The difference between last night's Calico Cat forum, which by the way was standing room only and went long due to public interest, and LWV forums, was that the questions weren't curated.
In one setting we had the ultimate in free speech and public debate with no agenda other than to hear perspectives. In this current environment of overcharged national politics controlling local politics little old Clallam County came together and just talked. WTF? It felt surreal, especially because while the verve was clearly in one direction there were those publicly recognizable as being associated with the LWV's also asking hard questions of the panel.
On the other hand, the LWV's curates the questions they'll allow a candidate to be asked. What's not so obvious is their use of the tactic of telling anyone with a question to submit it which in reality is a method to curate the questions so as to control the narrative.
Until the LWV's decides to return to their original mission I won't ever spend another minute listening to them tell me how to think.
Thank you Mark Curtis, the organizer of last nights event, of injecting a breath of fresh air back into Clallam County last night.
MK, thank you for your review. For the ones who could not attend, I hope we get more reviews. It's enlightening to hear as many perspectives as possible ; )
I did not attend the meeting, so would like to know more. If I may, ask the question: After the meeting ended, which speaker gave you a strong impression that when we awoke on Friday the 18th that changes were being implemented in an area of high concern to the attendees? And would you share with us so that we can track the progress?
I don't want to put words in his mouth, but Clifford Mass, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington, has some questions about the dire drought predictions for the state. I will let him speak for himself.
Looking back on the Emergency Drought declaration from the Department of Ecology issued in June, 2025:
"The bottom line in all this is that there was little evidence of drought over our region based on impacts, and such impacts are required to call a situation a drought."
I see that a Joseph Allen signed - any relation to.
I'm seeing the current ruling party in the state working very hard to: Blow up dams and thus cancel out agricultural production in our state. Closing down forest/timber harvests in our state. Wasting millions on salmon restoration. Driving businesses out of the state with their taxation policies. Pushing hard to not enforce laws, creating anarchy in our county, because the druggie/perv individual nomad is more important than the fabric of our society. At one time history books referred to, "the 47states of the Union and Washington state."
For a sovereign nation that holds itself in such high esteem, how can they possibly act like droughts don’t require actions on their part? The tribe believes it shows better stewardship in Clallam County than the elected or life long citizens of this area who will be expected ed to reduce water use.
prove you are engaged at the same level the rest of us are.
If equality is such a hallmark of the tribe, then it is only fair that benefits as well as obligations rest squarely on the tribe members, as it does on Clallam County Citizens.
Knowing the huge profits that the tribe reports annually, we, the tax paying citizens are financially carrying the tribe through taxes for every infrastructure a county requires to operate. Money received from the federal government or profits from a variety of tribe projects, are not the same as the tax dollars the rest of us struggle to pay.
It’s impossible to have an even playing field when one team has possession of all the advantages provided from the population, exclusion from state and federal taxes only to receive
federal support. All of which comes from the American Tax Payers. In the last decade, have any laws, rules, or regulation gone contrary to the desires of the JS tribe?
Because of tax payers, everyone benefits and expects the infrastructure to be funded.
You have raised some extremely important questions.
1. Who advocates for tribal members who have a legitimate claim under “time immemorial” and are denied enrollment or who have been disenrolled? Here is a 5 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GJBkuNW754
2. The Chimakum history lays bare that the S’Kallam Tribe abides by the saying, TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS. Why doesn’t the same apply to the colonist?
3. Why is a small group of members within a Sovereign Nations totaling (200) given unlimited water rights compared to the the water rights of the surrounding county whose people total (77,000)? The power of one Sovereign Nation rights, over the larger Sovereign Nation rights is intolerable.
One of the things that I try to distinguish when I am speaking to anyone about these matters is that there are tribal corporations, and there are tribal members. They are not the same, and I then make it clear. My only "tribal" heartburn comes from the corporations that do not embody what I have been led to believe as being a benevolent people, yet when a tribal corporation won't share their wealth that draws my ire.
People want to bash the treaties, but what many don't seem to want to recognize is that what the tribes got was an end to the territorial wars. The killing, and slavery that went on.
MK, I agree with your statement...“One of the things that I try to distinguish when I am speaking to anyone about these matters is that there are tribal corporations, and there are tribal members. They are not the same, and I then make it clear.”
A tribally owned business is different than a Business Owned By a Member of a Tribe. A tribally owned business can be formed as an Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) Section 17 corporation, OR tribally chartered corporation, OR a state-chartered tribal corporation.
Each structure has different consequences in terms of tax liability, preservation of tribal assets, and corporate transparency requirements for potential creditors, investors, partners, regulators, and customers.
CHOOSING A TRIBAL BUSINESS STRUCTURE (It can be complicated!)
When a tribe incorporates, it will need to determine the structure that their tribally owned business adopts and under whose laws it will be organized.
(1) IRA Section 17 Corporation
Preserves tribal assets: A Section 17 corporation is wholly owned by the tribe, but is separate and distinct from the tribal government...No federal income taxes...Can issue tax-exempt bonds
(2) Tribally Chartered Corporation
A tribally chartered corporation is an entity organized by a tribal government that’s pursuant to a tribal code or resolution...Avoid state regulation and taxation...Easy to form
(3) State-Chartered Tribal Corporation
A “state-chartered” tribal corporation is a corporation wholly or partially owned by a tribe organized under state law...Easy to form...Transparent
I am off topic today but it needs to come to attention how we are spending CC tax money to support contractors out of our county. The school in PA, Public Safety Building PA, Airport Hanger job in PA, now Dental Clinic in Sequim (Tribal). These all have given to Generals out of area using Electrical Contractors from their areas and outside our tax base. When as taxpayers going to wake up in what we allow to happen. We complain about the Tribe and their lack of taxes on land grabs and we sit by and watch about $200m in spending mostly out of our county. Enough ranting today but I am not through fighting to keep OUR money local. Tribes are not the enemy it is us allowing the local money to be spent in Seattle and Tacoma.Wake up CC! Vote for Jake! Oh I forgot the Sequim school project is going the same way. That’s only about 100m more gone!
The difference between last night's Calico Cat forum, which by the way was standing room only and went long due to public interest, and LWV forums, was that the questions weren't curated.
In one setting we had the ultimate in free speech and public debate with no agenda other than to hear perspectives. In this current environment of overcharged national politics controlling local politics little old Clallam County came together and just talked. WTF? It felt surreal, especially because while the verve was clearly in one direction there were those publicly recognizable as being associated with the LWV's also asking hard questions of the panel.
On the other hand, the LWV's curates the questions they'll allow a candidate to be asked. What's not so obvious is their use of the tactic of telling anyone with a question to submit it which in reality is a method to curate the questions so as to control the narrative.
Until the LWV's decides to return to their original mission I won't ever spend another minute listening to them tell me how to think.
Thank you Mark Curtis, the organizer of last nights event, of injecting a breath of fresh air back into Clallam County last night.
MK, thank you for your review. For the ones who could not attend, I hope we get more reviews. It's enlightening to hear as many perspectives as possible ; )
I did not attend the meeting, so would like to know more. If I may, ask the question: After the meeting ended, which speaker gave you a strong impression that when we awoke on Friday the 18th that changes were being implemented in an area of high concern to the attendees? And would you share with us so that we can track the progress?
"No one is disputing the drought."
I don't want to put words in his mouth, but Clifford Mass, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington, has some questions about the dire drought predictions for the state. I will let him speak for himself.
https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2026/04/when-drought-not-drought.html?m=1
Looking back on the Emergency Drought declaration from the Department of Ecology issued in June, 2025:
"The bottom line in all this is that there was little evidence of drought over our region based on impacts, and such impacts are required to call a situation a drought."
A ruse to justify higher water bills. It’s quite common in California.
I see that a Joseph Allen signed - any relation to.
I'm seeing the current ruling party in the state working very hard to: Blow up dams and thus cancel out agricultural production in our state. Closing down forest/timber harvests in our state. Wasting millions on salmon restoration. Driving businesses out of the state with their taxation policies. Pushing hard to not enforce laws, creating anarchy in our county, because the druggie/perv individual nomad is more important than the fabric of our society. At one time history books referred to, "the 47states of the Union and Washington state."
For a sovereign nation that holds itself in such high esteem, how can they possibly act like droughts don’t require actions on their part? The tribe believes it shows better stewardship in Clallam County than the elected or life long citizens of this area who will be expected ed to reduce water use.
prove you are engaged at the same level the rest of us are.
If equality is such a hallmark of the tribe, then it is only fair that benefits as well as obligations rest squarely on the tribe members, as it does on Clallam County Citizens.
Knowing the huge profits that the tribe reports annually, we, the tax paying citizens are financially carrying the tribe through taxes for every infrastructure a county requires to operate. Money received from the federal government or profits from a variety of tribe projects, are not the same as the tax dollars the rest of us struggle to pay.
It’s impossible to have an even playing field when one team has possession of all the advantages provided from the population, exclusion from state and federal taxes only to receive
federal support. All of which comes from the American Tax Payers. In the last decade, have any laws, rules, or regulation gone contrary to the desires of the JS tribe?
Because of tax payers, everyone benefits and expects the infrastructure to be funded.
Toss us the virtual bone of appreciation!
THE SCALES OF JUSTICE ARE UNBALANCED
You have raised some extremely important questions.
1. Who advocates for tribal members who have a legitimate claim under “time immemorial” and are denied enrollment or who have been disenrolled? Here is a 5 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GJBkuNW754
2. The Chimakum history lays bare that the S’Kallam Tribe abides by the saying, TO THE VICTOR BELONG THE SPOILS. Why doesn’t the same apply to the colonist?
3. Why is a small group of members within a Sovereign Nations totaling (200) given unlimited water rights compared to the the water rights of the surrounding county whose people total (77,000)? The power of one Sovereign Nation rights, over the larger Sovereign Nation rights is intolerable.
One of the things that I try to distinguish when I am speaking to anyone about these matters is that there are tribal corporations, and there are tribal members. They are not the same, and I then make it clear. My only "tribal" heartburn comes from the corporations that do not embody what I have been led to believe as being a benevolent people, yet when a tribal corporation won't share their wealth that draws my ire.
People want to bash the treaties, but what many don't seem to want to recognize is that what the tribes got was an end to the territorial wars. The killing, and slavery that went on.
Article IX & XXII
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-12/pdf/STATUTE-12-Pg933.pdf#page=1
MK, I agree with your statement...“One of the things that I try to distinguish when I am speaking to anyone about these matters is that there are tribal corporations, and there are tribal members. They are not the same, and I then make it clear.”
https://www.bia.gov/service/starting-business/choosing-tribal-business-structure
A tribally owned business is different than a Business Owned By a Member of a Tribe. A tribally owned business can be formed as an Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) Section 17 corporation, OR tribally chartered corporation, OR a state-chartered tribal corporation.
Each structure has different consequences in terms of tax liability, preservation of tribal assets, and corporate transparency requirements for potential creditors, investors, partners, regulators, and customers.
CHOOSING A TRIBAL BUSINESS STRUCTURE (It can be complicated!)
When a tribe incorporates, it will need to determine the structure that their tribally owned business adopts and under whose laws it will be organized.
(1) IRA Section 17 Corporation
Preserves tribal assets: A Section 17 corporation is wholly owned by the tribe, but is separate and distinct from the tribal government...No federal income taxes...Can issue tax-exempt bonds
(2) Tribally Chartered Corporation
A tribally chartered corporation is an entity organized by a tribal government that’s pursuant to a tribal code or resolution...Avoid state regulation and taxation...Easy to form
(3) State-Chartered Tribal Corporation
A “state-chartered” tribal corporation is a corporation wholly or partially owned by a tribe organized under state law...Easy to form...Transparent
they will need lots of water after the golf tournament as most of the spectators will have terrible hangovers I predict.
I am off topic today but it needs to come to attention how we are spending CC tax money to support contractors out of our county. The school in PA, Public Safety Building PA, Airport Hanger job in PA, now Dental Clinic in Sequim (Tribal). These all have given to Generals out of area using Electrical Contractors from their areas and outside our tax base. When as taxpayers going to wake up in what we allow to happen. We complain about the Tribe and their lack of taxes on land grabs and we sit by and watch about $200m in spending mostly out of our county. Enough ranting today but I am not through fighting to keep OUR money local. Tribes are not the enemy it is us allowing the local money to be spent in Seattle and Tacoma.Wake up CC! Vote for Jake! Oh I forgot the Sequim school project is going the same way. That’s only about 100m more gone!