Shows
Clallam County WatchdogThe $118,000 Parking Lot: How County Officials and NGOs Lock the Public Out of Taxpayer SpendingWhen a $118,000 county contract funds just three parking spaces, taxpayers deserve clear receipts. Instead, local leadership is hiding behind non-profit privacy walls, with the Homelessness Task Force officially adopting a policy of silence toward public inquiries. This investigation exposes how public money is quietly propping up private NGO payrolls, directly contradicting official claims that these services are being provided "for free."When public money is allocated to private, non-profit organizations, what level of accountability should the public expect?This question highlights an ideological distinction in the ongoing Clallam County commissioner race. At a...
2026-06-291h 05
Clallam County WatchdogThe Shotgun SermonA nearly two-year-old church video has suddenly resurfaced on social media, drawing sharp criticism and raising questions about County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers’ character. Rather than ignore the controversy, Seegers sat down for a candid conversation about what he meant, what he wishes he had said differently, and why he believes context matters. Whether you agree with him or not, this is a conversation worth hearing.Over the past several days, a two-year-old video from a church gathering has spread rapidly across social media.Some critics have been quick to draw conclusions....
2026-06-281h 37
Clallam County WatchdogBuilding a Better Safety Net—or a Better Magnet?Commissioner Mike French says homelessness services aren’t attracting people to Clallam County. But when a convicted sex offender with arrests in Illinois and Bremerton ends up living steps away from a Port Angeles shelter and receiving services funded by local taxpayers, residents are asking a simple question: if people aren’t coming here because of the services, why do so many seem to arrive where the services are? As the debate over shower vouchers at the William Shore Pool intensifies, Jake Seegers is emerging as the candidate offering what many voters see as a common-sense alternative.
2026-06-2243 min
Clallam County WatchdogThrown Away, Found: Anniemarie Hogenboom's Journey from Trafficking to HopeFor this week’s Sundays with Seegers podcast, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Sequim resident Anniemarie Hogenboom for one of the most powerful and personal conversations he has ever recorded.Anniemarie’s story begins in places most people can scarcely imagine. As a teenager, she was trafficked, became addicted to heroin, and found herself living on the streets of San Francisco. Looking back on that period of her life, she recalls, “I was trafficked at a time when it was definitely not something anybody talked about.”What follows is a remarkable story of survi...
2026-06-211h 23
Clallam County WatchdogDr. Berry's Response Challenges Recovery Advocate's Information SourcesA Port Angeles resident in recovery is urging Clallam County to shift its focus from drug-use supplies to treatment and accountability. In response, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry defended the county’s harm reduction efforts, cited declining overdose rates, and accused Clallam County Watchdog and County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers of misrepresenting her work. The exchange highlights a growing divide between public health officials and residents—including people in recovery—over whether current policies are producing the results taxpayers were promised. The full correspondence is published below.A Letter to a LeaderFor years...
2026-06-161h 22
Clallam County WatchdogOn the Eve of the Debate, Clallam Democrats Call Jake Seegers “Fake Jake”Tonight’s first debate between Mike French and Jake Seegers comes amid controversy after the official Clallam County Democrats Facebook page referred to Seegers as “Fake Jake.” As local politics grows increasingly personal, some voters may be wondering whether civility has become the first casualty of campaign season.Tonight’s DebateTonight marks the first public debate between incumbent County Commissioner Mike French and challenger Jake Seegers.Hosted by the Clallam County Democrats, the forum begins at 6:00 p.m. at Democratic Headquarters in Port Angeles and will also be available via Zoom and...
2026-06-1547 min
Clallam County WatchdogHow Close Clallam County Came to Testing Illegal Drugs for UsersIn this Sundays With Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers examines public records showing Clallam County nearly launched a program that would have tested illegal drugs and returned them to participants for use. Despite warnings of significant legal and financial liability, commissioners unanimously approved the effort. The program was ultimately stopped after a county risk manager intervened. The records raise a fundamental question: when does harm reduction become government-facilitated drug use?Harm Reduction Almost Broke Clallam CountyWhen Health Officer Allison Berry was appointed in 2018, Clallam County’s harm reduction program was relatively si...
2026-06-1456 min
Clallam County WatchdogNew Complaint Pushes Potential Penalties Against Seegers Campaign Toward $80,000With nearly $80,000 in penalties now being sought through separate complaints, Jake Seegers’ campaign is facing mounting legal and financial pressure before voters ever cast a ballot. The latest complaint, filed by Clallam County Democrat leader Paul Pickett, seeks $49,200 over content published by Clallam County Watchdog and challenges the publication’s status as an independent media platform.Running for public office is not easy.Most candidates expect criticism. They expect opposition research. They expect uncomfortable questions and heated debates. What they do not usually expect is the possibility of nearly $80,000 in requested penalties, vandalized sign...
2026-06-0858 min
Clallam County Watchdog53 Days Clean: Mary Bickar's Comeback StoryFor this special podcast-only edition of Sundays with Seegers, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with one of the most outspoken and recognizable voices in the community: Mary Bickar.Many residents may recognize Mary as the woman who gained local notoriety after reading the county’s explicit harm reduction “boofing” instructions aloud during public comment before the Board of County Commissioners. Others know her from community meetings, her passionate advocacy, or her unapologetic willingness to speak her mind.Now, Mary is telling a different story—one that is deeply personal.At the time...
2026-06-071h 14
Clallam County WatchdogJohanna Bartee Turns the Tables on Jake SeegersIn this special edition of Sundays with Seegers, what begins as Jake Seegers interviewing local businesswoman Johanna Bartee quickly takes an unexpected turn. Bartee, a lifelong Clallam County resident who returned home after nearly two decades away, flips the script and puts the candidate in the hot seat.The result is one of the most personal and revealing conversations yet about the District 3 County Commissioner candidate.Listeners will learn about Seegers’ upbringing, his family’s roots in nonprofit medical work, his education, his year working in Manhattan’s financial world, and his current consulting role with a...
2026-05-311h 25
Clallam County WatchdogThe “Angry Logger” Speaks OutIn this week’s Sundays With Seegers, county commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with longtime logger, tree faller, and social media personality Mitch Zenobi — a towering local voice some inside county leadership have reportedly nicknamed “the angry logger.” Standing nearly seven feet tall and backed by tens of thousands of followers online, Zenobi has become one of the county’s most outspoken critics of local leadership, homelessness policy, and harm reduction strategies.The conversation dives far beyond politics. Zenobi recounts a chilling early morning encounter at a Port Angeles fuel station where he believes he was moments aw...
2026-05-241h 11
Clallam County Watchdog"They Know Where We Live"Anti-Jake Seegers activism is escalating beyond policy disagreements and campaign signs. After stickers labeling Seegers a “carpetbagger” and “out of town real estate investor” appeared at the end of his family’s private driveway — where his children discovered them during a bike ride — questions are now being raised about how far local political hostility is willing to go, and whether some activists are more interested in intimidation than honest debate.Stickers calling county commissioner candidate Jake Seegers a “carpetbagger” and “out of town real estate investor” continue appearing, and not just in downtown Port Angeles.Most recently, th...
2026-05-2043 min
Clallam County WatchdogTumwater TragedyAfter a teenage driver nearly killed a pedestrian near the Tumwater encampment, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers confronts the hard questions local leaders have avoided for years: How did Port Angeles allow dangerous encampments, rampant drug activity, and environmental destruction to flourish beside public roadways and salmon streams — and who will finally stop it? This in-depth article connects the crash, the policies, the funding system, and the leadership failures that critics say turned compassion into chaos.A Close CallMay 5th was a typical Tuesday for the 4PA Clean-Up Crew. 4PA is a Po...
2026-05-1744 min
Clallam County WatchdogFrom Addiction to Community BuilderWhat happens when someone who spent years deep in addiction finally turns their life around—and starts speaking out about the very policies they believe are making the crisis worse?In this powerful Sundays With Seegers podcast-only episode, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Port Angeles community advocate and entrepreneur David Rogers for one of the most candid conversations yet about addiction, recovery, public safety, and the failures of modern harm reduction policies.“If I can start feeling happy inside a jail cell, what would my life be like outside if I wasn...
2026-05-101h 07
Clallam County WatchdogFrom Hoboken to Clallam: How Did We Get Here?A man with a violent, multi-state criminal history is arrested a second time in Clallam County. As patterns mount, officials continue to question whether out-of-area offenders are really coming here at all. Meanwhile, taxpayers are left footing the bill.Gerard Robert Fleetwood, 42, was arrested Friday in Clallam County and charged with interference with a healthcare facility, resisting arrest, unlawful imprisonment, and assault.If the name sounds familiar, it should.CC Watchdog previously reported on Fleetwood in December when he was arrested locally on charges including fugitive from justice and fourth-degree assault...
2026-05-0524 min
Clallam County WatchdogReopening the Elwha: A Community-Led Path ForwardIn this Sundays With Seegers, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers lays out a clear case for restoring Olympic Hot Springs Road—and invites the community to take action. With tourism revenue declining, access restricted for over a decade, and no clear federal timeline, this is a grassroots effort to unite residents, support local businesses, and demand accountability. The petition starts here—but the movement belongs to all of us.The Road That Built a Gateway—And the Silence That FollowedFor generations, the Elwha River entrance to Olympic National Park wasn’t just a r...
2026-05-0327 min
Clallam County WatchdogA Photo You Can’t Ignore—and a Policy You Can’t MeasureA single image—one child, one beach, one bottle filled with used needles—cuts through the policy debates and forces a simple question: after years of harm reduction policy in Clallam County, where are the measurable results? As officials point to compassion and isolated success stories, residents are left confronting a very different reality—one that can’t be explained away with anecdotes.This Image Hits HardNot a report. Not a policy memo. Just a moment frozen in time.A four-year-old girl stands on a beach in Clallam County, holding a Gatora...
2026-04-3033 min
Clallam County WatchdogSigngate 2026A $30,000 complaint over yard signs. A front-page story within 48 hours. And a campaign scrambling to fix a rule change it didn’t know existed. In this Sundays About Seegers, we break down how a minor compliance issue turned into “Signgate 2026”—and what it reveals about politics, media priorities, and the uphill battle facing independent candidates in Clallam County.Thursday marked a turning point in the race for Clallam County Commissioner, District 3.Incumbent Commissioner Mike French formally announced he’s seeking another four-year term. That same day, his opponent, Jake Seegers, was notified t...
2026-04-2636 min
Clallam County WatchdogShine a Light, Become a TargetA candidate is threatened. A local advocate has her home targeted. Behind it all is a pattern: an activist network, publicly funded nonprofits, and a system that resists scrutiny while ignoring the people footing the bill.County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers received a message through his campaign website this week:“I’m going to do everything within my power not to get you elected.”The sender was Alexandria Fermanis.This isn’t just another political message. Fermanis previously worked at Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH). Now, Fermanis is employed at Olympic...
2026-04-2242 min
Clallam County WatchdogPacked House, Unfiltered Answers: A Night That Defined the Divide on Public SafetyAt Thursday’s Public Safety Town Hall, 172 Clallam County residents packed the Fairview Grange Hall for an unfiltered, two-and-a-half-hour exchange with local leadership. What emerged wasn’t just a discussion about crime—it was a revealing look at priorities, philosophies, and a growing disconnect between elected officials and the people they represent.Democracy, UnfilteredThere was no moderation in the traditional sense. No curated questions. No guardrails.Residents stepped up to the microphone one by one, asking direct, sometimes uncomfortable questions of those in charge. It was democracy in its most authen...
2026-04-2041 min
Clallam County WatchdogWhen Permits Price People OutIn this Sundays With Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers highlights a pattern many residents may miss: while leaders say housing affordability is the county’s top issue, they continue raising permit, septic, and environmental health fees—adding costs to anyone trying to build or buy. Seegers points out these aren’t isolated increases, but a deliberate strategy of annual hikes plus periodic larger jumps—small enough to avoid backlash, but significant over time. The result: a steady squeeze on affordability that compounds year after year.Another Fee HikeAt an upcoming meeting on April...
2026-04-1947 min
Clallam County Watchdog“I’d Rather Be in a Tent”: A Candid Conversation from the Edge of RecoveryThis isn’t a polished talking-point interview—it’s raw, uncomfortable, and real.In this Sundays With Seegers podcast-only feature, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Jen, a recovering addict who has lived the cycle so many policymakers only talk about. Now housed but still fighting for sobriety, Jen opens up about her past homelessness, her ongoing recovery, and the painful reality of loving someone—her boyfriend Joe—who is still living in active addiction along Tumwater Creek.The conversation stems from a recent walk through the encampments with local advocate Stacey Richards, whose grow...
2026-04-121h 20
Clallam County WatchdogThirty Minutes on the Laurel Street StairsIn this week’s Sundays With Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers examines a brutal 30-minute assault on the Laurel Street stairs—an incident that unfolded in the downtown core without intervention. Jake connects the violence to a broader pattern: policies that tolerate instability, avoid enforcement, and increasingly normalize outdoor living. The question is no longer whether it’s working—but whether anyone will change course.Assault on a LandingAt 5:02 a.m., February 22, on the stairway behind the downtown Port Angeles fountain, a homeless man—Jake Veach—sat beside his camp, recently established...
2026-04-0555 min
Clallam County WatchdogA Moment No Parent Should Have to ExplainIn this Sundays With Seegers, Clallam County commissioner candidate Jake Seegers recounts a moment no parent wants to face—his 10-year-old son exposed to indecent behavior in broad daylight. But this isn’t just about one incident. It’s about a growing sense that what once shocked us is becoming normalized, and whether those entrusted with public health are meeting their legal and moral obligations. As conditions on the ground change, Seegers asks where does compassion end—and accountability begin?“I saw a man’s penis today”Those were the words my 10-year-old son said to me...
2026-03-2930 min
Clallam County WatchdogThe $3 Million Question: Library Priorities on the BallotCounty Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers takes a hard look at the North Olympic Library System’s proposed $3 million tax increase and asks a question many residents are quietly starting to raise: Why is a shrinking user base costing more than ever, while core public safety remains stretched thin? With staffing up, usage down, and services expanding far beyond traditional library functions, April’s vote is shaping up to be less about libraries—and more about priorities.The $3 Million AskOn the April 2026 ballot, the North Olympic Library System (NOLS) will ask voters to approv...
2026-03-2257 min
Clallam County WatchdogWhen Citizens Can’t SpeakThis isn’t Sundays With Seegers. It’s a Sunday about Seegers. Just over a week ago, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers tried to publish an opinion in the Peninsula Daily News—not as a candidate, but as a Port Angeles resident concerned about his community. He sent it from his personal email, offered solutions, and asked a question many residents are asking about the county’s harm-reduction policies: if things are working, why are the outcomes getting worse? Three days later, the paper replied that candidates for public office are not allowed to submit letters or opinion...
2026-03-1532 min
Clallam County WatchdogFrom Rock Bottom to RedemptionIn this powerful podcast conversation, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Stacey Richards, a local woman who has been sober for more than 25 years. For Richards, September 11, 2001 is more than a historic date—it marks her personal “ground zero,” the first day of a life that would ultimately be rebuilt after addiction nearly destroyed it.The day before that turning point, Richards had been arrested for possessing methamphetamine. At the time, she says, her life had completely collapsed. Her children had been removed from her care after authorities found drug paraphernalia throughout her home. Lookin...
2026-03-081h 17
Clallam County WatchdogHarm Reduction Claims are "Berry" MisleadingIn this week’s Sundays with Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers questions why county leaders appear poised to expand public messaging around harm reduction instead of reexamining outcomes. With talk of a Public Information Officer and efforts to counter “misinformation,” he asks whether taxpayer dollars are going toward optics rather than reform. Seegers highlights disputed syringe data and the contrast between supply distribution and treatment-focused efforts like Operation Shielding Hope — arguing residents want measurable results, not better messaging.Clallam County citizens are aware, engaged, and activated like never before. They are demanding accountability, transparency, and meas...
2026-03-011h 06
Clallam County WatchdogTumwater TourIn this week’s Sundays With Seegers, county commissioner candidate Jake Seegers responds to claims that volunteer syringe cleanups amount to “theft” and offers a documented tour of encampments along Tumwater Creek. Contrasting government discussions with on-the-ground conditions, he questions whether current harm-reduction policies are delivering measurable results and calls for stronger accountability, enforcement, and a renewed focus on treatment and restoration.The Syringe HeistJust hours before Joe DeScala, founder and CEO of 4PA, presented a boots-on-the-ground perspective on homelessness to the City of Port Angeles City Council, Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Al...
2026-02-2241 min
Clallam County WatchdogCompassion or Collapse? What’s Happening to Clallam CountyWhat visitors and residents saw in downtown Sequim this weekend. What a mother in a Seattle encampment admitted on camera. What a border seizure tells us about supply. What a scanner call revealed at Maloney Heights. What’s happening on our college campus. And what our commissioners are — and are not — doing about it. Ten stories. One pattern. You decide whether this is compassion… or something else.Downtown Sequim — A Snapshot of “Compassion”Meme maker Clallamity Jen and her satirical husband, The Strait Shooter, drove through downtown Sequim on Saturday. They saw what many residents...
2026-02-1627 min
Clallam County WatchdogIn Defense of PrivacyIn this week’s Sundays with Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers describes how a gated, posted property he co-owns was entered by a county appraiser, sparking a constitutional challenge. After raising concerns under the Fourth Amendment and Washington’s Article I, Section 7, the Grays Harbor Assessor reviewed the issue and implemented corrective action. Seegers argues that this level of humility should be standard — particularly as counties expand aerial surveillance tools like EagleView — and questions whether Clallam County leadership will show the same respect for constitutional limits.The Exceptional Exception“I was wrong. Thank you...
2026-02-151h 00
Clallam County WatchdogReclaiming a CountyCounty Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers has described a rip current of change beneath Clallam County government — and recent events suggest it’s real. Citizens are showing up, demanding transparency and equal enforcement of the law. From a controversial Conditional Use Permit in the Sol Duc Valley to overdue action on county-owned land and long-delayed clarity on land-use rules, public pressure is producing visible course corrections. These are civic, non-partisan wins, driven by neighbors who understand that when citizens speak clearly, government must listen.CUPs and MirrorsDuring a February 5 public hearing on a Cond...
2026-02-0845 min
Clallam County WatchdogNot All Participants Deserve MedalsThis week in Sundays with Seegers, county commissioner candidate Jake Seegers takes a hard look at the county’s newly touted “Opioid Gaps Report” and the rush to declare victory on harm reduction. As officials prepare to celebrate declining overdose deaths, Jake examines who funded the report, why it surfaced now, and whether national trends and treatment-first interventions are being miscast as proof that a decade of local policy has worked. From Oregon’s policy reversal to Port Angeles’ Shielding Hope program, the evidence points to a different metric of success: recovery and graduation from addiction—not the endless expa...
2026-02-0136 min
Clallam County WatchdogPrizefightIn this week’s Sundays with Seegers, County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers chronicles a rare moment when citizen pressure worked — and issues a warning about the fight still ahead. Public testimony forced county commissioners to reject proposed land-use changes and reopen discussion on existing code that restricts RV living, ADUs, and vacation rentals many residents rely on to survive. Elsewhere, volunteers succeeded where enforcement failed, removing a dangerous bluffside structure and restoring public safety. But no such victory exists yet for timber revenue, as state policies continue to erode the funding base that supports local services. That battle is s...
2026-01-2536 min
Clallam County WatchdogThe Community CycleRick arrived in Clallam County six months ago with almost nothing but memories.After losing his California home to wildfire with just 15 minutes to evacuate, his long-planned move to the Olympic Peninsula suddenly became reality. He came here to rebuild — still missing furniture, still unpacking, still keeping one framed reminder close: an artist’s rendering of the home he lost.Then Rick heard a podcast.It was the story of Austin Wolfley — a young janitor commuting by bus and e-bike between Port Angeles and Sequim, who intervened to protect a Clallam Transit bus driver...
2026-01-1910 min
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County: The "Wild West"Clallam County has recreated the Wild West—not with gunmen, but through selective enforcement and policies that reward lawlessness while punishing responsibility. Using real cases from Sequim neighborhoods and public land in Port Angeles, Jake Seegers shows how squatters and illegal structures are tolerated in the name of “compassion,” while tax-paying property owners face relentless regulation. This Sundays With Seegers piece confronts the county’s double standard and asks who is truly being protected when officials refuse to enforce their own laws.Olympic OutlawsDuring the mid-to-late 1800s, large portions of the American West wer...
2026-01-1828 min
Clallam County WatchdogTwo Months In: What Jake Seegers Is SeeingTwo months into his campaign for Clallam County Commissioner (District 3), Jake Seegers joins Sundays with Seegers for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about what he’s seeing on the ground—and what the county keeps missing.We talk about unaccounted-for money, recurring oversights, and how an observant citizen can often connect dots that government agencies seem unable—or unwilling—to connect. Jake reflects on the realities of campaigning while juggling work and family life, and recounts the moment he quite literally popped his head through a trap door into a homeless encampment while cleaning up Tumwater Creek.The co...
2026-01-1158 min
Clallam County WatchdogDisappearing Deficit DebacleClallam County taxpayers were told a dire story: multi-million-dollar deficits, looming layoffs, and essential services on the chopping block unless property taxes were raised. That narrative justified higher fees, staff cuts, weakened public safety, and a levy lid lift pushed to the ballot. Then, just days after voters rejected the tax increase, nearly $2 million in previously undisclosed revenue suddenly surfaced—without notice, explanation, or accountability. In this “Sundays with Seegers,” County Commissioner Candidate Jake Seegers explains how this is not a story about spreadsheets or projections. It’s about how long-neglected contracts and distorted budget forecasts drove harmful policy d...
2025-12-281h 05
Clallam County WatchdogHe Beat Addiction Without Harm ReductionVulnerability takes courage—and Ron Davis knows what that means.In this podcast-only episode of Sundays With Seegers, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers sits down with Ron Davis, a man who overcame crack cocaine and meth addiction without harm reduction and has remained sober for 17 years.Ron’s perspective is unique—and uncomfortable for policymakers.After getting clean, Ron earned a degree in chemical dependency counseling. He entered a field that—ironically—did not promote the abstinence-based approach he credits with saving his life, but instead emphasized harm reduction as the preferred model....
2025-12-211h 43
Clallam County WatchdogSerenity Over SanityIn this investigation, Jake Seegers exposes how Clallam County’s homelessness system has drifted from its mission and begun serving everyone except the people who live here. Despite millions in taxpayer funding, hundreds of empty shelter beds, and two decades of planning, NGOs continue to prioritize out-of-county applicants, bypass local needs, and defend policies that keep public land filled with trash, tents, and open drug use. From the safe-parking program with zero participants to the 4,488-person waiting list inflated by nationwide applicants, Seegers reveals a system designed for growth—not results. This is the story of how Clallam beca...
2025-12-1455 min
Clallam County WatchdogLocal Law ConstrictorWhether it’s a surprise proposal giving sovereign governments veto power over city projects, a statewide lobbying push for new transportation taxes led by Commissioner Mark Ozias, or last-minute attempts to restrict RV living on private land, one theme keeps resurfacing: transparency is missing. This week, Jake Seegers points out that while commissioners lament their “limited authority” in public emails, they simultaneously advance policies that tighten state rules, shrink available land, and inflate costs. Meanwhile, the county fails to enforce its own standards on its own property. This deep dive exposes the widening gap between what leaders say and wh...
2025-12-0744 min
Clallam County WatchdogThe Ecological Harm of Harm ReductionIn this in-depth investigation, Jake Seegers exposes how Clallam County’s rapidly expanding harm-reduction program is driving a local environmental crisis — from needles and pipes scattered along salmon streams to charred debris fields left unaddressed on public land. Despite rising drug-related ER visits, escalating pollution, and an explosion in HRHC encounters, county leaders continue to fund the problem while volunteers clean up the fallout. This story follows the evidence they refuse to acknowledge.Harm ExpansionDuring the June 17 Clallam County Board of Health meeting, Health and Human Services Deputy Director Jennifer Oppelt praised the...
2025-11-3043 min
Clallam County WatchdogHarm Reduction HijackIn this deep-dive investigation, Jake Seegers uncovers how Clallam County’s health bureaucracy is funding its own research to justify the very harm-reduction programs that have coincided with skyrocketing overdoses, higher ER visits, and the loss of federal support. While county officials scramble to protect their narrative — even paying for a “gaps study” designed to validate existing policies — the data tells a different story. The only proven life-saving results come from Operation Shielding Hope, a paramedic-led intervention that county leadership barely acknowledges. This exposé reveals the conflict of interest driving county policy, the misuse of opioid-settlement funds, and the firstha...
2025-11-2346 min
Clallam County WatchdogOne Mother’s Fight Against AddictionHave you ever suspected that what local government and the nonprofits living off your tax dollars are telling you just isn’t true?This week’s Sundays with Seegers podcast interview takes us on a raw, emotional journey through the eyes of a survivor—14 months clean, and finally seeing the system for what it is. Jake Seegers doesn’t sugarcoat it: low-barrier housing destroyed by tenants, harm-reduction kits delivered to doorsteps like pizza, and an encampment on the Olympic Peninsula swelling with out-of-state addicts drawn by our “generosity.”But beneath the chaos lies something deeper—a lov...
2025-11-161h 02
Clallam County WatchdogJake Seegers Announces County Commissioner CampaignIt’s time to rediscover what Clallam County can be — and it starts with one simple idea: dreaming something new, and building something better together. Listen to a powerful new podcast interview with Jake Seegers. Jake shares why he’s running and what his Clallam County Dream looks like. Over the next year, he’ll be documenting our county’s “Clallam County Dreams” — the hopes, struggles, and stories of the people who make this place home. Every policy Jake examines will be measured through one lens: Is it essential? Is it effective?I’m not just the editor of...
2025-11-0946 min
Clallam County WatchdogWho Will Stand Up for the People?This week, Jake Seegers exposes how Clallam County’s commissioners have chosen compliance over courage — enforcing costly state building codes that push working families out of the market, while quietly excusing their own departments’ failure to follow state law. From energy mandates pricing out homebuilders to new restrictions on RV living, Seegers lays out how bureaucracy, not “anarchy,” is destroying Clallam County’s housing future.By Jake SeegersState Codes, Local ConsequencesAt an October 7, 2025, meeting of the Clallam County Homelessness Task Force, Department of Community Development Director Bruce Emery acknowledged what many lo...
2025-11-0229 min
Clallam County WatchdogHey There, Big SpenderClallam County leaders say they need more of your money to “maintain essential services.” What they don’t mention, according to guest contributor Jake Seegers, are their own raises, car stipends, and voluntary dues they’ve already covered with your tax dollars. While preaching fiscal discipline, commissioners keep expanding payrolls, padding perks, and funding organizations that lobby for higher taxes. Before asking voters for another 30%, maybe they should start by cutting out the most obvious waste.By Jake Seegers, guest contributorCommissioners have defended the proposed November levy lid lift by noting that the coun...
2025-10-2631 min
Clallam County WatchdogBig Brothers in the SkyAt a recent budget meeting, County Assessor Pam Rushton and the commissioners showcased the tech and tactics now used to track every property and structure in Clallam County. High-definition aerial imagery, street-level LIDAR, and AI-powered valuation software are being deployed to raise assessed values — all during a levy-lift year. With voters being asked to raise a portion of their property taxes by 30%, questions about privacy, oversight, and aggressive prosecution loom large. Citizens are urged to pay attention, dispute assessments where appropriate, and weigh in before the November vote.By Jake Seegers, guest contributorTh...
2025-10-1925 min
Clallam County WatchdogNot What the Doctor OrderedFive years after warning that housing affordability was nearing a breaking point, Clallam County’s commissioners are still blaming the crisis—while quietly fueling it. Guest contributor Jake Seegers notes that as home prices soar, the commissioners have backed policies transferring over 50,000 acres from private ownership into state, corporate, and conservation control. From Meta-funded carbon forests to taxpayer-financed easements, land once supporting local families and businesses is being locked away in the name of “climate” and “sustainability.” The result? A shrinking land base, record prices, and leaders determined to conserve everything—except affordability.By Jake Seegers, guest...
2025-10-1229 min
Clallam County WatchdogGivers and TakersGuest contributor Jake Seegers explains how some people give, while others take—and Clallam County’s commissioners have made a career of taking. This November, they’re asking voters for another $3.25 million in a “levy lid lift,” claiming the 1% tax cap has tied their hands. But the numbers tell a different story: county spending is up 52%, grant revenues have more than doubled, and taxes have already outpaced inflation. From parcel fees to cultural access taxes, from permit hikes to school levy endorsements, this is a six-year pattern of government growth—one “small” increase at a time.By Jake Seeger...
2025-10-0533 min
Clallam County WatchdogThank youYou did it.Friends and acquaintances have asked me in shock: “How did you collect that many physical signatures?”I didn’t. You did. Envelopes flooded the mailbox - each page and stamp a testament to your efforts.Doors knocked on. Truth spoken. Comfort zones demolished.At last Saturday’s petition drive, passionate community members streamed in, delivering hundreds of signatures and overwhelming words of encouragement to someone they had just met.You took a small idea and turned it into a movement. Your message is clear: commissioners are accounta...
2025-09-2516 min
Clallam County WatchdogCommissioners approve $5 CCD parcel fee despite public oppositionClallam County residents packed Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting to oppose a new $5 parcel fee for the Clallam Conservation District (CCD). The measure will require property owners to pay roughly $2 million over the next 10 years, but tribal parcels in federal trust will be exempt. While the commissioners emphasize translating residents’ desires into action, many are left questioning whether they’re truly listening.The meeting drew a full house, with most speakers against the proposal. Board Chair Commissioner Mike French opened by cutting public comment time from three minutes to two.District 3 resident Jake S...
2025-09-2439 min
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County ConundrumsDive into a tangled web of government overreach, conflicting interests, and policies that sideline the public. From questionable funding schemes to personal agendas cloaked as public good, these ten stories uncover the disconnect between our elected officials and the people they serve. Read on for a no-nonsense look at local governance gone astray—and what you can do about it.Jake Seegers’ petition tests commissioners’ prioritiesToday’s the day. Jake Seegers is set to reveal how many signatures he’s gathered to oppose the Board of County Commissioners’ $5 annual property parcel fee for the Clal...
2025-09-231h 00
Clallam County WatchdogPolitical PanhandlingGuest contributor Jake Seegers continues examining the Clallam Conservation District’s (CCD) push for a $2 million parcel fee. Critics argue the proposal is less about conservation and more about keeping commissioners and special interests satisfied at taxpayer expense. With only $25 raised in public donations last year, CCD has leaned on grants, insider influence, and shifting narratives — from salmon recovery to food security — to justify its case. Despite well-researched public opposition, commissioners appear ready to approve the fee. On September 23, residents will return with hundreds of signatures, putting commissioners to the test: back CCD’s insider-driven plan, or listen to the v...
2025-09-2140 min
Clallam County WatchdogClallam County contradictionsFrom parcel taxes to NGO salaries, from sidewalk fiascos to the collapse of legacy news, Clallam County is living in contradictions. Your commissioners talk accountability, your NGOs preach compassion, your papers promise “local journalism.” But the fine print tells another story: power plays, double standards, and misplaced priorities — with taxpayers footing the bill. Here are ten stories the establishment would rather you skim past. Read closely, because the pattern matters.Petitions and Parcel Fees: A “Water Steward” by Another NameToday’s the day: Jake Seegers is collecting petitions at 1052 Jamestown Road in Sequim, 10 a...
2025-09-2032 min
Exceptional Companies PodcastPlanted by the River: How Integrity, Action, and Faith Shape Exceptional WorkWhat if the most meaningful thing you ever built wasn’t your business… but your neighbor’s yard?In this conversation with Jake Smith, we go from rabbits in 4H to closing mineral deals by private plane, to launching River Tree Resources, to a spur-of-the-moment decision that turned mowing one stranger’s lawn into a nonprofit serving dozens of families.How do you integrate faith, business, and service so you’re the same person everywhere you go? And could the bias to act—today, not “someday”—be the real secret to building both wealth and legacy?
2025-09-1538 min
Clallam County WatchdogThe Clallam CON-servation DistrictGuest contributor Jake Seegers shows how county taxpayers have already poured $625,000 into the Clallam Conservation District without a shred of measurable proof that it delivers results. Now, the district claims it faces a funding “crisis”—despite half a million in reserves, self-sustaining programs, and grant-funded payroll. Commissioners are echoing CCD’s talking points while ignoring math errors, inflated projections, and citizen opposition, all to push through a mandatory $5 parcel fee. This isn’t conservation—it’s fiscal theater, and taxpayers are the ones left paying for the performance.By Jake Seegers, guest contributorStrong manager...
2025-09-1454 min
Clallam County WatchdogFlashback Friday: Promises of transparency broken by politicsIn 1971, Washington passed the Open Public Meetings Act to guarantee transparency in government, declaring that “the people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.” But this week, Clallam County residents were reminded just how far today’s county commissioners have strayed from that vision—choosing special interests and political convenience over the very public they are sworn to serve.Flashback to 1971: Government belongs to the peopleWashngton’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) was written to prevent decisions from being made in the shadows. Its princi...
2025-09-0523 min
Clallam County WatchdogFishy Fee Smells Like a Taxpayer FleecingWhen 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 District is far less honest. On September 2, County Commissioners will decide whether to impose a $5 parcel fee that bypasses the ballot box—locking taxpayers into $200,000 a year for fish-centric projects and rising staff pay. With a county deficit looming, the question is simple: will Clallam prioritize public needs, or cave to another handout? By Jake Seegers, guest contributorConfessions of a PanhandlerWhen I lived in...
2025-08-3147 min
Clallam County WatchdogLocal Problems, Local SolutionsGuest contributor Jake Seegers exposes a costly pattern: Clallam County leaders keep exporting responsibility—and tax dollars—to out-of-town consultants while overlooking homegrown solutions. From costly contracts for outside firms to the overlooked success of local nonprofits and creative agencies, Seegers argues that the real prosperity multiplier lies in investing in our own talent. This is a call for courage, vision, and keeping Clallam’s future in Clallam's hands.By Jake Seegers, guest contributorSpending locally doesn’t just solve problems - it fuels prosperity. When dollars circulate inside Clallam County, they generate what eco...
2025-08-2432 min
Clallam County WatchdogFool me once, fool me againGuest contributor Jake Seegers takes aim at Clallam County’s growing tax burden, arguing that voters are being played by a well-rehearsed political playbook. Since 2020, nearly every levy for schools, hospitals, and fire districts has passed — even as friends and family are priced out of the area. Seegers breaks down the tactics local leaders use to win higher taxes: exaggerating budget threats, framing cuts as catastrophic, offering “compromises” that were planned all along, and reintroducing failed measures until they pass. His message is clear — if you know the playbook, you’re harder to fool and less likely to vote yoursel...
2025-08-1727 min
Clallam County WatchdogThe Cadillac we paid for, the Pinto we gotClallam 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 budget scraps in return. With a proposed levy lid lift on the table and five-year property tax hikes nearing 45%, residents are pushing back against a system where rising costs, bloated payrolls, and state mandates take priority over local needs. This guest opinion breaks down the numbers, exposes the gaps, and calls for a return to common-sense governance—before another Cadillac ends up in the garage, running on empty.By Jake...
2025-08-0729 min
saatkorn PodcastAsk Ingolf #5 live von der HR TECH Conference 2024 in LAS VEGASIngolf Teetz, CEO und Co-Founder der EMBRACE Family Tochter milch & zucker, ist regelmäßiger Besucher der HR TECH Executive Conference in Las Vegas. Da war ich natürlich neugierig und war dieses Jahr mit vor Ort. Hier gibt's den ausführlichen akustischen Rundumschlag.
In dieser deutlich längeren Ask Ingolf Podcastepisode könnt Ihr einen guten Eindruck von der HR TECH Conference in Las Vegas bekommen, mit direkten Eindrücken von Ingolf und mir und zahlreichen Interviews. Diese Episode teilt sich wie folgt auf - Ihr könnt direkt über die Kapitelmarken jeweils in den für Euch relevanten Part springen:
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2024-10-041h 17
SAATKORNAsk Ingolf #5 live von der HR TECH Conference 2024 in LAS VEGASHR TECH TRENDS in den USA 2024
Ingolf Teetz, CEO und Co-Founder der EMBRACE Family Tochter milch & zucker, ist regelmäßiger Besucher der HR TECH Executive Conference in Las Vegas. Da war ich natürlich neugierig und war dieses Jahr mit vor Ort. Hier gibt's den ausführlichen akustischen Rundumschlag.
In dieser deutlich längeren Ask Ingolf Podcastepisode könnt Ihr einen guten Eindruck von der HR TECH Conference in Las Vegas bekommen, mit direkten Eindrücken von Ingolf und mir und zahlreichen Interviews. Diese Episode teilt sich wie folgt auf - Ihr könnt direkt über die Kapitelma...
2024-10-041h 17
Crime Time FMTHE CRIME TIME CHRISTMAS DEBATE - 2022 BEST CRIME NOVELSTHE CRIME TIME CHRISTMAS DEBATE - BEST CRIME NOVELS OF 2022.BARRY FORSHAW chairs a panel of top critics and writers Laura Wilson (Guardian critic, novelist) , Maxim Jakubowski (editor, publisher, writer, bookseller), Jake Kerridge (crime fiction critic for the Telegraph), Ayo Onatade (critic ShotsBlog) Victoria Selman (novelist and Crime Time presenter) and Paul Burke.Book Choices:Barry ForshawA Heart Full of Headstones – Ian RankinBlue Water – Leonora Nattras* The Dark Flood – Deon Meyer (trans. K L Seegers)The Lost Man of Bombay – Vaseem KhanThe Twyford Code – J...
2022-12-091h 28
Weather of the MindStory, Character, and Fitness – An Interview w/ Jake SeegersEpisode #107
Original Air Date: 13 April 2022
Produced by: Doug Krisch
Length: 58 minutes
Guest: Jake Seegers, founder of Fitquest, which combines role-playing and fitness pursuits. (contact him: fitquestgm@gmail.com)
Music sample: “Flute Loop” – Beastie Boys. RIP MCA.
The Weather of the Mind pod is back! It has been a challenging winter up here in Ithaca. More details on that in a future pod.
This episode features Ithaca-based innovator and all-around nice guy, Jake Seegers. His work caught my attention because I appreciate when people innovate and create a collision between two things th...
2022-04-1358 min