A seven-foot-tall logger, a near-violent encounter at a Port Angeles gas station, and an unfiltered conversation about what’s happening to Clallam County
The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not reply to yesterday's email asking about the apparent uptick in overdoses. Here is today's email sent to the commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
I would encourage you to listen to the latest Sundays With Seegers podcast featuring local logger Mitch Zenobi. Whether you agree with him or not, the interview reflects growing frustration from residents who feel their concerns about crime, addiction, public safety, and visible disorder are not being taken seriously.
Zenobi describes a near-violent encounter at a Port Angeles fuel station along Tumwater Creek and talks candidly about what he sees driving through town before dawn. One statement stood out:
“It’s either say something or move — and I don’t want to move. I want to fight for the area and I want to make it better in any way that I can.”
How does the Board plan to rebuild trust with residents who feel their real-world experiences increasingly conflict with the messaging coming from county leadership and public health officials?
Again, its refreshing to see younger folks recognizing there is a problem and then taking an interest in local government to bring about change... and then stepping up.
While I am sure Mitch will get lumped in to the rest of "Jeff's People.."Tozzer people".. By the Commissioners and Indivisible.....his logger niche makes him genuine and a valuable citizen of Clallam County.
I always enjoy hearing Mitch comment at the BoCC meetings. He is always direct and respectful. I'm glad you are safe, Mitch, and I pray you stay safe. Mitch, Jake, and Jeff are fighting hard for our community, and I thank you for your determination to save it. Memorial Day (observed) is tomorrow, a day we remember the fallen who have fought for our country for over 250 years. Those heroes are our inspiration today to fight to preserve our freedoms and secure the pursuit of happiness for the next generation. May God bless and protect all those throughout our country who believe freedom is not just a casual word, but a belief that all people shall not live in fear.
I'll be at the services tomorrow. It's easy for society to miss this day because it has turned into something other than it's original intention.
If we don't, in an outward manner, remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, then who will take up arms to defend us in the future if they're message is they too will simply be forgotten?
Each week, citizens comment to the Board of Commissioner about the visible decline in our community — the rise in drug use, the increase in crime, and the growing number of people living unsheltered. And each week, the pattern is the same: residents speak, the commissioners listen because of procedure and nothing changes.
Clallam County has a drug crisis. As a direct result, we have a homelessness crisis. Yes, there is a very small number of individuals who choose to live off the grid by preference, but that is the rare exception. The overwhelming majority of what we see on our streets is tied to addiction. Repeated overdoses, repeated use of Narcan, and prolonged exposure to fentanyl and methamphetamine cause profound neurological damage. Anyone who has worked in this field — as I have — has seen the cognitive decline that follows.
Meanwhile, state drug laws have shifted so dramatically that incarceration is now brief, inconsistent, and rarely long enough for an individual to even complete withdrawal, let alone stabilize. The result is predictable: people cycle in and out, never receiving the structure or separation from triggers that long term recovery requires.
At the same time, NGOs and service providers have discovered a reliable stream of grant funding with minimal accountability. I am not saying that none of these organizations help people — some do. But the pattern is unmistakable: expanding staff, expanding administrative layers, expanding programs that sound impressive on paper, while serving a very small number of individuals at a very high cost. When residents request the required grant reports through public records requests, we are met with excuses, delays, or the familiar line that “this is a pilot program.” Metrics are vague, outcomes are selectively presented, and transparency is consistently avoided.
This is not how public money should be handled. The citizens of this county deserve full transparency. We deserve to see the real numbers, the real outcomes, and the real return on investment. But under the current leadership, we do not receive that. Weekly public comment has not moved the needle. The concerns of residents are acknowledged politely and then dismissed in practice.
The truth is that meaningful change will not come from repeating the same comments to officials who have already made up their minds. Change will come from the ballot box. Local and state leadership matters. Every vote matters. And it is essential that we encourage friends, neighbors, and anyone who feels their vote “doesn’t count” to participate. In a county like ours, every single vote truly does count.
CAS Thank you, you've summed it up, now I hope more and more readers can digest it...
"But the pattern is unmistakable: expanding staff, expanding administrative layers, expanding programs that sound impressive on paper, while serving a very small number of individuals at a very high cost"
Reading today’s transcript, I latched onto Zenobi’s retelling of a close encounter of a third kind, the street anarchist. As written, he was ... “attacked by multiple individuals armed with clubs, a machete, and what appeared to be a makeshift spear.”
IS THIS LORD OF THE FLIES?
Lord of the Flies: A plane crash strands a group of British boys on an unoccupied tropical island, where they gradually SLIDE INTO ANARCHY AS SOCIAL CONVENTIONS DISAPPEAR
The ever increasing violence is the pink elephant that our leaders are dancing around. Their multiple meetings and proposed 'solutions' are an indication of dangerous naivety which clearly shows a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
Great comment! There may just be another way to look at our current catastrophically failed "government management" however... What if they are NOT "naive"~? What if they are actually methodically destroying our community very Intentionally~? I know that sounds difficult to believe for good folks because they do not understand evil, but what if??? The real problem that some of us have in believing that these so-called "government leaders" are simply "naive" is that they are clearly WAY too organized & coordinated, they ALL very Intentionally lied and deceived the voters into believing that they were going to actually adopt common sense changes to better our community but they did the exact opposite, AND, perhaps most important and telling, these local failed government "leaders" are without doubt working in concert with the same kind of "Intentionally failed government leaders" that exist all over the US right now~! Could it be that all of these "failed leaders" are actually in the same "club" and VERY well-organized socialists/communists/Marxists (Satanists) who are working to destroy America, our freedoms, and rights to usher in the one world "Globalist agenda"~??? I know that good folks automatically assume that "foul Intentions" are not present when these failed leaders create a nightmare, they assume them to be stupid and/or Ignorant, however that would actually be statistically impossible in the numbers that we here in Clallam County and the entire US are experiencing all at the same time~! If that is not a large enough population sample (demographic), it would be wise to understand that these same exact kinds of failed leaders, with these same exact kinds of destructive "social policies" (the Globalist agenda) are currently being revealed all over the entire world right now~! This makes the suggestion that these Individuals are simply "naive" or "stupid" absolutely impossible statistically speaking... This is exactly what President Trump, the white hats, and The Global Alliance has been working SO hard to reveal for everyone to see and understand, because it is indeed a MASSIVELY HUGE concept to grasp... This is not a "Democrat VS Republican" war, it is really a war between "Goodness VS evil"~! Have a great Memorial Day weekend and God bless the military and civilian Patriots who sacrificed everything for us and the future American generations~!
This is THE time in history where there will be no "fence sitters"! Everyone has to declare a side. Side with Satan or side with God~! Then, let the chips fall where they may~!!! Have a great Memorial Day tomorrow ;-)
Very powerful, SC. Thank you for sharing openly with everyone. Knowkedge is power and you are a powerful person helping to create more powerful voices in our county.
I think Washington swung too far in one direction after the Blake decision and some of the policing reforms. We tried reducing consequences and emphasizing diversion first, but many communities are now frustrated watching the same offenders cycle through the system over and over with little accountability.
That doesn’t mean we need to return to the failed “lock everyone up” mentality of the past. Addiction is real, mental illness is real, and jail alone is not treatment. But we also can’t ignore the reality that severe addiction often fuels theft, property crime, public disorder, and dangerous behavior that impacts entire communities.
Police need enough authority to intervene before situations escalate, and courts need more options than simply catch-and-release. At the same time, any tougher enforcement has to be paired with actual treatment infrastructure -detox beds, psychiatric facilities, long-term recovery programs, and mandatory treatment options for repeat offenders who clearly cannot stabilize on their own.
Other states have shown that stricter enforcement can reduce visible disorder and repeat offending in some areas, but they also tend to have larger prison populations and higher incarceration costs. Washington probably needs a middle path: more accountability than we currently have, but also more treatment capacity than we’ve been willing to build.
Right now it feels like we tried removing consequences without building the systems necessary to replace them.
Thank you all for saying what needs to be said. Our county have slid off the rails due to party politics and towing the Olympia line.
We need to nudge it back on course and make this beautiful place a place worth raising families and sowning business. We can thrive and the start is with Jake Seegers and the merry band of Doggers.
Follow the money and the problem is is clear. When you think you can keep getting away with raising taxes because you have the legislative votes, you get to a tipping point and we are very close.
Stop all funding to NGO's . Get the agencies to fulfill their duties and don't layer them. That's a sure way to see issues fall through the cracks.
I believe your tack is very effective, Glen, in ceasing the fueling of NGOs, and some "non-profits" because they are sanctuaries for the people laundering our taxes; their only product is division, contrary to that which they disseminate. People are using the term "non-profit" out of context, fooling genuine, caring people into believing such dot Orgs. serve benevolent purposes. These sanctuaries are hiding places for those who are attempting to "fundamentally transform" America, stealing taxpayer money to use against value producers. Such people rarely sleep, working behind the scenes, covertly undermining the will of the People, claiming to fight delusional oppression. Washington and Minnesota have a lot in common in our governance; both, administered by installed "leaders." Wishing everyone a very pleasant, peaceful Memorial Day Holiday, honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, that we may do so.
After learning about this story this morning about Mitch Zenobi's gas station experience in Port Angeles, I have had the "vision" of the old movie "Night of the Living Dead" where the bad "zombies" were coming out in numbers to attack good folks~! Good grief~! Maybe Mitch should have "Obi Wan Zenobi" painted on his truck??? Ha Ha Ha!!! Thanks for this article, Jake Seegers and Mitch Zenobi~!
Was Mitch born here in PA? His profile doesn't make that clear, to me. If so, I think his opinion and observation carries much weight. Someone who is indigenous to the area who is contemplating leaving is an issue of serious concern. The situation being so bad that it would want to drive you from your beautiful home is deplorable.
Well, that's "local". It's Clallam County. While many people who move here have valid points about the conditions, as they moved here to enjoy this beautiful place, those who were BORN here and grew up here have no other place that they've ever called home. It's a special place for these people. How they feel about what the conditions have become, how it makes them even THINK about moving away, is shameful. People who are refugees from war-torn countries didnt' decide to LEAVE their home, they were forced out by very bad circumstances. We should not be forced from our homeland because of the conditions when they are fixable and manageable.
Simply returning to the enforcement of the ITA (Involuntary Treatment Act) would help many. Not just the sick, but all of society.
Listening to a candidate spend 45 minutes comparing a supporter to a folk hero instead of offering actual budgetary solutions is just political theater.
If this campaign truly cares about taxpayers, let's look at the math. Housing someone in a state prison costs over $100,000 a year, and county jail beds cost hundreds a day. You cannot demand fiscal responsibility and lower taxes while advocating for mass incarceration—which is quite literally the most expensive government housing program in existence.
The “law and order” rhetoric is also completely selective. It is hypocritical to advocate for letting code enforcement slide on unpermitted developments while demanding zero tolerance for homeless encampments. We need practical leaders ready to do the boring work of local governance, not a campaign relying on manufactured outrage.
Your use of the term "manufactured outrage" is ironic, because now we have an entire bureaucracy built around a completely "manufactures outrage," of oppression.
Every decision that gets made and every thing that has been funded since 2010 is entirely based upon "manufactured outrage."
You obsess over success and set up a "retribution" culture that punishes people who took risks and worked hard to take an idea and make it work...Now your blue pages is full of people making triple the living wage pushing a Communist agenda that is pure and evil "manufactured outrage."
Look as Katie Wilson locks down an entire waterfront lakeside neighborhood..to fix climate change, while the Communist doctrine creates residential only communities with tree canopy to replace Manufacturing space, and water Czar tactics to turn farming space into "open space." Communist's creating one more truck and one more ship delivering what a community needs at the expense of the environment while they claim to be saving it..while those evil rich bastards that were successful lose property rights... I suppose all those Lake Washington property owners have "manufactured outrage."
Now everyone with blue hair wants us to pay for them to move here from a red state.. "manufactured outrage"
I have pounded Port Angeles with Ennis, Tumwater and Valley creek emails and public testimony. I had to pivot to Sequim city council to develop a record of Bell and Johnson Creek testimony.... I'll be back...
violent criminal record "trans refugee" ? no worries PBH will coach you through and pay the fees for offical name and gender marker change and even give you extra "urgency " points on the housing need rubric
PW- we need leaders who consider ALL concerns on the table.
I considered Chris my friend. Nicest guy so thoughtful & courteous. Chris drove to bingo in Sequim every Thursday and Sunday from Neah Bay with his mother to play. Chris & his mother are tribal. Chris was murdered a couple of years ago, killed along side of the highway beaten to death. Apparently he was dropped off at a casino & couldn’t get a ride home so he began walking and he was murdered & robbed while walking home. The tribal police provides no information to family or anyone else, there is no justice, there is nothing. His mother still comes & plays bingo by herself without her son & she has tried to get answers to her questions but there are none & probably never will be. So Mr. Zenobi was fortunate he managed to escape a situation alive. Chris’s death didn’t create manufactured outrage, the outrage is real pal. RIP Chris.
No reporting, only his mother telling people who ask what happened. Chris’s mother has gone to tribal police and
Local police and asked numerous times with no answers, no follow-up, nothing. I think the killing of Mateo (?) the man killed in a Sequim parking lot, would have had the same outcome had people not raised cain & demanded justice. Poor Chris he did not deserve this he deserved so much more yet his mother & family have been ignored.
PW. You have not ruined my coffee this AM. You have caused me to have two. Here lies another longwinded retort that lacks solutions. For 3 days you have ranted about
the people of CCWD and still have not answered my ? about solutions. I gave you some of mine yesterday. Are you just a stirrer of the pot or someone who actually cares about CC? I have not seen one positive sentence from you so I guess you have a miserable life. The people of CCWD are positive vibrant people looking for some positive influence on our county. You must hate getting up in the morning to read about how wrong you are. You remind me of my wife’s saying: Nobody is worthless you can always use them as a bad example! Look in the mirror PW.
Marolee wrote an excellent article on the William Shore Memorial Pool Whac-a-Mole debacle. Marolee thoroughly investigates and gives clear explanations in what she writes.
Your not looking for "practical leaders" your looking for somebody who is "oppressed" and identifies with one of the colors on a flag of the oppressed.
That RV in the middle of nowhere and plywood shack in the stickers does undermine equal enforcement of codes. If they have money to pay its enforced. If its a mutant of the oppression politics he is "our neighbor"
Marijuana sales, property taxes, and sales taxes should have already built and should be going to build finished product not a 4 agency homeless clipboard bureaucracy. Your PBH lead makes 264 grand a year and your total payroll exceed half a million. Combined with federal and state grant funding for all the clipboards and 264 grand a year magic dust... Your going to lose that battle of arithmetic.
Then again for the left a non-retort retort is cosmetic like a tennis player displaying a back hand, but its not a winning shot..Its just a backhand..
The good folks of Clallam County never need to "manufacture outrage", they feel and experience it firsthand every day~! They have no reason or motivation to be angry, unless it is very real! No, the last thing that we need is a more dictatorial and aggressive "big government" stomping all over the good folks who are in our community just trying to be productive and trying to survive the outrageous oppression of the existing government~! The government and the police just need to enforce the laws and regulations to promote a positive and safe environment for the majority of the population to enjoy. Facilitating and promoting the homeless encampments and the drug addicted problems in PURE Insanity anywhere, anytime, regardless of the fake "compassion" of the phony virtue signaling minority who are desperate to prove something that they are not, and they have never been~! Honestly compassionate decent hard-working Americans who care for all folks' wellbeing~! You have missed the point that many times it is useful to point out reality via "story telling" to reach the largest number of people, but no doubt you have not studied any real history or effective leadership methods... That is a product of the failed "educational system" and the rabid "progressive socialist" clown show that only exists to tear down America and the American freedoms & rights here in the US...
I am just sick and tired of these idiots who constantly find fault with good folks who are simply honestly reacting to the constant political attacks upon their freedom and rights~! These scumbag "socialist progressives" have been intentionally attacking and undermining The American Constitution because they know damn well that it is the law of the land and that their evil agenda to destroy America has no chance to win unless they destroy it. That is why I became an American Constitutionalist in the first place nearly 60 years ago, and it is why I am still fighting against these criminal idiots and always will ;-) Have a great Memorial Day tomorrow~!
Mitch is an easy target for the Indivisible and DSA club to vilianize because of his physical stature, maleness and paleness and blue collar career (gasp) cutting trees. (Hey communist wannabees, Do you need a home? Do you like furniture? ) "Angry Granny" doesn't drop as neatly into their predetermined narrative. The blue page executives love seeing a blue colar worker vilified because it deflects from their industry supporting the cartels and Chinese chemical importers. This angry granny has wanted to make my own sign to fly ever since trying last year to point out to the"pedo" sign protestors that there
were actual convicted pedophiles across the street selling narcotics at that very moment only to have them scream at my face. Hearing Zenobi and many others make public comment hasn't made me more angry, it's just made me more honest with my public comments.
If you listened to the Watchdog podcast and came away thinking Clallam County is one gas station anecdote away from becoming a post apocalyptic theme park, congratulations: the system is working exactly as designed.
The episode opens with the usual Watchdog flourish: a dramatic tale of a logger nearly seven feet tall who, despite being built like a redwood with opinions, apparently lives in a county so dangerous that even he feels unsafe pumping gas. This is meant to terrify you. It is also meant to distract you from the fact that the story contains roughly the same amount of verifiable data as a Bigfoot sighting.
In classic fashion, the anecdote is inflated into a county wide crisis, the way a python inflates after swallowing a goat. The difference is that the python doesn’t then go on a podcast to explain how the goat proves society is collapsing.
The entire conversation is a master class in emotional cartography: mapping the world based on vibes, hunches, and whatever someone saw at 4 a.m. near a bridge. It’s gripping, sure. So is a ghost story. But nobody rewrites public policy because someone’s cousin heard footsteps in the attic.
Zenobi’s gas station encounter is scary. It is also not a dataset. If public safety policy were built on single anecdotes, we’d outlaw raccoons, require helmets for walking to the mailbox, and treat every rustle in a hedge like a felony.
Then comes my favorite part where harm reduction workers are accused of profiting from addiction. This is where the satire writes itself, because the accusation collapses under its own weight the moment you ask it to stand on anything sturdier than outrage.
If harm reduction staff were getting rich off addiction, they’d be driving Teslas, not 2008 Subarus with mismatched hubcaps. Meanwhile, the anti–harm reduction ecosystem is out here raising money like it’s the Jerry Lewis Telethon, selling T shirts and monetizing outrage left and right online. The only cure they’re offering on Youtube is more outrage.
It’s not that bad actors don’t exist. They do, on both sides. But the idea that the county’s nonprofit workers are running a fentanyl themed Ponzi scheme is the kind of absurd thing you say when you’ve run out of real arguments but still have a microphone.
We’re told that 95 percent of homeless individuals use drugs. The number isn’t just uncited, it’s false. Local counts, statewide data, and national studies all show far lower rates, and none come close to 95 percent. Point in time counts in Washington do not collect drug use data at all, so the number cannot come from there. Statewide behavioral health surveys estimate substance use disorders among homeless adults at roughly 25–40 percent, depending on region and methodology. National HUD and SAMHSA data place the range well below 50 percent, even in high impact urban areas. No published dataset for Clallam County supports anything close to 95 percent. When a number is that high, that round, and that “convenient”, it’s almost always an impression, not an actual statistic. It’s just a number tossed out like a fish at the market.
If a middle schooler turned in a report like that, the teacher would hand it back with a note that said “Sources, please,” and maybe a pamphlet on critical thinking.
But in Watchdog Land, a statistic becomes true the moment someone with a badge says it loudly enough.
Law enforcement is a critical partner in public safety, but like any institution, it has incentives: more funding, more staffing, more authority for preferred approaches. That doesn’t make them dishonest per se. It makes them human. But it does mean their claims should be evaluated with the same rigor we apply to anyone else’s.
The podcast frames grant seeking as evidence of mismanagement. In reality, it’s evidence of fiscal constraint. Counties cannot raise taxes without voter approval, cannot deficit spend, cannot print money, and cannot ignore state mandates. When voters consistently reject tax increases and the federal government is an unreliable partner, grants become the only remaining tool to fund said mandated services.
This isn’t corruption. It’s basic math.
Zenobi argues that visible homelessness and drug use have become “normalized.” But so has something else: the normalization of fear based narratives that treat complex social issues as moral failures rather than policy challenges.
If we normalize anecdote over evidence, accusation over analysis, and fear over fact, we will never reach solutions that actually work.
One of the few evidence based points in the conversation is the idea of occupying public space. Research consistently shows that more eyes on the street reduce crime, more legitimate activity reduces hotspots, and more community presence reduces fear.
If Zenobi wants to organize non confrontational walks, that is constructive. If he wants to encourage civic presence, that is helpful. If he wants to promote shared ownership of public spaces, that is welcome. This is the part of his message that aligns with proven strategies.
Public safety isn’t strengthened by blaming nonprofits, dismissing data, assuming motives, elevating anecdotes into trends, or treating homelessness as a character flaw. It is strengthened by evidence based policy, coordinated services, law enforcement partnership, treatment access, housing pathways, and real community engagement. Fear may spark action, but it should never be allowed to steer it.
Zenobi’s story is powerful. His frustration is real. His desire for a safer community is shared by everyone. But policy cannot be built on fear, anecdotes, or unverified claims. It must be built on evidence, transparency, and solutions that work.
If we want a safer Clallam County, we need to stop governing by ghost story and start governing by fact. Panic can light a match, but it has never built anything worth keeping.
Powder Monkey…where are YOUR sources? You make claims, but do not provide sources.
Another point you mock …one anecdote is an outlier, that’s true. But dozens and dozens of similar anecdotes create a pattern.
While the problems are complex, as you rightly claim, creating a random bunch of NGOs does not “fix” a complex problem.
And, salaries for some of the “compassionate fixers” are certainly incentive enough to want to keep their jobs. Manufacturing “need” does help winning those grants. Enabling behaviors that are clearly destructive to the individuals addicted, are equally destructive to a community.
Of course families don’t want to “share” public spaces with drug users or the mentally ill. Fear is a powerful emotion and most people avoid placing themselves into fearful environments. The more fearful environments proliferate, the more community will suffer a reduced quality of life. No one expects to be threatened at a gas station, at a grocery store, on a sidewalk, in a park, on a trail meant for recreation and enjoyment…or any place. Finally, re the “innocent homeless”…where are the families of the homeless? Where are the mothers and fathers; the sisters and brothers; aunts, uncles, grandparents? An abusive family is one thing, but an entire family of relatives or friends who won’t help these homeless?
BTW, families do try to help, they get burned out and abused ---like stealing from their own families. There is no honesty or loyalty with a drug addict.
Thank you Jennifer. You’re right. I understand he/she never responds, but he/she probably does read(?)…may even process his/her mistakes ? One never knows.
Monkey you and PW are the most longwinded bloggers I have encountered and they wallow in nonsense. You probably watch cartoons for fun because you write the script real well. If you and PW were in charge what you do different? You probably do not have any ideas because you only jab at people. What a sorry blogger you are. Have some substance or go watch your cartons.HA HA
I have a solution...Because the majority of the law breakers are, substance abusers, which gives them the excuse to conduct their nasty, abusive business the way they want.
My solution is to renovate most of our jails and prisons in to sterile, reprogramming cubicles. Place them in a controlled Drug state, detox them and Reprogram their Minds while they are under controlled intoxication.
They are walking zombies already committing crimes and are harmful to all of us.
This is not hurting them, it is changing their way of life and ours.
First thing I will be told is "You can't violate their rights." Well, It use to be that when you broke the law, you lose your rights...
Got to say how nice it was to listen to 2 adults have an adult conversation. Without all the knuckle headedness.
Why I like reading the comments here also. Really really wish they brought back debates where you had to actually sell your stance without name calling and swearing. Just a good debate. Miss those days of actual debate.
The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not reply to yesterday's email asking about the apparent uptick in overdoses. Here is today's email sent to the commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
I would encourage you to listen to the latest Sundays With Seegers podcast featuring local logger Mitch Zenobi. Whether you agree with him or not, the interview reflects growing frustration from residents who feel their concerns about crime, addiction, public safety, and visible disorder are not being taken seriously.
Zenobi describes a near-violent encounter at a Port Angeles fuel station along Tumwater Creek and talks candidly about what he sees driving through town before dawn. One statement stood out:
“It’s either say something or move — and I don’t want to move. I want to fight for the area and I want to make it better in any way that I can.”
How does the Board plan to rebuild trust with residents who feel their real-world experiences increasingly conflict with the messaging coming from county leadership and public health officials?
Thank you for your time.
Again, its refreshing to see younger folks recognizing there is a problem and then taking an interest in local government to bring about change... and then stepping up.
While I am sure Mitch will get lumped in to the rest of "Jeff's People.."Tozzer people".. By the Commissioners and Indivisible.....his logger niche makes him genuine and a valuable citizen of Clallam County.
Thanks Mitch.
Keep it up.
I always enjoy hearing Mitch comment at the BoCC meetings. He is always direct and respectful. I'm glad you are safe, Mitch, and I pray you stay safe. Mitch, Jake, and Jeff are fighting hard for our community, and I thank you for your determination to save it. Memorial Day (observed) is tomorrow, a day we remember the fallen who have fought for our country for over 250 years. Those heroes are our inspiration today to fight to preserve our freedoms and secure the pursuit of happiness for the next generation. May God bless and protect all those throughout our country who believe freedom is not just a casual word, but a belief that all people shall not live in fear.
Honor the sacrifice. 🇺🇸
I'll be at the services tomorrow. It's easy for society to miss this day because it has turned into something other than it's original intention.
If we don't, in an outward manner, remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, then who will take up arms to defend us in the future if they're message is they too will simply be forgotten?
Each week, citizens comment to the Board of Commissioner about the visible decline in our community — the rise in drug use, the increase in crime, and the growing number of people living unsheltered. And each week, the pattern is the same: residents speak, the commissioners listen because of procedure and nothing changes.
Clallam County has a drug crisis. As a direct result, we have a homelessness crisis. Yes, there is a very small number of individuals who choose to live off the grid by preference, but that is the rare exception. The overwhelming majority of what we see on our streets is tied to addiction. Repeated overdoses, repeated use of Narcan, and prolonged exposure to fentanyl and methamphetamine cause profound neurological damage. Anyone who has worked in this field — as I have — has seen the cognitive decline that follows.
Meanwhile, state drug laws have shifted so dramatically that incarceration is now brief, inconsistent, and rarely long enough for an individual to even complete withdrawal, let alone stabilize. The result is predictable: people cycle in and out, never receiving the structure or separation from triggers that long term recovery requires.
At the same time, NGOs and service providers have discovered a reliable stream of grant funding with minimal accountability. I am not saying that none of these organizations help people — some do. But the pattern is unmistakable: expanding staff, expanding administrative layers, expanding programs that sound impressive on paper, while serving a very small number of individuals at a very high cost. When residents request the required grant reports through public records requests, we are met with excuses, delays, or the familiar line that “this is a pilot program.” Metrics are vague, outcomes are selectively presented, and transparency is consistently avoided.
This is not how public money should be handled. The citizens of this county deserve full transparency. We deserve to see the real numbers, the real outcomes, and the real return on investment. But under the current leadership, we do not receive that. Weekly public comment has not moved the needle. The concerns of residents are acknowledged politely and then dismissed in practice.
The truth is that meaningful change will not come from repeating the same comments to officials who have already made up their minds. Change will come from the ballot box. Local and state leadership matters. Every vote matters. And it is essential that we encourage friends, neighbors, and anyone who feels their vote “doesn’t count” to participate. In a county like ours, every single vote truly does count.
CAS Thank you, you've summed it up, now I hope more and more readers can digest it...
"But the pattern is unmistakable: expanding staff, expanding administrative layers, expanding programs that sound impressive on paper, while serving a very small number of individuals at a very high cost"
"Clallam County has a drug crisis. As a direct result, we have a homelessness crisis" !!!
For a new meaningful change VOTE JAKE our WEDGE!
JUSTICE OF THE THIRD KIND?
Reading today’s transcript, I latched onto Zenobi’s retelling of a close encounter of a third kind, the street anarchist. As written, he was ... “attacked by multiple individuals armed with clubs, a machete, and what appeared to be a makeshift spear.”
IS THIS LORD OF THE FLIES?
Lord of the Flies: A plane crash strands a group of British boys on an unoccupied tropical island, where they gradually SLIDE INTO ANARCHY AS SOCIAL CONVENTIONS DISAPPEAR
The ever increasing violence is the pink elephant that our leaders are dancing around. Their multiple meetings and proposed 'solutions' are an indication of dangerous naivety which clearly shows a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
Happy Memorial Day weekend, Patriot Jennifer~!
Great comment! There may just be another way to look at our current catastrophically failed "government management" however... What if they are NOT "naive"~? What if they are actually methodically destroying our community very Intentionally~? I know that sounds difficult to believe for good folks because they do not understand evil, but what if??? The real problem that some of us have in believing that these so-called "government leaders" are simply "naive" is that they are clearly WAY too organized & coordinated, they ALL very Intentionally lied and deceived the voters into believing that they were going to actually adopt common sense changes to better our community but they did the exact opposite, AND, perhaps most important and telling, these local failed government "leaders" are without doubt working in concert with the same kind of "Intentionally failed government leaders" that exist all over the US right now~! Could it be that all of these "failed leaders" are actually in the same "club" and VERY well-organized socialists/communists/Marxists (Satanists) who are working to destroy America, our freedoms, and rights to usher in the one world "Globalist agenda"~??? I know that good folks automatically assume that "foul Intentions" are not present when these failed leaders create a nightmare, they assume them to be stupid and/or Ignorant, however that would actually be statistically impossible in the numbers that we here in Clallam County and the entire US are experiencing all at the same time~! If that is not a large enough population sample (demographic), it would be wise to understand that these same exact kinds of failed leaders, with these same exact kinds of destructive "social policies" (the Globalist agenda) are currently being revealed all over the entire world right now~! This makes the suggestion that these Individuals are simply "naive" or "stupid" absolutely impossible statistically speaking... This is exactly what President Trump, the white hats, and The Global Alliance has been working SO hard to reveal for everyone to see and understand, because it is indeed a MASSIVELY HUGE concept to grasp... This is not a "Democrat VS Republican" war, it is really a war between "Goodness VS evil"~! Have a great Memorial Day weekend and God bless the military and civilian Patriots who sacrificed everything for us and the future American generations~!
Sincerely, Mike
Serve God and man by taking part in accomplishing GODS plans for his world.
You got that right, Patriot TLL~!
This is THE time in history where there will be no "fence sitters"! Everyone has to declare a side. Side with Satan or side with God~! Then, let the chips fall where they may~!!! Have a great Memorial Day tomorrow ;-)
Sincerely, Mike
Upon listening to the conversation between Mitch and Jake, I feel this is a good opportunity to share my latest writings.
Ever wonder about an addicts perspective? Are you curious about the unspoken laws of surviving while in addiction? I break down a few things the general public may not consider here: https://scli1223.substack.com/p/the-unwritten-laws-of-addiction-a?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4frcvu
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to check it out.
This is an excellent essay, I encourage everyone to read it.
Thank you Mr. Tozzer, that means a lot 🙂
Very powerful, SC. Thank you for sharing openly with everyone. Knowkedge is power and you are a powerful person helping to create more powerful voices in our county.
Thank you Denise 🙂
SC, the more I learn, the less I thought I knew. Thank you.
From my perspective, highly accurate, but what policies need to be modified or changed to make a difference with maximum impact?
I think Washington swung too far in one direction after the Blake decision and some of the policing reforms. We tried reducing consequences and emphasizing diversion first, but many communities are now frustrated watching the same offenders cycle through the system over and over with little accountability.
That doesn’t mean we need to return to the failed “lock everyone up” mentality of the past. Addiction is real, mental illness is real, and jail alone is not treatment. But we also can’t ignore the reality that severe addiction often fuels theft, property crime, public disorder, and dangerous behavior that impacts entire communities.
Police need enough authority to intervene before situations escalate, and courts need more options than simply catch-and-release. At the same time, any tougher enforcement has to be paired with actual treatment infrastructure -detox beds, psychiatric facilities, long-term recovery programs, and mandatory treatment options for repeat offenders who clearly cannot stabilize on their own.
Other states have shown that stricter enforcement can reduce visible disorder and repeat offending in some areas, but they also tend to have larger prison populations and higher incarceration costs. Washington probably needs a middle path: more accountability than we currently have, but also more treatment capacity than we’ve been willing to build.
Right now it feels like we tried removing consequences without building the systems necessary to replace them.
I am also thinking more and more that the bigger drug dealers need a stronger consequence like a murder charge.
Unfortunately, gangbangers and cartelers in prison continue their enterprises while incarcerated. How do you stop that?
You can't. Not until you keep going up the chain. But there will always be someone to replace him.
Good morning Jeff, Jake, and Mitch,
Thank you all for saying what needs to be said. Our county have slid off the rails due to party politics and towing the Olympia line.
We need to nudge it back on course and make this beautiful place a place worth raising families and sowning business. We can thrive and the start is with Jake Seegers and the merry band of Doggers.
Follow the money and the problem is is clear. When you think you can keep getting away with raising taxes because you have the legislative votes, you get to a tipping point and we are very close.
Stop all funding to NGO's . Get the agencies to fulfill their duties and don't layer them. That's a sure way to see issues fall through the cracks.
Thanks again and have a great day all!
I believe your tack is very effective, Glen, in ceasing the fueling of NGOs, and some "non-profits" because they are sanctuaries for the people laundering our taxes; their only product is division, contrary to that which they disseminate. People are using the term "non-profit" out of context, fooling genuine, caring people into believing such dot Orgs. serve benevolent purposes. These sanctuaries are hiding places for those who are attempting to "fundamentally transform" America, stealing taxpayer money to use against value producers. Such people rarely sleep, working behind the scenes, covertly undermining the will of the People, claiming to fight delusional oppression. Washington and Minnesota have a lot in common in our governance; both, administered by installed "leaders." Wishing everyone a very pleasant, peaceful Memorial Day Holiday, honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, that we may do so.
After learning about this story this morning about Mitch Zenobi's gas station experience in Port Angeles, I have had the "vision" of the old movie "Night of the Living Dead" where the bad "zombies" were coming out in numbers to attack good folks~! Good grief~! Maybe Mitch should have "Obi Wan Zenobi" painted on his truck??? Ha Ha Ha!!! Thanks for this article, Jake Seegers and Mitch Zenobi~!
Cheers~!
Mike
Saint Zenobius....he is here. His Feast day is May 25th. Interesting...
HA~! HA~! HA~!
Very good, Patriot ABeetlebaum~!
Happy Memorial Day~!
Sincerely, Mike
Was Mitch born here in PA? His profile doesn't make that clear, to me. If so, I think his opinion and observation carries much weight. Someone who is indigenous to the area who is contemplating leaving is an issue of serious concern. The situation being so bad that it would want to drive you from your beautiful home is deplorable.
He is a Carpetbagger who grew up in Joyce :)
lol
Well, that's "local". It's Clallam County. While many people who move here have valid points about the conditions, as they moved here to enjoy this beautiful place, those who were BORN here and grew up here have no other place that they've ever called home. It's a special place for these people. How they feel about what the conditions have become, how it makes them even THINK about moving away, is shameful. People who are refugees from war-torn countries didnt' decide to LEAVE their home, they were forced out by very bad circumstances. We should not be forced from our homeland because of the conditions when they are fixable and manageable.
Simply returning to the enforcement of the ITA (Involuntary Treatment Act) would help many. Not just the sick, but all of society.
You are being forced out and replaced with "climate refugees." Yes, Andrea, very shameful.
Great interview. Sign me up for the walks.
Listening to a candidate spend 45 minutes comparing a supporter to a folk hero instead of offering actual budgetary solutions is just political theater.
If this campaign truly cares about taxpayers, let's look at the math. Housing someone in a state prison costs over $100,000 a year, and county jail beds cost hundreds a day. You cannot demand fiscal responsibility and lower taxes while advocating for mass incarceration—which is quite literally the most expensive government housing program in existence.
The “law and order” rhetoric is also completely selective. It is hypocritical to advocate for letting code enforcement slide on unpermitted developments while demanding zero tolerance for homeless encampments. We need practical leaders ready to do the boring work of local governance, not a campaign relying on manufactured outrage.
Your use of the term "manufactured outrage" is ironic, because now we have an entire bureaucracy built around a completely "manufactures outrage," of oppression.
Every decision that gets made and every thing that has been funded since 2010 is entirely based upon "manufactured outrage."
You obsess over success and set up a "retribution" culture that punishes people who took risks and worked hard to take an idea and make it work...Now your blue pages is full of people making triple the living wage pushing a Communist agenda that is pure and evil "manufactured outrage."
Look as Katie Wilson locks down an entire waterfront lakeside neighborhood..to fix climate change, while the Communist doctrine creates residential only communities with tree canopy to replace Manufacturing space, and water Czar tactics to turn farming space into "open space." Communist's creating one more truck and one more ship delivering what a community needs at the expense of the environment while they claim to be saving it..while those evil rich bastards that were successful lose property rights... I suppose all those Lake Washington property owners have "manufactured outrage."
Now everyone with blue hair wants us to pay for them to move here from a red state.. "manufactured outrage"
https://www.kvi.com/2026/05/21/seattle-activists-demand-taxpayer-funded-resources-for-trans-refugees-allegedly-fleeing-red-states/
"manufactured outrage."
Oh Katie Wilson will be the downfall of Seattles existence in the free world. Hopefully we can avoid that here.
have you been to a PA council meeting in the last year? we are already "there"
I have pounded Port Angeles with Ennis, Tumwater and Valley creek emails and public testimony. I had to pivot to Sequim city council to develop a record of Bell and Johnson Creek testimony.... I'll be back...
I knew you must be intelligent and aware the second I heard LSW label you "whackadoodle"
John Worthington is OUR wackadoodle. If what he is a wackadoodlist, I'm right there!
As Chung from Remo Williams would say..."I am better than that."
https://scontent-sea5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/707114292_10164268233875412_2481215519560598886_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s240x240_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=bd9a62&_nc_ohc=B_eC8oOki8YQ7kNvwHbll8b&_nc_oc=AdonqOmI15dhRurOWmmSLYNGRVCXrBk0qVem-reNbZSv2EOBruYM1JP8VtM4_nxWH04&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea5-1.xx&_nc_gid=V9sjq02qIe0_COMo3qVDMw&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_Af6V6me7IbTPuX5iX2HmcY1kDwieXAOEjULdD5IGD3yZKA&oe=6A18DB7A
John, I read that article this morning in MyNorthwest:
https://mynorthwest.com/local/aurora-avenue-neighbors-protest/4241281
"Aurora Avenue neighbors revolt, blocking off street access after yet another shooting"
Will Neighborhood Watch become the ones who are dedicated to crime prevention?
Those blue collar folk need to park somewhere when they shop, might just crowd out the Saturday morn dope door dash at unsafeway
My destroy the ship meme is lighting up my notifications box. I am looking for the perfect French or Ozais face as we speak.
Too male and pale to compete....."manufactured outrage."
violent criminal record "trans refugee" ? no worries PBH will coach you through and pay the fees for offical name and gender marker change and even give you extra "urgency " points on the housing need rubric
The "victim blaming" tables have been turned...
John, you got that right. It's time to take back citizens rights and safety. The tables ARE turning for law and order.
PW- we need leaders who consider ALL concerns on the table.
I considered Chris my friend. Nicest guy so thoughtful & courteous. Chris drove to bingo in Sequim every Thursday and Sunday from Neah Bay with his mother to play. Chris & his mother are tribal. Chris was murdered a couple of years ago, killed along side of the highway beaten to death. Apparently he was dropped off at a casino & couldn’t get a ride home so he began walking and he was murdered & robbed while walking home. The tribal police provides no information to family or anyone else, there is no justice, there is nothing. His mother still comes & plays bingo by herself without her son & she has tried to get answers to her questions but there are none & probably never will be. So Mr. Zenobi was fortunate he managed to escape a situation alive. Chris’s death didn’t create manufactured outrage, the outrage is real pal. RIP Chris.
Was there any reporting on this anywhere? it seems like there is a good deal of violent crime that gets zero coverage
No reporting, only his mother telling people who ask what happened. Chris’s mother has gone to tribal police and
Local police and asked numerous times with no answers, no follow-up, nothing. I think the killing of Mateo (?) the man killed in a Sequim parking lot, would have had the same outcome had people not raised cain & demanded justice. Poor Chris he did not deserve this he deserved so much more yet his mother & family have been ignored.
PW. You have not ruined my coffee this AM. You have caused me to have two. Here lies another longwinded retort that lacks solutions. For 3 days you have ranted about
the people of CCWD and still have not answered my ? about solutions. I gave you some of mine yesterday. Are you just a stirrer of the pot or someone who actually cares about CC? I have not seen one positive sentence from you so I guess you have a miserable life. The people of CCWD are positive vibrant people looking for some positive influence on our county. You must hate getting up in the morning to read about how wrong you are. You remind me of my wife’s saying: Nobody is worthless you can always use them as a bad example! Look in the mirror PW.
PW appears to be a mole that has tunneled into CCWD to try and stir the pot with whackadoodle comments.
I do not think he is real. I think him and Powder Monkey do this for their entertainment. Nobody could be this blind, deaf, and dumb.
Jedj, Moles are blind, deaf, and dumb.
you undsrestimate them
More like whack-a-mole. The latest in a retreading of the same person whose tune does not change.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-178424623
Marolee wrote an excellent article on the William Shore Memorial Pool Whac-a-Mole debacle. Marolee thoroughly investigates and gives clear explanations in what she writes.
You knew there was more to the story, but to be that oblivious about wrongdoings takes effort.
jedj, I thank your wife for her statement..."Nobody is worthless you can always use them as a bad example!"
Your not looking for "practical leaders" your looking for somebody who is "oppressed" and identifies with one of the colors on a flag of the oppressed.
That RV in the middle of nowhere and plywood shack in the stickers does undermine equal enforcement of codes. If they have money to pay its enforced. If its a mutant of the oppression politics he is "our neighbor"
Marijuana sales, property taxes, and sales taxes should have already built and should be going to build finished product not a 4 agency homeless clipboard bureaucracy. Your PBH lead makes 264 grand a year and your total payroll exceed half a million. Combined with federal and state grant funding for all the clipboards and 264 grand a year magic dust... Your going to lose that battle of arithmetic.
Then again for the left a non-retort retort is cosmetic like a tennis player displaying a back hand, but its not a winning shot..Its just a backhand..
The good folks of Clallam County never need to "manufacture outrage", they feel and experience it firsthand every day~! They have no reason or motivation to be angry, unless it is very real! No, the last thing that we need is a more dictatorial and aggressive "big government" stomping all over the good folks who are in our community just trying to be productive and trying to survive the outrageous oppression of the existing government~! The government and the police just need to enforce the laws and regulations to promote a positive and safe environment for the majority of the population to enjoy. Facilitating and promoting the homeless encampments and the drug addicted problems in PURE Insanity anywhere, anytime, regardless of the fake "compassion" of the phony virtue signaling minority who are desperate to prove something that they are not, and they have never been~! Honestly compassionate decent hard-working Americans who care for all folks' wellbeing~! You have missed the point that many times it is useful to point out reality via "story telling" to reach the largest number of people, but no doubt you have not studied any real history or effective leadership methods... That is a product of the failed "educational system" and the rabid "progressive socialist" clown show that only exists to tear down America and the American freedoms & rights here in the US...
Sincerely, Mike
Well said my Friend!
Thank you, Patriot jedjennings50~!
I am just sick and tired of these idiots who constantly find fault with good folks who are simply honestly reacting to the constant political attacks upon their freedom and rights~! These scumbag "socialist progressives" have been intentionally attacking and undermining The American Constitution because they know damn well that it is the law of the land and that their evil agenda to destroy America has no chance to win unless they destroy it. That is why I became an American Constitutionalist in the first place nearly 60 years ago, and it is why I am still fighting against these criminal idiots and always will ;-) Have a great Memorial Day tomorrow~!
Sincerely, Mike
I think your name explains everything. You must love living in your woller.
Pig’s comments are just a stuttering loop of Looney Tune compilations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbMafIEZ6eM
Mitch is an easy target for the Indivisible and DSA club to vilianize because of his physical stature, maleness and paleness and blue collar career (gasp) cutting trees. (Hey communist wannabees, Do you need a home? Do you like furniture? ) "Angry Granny" doesn't drop as neatly into their predetermined narrative. The blue page executives love seeing a blue colar worker vilified because it deflects from their industry supporting the cartels and Chinese chemical importers. This angry granny has wanted to make my own sign to fly ever since trying last year to point out to the"pedo" sign protestors that there
were actual convicted pedophiles across the street selling narcotics at that very moment only to have them scream at my face. Hearing Zenobi and many others make public comment hasn't made me more angry, it's just made me more honest with my public comments.
Yes, stop showing compassion to chold predators. What sick mind does that?
But but Menshew came all the way to PA to inform us they are just lonely and in need of smiles, so it must be true?!?
Absolutely am impressed with Mitch’s interview by Jake. Thank you.
If you listened to the Watchdog podcast and came away thinking Clallam County is one gas station anecdote away from becoming a post apocalyptic theme park, congratulations: the system is working exactly as designed.
The episode opens with the usual Watchdog flourish: a dramatic tale of a logger nearly seven feet tall who, despite being built like a redwood with opinions, apparently lives in a county so dangerous that even he feels unsafe pumping gas. This is meant to terrify you. It is also meant to distract you from the fact that the story contains roughly the same amount of verifiable data as a Bigfoot sighting.
In classic fashion, the anecdote is inflated into a county wide crisis, the way a python inflates after swallowing a goat. The difference is that the python doesn’t then go on a podcast to explain how the goat proves society is collapsing.
The entire conversation is a master class in emotional cartography: mapping the world based on vibes, hunches, and whatever someone saw at 4 a.m. near a bridge. It’s gripping, sure. So is a ghost story. But nobody rewrites public policy because someone’s cousin heard footsteps in the attic.
Zenobi’s gas station encounter is scary. It is also not a dataset. If public safety policy were built on single anecdotes, we’d outlaw raccoons, require helmets for walking to the mailbox, and treat every rustle in a hedge like a felony.
Then comes my favorite part where harm reduction workers are accused of profiting from addiction. This is where the satire writes itself, because the accusation collapses under its own weight the moment you ask it to stand on anything sturdier than outrage.
If harm reduction staff were getting rich off addiction, they’d be driving Teslas, not 2008 Subarus with mismatched hubcaps. Meanwhile, the anti–harm reduction ecosystem is out here raising money like it’s the Jerry Lewis Telethon, selling T shirts and monetizing outrage left and right online. The only cure they’re offering on Youtube is more outrage.
It’s not that bad actors don’t exist. They do, on both sides. But the idea that the county’s nonprofit workers are running a fentanyl themed Ponzi scheme is the kind of absurd thing you say when you’ve run out of real arguments but still have a microphone.
We’re told that 95 percent of homeless individuals use drugs. The number isn’t just uncited, it’s false. Local counts, statewide data, and national studies all show far lower rates, and none come close to 95 percent. Point in time counts in Washington do not collect drug use data at all, so the number cannot come from there. Statewide behavioral health surveys estimate substance use disorders among homeless adults at roughly 25–40 percent, depending on region and methodology. National HUD and SAMHSA data place the range well below 50 percent, even in high impact urban areas. No published dataset for Clallam County supports anything close to 95 percent. When a number is that high, that round, and that “convenient”, it’s almost always an impression, not an actual statistic. It’s just a number tossed out like a fish at the market.
If a middle schooler turned in a report like that, the teacher would hand it back with a note that said “Sources, please,” and maybe a pamphlet on critical thinking.
But in Watchdog Land, a statistic becomes true the moment someone with a badge says it loudly enough.
Law enforcement is a critical partner in public safety, but like any institution, it has incentives: more funding, more staffing, more authority for preferred approaches. That doesn’t make them dishonest per se. It makes them human. But it does mean their claims should be evaluated with the same rigor we apply to anyone else’s.
The podcast frames grant seeking as evidence of mismanagement. In reality, it’s evidence of fiscal constraint. Counties cannot raise taxes without voter approval, cannot deficit spend, cannot print money, and cannot ignore state mandates. When voters consistently reject tax increases and the federal government is an unreliable partner, grants become the only remaining tool to fund said mandated services.
This isn’t corruption. It’s basic math.
Zenobi argues that visible homelessness and drug use have become “normalized.” But so has something else: the normalization of fear based narratives that treat complex social issues as moral failures rather than policy challenges.
If we normalize anecdote over evidence, accusation over analysis, and fear over fact, we will never reach solutions that actually work.
One of the few evidence based points in the conversation is the idea of occupying public space. Research consistently shows that more eyes on the street reduce crime, more legitimate activity reduces hotspots, and more community presence reduces fear.
If Zenobi wants to organize non confrontational walks, that is constructive. If he wants to encourage civic presence, that is helpful. If he wants to promote shared ownership of public spaces, that is welcome. This is the part of his message that aligns with proven strategies.
Public safety isn’t strengthened by blaming nonprofits, dismissing data, assuming motives, elevating anecdotes into trends, or treating homelessness as a character flaw. It is strengthened by evidence based policy, coordinated services, law enforcement partnership, treatment access, housing pathways, and real community engagement. Fear may spark action, but it should never be allowed to steer it.
Zenobi’s story is powerful. His frustration is real. His desire for a safer community is shared by everyone. But policy cannot be built on fear, anecdotes, or unverified claims. It must be built on evidence, transparency, and solutions that work.
If we want a safer Clallam County, we need to stop governing by ghost story and start governing by fact. Panic can light a match, but it has never built anything worth keeping.
Powder Monkey…where are YOUR sources? You make claims, but do not provide sources.
Another point you mock …one anecdote is an outlier, that’s true. But dozens and dozens of similar anecdotes create a pattern.
While the problems are complex, as you rightly claim, creating a random bunch of NGOs does not “fix” a complex problem.
And, salaries for some of the “compassionate fixers” are certainly incentive enough to want to keep their jobs. Manufacturing “need” does help winning those grants. Enabling behaviors that are clearly destructive to the individuals addicted, are equally destructive to a community.
Of course families don’t want to “share” public spaces with drug users or the mentally ill. Fear is a powerful emotion and most people avoid placing themselves into fearful environments. The more fearful environments proliferate, the more community will suffer a reduced quality of life. No one expects to be threatened at a gas station, at a grocery store, on a sidewalk, in a park, on a trail meant for recreation and enjoyment…or any place. Finally, re the “innocent homeless”…where are the families of the homeless? Where are the mothers and fathers; the sisters and brothers; aunts, uncles, grandparents? An abusive family is one thing, but an entire family of relatives or friends who won’t help these homeless?
Sorry Kathleen but all comments just feed the pig. You will never get a response.
BTW, families do try to help, they get burned out and abused ---like stealing from their own families. There is no honesty or loyalty with a drug addict.
Thank you Jennifer. You’re right. I understand he/she never responds, but he/she probably does read(?)…may even process his/her mistakes ? One never knows.
Monkey you and PW are the most longwinded bloggers I have encountered and they wallow in nonsense. You probably watch cartoons for fun because you write the script real well. If you and PW were in charge what you do different? You probably do not have any ideas because you only jab at people. What a sorry blogger you are. Have some substance or go watch your cartons.HA HA
I have a solution...Because the majority of the law breakers are, substance abusers, which gives them the excuse to conduct their nasty, abusive business the way they want.
My solution is to renovate most of our jails and prisons in to sterile, reprogramming cubicles. Place them in a controlled Drug state, detox them and Reprogram their Minds while they are under controlled intoxication.
They are walking zombies already committing crimes and are harmful to all of us.
This is not hurting them, it is changing their way of life and ours.
First thing I will be told is "You can't violate their rights." Well, It use to be that when you broke the law, you lose your rights...
That's what i was tought.
Got to say how nice it was to listen to 2 adults have an adult conversation. Without all the knuckle headedness.
Why I like reading the comments here also. Really really wish they brought back debates where you had to actually sell your stance without name calling and swearing. Just a good debate. Miss those days of actual debate.