The email I just sent to the Peninsula Daily News publisher and editor. The first paragraph was a link to this story:
And where has the PDN been while this mismanagement of public dollars has been occurring? Out chasing garden clubs, high school sports and other low-hanging "happy news" to fill in the white space around the ads? Whatever happened to newspapers' watchdog role? Or has Sound Publishing nixed that responsibility since I was an editor (Federal Way Mirror) 25 years ago?
Why are we getting this information from one man who cares, rather than from a newspaper that should be trying much harder?
Because the PDN has become the Marxist Propaganda Daily. If you write a letter to the editor, it is rarely published if it has a conservative flavor to it, without having to jump through all sorts of hoops, providing sources, etc, while the leftist, supportive letters are immediately published.
Excellent comment Paul. After reading this article, it is hard to fathom why the commissioners are being voted back into office. If there is ZERO support for this tax raise why would the commissioners vote for it? Jeff makes a solid point (As Usual) about conflicts of interest...extensively. I believe there are some of us out in Clallam that would vote differently.
It's pretty obvious they hate us. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were biased in favor of the Tribe.... on our dollar. Elections have consequences. Wake up Clallam County.
They are biased! One only has to look at the tribe property and the political signs that adorn their property. They are of one party that runs everything in the state. Whatever the tribe desires they get. I stopped patronizing the tribe in 2000.
Tax the most depressed Washington County. You see this repressive management at all levels of "leadership" where members are power hungry and self interested. Insecure pimps pressing their thumbs on the livelehoods of constituents representing special interests. This is what voting for Democrats gets you. As an Independent I could never vote for a WA Democrat. You CANNOT tax your way into prosperity. But that is not their goal. The commissioners' goals are self serving. And what do they have to do to get elected in this state? Put a 'D' after their name on the ballot and voila. Wake up Washington! The rest of the country is moving away from this repressive regime. Ozias is quite frankly a self serving pig. The rest of the Commissioners moving into the same sty. Enough already. Voting 'D' does NOT make YOU a better person, it points entirely to your stupidity for the harm it does to our County.
I'm going to gently push back here for sake of the goal that IMO is to get the CCC's to be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer money. That goal attracts more people because it's neutral on political parties which should be the strategy. Once the wedge of political parties enters the conversation 50% of the population closes their ears and we lose the base and support this movement needs. It also brings resistance to the message when it's conflated with whatever popular term there is to deride a political party
You might not like it but it is a D sickness to tax our way out of any situation. Education. Wellness. Economic depression. on and on and on and on. Yes at the public speaking level it does not good to point fingers at people who vote blindly for D but they don't listen anyway...
Please understand my point. If we're trying to effect change then knee capping that opportunity because we can't control the message isn't sound strategy. Anyone's take on why one party over the other is better or worse doesn't change anyone's minds, it just hardens them from hearing the message.
Do you want the CCCs to be more responsible with our money, or consider voting them out, or is it more important to you to shout a message that detracts from the goal?
Well this has been interesting folks…. Hair on fire and points are made…. The PDN “is” a communist rag!!! It’s from Canada , Sound publishing…
My thoughts are this: come in through a side door. The are a number of issues bubbling up dealing with tribes and their failings… I caught on in the news about the Nooksack tribe and members being kicked off the rez. This was on Fox local news. So why not send Jeff’s exposé to Fox on how this tribe took advantage of commissioners weaknesses or what ever label you want to use ( addiction to power money etc)… along with giving power to NGO’s over water rights ICLEI from Germany land grabbing … I mean Jeff has provided enough documentation held here in Substack. His ability to present this information is incredible.
Not only does French like to trim his nails, when he doesn't want to listen to constituents, he chews them off and picks them out of his mouth and deposits them on the floor of "OUR" courthouse.
Maybe we can take up a collection for a nail trimmer, or maybe he can find a grant for a pedicure.
Gee, if I am paying less to Clallam county after tax increases, how is Clallam County going to add $83,000 to its budget with a (2x 1%) tax increase. Finding $83.000 to cut out of the budget instead of increasing taxes would have gone a long way to improving public relations with the community.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR JEFF TOZZER AND CC WATCHDOG AND FOLLOWERS FOR KEEPING US AWARE OF THE SHENANIGANS OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
Eric kicked off the public comment and set the tone that it's okay to be direct with our elected officials (even while they chew their nails and disengage). Happy Thanksgiving to all. May you have a delicious feast with all the (fingernail) trimmings.
When it comes to the rampant criminal behavior of our so called "government leadership" to me as an American Constitutionalist the most insulting thing is to suffer the constant "Gas Lighting" that these ignorant fools spew to the community~! Their lies, deceptions, and even their disrespectful "body language" reflects their outright disdain for the taxpayers that they are here to obey and serve... They treat us as if we don't know what they are really doing and/or that we don't understand what honest people in government would even look like. We need to demand a COMPLETE audit on each and every Individual in government management to find out exactly how they were "elected" or "installed" and to conduct a total personal financial audit on all of them to discover if they have unjustly enriched themselves at the expense of the taxpayers is WAY overdue~! Then a FULL audit of their actions and inactions is now necessary to discover if these Individuals have committed any crimes along the way~! All Americans have endured absolutely horrific abuses by those in government, especially over the past couple of decades, so now "we" should put our differences aside, refuse to be divided by these low-level manipulators, and join together to hold those in government management & "leadership" FULLY accountable for what they have done~! We can never tolerate being ignored or being treated with contempt by those who only exist in their positions to do what "we" tell them to do~! I hope that folks enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving full of the Spirit of Goodness, however this is also a VERY important time for each and every one of us to keep in mind those in our community who do not have it so great and who are suffering at the hands of the criminals who are in our own government~!!! America has never been great because of the government or the co-called "leadership" of these Individuals in management, America has been great ONLY because of the quality of the American people who have built this country in spite of the abysmal leadership that our country has more often than not suffered~! Let us join together as one great people once again to remove the rotten apples from our government and set a new better path ahead for our youngest generations and the generations to come~!!! We have tolerated too much abuse and too many insults to our freedoms and rights, so let us not squander this opportunity to make the necessary changes that we all know are now needed~! If you believe that everything is fine, at least join "us" to make sure that others are not being harmed at the hands of the criminals in government to assure that everything remains fine~! Great Job to Jeff Tozzer and Thomas Ash for their Patriotic vigilance keeping watch on our local community~!!! Sincerely, Mike
Yes, I/we agree~! I am impressed by just how many good people are coming together to play a role in the communities all over America these days. Adversity does indeed bring out the best in good folks :) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving~! Sincerely, Mike
What would it take to take away their ability to increase taxes without approval from the taxpayers? Will a referendum do it? An initiative? How many signatures do we need to get it on the next ballot?
After getting a response from PDN editor Brian McLean (to wit, "We were there, story to follow, etc."), I responded:
Thank you for your reply, Brian. I am well aware of the 1 percent cap and the history behind it. But why hasn't the PDN (and Sequim Gazette, as well) dug deeper into the details before commissioners voted and placed this information in front of taxpayers much earlier?
And where is the PDN when it comes to looking into the loss of county property tax revenue when commissioners turn a blind eye toward tribes placing land in trust? Or the Towne Road fiasco? Or commissioners' unholy alliance with non-governmental organizations that are drafting policies which commissioners adopt? Where's the PDN's editorial voice been?
This is not a red v. blue issue. It's about fiscal accountability at the county level, and it's about accountability to your readership. It's a matter of sending out reporters to do enterprise journalism, dig into dry, dusty facts and writing compelling stories that enlighten and inform instead of the passive, after the fact reporting the PDN dishes up. Do you actually think your readers care less about the taxes they pay and more about how many people a local food bank feeds or arts in Port Townsend or police drones?
"Community journalism" isn't an excuse for passive journalism, but that's what I've been seeing for years from the PDN and Gazette. Both newspapers are failing in their roles as watchdogs on government. What are you prepared to do about it?
Thank you for reaching out to them. I had given up. If you still have an ongoing dialogue, I will write a guest editorial or help with research for an article (validate where sources come from). I'll do it for free, no credit needed. I want to see our local paper make a comeback and thrive... this is exactly the material that could do it for them. Please, PDN: put CC Watchdog outta business!
Lets see what the new administration thinks of re-negotiating treaties, usurping Congressional authority to effect relations with tribes and foreign governments. Not registering as foreign agents. I can't wait until January 20, 2025.
I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for Trump and his administration to tackle the unfair fee to trust to reservation land swaps that are undermining small towns. There will be no more mom and pop businesses when the Tribal Monopoly is in place.
The dam has broken (rather, the levee has been breached): last Sunday's article (Hurricane Ridge lodged) set a record of over 6,300 views. Subscribers are closing in on 2,000 (1,971 right now). The word is out, and all your sharing and telling friends is paying off. Thanks to everyone who has told a friend. Keep doing what you're doing.
Jeff, is there a way to let us know how much the subscribers are growing on a weekly basis? It was exciting to see the numbers you put out. I know I follow numbers (even my credit score). To see an increase in subscribers is an incentive for us to go out and get more.
'Tis the season, and Pepai mentioned the tribe's Christmas lights. Silly me always thought they bought and installed them, but I was wrong. They hire a firm out of Gig Harbor. This year that firm's crew of 16 worked for two months, non-stop, seven days a week, ten hours a day so the tribe could say "we do Christmas right". Can you imagine the cost? The tribe brags about "their" lights when all they do is hand over a check and let someone else do the work. Then take credit for it all.
My total property taxes are up 50% in the last five years. The vast majority is not related to the 1% cap on annual growth. It is due to various levies for school, hospital, pool, etc. I am very willing to accept a 1% annual increase on that portion, however I want the County to be honest and discuss the actual total out of pocket costs to residents. It is far outpacing inflation.
I've been musing over this idea for a while: Perhaps it's time some of us, and I would be glad to spearhead this, schedule a sit-down with the PDN/Gazette publisher and editor. I still speak the "lingo," and have street cred (several WNPA awards, including two newspapers with WNPA General Excellence awards), so they can't simply dismiss a group of concerned citizens as "amateurs."
That said, the thought of CC Watchdog readership first eclipsing the Sequim Gazette's, then the PDN's, is more mouth-watering than tomorrow's pumpkin pie!
Previous comments sum up my feelings. Next election cycle I pledge the same amount of my tax increase to the election campaigns of the candidates that oppose these flawed policies.
The original generation of Americans did not leave it to a vote. They dealt with excessive taxation with a tea party. Times are coming full circle, but will current generations respond in kind?
The email I just sent to the Peninsula Daily News publisher and editor. The first paragraph was a link to this story:
And where has the PDN been while this mismanagement of public dollars has been occurring? Out chasing garden clubs, high school sports and other low-hanging "happy news" to fill in the white space around the ads? Whatever happened to newspapers' watchdog role? Or has Sound Publishing nixed that responsibility since I was an editor (Federal Way Mirror) 25 years ago?
Why are we getting this information from one man who cares, rather than from a newspaper that should be trying much harder?
Thank you, Paul. This is very appreciated.
I hope you understand my intent, which is to get the local rags off their butts and not to replace the fine work you are doing, Jeff.
Because the PDN has become the Marxist Propaganda Daily. If you write a letter to the editor, it is rarely published if it has a conservative flavor to it, without having to jump through all sorts of hoops, providing sources, etc, while the leftist, supportive letters are immediately published.
You sound like you'd be a wealth of information to get the CCW pushed out to more people.
I'll send a message as well to the PDN and SG. Thanks for the idea.
Excellent comment Paul. After reading this article, it is hard to fathom why the commissioners are being voted back into office. If there is ZERO support for this tax raise why would the commissioners vote for it? Jeff makes a solid point (As Usual) about conflicts of interest...extensively. I believe there are some of us out in Clallam that would vote differently.
I hope good candidates step up and are supported to go against the rot.
It's pretty obvious they hate us. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were biased in favor of the Tribe.... on our dollar. Elections have consequences. Wake up Clallam County.
They are biased! One only has to look at the tribe property and the political signs that adorn their property. They are of one party that runs everything in the state. Whatever the tribe desires they get. I stopped patronizing the tribe in 2000.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am thankful I met Jeff Tozer
Tax the most depressed Washington County. You see this repressive management at all levels of "leadership" where members are power hungry and self interested. Insecure pimps pressing their thumbs on the livelehoods of constituents representing special interests. This is what voting for Democrats gets you. As an Independent I could never vote for a WA Democrat. You CANNOT tax your way into prosperity. But that is not their goal. The commissioners' goals are self serving. And what do they have to do to get elected in this state? Put a 'D' after their name on the ballot and voila. Wake up Washington! The rest of the country is moving away from this repressive regime. Ozias is quite frankly a self serving pig. The rest of the Commissioners moving into the same sty. Enough already. Voting 'D' does NOT make YOU a better person, it points entirely to your stupidity for the harm it does to our County.
I'm going to gently push back here for sake of the goal that IMO is to get the CCC's to be more fiscally responsible with taxpayer money. That goal attracts more people because it's neutral on political parties which should be the strategy. Once the wedge of political parties enters the conversation 50% of the population closes their ears and we lose the base and support this movement needs. It also brings resistance to the message when it's conflated with whatever popular term there is to deride a political party
You might not like it but it is a D sickness to tax our way out of any situation. Education. Wellness. Economic depression. on and on and on and on. Yes at the public speaking level it does not good to point fingers at people who vote blindly for D but they don't listen anyway...
Please understand my point. If we're trying to effect change then knee capping that opportunity because we can't control the message isn't sound strategy. Anyone's take on why one party over the other is better or worse doesn't change anyone's minds, it just hardens them from hearing the message.
Hugs really don't change minds, it hardens them further into their own mindset.
Do you want the CCCs to be more responsible with our money, or consider voting them out, or is it more important to you to shout a message that detracts from the goal?
Why don't you focus on something other than me. Your passive aggressive comments aren't working.
Well this has been interesting folks…. Hair on fire and points are made…. The PDN “is” a communist rag!!! It’s from Canada , Sound publishing…
My thoughts are this: come in through a side door. The are a number of issues bubbling up dealing with tribes and their failings… I caught on in the news about the Nooksack tribe and members being kicked off the rez. This was on Fox local news. So why not send Jeff’s exposé to Fox on how this tribe took advantage of commissioners weaknesses or what ever label you want to use ( addiction to power money etc)… along with giving power to NGO’s over water rights ICLEI from Germany land grabbing … I mean Jeff has provided enough documentation held here in Substack. His ability to present this information is incredible.
I’d like to get it figured out!
AMEN
Not only does French like to trim his nails, when he doesn't want to listen to constituents, he chews them off and picks them out of his mouth and deposits them on the floor of "OUR" courthouse.
Maybe we can take up a collection for a nail trimmer, or maybe he can find a grant for a pedicure.
Gee, if I am paying less to Clallam county after tax increases, how is Clallam County going to add $83,000 to its budget with a (2x 1%) tax increase. Finding $83.000 to cut out of the budget instead of increasing taxes would have gone a long way to improving public relations with the community.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR JEFF TOZZER AND CC WATCHDOG AND FOLLOWERS FOR KEEPING US AWARE OF THE SHENANIGANS OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
Eric kicked off the public comment and set the tone that it's okay to be direct with our elected officials (even while they chew their nails and disengage). Happy Thanksgiving to all. May you have a delicious feast with all the (fingernail) trimmings.
When it comes to the rampant criminal behavior of our so called "government leadership" to me as an American Constitutionalist the most insulting thing is to suffer the constant "Gas Lighting" that these ignorant fools spew to the community~! Their lies, deceptions, and even their disrespectful "body language" reflects their outright disdain for the taxpayers that they are here to obey and serve... They treat us as if we don't know what they are really doing and/or that we don't understand what honest people in government would even look like. We need to demand a COMPLETE audit on each and every Individual in government management to find out exactly how they were "elected" or "installed" and to conduct a total personal financial audit on all of them to discover if they have unjustly enriched themselves at the expense of the taxpayers is WAY overdue~! Then a FULL audit of their actions and inactions is now necessary to discover if these Individuals have committed any crimes along the way~! All Americans have endured absolutely horrific abuses by those in government, especially over the past couple of decades, so now "we" should put our differences aside, refuse to be divided by these low-level manipulators, and join together to hold those in government management & "leadership" FULLY accountable for what they have done~! We can never tolerate being ignored or being treated with contempt by those who only exist in their positions to do what "we" tell them to do~! I hope that folks enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving full of the Spirit of Goodness, however this is also a VERY important time for each and every one of us to keep in mind those in our community who do not have it so great and who are suffering at the hands of the criminals who are in our own government~!!! America has never been great because of the government or the co-called "leadership" of these Individuals in management, America has been great ONLY because of the quality of the American people who have built this country in spite of the abysmal leadership that our country has more often than not suffered~! Let us join together as one great people once again to remove the rotten apples from our government and set a new better path ahead for our youngest generations and the generations to come~!!! We have tolerated too much abuse and too many insults to our freedoms and rights, so let us not squander this opportunity to make the necessary changes that we all know are now needed~! If you believe that everything is fine, at least join "us" to make sure that others are not being harmed at the hands of the criminals in government to assure that everything remains fine~! Great Job to Jeff Tozzer and Thomas Ash for their Patriotic vigilance keeping watch on our local community~!!! Sincerely, Mike
Tom's a terrific asset, critical thinker, and was instrumental in reopening Towne Road. We are indebted!
Yes, I/we agree~! I am impressed by just how many good people are coming together to play a role in the communities all over America these days. Adversity does indeed bring out the best in good folks :) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving~! Sincerely, Mike
What would it take to take away their ability to increase taxes without approval from the taxpayers? Will a referendum do it? An initiative? How many signatures do we need to get it on the next ballot?
Is this something the charter review commission could play a role in, or if that's beyond their scope.
That's a GREAT question that I should know. I'll bring it up and find out.
After getting a response from PDN editor Brian McLean (to wit, "We were there, story to follow, etc."), I responded:
Thank you for your reply, Brian. I am well aware of the 1 percent cap and the history behind it. But why hasn't the PDN (and Sequim Gazette, as well) dug deeper into the details before commissioners voted and placed this information in front of taxpayers much earlier?
And where is the PDN when it comes to looking into the loss of county property tax revenue when commissioners turn a blind eye toward tribes placing land in trust? Or the Towne Road fiasco? Or commissioners' unholy alliance with non-governmental organizations that are drafting policies which commissioners adopt? Where's the PDN's editorial voice been?
This is not a red v. blue issue. It's about fiscal accountability at the county level, and it's about accountability to your readership. It's a matter of sending out reporters to do enterprise journalism, dig into dry, dusty facts and writing compelling stories that enlighten and inform instead of the passive, after the fact reporting the PDN dishes up. Do you actually think your readers care less about the taxes they pay and more about how many people a local food bank feeds or arts in Port Townsend or police drones?
"Community journalism" isn't an excuse for passive journalism, but that's what I've been seeing for years from the PDN and Gazette. Both newspapers are failing in their roles as watchdogs on government. What are you prepared to do about it?
Thank you for reaching out to them. I had given up. If you still have an ongoing dialogue, I will write a guest editorial or help with research for an article (validate where sources come from). I'll do it for free, no credit needed. I want to see our local paper make a comeback and thrive... this is exactly the material that could do it for them. Please, PDN: put CC Watchdog outta business!
BRAVO! Not to mention our great appreciation to Jeff Tozzer who peels the onion of corruption on a regular basis!
Awe thanks, happy to do it.
Boom!
"This is not a red v. blue issue. It's about fiscal accountability at the county level, and it's about accountability to your readership."
Lets see what the new administration thinks of re-negotiating treaties, usurping Congressional authority to effect relations with tribes and foreign governments. Not registering as foreign agents. I can't wait until January 20, 2025.
I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for Trump and his administration to tackle the unfair fee to trust to reservation land swaps that are undermining small towns. There will be no more mom and pop businesses when the Tribal Monopoly is in place.
The Boldt decision did not approve of a monopoly. Our state made one ruling denying that Boldt prevented anti trust actions. Nobody pursued it.
And nobody realizes that it is happening in Clallam County as we speak
Does the Trump administration-- or even Congress-- know about this problem?
No.
John did you get my note to your Substack address????
I have not.
Our last communication was July something.
It's obvious to me that not enough tax payers in Clallam County are informed about the impending train wreck in a tunnel we're facing.
Given no other news sources delve into the details, what do you need to get ads in the PDN and SG so that the voters can be informed and decide?
Push out Jeff's publications to everyone you know. I have. He's a freakin' boss 😎
A freakin' boss? Getting bumper stickers and t-shirts made right now... that is classic :)
I'll buy two each, please.
DO IT!! :)
Money
Money for CC Watchdog, all ads are expensive
The dam has broken (rather, the levee has been breached): last Sunday's article (Hurricane Ridge lodged) set a record of over 6,300 views. Subscribers are closing in on 2,000 (1,971 right now). The word is out, and all your sharing and telling friends is paying off. Thanks to everyone who has told a friend. Keep doing what you're doing.
Jeff, is there a way to let us know how much the subscribers are growing on a weekly basis? It was exciting to see the numbers you put out. I know I follow numbers (even my credit score). To see an increase in subscribers is an incentive for us to go out and get more.
Thank you to all those who spoke against the tax hike. As you spoke for me and others. All I can say is VOTE
'Tis the season, and Pepai mentioned the tribe's Christmas lights. Silly me always thought they bought and installed them, but I was wrong. They hire a firm out of Gig Harbor. This year that firm's crew of 16 worked for two months, non-stop, seven days a week, ten hours a day so the tribe could say "we do Christmas right". Can you imagine the cost? The tribe brags about "their" lights when all they do is hand over a check and let someone else do the work. Then take credit for it all.
Wow, half a million minimum!
😡
That's the number that was floating around in my head. Probably our money, too.
😡
Because they care. *eye roll*
My total property taxes are up 50% in the last five years. The vast majority is not related to the 1% cap on annual growth. It is due to various levies for school, hospital, pool, etc. I am very willing to accept a 1% annual increase on that portion, however I want the County to be honest and discuss the actual total out of pocket costs to residents. It is far outpacing inflation.
I've been musing over this idea for a while: Perhaps it's time some of us, and I would be glad to spearhead this, schedule a sit-down with the PDN/Gazette publisher and editor. I still speak the "lingo," and have street cred (several WNPA awards, including two newspapers with WNPA General Excellence awards), so they can't simply dismiss a group of concerned citizens as "amateurs."
That said, the thought of CC Watchdog readership first eclipsing the Sequim Gazette's, then the PDN's, is more mouth-watering than tomorrow's pumpkin pie!
Sign me up for, "I'll help anyway I can."
I'm there and would support this. Maybe we meet up in advance to outline our points and CV related chops to bolster the discussion.
Previous comments sum up my feelings. Next election cycle I pledge the same amount of my tax increase to the election campaigns of the candidates that oppose these flawed policies.
I would not. Left California to escape but didn’t realize it is just as bad. Sorry
We are left with only our votes to stop this excessive taxation. Continue to vote blue and we will remain blue with a little black here and there.
The original generation of Americans did not leave it to a vote. They dealt with excessive taxation with a tea party. Times are coming full circle, but will current generations respond in kind?
Let me know when the boiling tar and feathers are ready....
We got the feathers~! ;-) Sincerely, Mike