Reviews & Comments
Sequim, WA
re: Sequim is a failed town.
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3/8/2021The comments above are simply not true. First, Sequim's mayor and city council are almost all Republicans, and the mayor promotes QAnon. The city police and county Sheriff's Office enforce the law, and violent crime is low. Maybe the writer above could show me a single "filthy homeless camp" in or around town, and I've seen maybe two people in town who regularly panhandle. Yes, property crime has gone up. Are there homeless people here? Of course, show me where there aren't homeless people during this pandemic. Who doesn't know people who have lost their jobs over the past year? They are our neighbors, as are the people in our county who suffer from substance abuse disorder. The clinic being built will NOT be a "methadone clinic" but a state-of-the-art medicine-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic (using several medications shown to be effective in helping these folks work, take care of their kids, etc.), with wraparound services like childcare and dental care. The NIMBY group opposing the clinic uses much the same hyperbole as the writer above, but they have lost every lawsuit and hearing exam case because their arguments aren't supported by medicine, law enforcement (both the sheriff and the city police chief support the MAT clinic and expect few to no additional service demands relating to crime), and many residents. The Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, in cooperation with several additional local healthcare partners, have designed a beautiful building and campus (where not one person will be allowed to loiter), and security will be provided. A local council of medical, mental health, and law enforcement officials, as well as a local resident, will meet monthly to assess the success of the clinic or identify problems. Fiery comments on social media that demonize the tribe (with remarks like, "It's time to play cowboys and Indians," "We MUST take down the tribe!" and worse), the patients (see above), and the medical experts and law enforcement folks who, while putting a number of significant mitigations in place, have studied the science, public and mental health aspects, and law enforcement issues in similar cities offering this specific level of MAT care and determined that the clinic poses no threat, are switching into high gear as construction begins. I might add that some of the most vocal fear-mongers had no problem taking advantage of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's highly successful COVID-19 vaccination program. Ain't hypocrisy wonderful? By the way, Sequim is stunningly beautiful, and there are so many wonderful people here.