Excellent write up, Jeff. The biggest thing I think we all need to wrap our brains around is the tax issue. We shouldn’t be upset that the Tribe isn’t paying the same amount of taxes as the rest of us. We should be upset that we are not paying the same amount of taxes as the tribe. You want to even the playing field don’t make them pay more taxes, make everyone else pay less. It’s all those tax dollars sloshing around that are the source of almost all the problems you’ve had to uncover here at CC Watchdog. More tax money obviously isn’t going to fix the corruption and incompetent management of OMC, the school districts, and county government. I think most people would have a hard time understanding this but I believe we are at time when a complete shake up of how we build our communities is at hand. The old way of more taxes given to incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats is over. We need to follow the lead of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, unchain the hands of the economic producers and allow them to grow our communities along side the Tribe as equals.
In general, the newest generation of Jamestown S'Klallam tribal members have about 94% non-native heritage (assuming two native Americans did not produce a child) and are only 6% Jamestown S'Klallam. That's 15/16ths of "colonizer" DNA, to put it bluntly. Are you suggesting reparations for tribal members who have 94% "colonizer" DNA? What happens in 20 years when it's 97%? Again, when will this debt be paid?
"I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL."
The commissioners stand, with their hands over their hearts, and recite this pledge before the Tuesday meeting, then proceed to divide us by pandering to a sovereign nation within the borders of our "ONE NATION".
I am a natural born citizen of the U.S.A. and therefor a native of the U.S.A., and as such I refer to myself as a "NATIVE AMERICAN". My tribe is U.S.A.
NOTE TO COMMISSIONERS "THE NATIVES ARE GETTING RESTLESS"
For anyone who doesn't know Eric, he is there every week watching the commissioners. He has a knack for seeing straight through the vague, sidestepping, double-talk and seeing the common sense heart of every issue (just like in his above comment).
What I don't get, Jeff, is how is it unelected bureaucrats have authority to remove jurisdiction of federal lands & hand them over to a non-governmental, profit driven entity without congressional approval! Where's the environmental impact statement?!? You can't walk your dog on the spit but you can now build an oyster operation that totally disrupts the ecosystem inside a wildlife refuge?!?! And this non taxable status has to stop! Now!!! We're all = under the law right? Not!
Boy you hit a nerve sounds like Sound Transit. Many of these unelected boards including utility, transport, can usurp the will of the people. One board essentially gifted ie. sold public land under value (Lk Cushman) to a municipal judge and councilman who is employed by the same city utility who owns the public land. Transportation boards can target any blue collar neighborhood by erecting a "bus stop" to propel multistory housing. All without a single vote of the people. All done by unelected boards.
This was a fascinating article! One can't get this information from the legacy media. I always felt the local papers are disgusting shills for whomever is buying advertising. I am very much against too much taxation but I do think we need to support our schools....even though they seem to fail to spend their money wisely. Sequim's poor facilities prevents a lot of great employers and professionals like doctors from moving to the area. The Tribe is something we certainly can be envious of, but I think they have earned every penny they have recieved. This was all their land at one time and they didn't even get a reservation when we took it. Not only that, they do a lot of good in the community. Thank you for writing this stuff, as these organizations need to be more transparent. We need to know the good and the bad as voters in order to make informed decisions.
You're welcome, CWeber. I tried to be a disgusting shill and take out a 1/4-page ad in the PDN. $1,250 was steep, but I went ahead and submitted my copy. They said it was political, so the price leapt to $2,500. No thanks! I'm currently sending out flyers. Hopefully, you've gotten one in the mail. If not, you soon will. I'm really pleased with the traffic they have generated.
May be some revisionist history in your response. You would need to ask the Tribe a couple of questions such as did they “not get a reservation “ or did they choose not to have one? How was this land once all their land and not the tribes’s they fought to the death with to possess it? I am not sure how one filed claim for land when you claim it belonged to whomever you claim owned it.
Just looking for the straight and accurate information.
Let's review tax exemptions, not just tribal trust land.
A few years back I viewed slides on the state commerce website noting Clallam County was behind one other county for the most tax exempt property owners ie seniors in poverty or disabled. However this exemption has been abused. First, the county does not require the homeowner to sign its document under penalty of perjury. Second, there are unmarried couples getting tax exemptions (ie living together with two incomes). Three, Some scofflaws who are getting tax exemptions are driving Land Rovers, own three cars, have view property and pay a measly $400 a year in annual property taxes while voting for every tax initiative. In essence if you are getting a property tax exemption you should not be able to vote for tax initiatives, bonds, levies. Ask yourself if anyone should be allowed to only pay $400 a year in total property taxes, the equivalent of the cost of one trip to Costco. These tax exemptions for seniors/disabled are being exploited at the expense of "real true" people in poverty. An audit is severely warranted, especially when those who obtain these property tax exemptions brag about going to New Zealand and selling $2000 art.
I’ve looked into the senior/think disability property tax exemption because a person close by owned a $850,000 home, nice neighborhood, cars, trips, etc and they were property tax exempt, they paid like $500 while the rest of us paid $7000 and up. It states if your income is less than $40K annually then you can qualify. Still couldn’t figure out how two people both Social Security eligible with a neighborhood commercial business with commercial customers on the side (no rent for a facility) could get away with getting a property tax exemption? With all the exemptions and no policing and the tribes tax free property being removed from the tax rolls with a future request to exempt all tribal members from paying taxes period, the rest of us are carrying the whole load. Frankly if the tribe wants all tax free for members then they can buy from their own sovereign nation businesses and get their tax free from them, otherwise all of us should be able to buy tribal land, shop tax free in their businesses in return. We the tax payers of this century did not fight, put Indians on reservations, keep them from anything yet we are the ones being penalized and looks like this will go on as long as Ron Allen can convince people how bad off they are. As long as a tribe is prospering then they should receive no further grant or any federal money period. I was at a meeting a couple of months ago and a tribe representative was asked how the money they received from the federal government was spent & the Medicare reinbursement rate was and he said it was none of our business they are not accountable to anyone except for filing their legal papers like everyone else does. One last comment…….I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL STEWARDS OF THE LAND? But now because the tribe says so only they can be stewards of the land? Who knew?
Exempt from all state audits. While giving millions to politicians, their fraternal brethern who hand out money. Wash, rinse, repeat. Point to any SEC filings or open source audit. In my opinion, what a racket.
The entire senior/disabled tax exemption scheme should be audited by the county. The poorest county on the books. Now take scofflaw couple #1 originally from CA are living together, common law marriage, yet home in male's name, selling $2000 art, running two businesses without a license, have view property, driving land rover, bragging about going to New Zealand while paying a measly $400 yr in total property taxes. Meanwhile they vote for every tax while exempting themselves from ever paying a dime.
Take couple #2 Poor family. Home in poor condition. Homeowner disabled uses scooter lives with elderly father. True poverty.
It's high time these tax exempt scofflaws file documentation under penalty of perjury including all household income including undisclosed wealth & income from unlicensed businesses. These people have higher wealth than anyone on block yet expect others to pay for their essential services. Time for an audit
Jeff Tozzer you are on point! God bless you! I hope that you’re writing leads to more people waking up. They pump drugs and alcohol into the local citizens with their businesses. Then offer treatment for the problems. What a deal. The more people are sedated the less they’re going to bother to care or have the time anyways. Thank you for your writing. I deeply appreciate it.
What an ego boost, Melissa -- Thank you! Be warned, I'm only doing this until my modeling career takes off. Fabio has retired, so I'm not sure what the delay is. Every time I pick up the phone to check for a dial tone, I think that is when the agency is calling me, so the call doesn't go through. That must be it.
Boeing wants to come back to Washington. Clallam County should make a Charter agreement to guarantee wages to keep them competitive. Two can play at the "Charter' game.
Clallam County would be saved if we got Some form of Boeing manufacturing jobs and those 400 forest management jobs including a modern Mountain complex with toilets that flush without regard to sanitation limits, bypasses of the cities , wildlife over or under passes.
Then there is the Dungeness. The County has to act to preserve the non-native 50 percent of rights there. Its a huge battleground for the region. A water treatment and harvest system needs to be built. "Grabbing the rains' needs to be a reality. Millions of dollars in agriculture should be coming out of there not corpses of rich retirees..or Climate migrants living in Carlsborg.
The Democratic Party has chosen their horse. We will never get that stuff and our horse as long as Commissioner Gordon is there.
For those who lived here in the 80's, do you remember when Norm Dicks wanted to gift land to Japanese Toyota to build a car plant by Dungeness? Glad we fought that grift.
I hate to hit " like" on an article like this, but another great article jeff. I need to add, as of yesterday, Friday only 22% of all registered voters in Clallam County had cast their ballots. If the vote was split 50/50 that would mean only 11% from either political side had voted. Our ballots have power when like-minded people get together and vote. Ask your friends or family if they have voted, I'll bet you can find a few more ballots that should be cast. Jeff's arguments are powerful persuaders.
Never ever vote early......Politicians with something to hide are counting on your early votes. Once you vote it can't be changed. Wait till election day!!!
Thanks Pam, great info, sad though. I’m going to begin asking people outright when I hear any complaints about taxes, tribe, health services, schools……DID YOU VOTE?
Regardless of Ron Allen, CEO of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, being a native or a non-native, he is a business man. And this man uses unscrupulous tactics to forward his agenda and then prides himself on his accomplishments. For instance, when the Tribe dolled out the vaccines to benefit the community, the Tribe made a large profit. Then to further the need for more vaccinations (thus increasing those profits), the Tribe imposed proof of vaccination to enter the Casino. If you were not vaccinated (as I am), you were "restricted" to only certain areas of the casino. Isn't that actually discrimination? I am now always skeptical when the Tribe, under CEO Ron Allen's leadership, is involved in any aspect of Clallam County business. Thank you, Jeff and Karen, for the information from this article. As always, you are sticking to the real issues and making them public. We are free to read, discuss, and post on this website, and I am grateful to all who contribute.
You're welcome, Denise. Thank you for always providing measured, insightful comments on every article. I still haven't removed a single comment on this site (but no one has criticized my voluptuous hair yet).
The known suffering of Native Americans at the behest of our Government warrants their current success. My lifetime resource and recreational passion has been our anadromous fish; Steelhead and Salmon predominately. I have watched our Government/s resource management wipe out wild fish returns, ( Southwest WA as example ). The only remaining wild fish in Washington State exist where tribes are co-managers. Just like the many treaties that were not honored by our Government, this transfer of land management can be similarly revoked. My experience is the tribe will be a better steward than non-natives have been. Like it or not the tribe has access to the public tit that we do not. They have better learned the lesson of not stealing from their own future.
Thanks for commenting, Garry. I have a few questions"
1) Since I like to measure things and know where the goalposts are, when will the debt be paid to offset the Native Americans' known suffering?
2) What exactly makes the Tribe a better steward of the land? Is that knowledge in their DNA? Is it a trait based on race? Generally speaking, the older generation of Jamestown S'Klallam tribal members (in their 80s) are half non-native. Their kids, in their 50s, are 75% non-native. Their kids, in their 30s, are 88% non-native, and the new generation is 93% non-native. Is the superior stewardship trait diminished as more non-native DNA is introduced?
Following my DNA, I should have a superior knowledge of dairy farming. It was my family's specialty in Scotland, and also when they moved here in the 1870s, but I don't know the first thing about cows. Is it different when it is a native population, and their knowledge is about oysters and salmon?
I'm just seeking some insight, and you seem willing to engage in respectful dialogue. Thanks.
My question exactly! None of us were alive when the native Americans were wronged by European settlers, and most of our ancestors weren't even a part of that mistreatment. But, for how long must we pay reparations? As far as I am concerned, that ship has sailed long ago, and it's high time to eliminate special treatment and to treat us ALL as the Americans we are. United we stand, and all that.
Thanks Jeff; I am. 1) In my view the debt is now paid. The sovereignty the tribes were granted has allowed them many advantages. Chief among those are their ability to have casinos. They are finally getting some pay back for Manhattan for a chest of beads, the trail of tears and much more. Our country creating treaties, mutually agreeing to them and then unilaterally breaking them is a huge debt. It demonstrates we have no honor and putting a value on honor is an impossible task. As to the tribal access to the Federal tit, that should no longer be. I feel they have been given enough to create their own future without any further assistance. 2) What makes the tribes better stewards is their record. When you compare tribal to non-tribal stewardship they are better. Our Government stewardship entities are inadequately funded and constantly faced with budget cuts. Back to my earlier referenced fisheries; only rivers with tribal fisheries have any surviving wild fish populations. That is a telling stewardship competency test. Their genetic vulnerability to alcohol and drugs looms larger for their population than ours, but it is a problem for all of us.
Who are we actually talking about when you say the “tribe will be a better steward than non-natives have been”? The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe natural resource department is led and mostly staffed by non tribal citizens and “non-natives”. Will they be the ones making the decisions? Or will it be the Tribal Council made up of Tribal citizens who have their main focus on economic development and profit. Ultimately it’s always the Tribal Council members but are there any with wildlife/fisheries management and conservation credentials? Genuinely curious. Just who are we talking about handing the reigns to?
So, you are upset that the Tribe employs non-native (or non-tribal) people? Yes, they do their due diligence and research everything they do as thoroughly as possible. They employ people of all races and religions and respect their knowledge. I am sure their natural resource department will make suggestions and findings after their research and those will be taken to the Tribal Council and a decision will be made. Again, I am thankful that they chose to employ people from outside their culture.
I never said anything about being upset. The tribe employs the best people they can find. I respect that. They have to employ non natives or they could never run the plethora of businesses they do. But when we all say “The tribe” just who are we talking about? What are we talking about? I’m asking the very simple question what exactly is “The Tribe”? Not supposed to ask that?
I apologize, I do not understand the question. To state that there are non-tribal employees staffing the natural resource department means what then? What are you asking? Are you asking if the decision will be made without consulting all the departments and resources that they have available? Is the decision going to go through the Tribal Council. Will they just randomly pick a person to make the decision? What are you asking?
I was replying to Garry who said he felt that “the Tribe” would be a better steward of the resources than the non-natives. Why? Who is the “Tribe”? Is it the collective of non-native employees with professional credentials that run most of their business entities? Is it the collective of regular tribal citizens that have varied and diverse interests, jobs, beliefs, and educations? Is it the small group of tribal council members that have proven to focus on growing their influence, power, and profit through skilled use of the system?
What is the difference between non-native federal bureaucrats and non-native tribal employees running the land and making the decisions? And if they’re not making the decisions then why do people think a tribal council
focused on economic development and profit would be a better steward? And I believe it’s ok to ask the questions. No accusations, no implications, just asking questions.
The tribal council. Likely less corrupt than our Government. That their staff is comprised of many non-natives is a compliment to their management. They are not possessed by an us or them mentality.
"They are not possessed by an us or them mentality." If that were true they wouldn't be proposing no taxes for themselves, they would be proposing none for all of us.
Garry, respectively questioning because I did read your piece and would like answers to a couple of questions you brought up…..the tribe is not out crabbing and fishing in canoes, they are not gathering oysters from the banks of the shores, they are not gathering food for themselves to exist. I know of no one who can afford to buy the new all aluminum boats 30+ foot fleet of boats including the cost of gas, mooring & fleet of trucks to transport they use to net the salmon before, during and after the allotted USF&W angler seasons. I guessed I missed how they are the stewards of the salmon at least here in the PA, Sequim, Port Townsend areas? Like the article Jeff wrote they have built a gas station and an asphalt parking right on one of the largest streams in our area where tire and particulate matter can flow into the stream that salmon probably spawn in (that is the tribes beef about Towne Road being paved) and they have an oyster farm right at the mouth of the creek in the bay which releases chemicals that chase away the salmon, so how is this a great steward for salmom? It’s been published NON-NATIVE oyster farms in Dungeness will do the same and they aren’t even native. Have a hard time understanding, please help me out.
And they fish with nylon monofilament gill nets in the rivers with jet powered boats. I do not hold the tribes or tribal management as any be all end all or anything close to perfection. To me it is a choice between bad or worse. Given that choice, I choose bad. Early on I mentioned that just like the treaties that have been broken, the courts or ? can swiftly take all the special rights granted Native Americans away, as they have in the past. The tribes are not excellent stewards of the Salmon. The are only better stewards.
Its the non native populations fault too. First, they blocked Boeing from coming to Fairchild Airport. They blocked bypass project after bypass project until finally one was built in Sequim. It wasn't the S'Klallam Tribe that decided to convert to a natural park policy and lose 200 forest management jobs that should now be 400. Our 1950-1970 era leaders wanted a string of one horse towns and they never pushed back and they got it.
We all had to relocate to Pugetropolis or elsewhere to find a horse.
They needed to use the power they had then to set our table not just theirs. They wanted one horse, now they have ...one horse.
How to get out of it?
Make them get another horse.
Don't just sit back and let them keep having one horse.
Make a list of our ideas and take it to them via county initiative.
There is no anti trust exemption by being a tribe. Nobody goes to bat for the non-native 50 percent. Its a given the current government model is unsustainable. The Carlsborg humane society is just the beginning of the final non-native sinking of our government titanic. There are going to be fewer and fewer triple digit non native roster spots. So tis either pump up the non-native or be the low man on the totem poll, to sustain the unsustainable.
The Tribe wants a monopoly, but by law they can't have one. Leaders like Mark Ozias and others before him in the democratic party take the dole to tee the illegal tribal monopoly up.
Non -native elements have failed to file the equal protection, anti monopoly lawsuits. Thats the only option if your politico's and Non profits are bought.. Once the Commercial fishing industry had a fork stuck in it, it seems that element on non-native push back is lost and on a milk carton.
Spirit airlines can't even be bought by Jet Blue. Those same laws apply here to the tribe. Non- natives just don't want to put on the magic slippers they have been wearing all along.
No, I didn't mean that. But if they have the ability to, let's say, work around big Pharma and government dictates, well, that might be an out-of-box solution?
Well well well - once again Mr Tozzer you expose another pesky issue - HOW much MONEY does the tribe NEED? I wonder ! Stay Pesky!
Thanks, Bonnie.
Excellent write up, Jeff. The biggest thing I think we all need to wrap our brains around is the tax issue. We shouldn’t be upset that the Tribe isn’t paying the same amount of taxes as the rest of us. We should be upset that we are not paying the same amount of taxes as the tribe. You want to even the playing field don’t make them pay more taxes, make everyone else pay less. It’s all those tax dollars sloshing around that are the source of almost all the problems you’ve had to uncover here at CC Watchdog. More tax money obviously isn’t going to fix the corruption and incompetent management of OMC, the school districts, and county government. I think most people would have a hard time understanding this but I believe we are at time when a complete shake up of how we build our communities is at hand. The old way of more taxes given to incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats is over. We need to follow the lead of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, unchain the hands of the economic producers and allow them to grow our communities along side the Tribe as equals.
What a terrific perspective, TJ. Thanks.
In general, the newest generation of Jamestown S'Klallam tribal members have about 94% non-native heritage (assuming two native Americans did not produce a child) and are only 6% Jamestown S'Klallam. That's 15/16ths of "colonizer" DNA, to put it bluntly. Are you suggesting reparations for tribal members who have 94% "colonizer" DNA? What happens in 20 years when it's 97%? Again, when will this debt be paid?
"I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL."
The commissioners stand, with their hands over their hearts, and recite this pledge before the Tuesday meeting, then proceed to divide us by pandering to a sovereign nation within the borders of our "ONE NATION".
I am a natural born citizen of the U.S.A. and therefor a native of the U.S.A., and as such I refer to myself as a "NATIVE AMERICAN". My tribe is U.S.A.
NOTE TO COMMISSIONERS "THE NATIVES ARE GETTING RESTLESS"
For anyone who doesn't know Eric, he is there every week watching the commissioners. He has a knack for seeing straight through the vague, sidestepping, double-talk and seeing the common sense heart of every issue (just like in his above comment).
Well said, Eric!
What I don't get, Jeff, is how is it unelected bureaucrats have authority to remove jurisdiction of federal lands & hand them over to a non-governmental, profit driven entity without congressional approval! Where's the environmental impact statement?!? You can't walk your dog on the spit but you can now build an oyster operation that totally disrupts the ecosystem inside a wildlife refuge?!?! And this non taxable status has to stop! Now!!! We're all = under the law right? Not!
I don't get it either. I think it is tied to who the Tribe endorses and donates campaign money to.
Boy you hit a nerve sounds like Sound Transit. Many of these unelected boards including utility, transport, can usurp the will of the people. One board essentially gifted ie. sold public land under value (Lk Cushman) to a municipal judge and councilman who is employed by the same city utility who owns the public land. Transportation boards can target any blue collar neighborhood by erecting a "bus stop" to propel multistory housing. All without a single vote of the people. All done by unelected boards.
This was a fascinating article! One can't get this information from the legacy media. I always felt the local papers are disgusting shills for whomever is buying advertising. I am very much against too much taxation but I do think we need to support our schools....even though they seem to fail to spend their money wisely. Sequim's poor facilities prevents a lot of great employers and professionals like doctors from moving to the area. The Tribe is something we certainly can be envious of, but I think they have earned every penny they have recieved. This was all their land at one time and they didn't even get a reservation when we took it. Not only that, they do a lot of good in the community. Thank you for writing this stuff, as these organizations need to be more transparent. We need to know the good and the bad as voters in order to make informed decisions.
You're welcome, CWeber. I tried to be a disgusting shill and take out a 1/4-page ad in the PDN. $1,250 was steep, but I went ahead and submitted my copy. They said it was political, so the price leapt to $2,500. No thanks! I'm currently sending out flyers. Hopefully, you've gotten one in the mail. If not, you soon will. I'm really pleased with the traffic they have generated.
Thank you so much for reading.
May be some revisionist history in your response. You would need to ask the Tribe a couple of questions such as did they “not get a reservation “ or did they choose not to have one? How was this land once all their land and not the tribes’s they fought to the death with to possess it? I am not sure how one filed claim for land when you claim it belonged to whomever you claim owned it.
Just looking for the straight and accurate information.
I’d sure like to know the answer to that question to and so would friends.
Let's review tax exemptions, not just tribal trust land.
A few years back I viewed slides on the state commerce website noting Clallam County was behind one other county for the most tax exempt property owners ie seniors in poverty or disabled. However this exemption has been abused. First, the county does not require the homeowner to sign its document under penalty of perjury. Second, there are unmarried couples getting tax exemptions (ie living together with two incomes). Three, Some scofflaws who are getting tax exemptions are driving Land Rovers, own three cars, have view property and pay a measly $400 a year in annual property taxes while voting for every tax initiative. In essence if you are getting a property tax exemption you should not be able to vote for tax initiatives, bonds, levies. Ask yourself if anyone should be allowed to only pay $400 a year in total property taxes, the equivalent of the cost of one trip to Costco. These tax exemptions for seniors/disabled are being exploited at the expense of "real true" people in poverty. An audit is severely warranted, especially when those who obtain these property tax exemptions brag about going to New Zealand and selling $2000 art.
Something just clicked. My biggest critic (and most aggressive) calls me racist, anti-tribe, anti-trans, etc. and I've always wondered what she is hiding. Her home/property is appraised at $256,815, and she pays $190/year in property tax. https://websrv22.clallam.net/propertyaccess/Property.aspx?cid=0&year=2023&prop_id=21649
I’ve looked into the senior/think disability property tax exemption because a person close by owned a $850,000 home, nice neighborhood, cars, trips, etc and they were property tax exempt, they paid like $500 while the rest of us paid $7000 and up. It states if your income is less than $40K annually then you can qualify. Still couldn’t figure out how two people both Social Security eligible with a neighborhood commercial business with commercial customers on the side (no rent for a facility) could get away with getting a property tax exemption? With all the exemptions and no policing and the tribes tax free property being removed from the tax rolls with a future request to exempt all tribal members from paying taxes period, the rest of us are carrying the whole load. Frankly if the tribe wants all tax free for members then they can buy from their own sovereign nation businesses and get their tax free from them, otherwise all of us should be able to buy tribal land, shop tax free in their businesses in return. We the tax payers of this century did not fight, put Indians on reservations, keep them from anything yet we are the ones being penalized and looks like this will go on as long as Ron Allen can convince people how bad off they are. As long as a tribe is prospering then they should receive no further grant or any federal money period. I was at a meeting a couple of months ago and a tribe representative was asked how the money they received from the federal government was spent & the Medicare reinbursement rate was and he said it was none of our business they are not accountable to anyone except for filing their legal papers like everyone else does. One last comment…….I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL STEWARDS OF THE LAND? But now because the tribe says so only they can be stewards of the land? Who knew?
Exempt from all state audits. While giving millions to politicians, their fraternal brethern who hand out money. Wash, rinse, repeat. Point to any SEC filings or open source audit. In my opinion, what a racket.
The entire senior/disabled tax exemption scheme should be audited by the county. The poorest county on the books. Now take scofflaw couple #1 originally from CA are living together, common law marriage, yet home in male's name, selling $2000 art, running two businesses without a license, have view property, driving land rover, bragging about going to New Zealand while paying a measly $400 yr in total property taxes. Meanwhile they vote for every tax while exempting themselves from ever paying a dime.
Take couple #2 Poor family. Home in poor condition. Homeowner disabled uses scooter lives with elderly father. True poverty.
It's high time these tax exempt scofflaws file documentation under penalty of perjury including all household income including undisclosed wealth & income from unlicensed businesses. These people have higher wealth than anyone on block yet expect others to pay for their essential services. Time for an audit
Jeff Tozzer you are on point! God bless you! I hope that you’re writing leads to more people waking up. They pump drugs and alcohol into the local citizens with their businesses. Then offer treatment for the problems. What a deal. The more people are sedated the less they’re going to bother to care or have the time anyways. Thank you for your writing. I deeply appreciate it.
What an ego boost, Melissa -- Thank you! Be warned, I'm only doing this until my modeling career takes off. Fabio has retired, so I'm not sure what the delay is. Every time I pick up the phone to check for a dial tone, I think that is when the agency is calling me, so the call doesn't go through. That must be it.
Sincerely, thank you for reading and engaging :)
Boeing wants to come back to Washington. Clallam County should make a Charter agreement to guarantee wages to keep them competitive. Two can play at the "Charter' game.
Clallam County would be saved if we got Some form of Boeing manufacturing jobs and those 400 forest management jobs including a modern Mountain complex with toilets that flush without regard to sanitation limits, bypasses of the cities , wildlife over or under passes.
Then there is the Dungeness. The County has to act to preserve the non-native 50 percent of rights there. Its a huge battleground for the region. A water treatment and harvest system needs to be built. "Grabbing the rains' needs to be a reality. Millions of dollars in agriculture should be coming out of there not corpses of rich retirees..or Climate migrants living in Carlsborg.
The Democratic Party has chosen their horse. We will never get that stuff and our horse as long as Commissioner Gordon is there.
For those who lived here in the 80's, do you remember when Norm Dicks wanted to gift land to Japanese Toyota to build a car plant by Dungeness? Glad we fought that grift.
I was here, but I was pretty involved in watching Punky Brewster and playing with my Teddy Ruxpin at the time. Could you remind us or include a link?
Aaarrrrggggghhhhh!
I hate to hit " like" on an article like this, but another great article jeff. I need to add, as of yesterday, Friday only 22% of all registered voters in Clallam County had cast their ballots. If the vote was split 50/50 that would mean only 11% from either political side had voted. Our ballots have power when like-minded people get together and vote. Ask your friends or family if they have voted, I'll bet you can find a few more ballots that should be cast. Jeff's arguments are powerful persuaders.
Thanks for the reminder, Pamela.
I just dropped mine off at the Courthouse, today!
That is absolutely reprehensible, Pam! I'd hope the percentage would be in the high 90th percentile.
Never ever vote early......Politicians with something to hide are counting on your early votes. Once you vote it can't be changed. Wait till election day!!!
Thanks Pam, great info, sad though. I’m going to begin asking people outright when I hear any complaints about taxes, tribe, health services, schools……DID YOU VOTE?
A lot of complainers who do not vote for sure!
Regardless of Ron Allen, CEO of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, being a native or a non-native, he is a business man. And this man uses unscrupulous tactics to forward his agenda and then prides himself on his accomplishments. For instance, when the Tribe dolled out the vaccines to benefit the community, the Tribe made a large profit. Then to further the need for more vaccinations (thus increasing those profits), the Tribe imposed proof of vaccination to enter the Casino. If you were not vaccinated (as I am), you were "restricted" to only certain areas of the casino. Isn't that actually discrimination? I am now always skeptical when the Tribe, under CEO Ron Allen's leadership, is involved in any aspect of Clallam County business. Thank you, Jeff and Karen, for the information from this article. As always, you are sticking to the real issues and making them public. We are free to read, discuss, and post on this website, and I am grateful to all who contribute.
You're welcome, Denise. Thank you for always providing measured, insightful comments on every article. I still haven't removed a single comment on this site (but no one has criticized my voluptuous hair yet).
The known suffering of Native Americans at the behest of our Government warrants their current success. My lifetime resource and recreational passion has been our anadromous fish; Steelhead and Salmon predominately. I have watched our Government/s resource management wipe out wild fish returns, ( Southwest WA as example ). The only remaining wild fish in Washington State exist where tribes are co-managers. Just like the many treaties that were not honored by our Government, this transfer of land management can be similarly revoked. My experience is the tribe will be a better steward than non-natives have been. Like it or not the tribe has access to the public tit that we do not. They have better learned the lesson of not stealing from their own future.
Thanks for commenting, Garry. I have a few questions"
1) Since I like to measure things and know where the goalposts are, when will the debt be paid to offset the Native Americans' known suffering?
2) What exactly makes the Tribe a better steward of the land? Is that knowledge in their DNA? Is it a trait based on race? Generally speaking, the older generation of Jamestown S'Klallam tribal members (in their 80s) are half non-native. Their kids, in their 50s, are 75% non-native. Their kids, in their 30s, are 88% non-native, and the new generation is 93% non-native. Is the superior stewardship trait diminished as more non-native DNA is introduced?
Following my DNA, I should have a superior knowledge of dairy farming. It was my family's specialty in Scotland, and also when they moved here in the 1870s, but I don't know the first thing about cows. Is it different when it is a native population, and their knowledge is about oysters and salmon?
I'm just seeking some insight, and you seem willing to engage in respectful dialogue. Thanks.
My question exactly! None of us were alive when the native Americans were wronged by European settlers, and most of our ancestors weren't even a part of that mistreatment. But, for how long must we pay reparations? As far as I am concerned, that ship has sailed long ago, and it's high time to eliminate special treatment and to treat us ALL as the Americans we are. United we stand, and all that.
Thanks Jeff; I am. 1) In my view the debt is now paid. The sovereignty the tribes were granted has allowed them many advantages. Chief among those are their ability to have casinos. They are finally getting some pay back for Manhattan for a chest of beads, the trail of tears and much more. Our country creating treaties, mutually agreeing to them and then unilaterally breaking them is a huge debt. It demonstrates we have no honor and putting a value on honor is an impossible task. As to the tribal access to the Federal tit, that should no longer be. I feel they have been given enough to create their own future without any further assistance. 2) What makes the tribes better stewards is their record. When you compare tribal to non-tribal stewardship they are better. Our Government stewardship entities are inadequately funded and constantly faced with budget cuts. Back to my earlier referenced fisheries; only rivers with tribal fisheries have any surviving wild fish populations. That is a telling stewardship competency test. Their genetic vulnerability to alcohol and drugs looms larger for their population than ours, but it is a problem for all of us.
Thanks Garry.
Who are we actually talking about when you say the “tribe will be a better steward than non-natives have been”? The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe natural resource department is led and mostly staffed by non tribal citizens and “non-natives”. Will they be the ones making the decisions? Or will it be the Tribal Council made up of Tribal citizens who have their main focus on economic development and profit. Ultimately it’s always the Tribal Council members but are there any with wildlife/fisheries management and conservation credentials? Genuinely curious. Just who are we talking about handing the reigns to?
So, you are upset that the Tribe employs non-native (or non-tribal) people? Yes, they do their due diligence and research everything they do as thoroughly as possible. They employ people of all races and religions and respect their knowledge. I am sure their natural resource department will make suggestions and findings after their research and those will be taken to the Tribal Council and a decision will be made. Again, I am thankful that they chose to employ people from outside their culture.
I never said anything about being upset. The tribe employs the best people they can find. I respect that. They have to employ non natives or they could never run the plethora of businesses they do. But when we all say “The tribe” just who are we talking about? What are we talking about? I’m asking the very simple question what exactly is “The Tribe”? Not supposed to ask that?
When you get accused of a question being offensive, it usually means the answer is offensive.
The Jamestown Corporation just like any other corporation….
How about just Jamestown Corp.
Now somebody is actually getting what I’m asking! Kudos.
😊 Yay! Corporate control benefits the top what % the difference here is taxpayer funding Corporation projects etc….
Hopefully someday we’ll figure out how long we will perpetuate this….
I apologize, I do not understand the question. To state that there are non-tribal employees staffing the natural resource department means what then? What are you asking? Are you asking if the decision will be made without consulting all the departments and resources that they have available? Is the decision going to go through the Tribal Council. Will they just randomly pick a person to make the decision? What are you asking?
I was replying to Garry who said he felt that “the Tribe” would be a better steward of the resources than the non-natives. Why? Who is the “Tribe”? Is it the collective of non-native employees with professional credentials that run most of their business entities? Is it the collective of regular tribal citizens that have varied and diverse interests, jobs, beliefs, and educations? Is it the small group of tribal council members that have proven to focus on growing their influence, power, and profit through skilled use of the system?
What is the difference between non-native federal bureaucrats and non-native tribal employees running the land and making the decisions? And if they’re not making the decisions then why do people think a tribal council
focused on economic development and profit would be a better steward? And I believe it’s ok to ask the questions. No accusations, no implications, just asking questions.
Liking the dialing down & real particulars of the truth and the facts!
The tribal council. Likely less corrupt than our Government. That their staff is comprised of many non-natives is a compliment to their management. They are not possessed by an us or them mentality.
"They are not possessed by an us or them mentality." If that were true they wouldn't be proposing no taxes for themselves, they would be proposing none for all of us.
Garry, respectively questioning because I did read your piece and would like answers to a couple of questions you brought up…..the tribe is not out crabbing and fishing in canoes, they are not gathering oysters from the banks of the shores, they are not gathering food for themselves to exist. I know of no one who can afford to buy the new all aluminum boats 30+ foot fleet of boats including the cost of gas, mooring & fleet of trucks to transport they use to net the salmon before, during and after the allotted USF&W angler seasons. I guessed I missed how they are the stewards of the salmon at least here in the PA, Sequim, Port Townsend areas? Like the article Jeff wrote they have built a gas station and an asphalt parking right on one of the largest streams in our area where tire and particulate matter can flow into the stream that salmon probably spawn in (that is the tribes beef about Towne Road being paved) and they have an oyster farm right at the mouth of the creek in the bay which releases chemicals that chase away the salmon, so how is this a great steward for salmom? It’s been published NON-NATIVE oyster farms in Dungeness will do the same and they aren’t even native. Have a hard time understanding, please help me out.
And they fish with nylon monofilament gill nets in the rivers with jet powered boats. I do not hold the tribes or tribal management as any be all end all or anything close to perfection. To me it is a choice between bad or worse. Given that choice, I choose bad. Early on I mentioned that just like the treaties that have been broken, the courts or ? can swiftly take all the special rights granted Native Americans away, as they have in the past. The tribes are not excellent stewards of the Salmon. The are only better stewards.
Its the non native populations fault too. First, they blocked Boeing from coming to Fairchild Airport. They blocked bypass project after bypass project until finally one was built in Sequim. It wasn't the S'Klallam Tribe that decided to convert to a natural park policy and lose 200 forest management jobs that should now be 400. Our 1950-1970 era leaders wanted a string of one horse towns and they never pushed back and they got it.
We all had to relocate to Pugetropolis or elsewhere to find a horse.
They needed to use the power they had then to set our table not just theirs. They wanted one horse, now they have ...one horse.
How to get out of it?
Make them get another horse.
Don't just sit back and let them keep having one horse.
Make a list of our ideas and take it to them via county initiative.
BTW,
There is no anti trust exemption by being a tribe. Nobody goes to bat for the non-native 50 percent. Its a given the current government model is unsustainable. The Carlsborg humane society is just the beginning of the final non-native sinking of our government titanic. There are going to be fewer and fewer triple digit non native roster spots. So tis either pump up the non-native or be the low man on the totem poll, to sustain the unsustainable.
The Tribe wants a monopoly, but by law they can't have one. Leaders like Mark Ozias and others before him in the democratic party take the dole to tee the illegal tribal monopoly up.
Non -native elements have failed to file the equal protection, anti monopoly lawsuits. Thats the only option if your politico's and Non profits are bought.. Once the Commercial fishing industry had a fork stuck in it, it seems that element on non-native push back is lost and on a milk carton.
Spirit airlines can't even be bought by Jet Blue. Those same laws apply here to the tribe. Non- natives just don't want to put on the magic slippers they have been wearing all along.
Maybe the Tribe should take over the OMC 🤔
Paging Dr. Reparations. Paging Dr. Reparations.
No, I didn't mean that. But if they have the ability to, let's say, work around big Pharma and government dictates, well, that might be an out-of-box solution?