No I don't support another tax. We are already paying extraordinarily high taxes on our property, to the tune of around $500/mo. The greed in this State and County never ends! A good example of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money is visible to everyone, with the ongoing Homeless and Drug addict problems. They throw tens of millions of dollars at it, but the majority of the $ goes to "administrative expenses" (peoples pockets), so the problem just keeps growing worse by the day!
I pay 630 a month for Property Taxes and insurance. We are seniors on Medicare. If we did not have it payed off we would be in more serious trouble than we already are.
Only $500 a month... wow, that's actually pretty low. I wish mine were that low. (My property tax has gone up by more than 100% in the last two decades.)
I don't consider it low for 2 mobile homes 2 garages and three acres....I don't know where you're from that makes you think that way...Ours wen't up almost 50% this year! that's bullshit!
My taxes have doubled since 2018. And so has my property value. They have everyone fooled when they say we only can raise your taxes 1% a year by law right? Well they found a way to around that by raising property values, making that 1% much larger each year. 30 years ago they only assessed values on average once every 5 years. They did different areas on different years. Now it’s every year by thousands upon thousand. They figured out how to squeeze us for more.
Tax, tax and more taxes. 1/10 of one percent. Not so much. Do it again. And again. And again. And wow before you know it. Not so much is something. Yeah 10% IS something. It's grown and grown and grown. Government just can't get enough of your money to do something with it that's good and wonderful for all. You on the other hand just need to pay your fair share and shut the hell up. And ironically, this is a REGRESSIVE tax. The "rich" can afford this the "economically challenged", not so much this parade of tax increases. And what exactly is that good and wonderful, simple, more government jobs. Raises for government administrators.
Great write-up, Jeff! On Monday, Ozias asked some relevant questions, but I have many, many more to ask. Comm. French spoke of his fondness for culture, but he needs to focus on the immediate crises plaguing CC. Comm. Johnson expressed concerns about the economic distress rampant in CC, but his delivery was tepid. So, it's up to us, the citizens of CC, to strongly voice our stance: NO NEW TAXES! Stop the insatiable beast - the government. NO NEW TAXES!
Can we focus on increasing the median income, creating more economic opportunities and making it a little easier for the single income families, before we start raising taxes to pay outside organizations to administer cultural programs? Sales taxes are a regressive form of tax in that they take a larger share of income from lower incomer earners than higher income earners. If the higher income earners want to support cultural programs great, they can donate to the ones they feel are being effective, but we should not be forcing families who are already living paycheck to paycheck to foot the bill for something that will not directly help them achieve more economic independence.
Teaching art in the jail is not going to provide a living wage when they leave jail. We are not focusing on job stability and living wages. We are not building living wage housing. We will fail if we do not so this. A 500k mortgage is unattainable for the industries we have for the working class. And we are make no mistake a working class community!
Government is a necessity for essential services. Without Government all of our roads would be privately owned and endless tool booths in play. Whatever "Cultural Access Programs" might be, they are not essential. I see local tribes doing quite well with their sovereignty status. Arts can be and are supported by those interested in the arts; not by taxes. This enormity of non-essential Government services has become an insatiable self sustaining beast. Let's get Government back to essentials and let private interests support what they choose.
I would like to suggest you go up by the college and take a drive on Porter Road. See what our taxes have done on that road. While the parking lot that did not need repair and beautification is torn up and re surfaced. This will Truly be an eye opener for many.
If the tribes are doing so good, why are so many of their tribal members still living in poverty. Like any other entity the figure heads are the one making money. They are not disbursing income to all the members. Just the leaders of the tribal Government. They don’t provide a living wage to their employees either.
I assume for the same reason there are so many non-tribal people in poverty. In my Sequim area the Jamestown Tribe is an economic and community leader with a casino, golf course, restaurants, health clinic and much more. All very up scale. Also politically formidable. The top down problem is not only a tribal issue.
It is here when the tribe is continually asking for grant money (our county tax dollars) to support their for profit purchases. We as taxpayers have no idea how they spend our tax dollars, we give they spend and no accountability. They also make land purchases and put them in trust and remove the property from the tax roles, we get to pay their share for that too! They do not provide stipends to their people to help them. I agree it’s not just tribal, I would agree but there isn’t anyone paying the taxes of those who must pay either like the tribe gets.
What do the current schools offer students in High School and middle school for extra curricular activities courses? Apparently the schools have courses like art & drama already because plays are being held at the High School? I’d like to have a Porsche and someone else pay for it too but I instead use what I have to get me where I need to go….When the schools can administer funds appropriately & raise the failing basic grade levels first then let’s look at providing additional funds for the feel good stuff. I do not agree with Commissioner French (oops wrong Commissioner it’s been corrected, sorry) & would expect a complete accounting of the education budget before voting to raise taxes. I don’t believe French made his decision on anything other than feel good political correctness at this point. Taxes are a hugh deal not a whim. People attend Clallam County Board meetings Tuesday’s at the County Courthouse in Port Angeles at 10:00 am to make your voices be heard before it’s too late.
Inspire Washington's executive director says “The benefits for the community far outweigh the small cost per household." How many times have we heard that, and how much have all those "small costs" now added up to?
Look at how many people go to the churches to get donated food every week. Their parking lots are packed. Time for bureaucrats to give up their perks or face furloughs. Intel just lost 15,000 jobs. Every time I call a govt office & get the were working from home voice mail, I am reminded how much office space & jobs are non essential.
With the recent proof of mismanagement of taxpayer money by the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society and Olympic Medical Center and just about every taxpayer funded organization in the county, I’m not a supporter of another place for tax money to be mismanaged. My biggest question is when do the producers that carry the majority of the tax load finally shrug? This county is dangerously close to having all the major employers be tax payer funded run by commissioners and bureaucrats that are taxpayer funded. When do those of us that receive no taxpayer funding yet provide jobs and services by the sweat of our own brows finally shrug, close down shop, and let the tax game play on without us?
An increase in my taxes, taken from my disproportionately low income (but 'good pay for the peninsula', whatever that means), to fund art projects in jail?! It's like painting a pretty picture on a bullet before you shoot me with it.
Students should be required to study local government...this would expose them to accountability, organization, accounting, gaslighting, obfuscation, corruption, favoritism, nepotism, philosophy, cooperation, logistics, infrastructure and DRAMA! Pretty well rounded education, no?🤓
At least Randy Johnson recognizes the financial crisis we are in because of inflation and rising taxes. If anyone voted for the Port Angeles Mayor they voted for the 3rd Marxist at the Commissioner's table. Vote Rand Johnson Commissioner District 2
If you haven’t voted and turned in your ballot yet. This might be a good opportunity to reaches your votes for county commissioner. Those pushing this tax won’t get my vote this year.
Not everyone has turned in their ballots yet. County commissioners should be very careful what they are trying to squeeze out of us. Raise taxes again and I will leave the county to do my shopping.
I just want to clarify...Communists are Godless which means they have no moral or ethical restraints on behavior...the only thing that matters is state and personal power. They can disguise themselves as any political party to gain positions of power. They will say anything to gain positions as they know they don't have to HONOR their rhetoric. 'By their fruits you shall know them'! We currently have NO WAY to hold these people accountable because they don't care and there is no Ethics Board with Teeth. We get the best government (somebody else's) money can buy! These are the days when anything goes. We MIGHT prevail if we showed up in enough numbers but it takes time, energy and commitment to REPEATEDLY show up and confront the bureaucrats but they are likely to withdraw even the pretense of public forum. They have already openly stated that they only 'allow' public input as a 'show'...the general public has very little impact on their decisions. The 'special' public and more-so the private influencers are the ones dictating/coercing/mandating which policies are implemented and how. God bless us...even if you don't believe in God...it might be time to consider it as a possibility...'cause the Devil is alive and well!
No I don't support another tax. We are already paying extraordinarily high taxes on our property, to the tune of around $500/mo. The greed in this State and County never ends! A good example of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money is visible to everyone, with the ongoing Homeless and Drug addict problems. They throw tens of millions of dollars at it, but the majority of the $ goes to "administrative expenses" (peoples pockets), so the problem just keeps growing worse by the day!
$500 tax per month for your property is robbery. 😩
I pay 630 a month for Property Taxes and insurance. We are seniors on Medicare. If we did not have it payed off we would be in more serious trouble than we already are.
Only $500 a month... wow, that's actually pretty low. I wish mine were that low. (My property tax has gone up by more than 100% in the last two decades.)
ITM, Mimi :)
ITM, Aaron
I don't consider it low for 2 mobile homes 2 garages and three acres....I don't know where you're from that makes you think that way...Ours wen't up almost 50% this year! that's bullshit!
Mine has skyrocketed to nearly $1k a month. About 5 years ago I was at $600. But, I'm in the city.... so there is that. Utilities are killing me, too.
My taxes have doubled since 2018. And so has my property value. They have everyone fooled when they say we only can raise your taxes 1% a year by law right? Well they found a way to around that by raising property values, making that 1% much larger each year. 30 years ago they only assessed values on average once every 5 years. They did different areas on different years. Now it’s every year by thousands upon thousand. They figured out how to squeeze us for more.
Thank you.
Tax, tax and more taxes. 1/10 of one percent. Not so much. Do it again. And again. And again. And wow before you know it. Not so much is something. Yeah 10% IS something. It's grown and grown and grown. Government just can't get enough of your money to do something with it that's good and wonderful for all. You on the other hand just need to pay your fair share and shut the hell up. And ironically, this is a REGRESSIVE tax. The "rich" can afford this the "economically challenged", not so much this parade of tax increases. And what exactly is that good and wonderful, simple, more government jobs. Raises for government administrators.
Great write-up, Jeff! On Monday, Ozias asked some relevant questions, but I have many, many more to ask. Comm. French spoke of his fondness for culture, but he needs to focus on the immediate crises plaguing CC. Comm. Johnson expressed concerns about the economic distress rampant in CC, but his delivery was tepid. So, it's up to us, the citizens of CC, to strongly voice our stance: NO NEW TAXES! Stop the insatiable beast - the government. NO NEW TAXES!
I always appreciate having another set of eyes and ears at those meetings, Denise. Your word choice of "tepid" is spot-on.
Can we focus on increasing the median income, creating more economic opportunities and making it a little easier for the single income families, before we start raising taxes to pay outside organizations to administer cultural programs? Sales taxes are a regressive form of tax in that they take a larger share of income from lower incomer earners than higher income earners. If the higher income earners want to support cultural programs great, they can donate to the ones they feel are being effective, but we should not be forcing families who are already living paycheck to paycheck to foot the bill for something that will not directly help them achieve more economic independence.
Teaching art in the jail is not going to provide a living wage when they leave jail. We are not focusing on job stability and living wages. We are not building living wage housing. We will fail if we do not so this. A 500k mortgage is unattainable for the industries we have for the working class. And we are make no mistake a working class community!
Government is a necessity for essential services. Without Government all of our roads would be privately owned and endless tool booths in play. Whatever "Cultural Access Programs" might be, they are not essential. I see local tribes doing quite well with their sovereignty status. Arts can be and are supported by those interested in the arts; not by taxes. This enormity of non-essential Government services has become an insatiable self sustaining beast. Let's get Government back to essentials and let private interests support what they choose.
I would like to suggest you go up by the college and take a drive on Porter Road. See what our taxes have done on that road. While the parking lot that did not need repair and beautification is torn up and re surfaced. This will Truly be an eye opener for many.
I’m refusing to the parking lot next to Vern Burton Gym.
If the tribes are doing so good, why are so many of their tribal members still living in poverty. Like any other entity the figure heads are the one making money. They are not disbursing income to all the members. Just the leaders of the tribal Government. They don’t provide a living wage to their employees either.
I assume for the same reason there are so many non-tribal people in poverty. In my Sequim area the Jamestown Tribe is an economic and community leader with a casino, golf course, restaurants, health clinic and much more. All very up scale. Also politically formidable. The top down problem is not only a tribal issue.
It is here when the tribe is continually asking for grant money (our county tax dollars) to support their for profit purchases. We as taxpayers have no idea how they spend our tax dollars, we give they spend and no accountability. They also make land purchases and put them in trust and remove the property from the tax roles, we get to pay their share for that too! They do not provide stipends to their people to help them. I agree it’s not just tribal, I would agree but there isn’t anyone paying the taxes of those who must pay either like the tribe gets.
What do the current schools offer students in High School and middle school for extra curricular activities courses? Apparently the schools have courses like art & drama already because plays are being held at the High School? I’d like to have a Porsche and someone else pay for it too but I instead use what I have to get me where I need to go….When the schools can administer funds appropriately & raise the failing basic grade levels first then let’s look at providing additional funds for the feel good stuff. I do not agree with Commissioner French (oops wrong Commissioner it’s been corrected, sorry) & would expect a complete accounting of the education budget before voting to raise taxes. I don’t believe French made his decision on anything other than feel good political correctness at this point. Taxes are a hugh deal not a whim. People attend Clallam County Board meetings Tuesday’s at the County Courthouse in Port Angeles at 10:00 am to make your voices be heard before it’s too late.
Inspire Washington's executive director says “The benefits for the community far outweigh the small cost per household." How many times have we heard that, and how much have all those "small costs" now added up to?
Stick with the postcards.
Look at how many people go to the churches to get donated food every week. Their parking lots are packed. Time for bureaucrats to give up their perks or face furloughs. Intel just lost 15,000 jobs. Every time I call a govt office & get the were working from home voice mail, I am reminded how much office space & jobs are non essential.
With the recent proof of mismanagement of taxpayer money by the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society and Olympic Medical Center and just about every taxpayer funded organization in the county, I’m not a supporter of another place for tax money to be mismanaged. My biggest question is when do the producers that carry the majority of the tax load finally shrug? This county is dangerously close to having all the major employers be tax payer funded run by commissioners and bureaucrats that are taxpayer funded. When do those of us that receive no taxpayer funding yet provide jobs and services by the sweat of our own brows finally shrug, close down shop, and let the tax game play on without us?
An increase in my taxes, taken from my disproportionately low income (but 'good pay for the peninsula', whatever that means), to fund art projects in jail?! It's like painting a pretty picture on a bullet before you shoot me with it.
"However, county leaders still think there is blood to squeeze from this turnip." Difficult to understand how! https://www.myclallamcounty.com/2024/07/31/census-clallam-has-one-of-the-lowest-household-median-incomes-in-the-state/
No I do not support this tax.
Students should be required to study local government...this would expose them to accountability, organization, accounting, gaslighting, obfuscation, corruption, favoritism, nepotism, philosophy, cooperation, logistics, infrastructure and DRAMA! Pretty well rounded education, no?🤓
Can we throw in the occasional "economics" course as well?
Keep adding categories...it's a team effort!😄
Maybe our school system can throw out the inappropriate sex books that are available while they are at it!
At least Randy Johnson recognizes the financial crisis we are in because of inflation and rising taxes. If anyone voted for the Port Angeles Mayor they voted for the 3rd Marxist at the Commissioner's table. Vote Rand Johnson Commissioner District 2
If you haven’t voted and turned in your ballot yet. This might be a good opportunity to reaches your votes for county commissioner. Those pushing this tax won’t get my vote this year.
Research, research, research.
Not everyone has turned in their ballots yet. County commissioners should be very careful what they are trying to squeeze out of us. Raise taxes again and I will leave the county to do my shopping.
Never vote early!!!!!! There is always an October (August) Suprise!!!!!
I just want to clarify...Communists are Godless which means they have no moral or ethical restraints on behavior...the only thing that matters is state and personal power. They can disguise themselves as any political party to gain positions of power. They will say anything to gain positions as they know they don't have to HONOR their rhetoric. 'By their fruits you shall know them'! We currently have NO WAY to hold these people accountable because they don't care and there is no Ethics Board with Teeth. We get the best government (somebody else's) money can buy! These are the days when anything goes. We MIGHT prevail if we showed up in enough numbers but it takes time, energy and commitment to REPEATEDLY show up and confront the bureaucrats but they are likely to withdraw even the pretense of public forum. They have already openly stated that they only 'allow' public input as a 'show'...the general public has very little impact on their decisions. The 'special' public and more-so the private influencers are the ones dictating/coercing/mandating which policies are implemented and how. God bless us...even if you don't believe in God...it might be time to consider it as a possibility...'cause the Devil is alive and well!
Amen!