Shows
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 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:
...
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