Shows / Clallam County Watchdog
Episodes
Clallam County WatchdogPolitical Panhandling
Guest contributor Jake Seegers continues examining the Clallam Conservation District’s (CCD) push for a $2 million parcel fee. Critics argue the proposal is…
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County contradictions
From parcel taxes to NGO salaries, from sidewalk fiascos to the collapse of legacy news, Clallam County is living in contradictions. Your commissioners talk…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen identity politics collides with public responsibility
This spring’s Clallam Conservation District (CCD) election was sold as a victory for “climate action,” but what has followed raises questions about…
Clallam County WatchdogWho benefits from the CCD's $5 parcel fee?
At first glance, the Clallam Conservation District (CCD) presents itself as a champion of clean water and farming. But a closer look reveals troubling…
Clallam County WatchdogEquity check: Whose “vision” are the commissioners serving?
The county commissioners’ four guiding mission statements promise achievable goals, yet long-time residents say those promises ring hollow: unanswered…
Clallam County WatchdogThis week in Clallam County
This week brings change at the top of First Fed, fireworks in Port Angeles politics, and troubling signs in local government priorities. We look at who’s…
Clallam County WatchdogReconciliation first, public health last
Clallam County Public Health claims to protect our community—but its 2024 report reveals a different mission: reconciliation programs and “harm reduction”…
Clallam County WatchdogThe Clallam CON-servation District
Guest contributor Jake Seegers shows how county taxpayers have already poured $625,000 into the Clallam Conservation District without a shred of measurable…
Clallam County WatchdogBanks, ballots, boards, and broken promises
This week’s roundup reveals a common theme: decision-makers are cutting backroom deals, shifting burdens onto residents, and calling it “progress.” From our…
Clallam County WatchdogPredators in our parks, on our buses, and in our backyard
Last summer, two 13-year-old girls were allegedly assaulted at Railroad Bridge Park. This week, their suspected attacker was arrested thanks to DNA evidence…
Clallam County WatchdogThe "Landback" movement
County residents are waking up to the reality that “landback” is not just a symbolic slogan but a political and financial strategy already affecting local…
Clallam County WatchdogDishwashers, double-talk, and micromanaging
Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent — especially when $4 million was handed to Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH) for its new North…
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County ripples
When residents are told that taxes must rise, services must shrink, and “equity” must always come before fairness, it’s worth asking: who really benefits?…
Clallam County WatchdogOMC's quarter-million dollar secret
In an era when anyone can livestream from their phone, Olympic Medical Center refuses to record its own public meetings—making it harder for working families…
Clallam County WatchdogA $5 fee or a Trojan Horse?
County residents were told this week that a $5 parcel fee to fund the Clallam Conservation District (CCD) is nothing more than a modest investment in clean…
Clallam County WatchdogYou won't read these stories anywhere else
From neglected dogs at drug houses to six-figure tribal tax liens, from new state sales taxes to “nonpartisan” groups pushing partisan agendas—Clallam County…
Clallam County WatchdogFlashback Friday: Promises of transparency broken by politics
In 1971, Washington passed the Open Public Meetings Act to guarantee transparency in government, declaring that “the people insist on remaining informed so…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen “nonpartisan” becomes partisan
In Clallam County, the word nonpartisan has become one of the most overused—and misused—labels in local politics. Organizations across the County claim the…
Clallam County WatchdogCommissioners ignore public, push ahead with new fee
Clallam County’s new $5 property fee highlights a troubling pattern: residents pay, tribal and federal lands don’t, and the commissioners ignore overwhelming…
Clallam County WatchdogStories you can't ignore
Every week, decisions are made in Clallam County that affect taxpayers, homeowners, parents, and entire communities. Some happen in plain sight. Many do not…
Clallam County WatchdogHurricane Ridge
When the Hurricane Ridge Lodge burned down, Clallam County lost more than a building—it lost the heart of its tourism economy. Now, instead of fast-tracking a…
Clallam County WatchdogFishy Fee Smells Like a Taxpayer Fleecing
When panhandler Kurt in El Paso asked CC Watchdog guest contributor Jake Seegers for change, at least he admitted it was a hustle. The Clallam Conservation…
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County echoes
From taxpayer-funded NGOs to hidden profits, selective enforcement, and opaque policies, these ten investigations reveal a troubling pattern. Each story…
Clallam County WatchdogThe Blyn roundabout returns
Plans for a $7.8 million roundabout in Blyn are back, led not by WSDOT but by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe—without public input or transparency. The project…
Clallam County WatchdogOMC: From one failure to the next
Olympic Medical Center came within a week of running out of cash under former CEO Darryl Wolfe — a fact buried in a state audit but never shared with the…
Clallam County WatchdogEquity and the County's modern caste system
Equity is supposed to mean fairness for all, but in Clallam County, fairness is being redefined. Sovereignty now comes with exemptions, privileges, and power…
Clallam County WatchdogFREE, FREE, FREE — but at what cost?
“Free” is the most expensive word in Clallam County. Free housing, free food, free drug paraphernalia, free lunches, free grants—programs that sound…
Clallam County WatchdogThe cost of speaking up in Clallam County
What begins as a road dispute grows into a cautionary tale about power, character assassination, and the cost of speaking up in a community where “inclusion”…
Clallam County WatchdogLocal Problems, Local Solutions
Guest contributor Jake Seegers exposes a costly pattern: Clallam County leaders keep exporting responsibility—and tax dollars—to out-of-town consultants while…
Clallam County WatchdogCounty snapshots
Clallam County is rural, resource-poor, and resilient — but also deeply divided over how to govern itself. This ten-part roundup pulls together stories that…
Clallam County WatchdogThe forgotten history of land, power, and betrayal in Clallam County
157 years ago, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe helped erase entire tribes, stole their wealth, and later bought their own land base with gold coins. Today…
Clallam County WatchdogLeadership shake-up at OMC
Olympic Medical Center says it lost eligibility for critical federal drug discounts because of a poor payer mix. But here’s the problem: its own numbers show…
Clallam County WatchdogEquity at the County Fair
At this year’s Clallam County Fair, vendors were held to strict rules about keeping displays “family-friendly” and non-offensive—but not everyone was held to…
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County Crossroads
From a hospital on the brink to tribal land fights, school fee hikes, and hidden costs buried in government fees, here are ten stories shaping Clallam County’s…
Clallam County WatchdogCommissioners kick the can on tribal tax issues
For more than a decade, Clallam County’s commissioners have declined to respond to federal requests for input on tribal land-to-trust conversions—decisions…
Clallam County WatchdogFool me once, fool me again
Guest contributor Jake Seegers takes aim at Clallam County’s growing tax burden, arguing that voters are being played by a well-rehearsed political playbook…
Clallam County WatchdogFestival funding or fund misuse?
Sequim’s 2026 Sunshine Festival will feature a $35,000 drone show — partly funded by Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH), an NGO that depends heavily on tax…
Clallam County WatchdogDaily dosing, daily dollars
A Port Angeles billboard promotes “daily dosing” at the Jamestown Healing Clinic—but behind the comforting words lies a lucrative business model. At $719 per…
Clallam County WatchdogOMC loses millions in federal drug discounts
Olympic Medical Center is facing a multimillion-dollar setback after losing access to the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, just months after securing a…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen political favoritism silences equal justice
When noise complaints drag on for years with no resolution, it’s easy to suspect something’s broken — especially when some neighbors get VIP treatment from…
Clallam County WatchdogStories worth paying attention to
From bank boardrooms to tribal timber disagreements, from encampments vs. enforcement to a super-rich school superintendent, here's what’s stirring in Clallam…
Clallam County WatchdogWho counts as "Press"?
Every member of the Clallam County Charter Review Commission swears to “support the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Washington.”…
Clallam County WatchdogQuestion everything
Peninsula Behavioral Health swore its luxury housing project had to include dishwashers — “not optional,” they said. Turns out, that wasn’t true. Here’s how…
Clallam County Watchdog10 stories they don't want you talking about
Every week, important stories get buried under PR fluff, government press releases, and social media distractions. This is your unfiltered rundown of 10 issues…
Clallam County WatchdogWhatever happened to Randy Johnson's fiscal responsibility?
Randy Johnson ran for Clallam County Commissioner on a promise of zero-based budgeting and fiscal restraint. Nine years later, after rubber-stamping tax hikes…
Clallam County WatchdogThe Cadillac we paid for, the Pinto we got
Clallam County officials say they’re just trying to “keep the Ford Pinto running,” but taxpayers feel like they’ve been billed for a luxury ride while getting…
Clallam County WatchdogThey're only listening because they want something
Clallam County commissioners have ignored public questions for nearly a year—until now. With a tax increase on the ballot, they’re suddenly answering to the…
Clallam County WatchdogDangerous kindness
Clallam County taxpayers are footing the bill for luxury housing, drug kits, and legal services—not for working families, but for transient sex offenders and…
Clallam County WatchdogStill on the board, but not on the hook
After quietly resigning from First Fed amid financial turmoil and a $5.8 million legal settlement, former CEO Matt Deines remains on key local boards—despite…
Clallam County WatchdogTwo weeks to save OMC
It’s your public hospital. You pay for it. You trust it. But they’ve been hiding something. Olympic Medical Center is on life support—and Clallam County…
Clallam County WatchdogSnapshots from the edge of reason
From Seal Street Park safety concerns to PetroCard’s waterway spill, this week’s roundup exposes the growing gap between public promises and real priorities…
Clallam County WatchdogThe Seal Street Park problem
In 2023, Sequim officials promised action to protect downtown businesses from crime and public disorder around Seal Street Park. Two years later, a local…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen transparency become controversial
When a Sequim woman criticized a public records seminar as “divisive,” she missed the point entirely. The event wasn’t about politics—it was about the…
Clallam County WatchdogShrinking the tax base while raising your taxes
While Clallam County leaders talk about housing affordability, they’ve stayed silent as millions in taxable land quietly disappear from the rolls—shifting the…
Clallam County WatchdogA hefty price for community support
Breaking: Charter Review Commission rejects Water Steward position amendment. Proposition will not be on the ballot. Just months after Sequim voters approved a…
Clallam County WatchdogWasting time, earning contempt
What started as a hopeful exercise in citizen-led reform has unraveled into dysfunction, censorship, and calls for security. The Clallam County Charter Review…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen will this debt be paid?
Should working-class residents in Clallam County continue paying for the sins of generations past? As Commissioner Mark Ozias reads yearly proclamations about…
Clallam County WatchdogCounty budget in crisis, while CRC pushes new mandate
The Charter Review Commission just voted to advance a permanent new county position—the “Water Resources Specialist”—based on claims of a $14 million surplus…
Clallam County WatchdogWhat Fire District 3’s tax proposal means for local voters
This is an audio-only interview, available at the top of this article or through your favorite podcast app. An auto-generated transcript is also provided for…
Clallam County WatchdogWhen promises meet power
Commissioner Mike French campaigned on transparency and public engagement—but many Clallam County residents are wondering where that commitment went. From…