Sorry posted before finishing. But the rehab that sobered him up was the one that he initiated. The court ordered rehab were worthless. He wasn't straight for more than a week. That's just his story. Others may have different results. My point being there doesn't seem to be a surefire path to being productive and whole coming out of addiction. But if services weren't available I don't think my son would've made it. It was beyond what two loving middle class parents could provide financially and emotionally. This Taj Mahal of a new center seems excessive. I'm more in line with what the Salvation Army or Catholic Services provides. Just the basics. A lot of these people ( I suspect over half) will never make it to sobriety or self suffiency. I don't have the answers. Just the story. Many of the homeless are mentally ill and belong in a State Institution. But our political leaders abandoned that approach many decades ago. I suspect its cheaper to fund Western State Hospital than the billions we've shelled out over the failed experiment of toleration and decriminalization. So I have no solid conclusions. But common sense with fiscal sense needs to prevail. Exactly what that looks like I am unsure. But I don't believe we are anywhere close.
Thank you Lawrence for your story. I think the commissioners should take a step back and reevaluate this project before signing off. There is no rush. We as a community should ask that we get it right and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Agree Eric, re-evaluate! Too many things already wrong starting out from the get go. We wrote a letter to the County Commissioners this morning and encourage all tax payers to do the same. PERMANENT luxury housing, supporting smoking & dogs is not going to help solve the local homeless situation. What is wrong with these people? This why many people are homeless & remain homeless cause they don’t want to be bound by rules. Dawn sounds like the perfect place for them & they will find a way to never leave.
They are going to allow alcohol also. I agree with the need for facilities for medical and mental health to provide help, even in some cases permanent, and I see some things missing in the PBH plan. I just wish the commissioners would take a little more time to further analyze this proposal. I need more time to look at the plan.
Cheaper to let them get frustrated and od on drugs. 4 people have died of drug overdose here at Mountain View Court since I moved in one more in the JC Penney parking lot. Now they want narcan everywhere.
They go to the corners, people give them money. they come back here or to another RV get drugs stay up all night poop and pee in the bushes waiting for Walmart, the laundromat and Safeway to open. They wont go to the church on 5th where they get everything..except a place to do drugs all night.
The crazy clan has grown. Some of them could work, but they don't have manageable down and distance. (Income/rent.) so they give up and pursue SSA.
If your not willing to invest in a 24 7 toilet, what makes them think Taj Mahal is going to work.... Unless its part of the climate migrant plan.
Thanks Jeff. This sure sounds like the same mistakes made 60 years ago in many large cities. I agree that we need to do something to provide a way up for people to get out of their circumstance. Doing the same thing as in the past is not the answer. Permanent housing is not the answer. Look up Cabrini Greens on you tube.
"...you basically can stay in that housing until such a time as your income exceeds the requirements”
Community room, covered parking, smoking shelter, rooftop terrace, large windows, solar panels, dog wash, dishwasher, air conditioning, water or mountain views. Why would they better themselves and increase their income when they can live like this forever, no questions asked?
Thanks for the reporting. Addiction seems to have afflicted nearly every family. It certainly has mine. My wife and i spent a lot of money and were taken advantage of by one of my addicted adult children. Finally had to enact "tough love". Very difficult to do. Watch them spiral down. Go to jail. Get out go to rehab and fail. Live on couches and on the street. Go to rehab. Rinse and repeat. But finally our son got sober. Why? His choice. He came close to death and decided he wanted to live. But we as a couple were done with helping him. There had been too much sacrifice of family resources. So it was the State programs that helped him restart and Catholic Services. Today he works and is self sufficient although he's seriously under employed because he is a felon. Many jobs he was capable of are unavailable to him because of his past. So that's a hill he has to overcome. It went through 4 stints at rehab and a year in prison
I can relate to your story for many parents and families it is similar or the same. Many families loose everything trying to save addicted love ones. I believe addiction was intended to destroy America and it is working, including destroying those who have no direct relatives to addiction. The summation of it all is the perfect example of how addiction spreads & fails time and again. I’ve seen tough love work, yes it’s not the feel good way for sure but addicts will only get well when THEY decide, not when we try and decide for them. When they decide they use the services available, they don’t decide because of a fancy building with showers, child care services, high paid psychologists, free transportation, etc., they decide because they don’t want to die & don’t want to live the way they have been. Our government wants dependency it’s their form of control & our elected officials want the rest of us to be the codependents whether we want to or not. As long as people do not vote the minority that do will control the majority that don’t……..and we wonder why Clallam county is a poor county.
I was just going to write it, but you took the words out of my mouth: "In the meantime, a growing number of residents and businesses have decided, “It’s time to move on” to areas with lower taxes and better job opportunities while Clallam County goes to the dogs."
This is exactly what an increasing tax burden will do--drive out taxpayers and lower real estate prices...which is exactly what the Tribe would love. When will these reparations to Tribes end? When will they become Americans who pay their fair share of taxes and abide by our laws? Do their privileges continue in perpetuity? Perhaps it's time to focus on Congress to change these abusing laws. Enough is enough!
This one is especially infuriating, Jeff. I'm so tired of our Commissioners pushing this type of crap through without thinking about how another tax might just be the straw that breaks us locals. Socialism at its finest in Port Angeles.....
It's not the dog washing station that's so disturbing. Air conditioning, and dish washers are not necessary. Absolutely not necessary for us as tax payers to fund. Do you realize the upkeep and replacement, mantance over the years. We lived in several very well run government appartments. We were in desperate need of a safe dry place to live. We absolutely did not need air conditioning or a dish washer. I will always be grateful. Will never forget that hand up. Found good work, saved and bought a house. Many years have passed. now I am paying tax for unnecessary dish washers and Air-conditioning We live in Washington not California. Air-conditioning???
Thank you, Jeff, for more great reporting. Both issues raised are very important and need exposure. The tribe not putting their share into the county's services really irritates me. How can a maintenence yard for a golf course be deemed "tribal land?" You've likely also noticed they own many properties in regular residential areas that they have designated same. Absolutely ridiculous! Their failure to contribute to the necessary services of the county that the rest of us do needs to remedied somehow. If not, the hole gets deeper and we continue to shovel.
I'd like to address the real estate and investment potential.
This is a prime location in Port Angeles with the potential to be utilized as a business opportunity. A business which could generate revenue for which the city would receive taxes. Jobs could be created.
Why would this property in this prime location be utilized as a homeless shelter?
The biblical adage states “if you don’t work you don’t eat”. When I was very young I thought that wasn’t very fair and came up with a lot of ‘what if’s’. After nearly 80 years of running around this planet that thought has changed. Homelessness and drug addiction is the waste can of socialism period. To pander to the emotion of a county or a country that WE NEED to support those who have allowed themselves into their situation is dereliction of a responsibility these elected decided to take.
Praising someone for making a presentation as to why taxpayers should shoulder the misadventures of societies socialistic brethren is beyond and even borders on criminal. Yes! Everyone is an acting Sheriff John!
Since it’s taxpayers money donate this land to a tribe contingent on using it to house derelicts tribal and non tribal… they seem to do a good job. That frees up us from continuing to pour money into a cesspool. So it’s money saved.
The tribes can ding the entire country or state with pleas for grant money… the costs will be spread out and less painful for all….
Climate migrant housing. They will obey and follow the doctrine. They will get minimum subsistence checks and then go hike and bike around everywhere they don't have to go.
Jeff, I don't know you maintain your composure to bring the citizens of Clallam County the dreaded news every week. Bless you for your courage and tenacity, for without you, we would be oblivious. But now that we know, and like Pepai said, we need to show up at these Tuesday Board meetings and voice our opinions. The commissioners do listen. Hopefully we will see more of you there. Do not let Jeff's informative writings be in vain!
You're welcome, Denise. I just feel bad for people who budgeted to retire here but are facing rising costs to fund the commissioners' insatiable appetite for taxing residents.
We need to stop the overtaxing, it's unsustainable. I for one can't afford to just keep paying more, let alone people on fixed incomes. As a tax base it's time to say no! Shrink this ridiculous government, cut and slash the out of control spending. These self serving political types need to be replaced, they are out of control.
A single property falling off tax collection is no issue unless our ability to develop is literally being strangled to death. And surprise. It is.
In some misguided effort laws were passed to preserve "rural heritage" in the 90s and cows are favored over condos. Hay over houses. Barns over bungalows. At every turn people decry the rich Californians coming to live here and oppose ANY new housing. People oppose projects like the happy valley gravel pit. People oppose ANY change.
As a result, its suffering at the hands of our own collective stupidity.
Clallam county is objectively poor, and has very little actual industry, so do you think we can compete against wealthy retirees from abroad? Or investment landlords? No. So, our market is subject to a squeeze. Housing prices balloon. I mean look at Realtor or Redfin. Median sale price is $500k and even at 4% interest it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that's beyond the reach of the average Clallam County family making $67k.
Land? Is obscene in price because its in low supply and stuck in large parcels. Sure you can get a huge lot for a decent price per acre, but your talking half a mil in land for 50a. Next step down your talking 15a for 250k. Or finally 1a for 100k+
Farms? I'm looking at the census of Agriculture for Clallam county and I'm seeing hundreds of farms with on average a net negative income of 10%. I mean seeing the tax bill and seeing how poor farming can perform here I can see why. So what's the attachment? If the average farm is 30a, $50k operating costs, and a 5k loss I think 60 houses making $5k in tax revenue each is going to be a heck of a lot more profitable.
Yeah, it might not look the same around here. But it is adapt or die and with years of stagnation even this newsletter has noted it seems like people don't get that
Sorry posted before finishing. But the rehab that sobered him up was the one that he initiated. The court ordered rehab were worthless. He wasn't straight for more than a week. That's just his story. Others may have different results. My point being there doesn't seem to be a surefire path to being productive and whole coming out of addiction. But if services weren't available I don't think my son would've made it. It was beyond what two loving middle class parents could provide financially and emotionally. This Taj Mahal of a new center seems excessive. I'm more in line with what the Salvation Army or Catholic Services provides. Just the basics. A lot of these people ( I suspect over half) will never make it to sobriety or self suffiency. I don't have the answers. Just the story. Many of the homeless are mentally ill and belong in a State Institution. But our political leaders abandoned that approach many decades ago. I suspect its cheaper to fund Western State Hospital than the billions we've shelled out over the failed experiment of toleration and decriminalization. So I have no solid conclusions. But common sense with fiscal sense needs to prevail. Exactly what that looks like I am unsure. But I don't believe we are anywhere close.
Respectfully
Lawrence
Thank you Lawrence for your story. I think the commissioners should take a step back and reevaluate this project before signing off. There is no rush. We as a community should ask that we get it right and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
Agree Eric, re-evaluate! Too many things already wrong starting out from the get go. We wrote a letter to the County Commissioners this morning and encourage all tax payers to do the same. PERMANENT luxury housing, supporting smoking & dogs is not going to help solve the local homeless situation. What is wrong with these people? This why many people are homeless & remain homeless cause they don’t want to be bound by rules. Dawn sounds like the perfect place for them & they will find a way to never leave.
They are going to allow alcohol also. I agree with the need for facilities for medical and mental health to provide help, even in some cases permanent, and I see some things missing in the PBH plan. I just wish the commissioners would take a little more time to further analyze this proposal. I need more time to look at the plan.
Cheaper to let them get frustrated and od on drugs. 4 people have died of drug overdose here at Mountain View Court since I moved in one more in the JC Penney parking lot. Now they want narcan everywhere.
They go to the corners, people give them money. they come back here or to another RV get drugs stay up all night poop and pee in the bushes waiting for Walmart, the laundromat and Safeway to open. They wont go to the church on 5th where they get everything..except a place to do drugs all night.
The crazy clan has grown. Some of them could work, but they don't have manageable down and distance. (Income/rent.) so they give up and pursue SSA.
If your not willing to invest in a 24 7 toilet, what makes them think Taj Mahal is going to work.... Unless its part of the climate migrant plan.
Thanks Jeff. This sure sounds like the same mistakes made 60 years ago in many large cities. I agree that we need to do something to provide a way up for people to get out of their circumstance. Doing the same thing as in the past is not the answer. Permanent housing is not the answer. Look up Cabrini Greens on you tube.
Thank you Eric for contributing to this article.
"...you basically can stay in that housing until such a time as your income exceeds the requirements”
Community room, covered parking, smoking shelter, rooftop terrace, large windows, solar panels, dog wash, dishwasher, air conditioning, water or mountain views. Why would they better themselves and increase their income when they can live like this forever, no questions asked?
Write the Commissioners & show up Tuesday, September 3, 10am, County Commissioners Room & make your voices heard.
Duh!
Thanks for the reporting. Addiction seems to have afflicted nearly every family. It certainly has mine. My wife and i spent a lot of money and were taken advantage of by one of my addicted adult children. Finally had to enact "tough love". Very difficult to do. Watch them spiral down. Go to jail. Get out go to rehab and fail. Live on couches and on the street. Go to rehab. Rinse and repeat. But finally our son got sober. Why? His choice. He came close to death and decided he wanted to live. But we as a couple were done with helping him. There had been too much sacrifice of family resources. So it was the State programs that helped him restart and Catholic Services. Today he works and is self sufficient although he's seriously under employed because he is a felon. Many jobs he was capable of are unavailable to him because of his past. So that's a hill he has to overcome. It went through 4 stints at rehab and a year in prison
Thank you for being so candid, Lawrence.
I can relate to your story for many parents and families it is similar or the same. Many families loose everything trying to save addicted love ones. I believe addiction was intended to destroy America and it is working, including destroying those who have no direct relatives to addiction. The summation of it all is the perfect example of how addiction spreads & fails time and again. I’ve seen tough love work, yes it’s not the feel good way for sure but addicts will only get well when THEY decide, not when we try and decide for them. When they decide they use the services available, they don’t decide because of a fancy building with showers, child care services, high paid psychologists, free transportation, etc., they decide because they don’t want to die & don’t want to live the way they have been. Our government wants dependency it’s their form of control & our elected officials want the rest of us to be the codependents whether we want to or not. As long as people do not vote the minority that do will control the majority that don’t……..and we wonder why Clallam county is a poor county.
I was just going to write it, but you took the words out of my mouth: "In the meantime, a growing number of residents and businesses have decided, “It’s time to move on” to areas with lower taxes and better job opportunities while Clallam County goes to the dogs."
This is exactly what an increasing tax burden will do--drive out taxpayers and lower real estate prices...which is exactly what the Tribe would love. When will these reparations to Tribes end? When will they become Americans who pay their fair share of taxes and abide by our laws? Do their privileges continue in perpetuity? Perhaps it's time to focus on Congress to change these abusing laws. Enough is enough!
Thanks for yet another great expose, Jeff!
You're welcome, NOI. I'd like these answers because I need to know how much money to save.
This one is especially infuriating, Jeff. I'm so tired of our Commissioners pushing this type of crap through without thinking about how another tax might just be the straw that breaks us locals. Socialism at its finest in Port Angeles.....
Keep it up 👌🏻
You're welcome, Kate. I, and many others, agree with you.
It's not the dog washing station that's so disturbing. Air conditioning, and dish washers are not necessary. Absolutely not necessary for us as tax payers to fund. Do you realize the upkeep and replacement, mantance over the years. We lived in several very well run government appartments. We were in desperate need of a safe dry place to live. We absolutely did not need air conditioning or a dish washer. I will always be grateful. Will never forget that hand up. Found good work, saved and bought a house. Many years have passed. now I am paying tax for unnecessary dish washers and Air-conditioning We live in Washington not California. Air-conditioning???
That was a very candid and appreciated comment. Thanks Donna.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you, Jeff, for more great reporting. Both issues raised are very important and need exposure. The tribe not putting their share into the county's services really irritates me. How can a maintenence yard for a golf course be deemed "tribal land?" You've likely also noticed they own many properties in regular residential areas that they have designated same. Absolutely ridiculous! Their failure to contribute to the necessary services of the county that the rest of us do needs to remedied somehow. If not, the hole gets deeper and we continue to shovel.
You're welcome, John. As always, thank you for reading and engaging.
I'd like to address the real estate and investment potential.
This is a prime location in Port Angeles with the potential to be utilized as a business opportunity. A business which could generate revenue for which the city would receive taxes. Jobs could be created.
Why would this property in this prime location be utilized as a homeless shelter?
Excellent question that requires an answer. Hope to see people tomorrow, September 3 at County Commissioners Room, 10am.
Why does a dog lick itself?
The biblical adage states “if you don’t work you don’t eat”. When I was very young I thought that wasn’t very fair and came up with a lot of ‘what if’s’. After nearly 80 years of running around this planet that thought has changed. Homelessness and drug addiction is the waste can of socialism period. To pander to the emotion of a county or a country that WE NEED to support those who have allowed themselves into their situation is dereliction of a responsibility these elected decided to take.
Praising someone for making a presentation as to why taxpayers should shoulder the misadventures of societies socialistic brethren is beyond and even borders on criminal. Yes! Everyone is an acting Sheriff John!
Since it’s taxpayers money donate this land to a tribe contingent on using it to house derelicts tribal and non tribal… they seem to do a good job. That frees up us from continuing to pour money into a cesspool. So it’s money saved.
The tribes can ding the entire country or state with pleas for grant money… the costs will be spread out and less painful for all….
November is coming….
Thanks Jeff 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💕
You're welcome, Paula. You get your ballot in 42 days!
I am speechless like a tsunami coming. Can't you see it?
We don't need to reinvent the wheel everytime... We just have to look at Seattle.
Climate migrant housing. They will obey and follow the doctrine. They will get minimum subsistence checks and then go hike and bike around everywhere they don't have to go.
Jeff, I don't know you maintain your composure to bring the citizens of Clallam County the dreaded news every week. Bless you for your courage and tenacity, for without you, we would be oblivious. But now that we know, and like Pepai said, we need to show up at these Tuesday Board meetings and voice our opinions. The commissioners do listen. Hopefully we will see more of you there. Do not let Jeff's informative writings be in vain!
You're welcome, Denise. I just feel bad for people who budgeted to retire here but are facing rising costs to fund the commissioners' insatiable appetite for taxing residents.
We need to stop the overtaxing, it's unsustainable. I for one can't afford to just keep paying more, let alone people on fixed incomes. As a tax base it's time to say no! Shrink this ridiculous government, cut and slash the out of control spending. These self serving political types need to be replaced, they are out of control.
A single property falling off tax collection is no issue unless our ability to develop is literally being strangled to death. And surprise. It is.
In some misguided effort laws were passed to preserve "rural heritage" in the 90s and cows are favored over condos. Hay over houses. Barns over bungalows. At every turn people decry the rich Californians coming to live here and oppose ANY new housing. People oppose projects like the happy valley gravel pit. People oppose ANY change.
As a result, its suffering at the hands of our own collective stupidity.
Clallam county is objectively poor, and has very little actual industry, so do you think we can compete against wealthy retirees from abroad? Or investment landlords? No. So, our market is subject to a squeeze. Housing prices balloon. I mean look at Realtor or Redfin. Median sale price is $500k and even at 4% interest it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that's beyond the reach of the average Clallam County family making $67k.
Land? Is obscene in price because its in low supply and stuck in large parcels. Sure you can get a huge lot for a decent price per acre, but your talking half a mil in land for 50a. Next step down your talking 15a for 250k. Or finally 1a for 100k+
Farms? I'm looking at the census of Agriculture for Clallam county and I'm seeing hundreds of farms with on average a net negative income of 10%. I mean seeing the tax bill and seeing how poor farming can perform here I can see why. So what's the attachment? If the average farm is 30a, $50k operating costs, and a 5k loss I think 60 houses making $5k in tax revenue each is going to be a heck of a lot more profitable.
Yeah, it might not look the same around here. But it is adapt or die and with years of stagnation even this newsletter has noted it seems like people don't get that