Free food. Free rides. Free housing. But who’s paying—and who’s watching? Clallam County’s spending spree is wrapped in compassion, but the price tag includes unanswered questions, creeping dysfunction, and vanishing oversight. On the eve of the 4th of July, take a closer look at a county that calls it “help”—but leaves taxpayers to foot the bill.
County may boost harm reduction budget by $100k
This week, Clallam County’s Health and Human Services Department asked the Board of Commissioners for an additional $100,000 in funding for “harm reduction”—raising the total to $320,000 annually. The money will go toward Narcan, needles, and other drug-use support items.
This request arrives as Washington State’s Health Care Authority recommends distributing hard drugs like heroin and fentanyl directly to addicts via government workers—funded entirely by taxpayers. (Brandi Kruse’s unDivided podcast recently covered this.)
At what point does publicly funded “harm reduction” become state-assisted self-destruction?
Commissioners approve $15,000+ to NGO
The Board of County Commissioners approved a $15,142.93 payment to the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship this week. As noted in a previous Watchdog article Missed Opportunity?, the CIE appears to exclude straight white males from receiving their services in our economically depressed county.
Why are we rewarding discrimination with more public dollars?
Who’s coming to Clallam—and why?
A report from Change WA questions whether Washington State has become a magnet for the homeless due to its permissive and high-benefit policies. Is Clallam County following that trend?
Back in 2018, the North Olympic Development Council (NODC) issued a report that projected increased need for potable water in our region due to anticipated migrant, refugee, homeless, and transient growth. One proposed solution: the Dungeness Off-Channel Reservoir, backed by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Clallam County through the Dungeness River Management Team.
If we're building the future of our water infrastructure around population influx, we should ask: Who is this reservoir really for?
Transit center draws crime and concern
Clallam Transit made headlines with two big firsts last year: it became fare-free thanks to Climate Commitment Act funds, and it installed a Narcan vending machine at its downtown Port Angeles Gateway Center.
But Clallam County Scanner Report on Facebook tells a darker story:
10 Jan Warrant attempt at the Transit Center.
11 Jan Domestic violence at the Gateway Transit Center. The RP saw an adult male punch a child. They have left the scene, silver or gray Toyota Tacoma. California plate, southbound on Lincoln from 4th. Officer stopping car in front of Masonic Temple.
26 Feb Officer attempting to make contact with G. L., juvenile, at the Transit Center. He has gone down to the parking garage. He has a felony warrant.
18 Apr Medics transporting code from the Transit Center to OMC.
16 May Information on a female involved in an assault earlier, on a Transit Bus. She is at the Safeway gas station. Black female, facial tattoos.
10 Jun Disturbance? at Gateway Transit.
14 Jun Disorderly conduct at the Gateway Transit Center. White male, white T-shirt, running up to people and yelling at them.
25 Jun Gateway Transit Center unresponsive male. Bus driver noticed that the male had been passed out for 30 minutes. Driver tried to rouse him. He did not respond.
26 Jun Unwanted person at the Gateway Transit Center. Previously trespassed?
27 Jun DV Assault at the Gateway Transit Center, not in progress. The female has injuries to her face and knee. Medics enroute.
Commissioner Mike French acknowledged “a small number” of exclusions occur at the Gateway Transit Center, but frequent police dispatches tell a different story. Public transit should connect our community—not become its flashpoint.
Food bank takes a mental health break
The Port Angeles Food Bank is having what many would call a banner year. With the help of a $321,515 grant funded through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the organization is installing solar panels on its facility. It’s also preparing to roll out a new Mobile Market van, which will bring food directly into neighborhoods where it’s needed most.
Staff says these upgrades are arriving at a time of heightened need. As pandemic-era aid programs taper off and the cost of living continues to climb, the food bank says these savings will allow it to serve more people more efficiently.
Unlike many assistance programs, the Port Angeles Food Bank maintains a barrier-free model: no income checks, no paperwork, no questions asked. “We do not require any information and there are NO qualifications,” its website states.
But that open-door philosophy comes with complexities. Even as the food bank warns that many local families are “one emergency away from not making it,” it’s closed this entire week—for staff mental health. The move leaves the county’s most food-insecure residents on their own.
It raises important questions. In a county where working families, single parents, and seniors are already stretched thin, is it wise—or even sustainable—to offer free food indefinitely, with no oversight and no means-testing? And with public grants funding green infrastructure and outreach programs, is there enough scrutiny over how those dollars translate to actual meals on plates?
At a glance, the investments look impressive. But as always, it’s worth asking who benefits, who decides, and whether the model can hold up when needs keep growing—and resources, no matter how generous, are still finite.
“Adventure App” encourages screen time at the park
Sequim’s 52-acre Carrie Blake Park now features an “adventure app” designed to get kids using their phones—outside. The app will cost taxpayers $4,000 to renew and is meant to gamify visits to the city’s reclaimed Water Reuse Demonstration Site.
Call it what you want, but encouraging screen time to justify learning about wastewater seems like a waste of summer and tax dollars.
“Free” summer meals for all kids—just not free for you
The Port Angeles and Sequim Boys & Girls Clubs are offering free meals to all kids throughout summer. But this “free” program is funded by federal grants—i.e., your tax dollars. Last year nearly 70,000 meals and almost 38,000 snacks were served over the summer break.
Everything’s free when someone else pays for it. And that someone is you.
Luxury homeless housing asks for donations
Peninsula Behavioral Health is building “permanent supportive housing” with apartments priced at $350,000 apiece. They’re now asking for community support.
Your donations won’t just fund roof repair or case workers—they’ll help with rooftop terraces, car charging stations, and perhaps weekly chair massages for staff. Yes, really.
Clallam County Elections office seeks extra help
Want to get involved in democracy? The Clallam County Elections Office is hiring temporary workers for ballot sorting and scanning. It’s a short-term gig with long-term importance.
Apply here: Clallam County Jobs
Independence, accountability, and the power of free people
This 4th of July, we celebrate freedom—not just fireworks and parades, but the right to speak, question, and hold our government accountable. Let’s all take the day off to enjoy these freedoms with our families—but we’ll be back together on the 5th, doing what a free press does best: watching, questioning, and informing.
Enjoy the 4th—and don’t forget who it belongs to.
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