatment (Clallam County Community Health Assessment, 2017). Using the 2022 assessment alongside it would better show how the public health context has evolved over time.
Today, the county’s response infrastructure is broader than it was in 2015. Clallam County’s Health & Human Services page still publicly lists the overdose-reporting document and surveillance report, and the Harm Reduction Health Center now publicly describes services including naloxone, syringe services, wound care, in-house treatment assessments, and referrals to community partners (Clallam County, n.d.-a, n.d.-b).
That change matters. In 2026, the public is not simply asking whether the county recognizes addiction as a problem. The public is asking whether the county’s larger system is producing visible results: faster access to treatment, fewer overdoses, stronger recovery pathways, better coordination across public health and public safety, and sufficient transparency for residents to judge whether the current approach is working. Clallam County’s 2025–2030 Homeless Housing Plan reflects that broader expectation by calling for an equitable, accountable, and transparent response system, stronger coordination, and more refined measures to evaluate progress (Clallam County, 2025).
So yes, stories like Stacey’s still matter. But they should now be understood within a much broader public context than existed in 2015. Her story reminds us that recovery is often shaped by both consequences and access to care. The county’s responsibility is to make sure its response is evidence-based, measurable, humane, and transparent enough for the public to see whether it is actually working.
Respectfully,
Public Health Officer
Clallam County Board of Health
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, August 12). Treatment of opioid use disorder. https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/treatment/opioid-use-disorder.html
Clallam County. (2022). Community health assessment 2022. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20545/Community-Health-Assessment-2022
Clallam County. (n.d.-a). Health & Human Services. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/261/Health-Human-Services
Clallam County. (n.d.-b). Harm Reduction Health Center (HRHC). https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/660/Harm-Reduction-Health-Center-HRHC
Clallam County. (2020). Current Clallam opioid surveillance report. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3415/Current-Clallam-Opioid-Surveillance-Report-PDF
Clallam County. (2025). 2025–2030 Clallam County 5-year homeless housing plan. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/261/Health-Human-Services *search under "related documents"
Clallam County Community Health Assessment. (2017). Forces of change and local public health systems assessments. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3410/Clallam-County-Community-Health-Assessment---Forces-of-Change-and-Local-Public-Health-Systems-Assessments
Clallam County Health and Human Services. (2015). Making opioid overdose a notifiable condition in Clallam County. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3420/Making-Opioid-Overdose-a-Notifiable-Condition-in-Clallam-County-PDF
Frank, C. J., Kushner, S. E., Doran, D. A., & Stehr-Green, J. (2018). Mandatory reporting of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in a rural public health department. American Journal of Public Health, 108(12), 1646–1648. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304690
Washington State Health Care Authority. (n.d.-a). Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). https://www.hca.wa.gov/billers-providers-partners/program-information-providers/medications-opioid-use-disorder-moud
Washington State Health Care Authority. (n.d.-b). Opioid use treatment. https://www.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care/i-need-behavioral-health-support/opioid-use-treatment
The interview boils down to analyzing and using a common sense approach. Harm Reduction is throwing gasoline on a fire, allowing the fire to spread by feeding it more tinder.
Life is not free, it has to be earned to be appreciated.
Jennifer. I agree with you. When we are parents we teach our children about personal responsibilities and accountability. These lessons are for everyone.
Thanks for this interview. Hope it is listened to with open mind. Especially our commissioners, administrator, prosecutors, and judges.
Good Governance Daily Proverb:
Prudent municipal stewardship requires that welfare provisions incorporate clear measures of civic accountability to prevent unintended systemic dependency and ensure the sustainable remediation of public blight.
The discussion features an ethical critique of municipal policy regarding addiction and homelessness, specifically in Clallam County. Stacey Richards, a long-term recovery advocate, argues that providing support services—such as free food and clothing—without stringent requirements for accountability constitutes "negligence" and unintentionally enables continued addiction. This perspective raises fundamental governance questions about how public health strategies should balance aiding vulnerable populations with addressing the resulting impacts on public spaces and civic safety.
Statutory & Policy Support
RCW 36.32.120 (General Powers of Legislative Authorities):
This statute grants County Commissioners the legislative authority to "make and enforce by appropriate ordinances or resolutions all such police and sanitary regulations as are not in conflict with state law". This applies directly to the debate, as the County's methods for managing addiction and homelessness must address both public health and compassion, and the enforcement of public order and sanitation regulations necessary to preserve the common good. [app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/]
Clallam County Charter (Article I, Section 1.2 - Powers):
The Charter affirms that Clallam County possesses all powers granted to counties by the Washington State Constitution and state laws. This provides the overarching legal mandate for the County to establish administrative policies—including those concerning welfare, public safety, and accountability—that are currently under ethical scrutiny in the public forum. [clallam.county.codes/Charter]
We have at least one county commissioner who seems to refute that people with lived experience are subject matter experts, while those that have classroom knowledge are more credible. I would like to have our public spaces, parks, sidewalks, trails, buses, entrance to businesses, etc. back. One commissioner claims public safety is his number one priority, yet continues to put all his support towards programs that do not seem to be improving life for ALL of us.
Eric, Remember, those who can, do; those who can't, only rise to the lowest level of their respective incompetence.
I think some have been promoted far above their level of IN competence
Hi Stacey. I have a a very similar story. As drugs and alcohol became my way of dealing with life, I had to get to rock bottom before deciding that this is not how I want to live. My friends and family who thought they were helping me by “loaning me money” etc. only delayed getting to the bottom.
Our harm reduction policies are prolonging the journey to rock bottom. The addicts are being enabled to continue their behavior and Society pays the price ( trash, theft etc.). Life under this policy is too comfortable, there is no rock bottom.
Thank you for sharing this, Rich. Our leaders need to hear stories like yours.
A lifetime of misery in just 3 minutes of a meeting? I highly doubt this story will be read by any of our leaders. They are just way too busy.
Rich, if advise comes straight from the horses mouth, I believe it. If it comes from a jackass who can only bray from a Commissioner chair, it's just hee haw.
Wow! How good a story. Too bad the old ways of getting clean have disappeared. I grew up in an addicted family and can remember the tragedies and heartbreak that it brought and how many people it has affected. Stacey has shown a reversal of that and has affected lives in a positive way. Go girl!
Thank you Jake and Stacey for another enlightening interview. Stacey's journey thru addiction and recovery hopefully will find its way to someone who is struggling. Stacey has many solid points about the realities of life addicted to drugs including the consequences. More and more people are listening and understanding about addiction because of the brave people who stand up and speak up. I place more value on Stacey's knowledge on this plaguing issue than on a rubber stamped bought-and-paid-for college degree.
Denise, you are right. I am deeply grateful to Stacey for having the courage to speak up and share her experience with our leaders. We should be listening to those who have successfully navigated recovery, not to “experts” who surround themselves with like-minded supporters and present data shaped to support their own conclusions.
Amen
Stacey Richards’s story is powerful because it reminds us that compassion without accountability can become enablement. But ACEs and newer PCEs research add an important layer: some adults are living out damage that began in childhood, and communities ignore that at their own expense. Clallam’s own data showed about 1 in 3 adults had 3 or more ACEs, above the state average, and local leaders linked the opioid crisis to childhood trauma, overdoses, and property crime (Clallam County Community Health Status Assessment, 2017; Clallam County Community Health Assessment, 2017). Positive childhood experiences matter too—people do better when they grow up with safety, belonging, stable relationships, and structure (Bethell et al., 2019; Sege et al., 2025). So this is not an excuse framework. It is a cause-and-correction framework: clear public boundaries, real accountability, stronger families, and better recovery pathways upstream.
References
Bethell, C. D., Jones, J., Gombojav, N., Linkenbach, J., & Sege, R. D. (2019). Positive childhood experiences and adult mental and relational health in a statewide sample: Associations across adverse childhood experiences levels. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), e193007. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3007
Clallam County Community Health Assessment. (2017). Community health assessment. Clallam County.
Clallam County Community Health Status Assessment. (2017). Community health status assessment. Clallam County.
Clallam County Community Health…Sege, R. D., Aslam, M. V., Peterson, C., Hannan, K., Burstein, D., Rosenberg, J., Donofrio, M., Linkenbach, J., Bethell, C. D., & Harper Browne, C. (2025). Positive childhood experiences and adult health and opportunity outcomes in 4 US states. JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2524435. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.24435
Thank you Jake Seegers, Jeff Tozzer, and Stacey Richards~!
This really is an excellent article that truthfully reveals the horrible trap of substance abuse, drug addiction, that destroys SO many lives and tears the very fabric of society~! The sad fact of human behavior is that the vast majority of folks will NEVER change the errors of their ways until the personal pain level is SO great, that changing their ways clearly becomes the easier path to follow. We as an entire country are literally currently going through this very process today, so that "we" as a society will accept the new better America and world that we have as a people been foolishly avoiding for a great many years. The big picture (Macro) view of what Americans are really experiencing today is very much about breaking the addiction of "Big Government" and the unconstitutional corporate "nanny state" that too many are terribly addicted to, so that we as a country can transition to a community of FAR more healthy Individuals who have freedom, rights, and personal responsibilities that require every capable American to stand on their own two feet~! The similarity between what Stacey Richards is heroically revealing here and what the entire country (and world) is experiencing is really quite striking~! That said, it should be noted that there is always a small % of any population who can and do have the personal Individual strength (stubbornness?) to overcome and conquer their addictions and/or personal issues on their own, however "we" as a people in America (and the world) need to be together to help and support each other as we grow and mature to work towards our true potential~! We can no longer afford to be seduced by the "easy road" to life, because that is an evil lie that is not achievable and always leads to a disaster of dependency. Individual freedom and rights have a serious cost of personal responsibility and that is what America was founded to have as our "Guiding Light" into the future~! The "Bigger Picture" of what is really going on today, will in fact help a great many avoid and/or conquer their personal addictions and other personal issues that they have, because many engage in poor behavior when the entire country & world are following the wrong path and the feeling of hopelessness infects society... There is great hope for everyone going forward~! Great job Jake, Jeff, and Stacey~! Your article here has FAR greater implications than most currently realize ;-)
Happy Sunday~!
Sincerely, Mike
Thank you Stacey and Jake!!!
Way to go, Stacey!
I share my thoughts because I realize I have been judgmental rather that informative on some commentary. Most of our troubles have a foundation in self. We may be angry. We may be addicted to drugs or alcohol. We may have been abused. I still maintain our personal growth will need respect for others as well as self.
The importance of respect. March 8,2026.
As I read the different opinions I see some harsh comments. Whether I agree or disagree, I realize my opinions, and others, often lack respect. A key point here is to remember other’s feelings. We can disagree and still be civil. This is not easy, but the comment(s) should be a reflection of who you are.
First is self respect. Who do you see in the mirror? Are you satisfied with the image? Are there some changes to your lifestyle that would improve your self image? Is there a picture of kindness?
Regardless of your history, regardless of you personal discomfort, you can be respectful of other’s feelings. You don’t need to inflict your injuries on others. You can still disagree, but there should still be respect toward other human beings. Offer knowledge instead of anger. This is a reflection of who YOU are.
When I make comments I should try to present my argument(s) based on logic, reason, and verifiable sources. Am I being truthful, or spreading rumors? Am I being condescending, arrogant, mean, or hurtful? What do I gain from name calling? What are my motives? Do I wish to share information or condemn? Is this a teaching suggestion or harmful comment? Do I have my own self respect?
I maintain that none of us have a permission to be harmful. We can disagree, but maintain kindness, no matter what another might display. Keep the high ground. This is our self-respect.
I was once told a story about anger. Consider “Anger” as if it were a bowling ball. It is heavy, large enough to be hard to carry, and you have no easy way to keep it with you. The solution is to put it down and walk away.
Offer respect to everyone. Respect the person you see in the mirror. We can then have meaningful conversations.
I may not know what is in someone's heart, but their actions are what gets judgement. I don't confuse judging as being bad when it's rooted in facts. If we don't judge then we might as well toss out laws and rules.
Respect is a two way street. I cannot have a meaningful conversation with someone who doesn't respect themselves or others. That's a waste of time.
It is not our place to judge people or say they are good or evil. God gave us believers the wisdom of right and wrong. We can not see what is in others hearts
but I know what is in mine. I pray for y enemies that they might become nicer more educated and conservative. I know my prayers are not answered in CC very often.Got to get Jake to win so we can start reversing the trend.
"I still maintain our personal growth will need respect for others as well as self." thanks for this thoughtful reminder
Sheldon, sometimes even that person in the mirror pisses me off ; )
Jennifer. It is still O.K. to walk away. We don't have to interact with people who make us uncomfortable.
Sheldon, sometimes it's okay to stand and fight, no?
Jennifer. Yes, fight when necessary . My problem, tongue in cheek, is I am too old to physically fight any more. By the time my brain realizes I am in danger it will be too late. So, I write opinions and use words as weapons. Our society is divided. Many have views I think are destructive. I try to voice my beliefs that may, repeat, may cause readers to think about improving our society. Fight when you have no other choices. I like to remind readers that most of our problems have been around for many years. My questions are often addressed to those who are self-serving and nothing will change their behavior. As I have stated before, there is NO cure for stupid. (Forrest Gump). If we conservatives find common ground, and encourage more voters to vote, we may build a better America. This is still the best place to live in the entire world.
I have some experience with addiction, as what the treatment profession calls an enabler. Upon taking my beloved to a treatment institution I was schooled on enabling. Self described, it is when one who cares for the addicted enables their addiction by ignoring their bad behavior, making excuses for them, etc.. The most significant component of my enabling training was that I must have the courage to let my addicted beloved hit their own bottom. It took a while, but I realized that when either I, another or society takes the results of their choices away from them they have also taken away their right to make their own choices. A great example is a baby crawling toward a fire. Concern is most always shared with the baby, vocally. If the baby is picked up before reaching the fire, it does not personally learn why it should not touch it. You can call it tough love. I now call it reality. An additional component to allowing some harm experience, is that it makes voices of concern more meaningful.
Enabling is also a theft of self-determination, and as such becomes a form of abuse.
And the commissioners' policies prevent addicts from hitting rock bottom. Could this be what they are doing intentionally, disguised as compassion, to build their homeless/problems for more federal money to launder?
Sorry for the ongoing cynicism, but I have ZERO trust for most career politicians!
So, what is the magic solution to ending addictions, of all types? What would be the ideal way to create a healthy society free from drug use? Jail? Asylums? Locked up treatment centers? Ignore? Reduction of harm? Or opportunity to self-help? What is the solution?
It’s really not complicated
Allow natural consequences
Allow people to have the “gift” of pain for their active addiction….
Simple, but PROVEN theory:
If something hurts BAD enough, we stop doing those things
If my harm factor had been REDUCED???
I, would be 6 ft under and a bony corpse, or a jar of cremated remains
My grandchildren would never have had a grandma…..
Yeah, it’s not complicated
If you start listening to US…..
The “Addicts”
We will tell you all, in a simplistic way
How….
We achieved long term recovery
It wasn’t by having our addictions powder-puffed😎
Here's the complicated part, in my opinion. People frame this as and all or nothing. We keep hearing the words "solution" and there's no reality in that qualification.
The solution people want is to not to feel bad for the people who are struggling for myriad reasons.
Until people get it through their heads that watching the realities of society unfold in front of them are a result of personal choice that they can do nothing about, then we're going to keep having this in my opinion ridiculous discussion about solutions.
As such, the solution is to learn to deal with shitty situations that you truly have no control over and to manage your feelings about that.. This isn't to say that for someone who wants to get clean that options shouldn't be available, although I really think that that turns into a money-making machine more than the realities of a 12-step.
There is so much to unravel in those questions. We have the big picture and then the local picture which of course we are concerned about. As to solutions, IMO, there will never be an end to drug use. This country has a healthy appetite for drugs. Think back in the 70's, 80's thru Miami and the cocaine cowboys and then into NYC. These were the "old" cartels. The two now, Sinaloa and the very, very violent Jalisco (CJNG) out of Jalisco Mexico operate in nearly every 50 states and at least 40 countries worldwide. The designation as Foreign Terrorist Groups allows the expansion of federal laws into these cases. And yes, these cartels are here in WA.
https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2026/03/06/dea-search-warrants-tri-cities-result-largest-drug-seizure-eastern
These cartels exist for money, they have vast financial resources, they are now "franchised based" across the country, a proclivity for violence and use corrupt officials as well. They have clandestine labs in Mexico for vast distribution routes into this country, mainly entering thru California and Arizona. They use Chinese money laundering networks, crypto exchanges, bulk cash smuggling, trade base money laundering and the list goes on.
The use of research, intel, surveillance and undercover operatives, we will never have enough to shut this all down in this country. These cartels are smart, they realize and countersurveil our operations at times. They also are involved heavily in human trafficking, where they actually are able to make more money as once a drug is cosumed, that's it, but a human.......
Anyway, in my opinion as stated we will never rid. But with the right lawmakers elected we can work to change the laws to address this. We can continue with asset forfeiture laws as well, which hit them in the pocketbook. But we cannot continue catch and release these folks to go out and commit the drug selling over and over again even at the very local level. As stated this is franchised base and there exists organizational charts from localized dealer leaders, to the street guy reporting on up the chain, it's complicated.
We must consistently work with our lawmakers , sigh, which in some states truly don't get it.
Just a few of my takes on the subject.
Jean, it's a crap shoot. Pick one or let the roll of the dice pick for you, but just get started.