For this year’s primary races, our readers are invited to ask candidates questions and add comments in an interactive exchange below. Here’s your chance to probe local office-seekers in a relaxed public forum where you’ll even get the chance for a couple rounds of follow-up questions!
Participating candidates have agreed to engage with commenters for at least three days following publication. Candidates can expand upon and clarify their views; voters can get a deeper look into what they have to offer. The candidate will reply daily to each posted comment during the 3-day period. Candidates can reply as expansively or as briefly as they want, optionally writing collective replies to multiple similar comments or commenters who post multiple times during the same day. Comments that violate PTFP commenting policy will be blocked or removed by moderators so won’t qualify for candidate replies.
All contenders in local primary races with at least three candidates were invited to participate in these roundtables —
Jefferson County Commissioner:
Jon Cooke, Greg Brotherton, Marcia Kelbon
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 1:
Sue Forde, Mike Chapman, Matthew Rainwater
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 2:
Steve Tharinger, Darren Corcoran, Brian Pruiett
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B R I A N P R U I E T T
I’m Brian Pruiett. I grew up here in beautiful Washington state where the blue-green sea meets our forested hills and white-capped mountains. My wife Kathleen and I have four children and six grandchildren, and a dog named Maggie. We live on a small farm in Clallam County where I propagate heirloom varietal fruit trees and produce a natural hay crop. After retirement I started rehabbing single homes and duplexes for low-income housing. I’m a member of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), Carlsborg VFW, and Jefferson County Sportsmans Club.
I am currently in my third year of campaigning to be your State Representative for Position 2, in our 24th Legislative District, which spans from Brinnon to Port Townsend to Cape Flattery to Ocean Shores to Elma. In my first attempt at running, in 2020, I won 47 percent of the district vote. My prospects are very good.
The questionable behavior of our current ruling party in Washington State during the recent Covid crisis and never-ending Gubernatorial emergency powers indicates it is time for a change. Solid, successful leadership is what I bring to change troubled times into better living. My national and international level experience provide the way ahead, TO DO what needs to be done.
I’ve had three career paths, which I believe will add value to my service to you, in Olympia:
In the military, I learned how to work hard and smart. I was recognized with over 30 awards including the Bronze Star Medal for service in Afghanistan. I was selected for promotion ten times and retired as Lieutenant Colonel, Battalion Commander. I also served a three-year appointment as Inspector General, implementing organizational excellence, inspections, investigations, also dealing with corruption, crime, and malfeasance.
I have real-life experience in Natural Resource Management through my work at the U.S. Department of Interior. I have lived and worked in the Powderhorn Wilderness Area, in Colorado. I served as reclamation and soil scientist for three mining companies in Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming. I’ve facilitated endangered species surveys, fought fires in Wyoming and South Dakota. I facilitated rangeland management for the northeast quarter of Wyoming, including oil and gas development of roads, pipelines, powerlines, compressor stations, well locations, and rehabilitation of them all.
I served as a Supervisory Human Resource Officer, Department of the Army Civilian (DAC), which is the chief personnel officer supervising the directors of Personnel Management, Drug Demand Reduction, Family Programs, Equal Opportunity, Educational Services, and the contractors for both the Child and Youth Services and Gold Star Family programs.
Collectively, my life experiences have prepared me for the call of duty to serve in the Washington State Legislature. I am compassionate about the value of every human being. Hence, I am a populist: I have faith in God and the intrinsic ability of ordinary people to attain extraordinary things. I am a decorated combat veteran, experienced worker and leader who wants to ensure freedom of choice in lifestyle, career, education, vocation, housing, healthcare, and life in general.
As we have learned from our experiences over the past couple of years, we cannot take our freedoms for granted. Partisan politics have put our freedoms at risk. We need leaders who are driven by the courage of their convictions who use their positions of power to empower others. Elections matter.
Every aspect of our lives is subject to the policies enacted by those we elect, such as commerce, transportation, religious freedom, taxation, parental rights and responsibilities, educational choices, and so on. It’s imperative that we elect those who will genuinely advocate for our safety, wellbeing, and common interests, operating under the laws, rather than instituting lawlessness.
Here’s what I propose we do to get things on track:
We need to make sure taxes support critical needs and are the best priorities for funding. We need a healthy budget rather than a bloated one. Overall inflation is running about twenty percent per year and your financial wellbeing must be the highest priority.
I will support these two bills to increase housing affordability: HB1232 for affordability and HB2049 for permit reform. Do you support reduction in permit fees, “smart-sizing” building and septic codes?
We need drastic reductions in state spending. Our state population went up just 15 percent in ten years but the state spending went up over 75 percent. This is an avoidable, unreasonable, and unaffordable burden which must change. In addition, our local protests over ‘unfunded mandates’ are focused on real, increasing burdens (including the Growth Management Act), which we approved with I-62, and again, in 1993, with the passage of I-601.
Together, these two initiatives in the RCW state, “… the legislature shall not impose responsibility for new programs or increased levels of service under existing programs on any political subdivision of the state unless the subdivision is fully reimbursed by the state for the costs of the new programs or increases in service levels.”
Our majority Democrat-run government isn’t listening to us.
For example, the incumbent, Steve Tharinger, has aggressively pushed every gimmick and means he can take more of your money and spend it. He boasts about being Chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, and being on the Appropriations Committee, which cast aside our votes for $30 Car Tabs. He instead boosted many other fees, some as high as five hundred percent, just this year.
The Legislature has ignored these and many other directives of the people, including the overwhelming vote by Jefferson County against higher property taxes. Do you support a freeze on property taxes at the time of purchase, to be reset upon the next transfer of the property? I do.
We need to restore our Public Works funds for small cities and towns like Port Townsend. Tharinger voted to take them away for the next two years.
Reducing inflation is critical. With our state median home sale price, according to Redfin, jumping from $400,000 to over $600,000 from 2020 to 2022, the net impact to all of us is increased homelessness and reduced availability to working class families.
I support repeal of the two new fuel taxes. The incumbent I will replace and his Democrat Majority have further exacerbated this high cost by voting in two new state laws, HB 1091 and SB 5126, Low Carbon Fuel tax, which started this July and will completely kick in on January 1, 2023. They will really amplify the pain you feel at the gas pump and the grocery store.
I advocate for term limits for our Governors. The incumbent stated he supports unlimited terms but, then, he is a career politician and I am not. Do you think terms should be limited?
I support a limit to emergency declarations. The incumbent says the legislature acts too slowly so we need the emergency powers along with its spending and overregulation, and he thinks this should be endless and remain untouched. We are now over nine hundred days into the C19 Emergency. You be the judge.
I advocate for our entire criminal justice system including family, mental health and drug courts. Prison is usually not the best place to house violent mentally ill people, many who can be helped by medication and therapy. I have friends who work with these people in need. Do you support a new state mental health hospital?
I advocate for street drugs to be made illegal again. People need to be offered a hand up, but no more handouts without a verified commitment to change. What do you think should be done?
I advocate for a new fully funded and fully capable state crime lab. The right to speedy trial is a basic civil right for all..
Our peninsula road network needs prioritization. Highway 112 the 35 miles of Highway 101 south of Forks, and Highways 101 and 104 are critical. Which do you think needs repair?
I support school choice and parental rights. I am against corrupted “Critical Race Theory” and am against teaching young children sex education infused with gender confusion. The state public system is collecting almost $19,000 per student, for failing grades. It’s time to get back to basics and answer parental concerns. Did you know some private schools cost as low as seven to eight thousand dollars per year, and many have cost share or scholarships available?
I advocate for high school-trade school certification-level training by age 18.
As you can see, we have a lot of work to do to get our state back on track. First and foremost, we need to set things straight right here on our peninsula. That’s where you come in. I live here and so do you. We have nothing to gain from either of us failing. As your State Representative, I will not only value your input, I will solicit it, I WILL LISTEN and I WILL ACT based on what citizens of the district want and need.
Let’s start right here, right now! I’m looking forward to engaging with you through your questions and comments to this post. I humbly ask for your vote for Brian Pruiett for State House in the August 2 Primary and again in the November General Election. Learn more about my campaign at vote4pruiett.com.
Brian and his dog Maggie. All photos provided by Brian Pruiett Top photo: Brian and his wife Kathleen
Jefferson County’s Sheriff deputies, its captain and all its sergeants, all of the correctional staff and the firefighters have endorsed the re-election of Sheriff Joe Nole.
“I’ve never seen this much support over an election before,” says JCSO Sergeant Brandon Przygocki, who has worked in law enforcement in Jefferson County for the past 16 years. “[T]he entire department is in support of Sheriff Nole’s re-election. Every union within the JCSO unanimously voted to endorse him.” Art Frank, Nole’s opponent, a JCSO detective, did not vote on the endorsement.
We quote at length these endorsements because (1) this level of widespread, unanimous support from first responders is, as Sergeant Przygocki says, truly unprecedented in a sheriff election; (2) the letters of endorsement provide inside information not well known to the general public; and (3) Mr. Frank has provided a quite lengthy response (it is our policy to print in full and verbatim all statements sent to us in writing). The complete letters of endorsement may be read at Nole’s campaign website.
Firefighters for Nole
Local 2032, East Jefferson Professional Firefighters, has joined law enforcement in calling for Nole’s re-election. In an open letter the firefighters stated:
For the entirety of Joe Nole’s time as Sheriff, we have experienced a professional and collaborative relationship with his officers, which is indicative of his strong relationship. He has established a culture built around serving the community he is charged to protect, and operating as an equal partner with Fire and EMS. This level of cooperation between public entities is not always common and should not be taken for granted
The Firefighters endorsed Nole in his campaign to unseat then-incumbent Sheriff Dave Stanko in 2018. “Your local firefighters feel safer with Joe Nole as Sheriff, and for the second time we are honored to strongly endorse” his re-election. This endorsement is noteworthy as Frank, while working in the Sheriff’s Department as a Detective, is a firefighter and Board Chair of the Quilcene Fire Department (Marcia Kelbon, who is running for the District 3 County Commission seat is also on the Board of the Quilcene Fire Department). Brinnon’s Fire Chief, Tim Manly, has also endorsed Nole’s re-election.
Correctional and Animal Control Staff for Nole
In their endorsement of Nole’s re-election, The Corrections, Civil and Animal Control Guild, wrote about Nole’s work on a side of law enforcement only those incarcerated or working in the jail may ever see:
[Sheriff Nole] has professionally guided the Sheriff’s Office through protests, defunding the police debates, police reform laws and unprecedented times with the Covid-19 pandemic. By its very nature, the jail was one of the most at-risk within in the County in dealing with Covid. With Sheriff Nole’s hands on leadership, we were able to not only weather the pandemic but thrive, by improving operations and equipment to better ensure safety for the staff and inmates we are charged with caring for. Sheriff Nole worked to revitalize the nearly defunct Animal Control Program by hiring a full time Animal Control Deputy. This has allowed for more time…responding to citizen animal complaints and investigating potential crimes against animals…. It has led to a successful prosecution of, and rescue of several animals from a prolific animal abuser…. Sheriff Nole understands the challenges law enforcement and the community face with substance abuse addiction and behavioral health and has been highly supportive of the Residential Treatment Program now provided to inmates. He also regularly attends Behavioral Health Court, engaging directly with and encouraging participants, and providing guidance to help make the program continuously successful.”
Deputies for Nole
The letter of endorsement from the Deputies Union stated:
Sheriff Nole has grown and repaired relationships within the community allowing for more collaborative criminal investigations….[He] has restored morale through support, communications and training. Washington State recently experienced one of the most widespread and cumbersome law enforcement reform seen in decades. Sheriff Nole was able to navigate the Department through these changes through a collaborative approach, reducing stress among our staff. Sheriff Nole has been a quality manager and leader, always leading by example and entrusting his Command Staff to supervise, teach and train deputies to be quality law enforcement officers of this community.
Command Staff for Nole
The letter of unanimous endorsement from the JCSO Command Staff (captain and four sergeants) lauded Nole for “adding body cameras to invest in community trust” and bringing aboard a mental health navigator. The five men signing the letter relate that they have, combined, more than 100 years of law enforcement experience. They have worked under a number of sheriffs, emphasizing:
Sheriff Nole’s ability to communicate with humility and respect, regardless of rank or status, is the cornerstone of his success.
They added, as have deputies, that these qualities set Nole apart from his opponent.
Art Frank’s Response
Mr. Frank provided the following statement in response to the Free Press asking for comment on the first responder endorsements of Sheriff Nole’s re-election:
I appreciate the Free Press offering me the opportunity to comment on first responder union endorsements of my opponent in the sheriff’s race. I wish the first responder unions had offered me a fair opportunity to earn their endorsement; if they had done so, the outcome might have been different. They failed to communicate and instead made endorsements without all the facts. And then shared that endorsement with the public. That was unfair on so many levels.
Normally, before endorsing candidates in local races, unions invite both candidates to make their case, enabling members to make a fully informed endorsement.
When unions fail to give both candidates an equal opportunity to earn their endorsement, that failure can produce endorsements based on lack of information, false assumptions, rumors, misinformation, disinformation, uninformed prejudice, unreasonable fear, and/or unreflective groupthink.
That is what happened here.
None of the 3 unions representing Jefferson County Sheriff Office staff gave me an opportunity to earn their endorsement or even share my vision for the future. And I work side by side with them every day. All 3 units—command, corrections, and deputies—endorsed Joe Nole without ever inviting me to make the case for my candidacy.
As a member of the deputies’ union, I found their failure to extend that basic courtesy very puzzling and disappointing. If one of my union brothers were running for public office, I would feel bound by solidarity and fairness to give him a respectful hearing and a reasonable chance to earn our endorsement.
East Jefferson Fire & Rescue’s union was also prepared to endorse without hearing from me. However, when I requested an opportunity to address them, the union gave me far less time (15 minutes) than they gave my opponent (more than an hour). No one ever explained that disparity, though I remain grateful for the time EJFR’s union gave me.
I’ve worked shoulder to shoulder with Jefferson County first responders since 2013. I’ve witnessed the individual courage and character, sacrifice and dedication of JCSO and EJFR personnel, and they have seen mine. They are my brothers and sisters, and they have my respect.
However, even excellent individuals make mistakes when deprived of adequate information. The first responder unions endorsed my opponent based on incomplete and faulty information. They easily could have avoided that error simply by granting both candidates an equal opportunity to earn their endorsements, asking tough questions, listening critically, and weighing all available evidence to make the best decision—skills we practice every day as law enforcement officers.
These flawed endorsements are unworthy of our county’s first responders.
Good leadership makes groups greater than the sum of their parts.
Conversely, poor leadership degrades and diminishes, making a group less than the sum of its parts.
This is true specifically of the process that produced these endorsements, and it is also generally true of JCSO under the current sheriff.
My brothers in JCSO deserve a leader who will bring out the best in them, enabling us to protect and serve the public more faithfully and effectively. This is why I felt duty-bound to run for sheriff.
In the paragraphs that follow, I shall…
Make the positive case for my candidacy the unions would have heard if they had given me a fair hearing
Surface ethical and factual issues with their endorsement letters
Detail the unions’ flawed endorsement processes
I. The Positive Case for Art for Sheriff
JCSO needs better leadership at the top, both to improve public safety and to improve working conditions for our employees.
I’m running to support JCSO staff. For the last 7 years, I have heard concerns from many colleagues about how the department is run, and how they are treated (including during contract negotiations). I am determined to respond to and resolve those concerns. As sheriff, I will advocate for the entire staff. I know that good leadership and good morale can and should go together. My mission Respond and Resolve is supported by three pillars, the second of which is an inspired, motivated, and appreciated staff: a well-trained and properly equipped team whose members are valued and motivated to support the mission.
As sheriff, I will evaluate and modify staff scheduling and assignments to meet both community needs and the needs of our deputies and their families. These alternatives will ensure officers won’t have to work weekends for years on end, and allow deputies who prefer working nights to stay on nights. This would enable deputies to diversify their work experience, for example by staying on days to focus on investigations, juvenile cases, or detective assignments. Alternative patrol schedules would enable deputies to balance work and family obligations, while ensuring proper deployment and coverage for our communities.
Effective law enforcement requires effective supervision. Currently we only have two ranks for patrol staff: deputy and sergeant. We have 17 deputies (including detectives) and five command staff. Deputies often must wait many years for an opportunity to advance to sergeant, which can be demoralizing.
With only five command staff, our current schedules leave holes where there is no supervisor on duty 4 hours out of every day. And it can be more than 4 hours when supervisors are not on duty due to scheduled leave, illness, training, or other absences.
These daily periods of supervisor unavailability directly endanger public safety. For example, the state’s new pursuit law requires immediate supervisor authorization to initiate pursuit of a suspect, which is literally impossible when there is no supervisor on duty. Similarly, a use of force requires swift supervisory follow-up—which is often delayed when supervisors are unavailable. This supervisor follow up provides proper documentation of the incident and protects the rights and interests of the deputy and the involved citizen.
As sheriff, I will solve this problem by providing more consistent 24/7 supervisor coverage. We will do this by promoting two or more deputies to a new senior deputy or corporal rank.
This new rank will improve retention by providing new professional advancement opportunities for deputies. It will also ensure we always have at least two senior deputies gaining supervisory experience and readiness to step up to higher leadership positions.
As sheriff, I will improve JCSO’s ability to respond to threats like active shooter events. This will require tactical training and equipment for all law enforcement officers—not just a select few. As a small, rural department, we cannot continue to rely on a small, dedicated team of deputies receiving basic tactical training. We must train all officers to a competent level so every one of us can deal with whatever may confront us, because in many cases, we cannot afford to wait for backup. Vital tactical equipment priorities include modern ballistic helmets, hearing protection/communication headsets, and additional, improved body armor (rifle plates and carriers).
As sheriff, I will improve job satisfaction by refocusing JSCO on our core mission. All of us became law enforcement officers in the first place to protect and serve the public. We are all sickened to know JCSO fails to respond to and resolve some 911 calls—and we don’t even know how many because the current sheriff fails to track this data. None of us feel good about lapses in evidence collection and handling—lapses that make prosecution of suspects more difficult than it should be.
When I am sheriff, we will respond to and resolve all 911 calls, and reform our evidence collection and handling in compliance with accreditation standards of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
As sheriff, I will lead the development of clear, specific job performance expectations so every deputy has a clear, measurable road map to professional growth. The current sheriff has failed us. He has failed to set clear expectations, failed to provide proper training, and failed to provide performance measures to drive individual and agency-wide improvement.
As sheriff, I will re-evaluate working conditions for our corrections officers, and work with them to improve those conditions, provide stronger support, ensure full staffing, enhance long-term job satisfaction, increase retention, and reduce turnover.
As sheriff, I will improve public relations, communicating early and often with communities in our county to hear and resolve their concerns, while building citizen support for JCSO’s efforts.
As sheriff, I will strongly advocate for better county, state and federal policies to support us in our work. I will educate the public and elected leaders on the realities of being a law enforcement officer in today’s world. In collaboration with other justice system leaders, I will ensure county leaders, state legislators, and members of Congress receive the benefit of local subject matter experts so our elected representatives enact policies that empower law enforcement to provide public safety in the best interests of our communities.
As sheriff, I will build partnerships with local school districts to improve school safety. We will work with educators, parents, and community members to develop plans for emergency response, disaster preparedness, and preventing and countering intruder events.
Despite the current sheriff’s lack of leadership, Undersheriff Pernsteiner has worked hard to keep JCSO functioning. When I chose to run, I told Andy I would invite him to remain as undersheriff, and that remains my plan. Over more than 25 years in JCSO, Andy has built strong relationships with our staff. Like me, he genuinely cares about every employee, and is determined to support them in providing excellent public safety. I am confident we can work together to provide the leadership JCSO and our communities need and deserve.
II. Ethical and Factual Issues in the Unions’ Endorsement Letters
The endorsement letters issued by all 3 JCSO bargaining units violated JCSO policy by including the names of the signatories without an appropriate disclaimer. As stated in Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Policy Manual section 1030.4.1: Unauthorized Endorsements and Advertisements, “when it can reasonably be construed that an employee, acting in his/her individual capacity or through an outside group or organization (e.g. bargaining group), is affiliated with this department, the employee shall give a specific disclaiming statement that any such speech or expression is not representative of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.”
This is a minor point, but the deputies’ union endorsement letter claimed their endorsement of Nole was unanimous, and that is technically false. I’m a member of the deputies’ union, and I haven’t endorsed Joe.
The command staff endorsement falsely equates my leadership with that of a former sheriff, Dave Stanko, citing what they experienced as a lack of communication, listening, trust, humility, respect, and inclusiveness. As Stanko’s undersheriff, I did my duty by executing the sheriff’s directives to the best of my ability in service to JCSO and the community. Without being insubordinate in that role, I could not then articulate my differences with and reservations about Stanko’s leadership. I can do so now: I thought Stanko tried to do too much too soon. I advocated at the time for him to slow down to avoid alienating deputies, and in some instances he listened. When he did not, I did my best to provide a buffer between Stanko’s expectations and the practical needs of our deputies and community.
For the last four years, I’ve worked as a deputy and detective, and my evaluations show I am a team player and “invaluable contributor” who communicates well, provides leadership, and has earned the respect of my peers. (You can review Andy Pernsteiner and Brett Anglin’s evaluations of my performance for yourself, as I’ve posted them at art4sheriff.net) When it comes to trust, my colleagues trust me to negotiate their contract, benefits, and working conditions as a shop steward for the deputies’ union.
The bottom line is that I’m running in this race as Art Frank -– not Dave Stanko. As sheriff I will lead JCSO as Art Frank -– not Dave Stanko. If you want to know how I will lead, review my evaluations, look at how I do my job every day, and review what I wrote above in section I of this document.
III. Flaws in the Unions’ Endorsement Processes
Deputies’ Union Endorsement
I regret that my own union did not invite me to address them about why I am running and my plans for the office. Nor did any of my union colleagues contact me outside of work to ask.
On June 9, Detective Allen emailed deputies’ union members the link to an anonymous Survey Monkey poll to endorse either Joe or me for sheriff. There was no union meeting called to authorize the poll or to invite candidates to address the union.
The Survey Monkey poll was open for one week. The link could be forwarded to anyone, and anyone could open the link and vote. Because it was anonymous, there was no way to track who had voted. It was possible to vote more than once. I did not participate, because I did not believe the process was fair, as I had no opportunity to address the membership.
Detective Allen’s email announcing the poll said that the results would be released once it was concluded. I never received an email or other communication with the result, though I was able to deduce it when my opponent posted the endorsement letter on his website.
Command Staff endorsement
The command staff union—comprised of four sergeants and one captain—was the first to endorse my opponent. Unfortunately, they did not invite me to speak to them first about why I am running or my vision for the future of the office, nor did any of the individual members contact me outside of work to ask.
Endorsement of Jail Staff Union
Like the other unions, the corrections staff union issued an endorsement without inviting me to address the members, and without any member ever asking me why I was running.
East Jefferson Fire and Rescue Endorsement
In June, my campaign requested an opportunity to address EJFR’s union. They gave me 15 minute to present at a meeting in mid-July. At some point before that, the union spent more than an hour with my opponent. Despite the time disparity, I remain grateful for the opportunity to make my case.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading, and thanks to the Free Press for giving me the opportunity to set the record straight. I am determined to earn your vote, and welcome your questions in any format. I can be reached through my website, art4sheriff.net
For this year’s primary races, our readers are invited to ask candidates questions and add comments in an interactive exchange below. Here’s your chance to probe local office-seekers in a relaxed public forum where you’ll even get the chance for a couple rounds of follow-up questions!
Participating candidates have agreed to engage with commenters for at least three days following publication. Candidates can expand upon and clarify their views; voters can get a deeper look into what they have to offer. The candidate will reply daily to each posted comment during the 3-day period. Candidates can reply as expansively or as briefly as they want, optionally writing collective replies to multiple similar comments or commenters who post multiple times during the same day. Comments that violate PTFP commenting policy will be blocked or removed by moderators so won’t qualify for candidate replies.
All contenders in local primary races with at least three candidates were invited to participate in these roundtables —
Jefferson County Commissioner:
Jon Cooke, Greg Brotherton, Marcia Kelbon
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 1:
Sue Forde, Mike Chapman, Matthew Rainwater
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 2:
Steve Tharinger, Darren Corcoran, Brian Pruiett
———————————
M A T T H E W R A I N W A T E R
Who am I?
Hi, my name is Matthew Rainwater, and I am running for the Washington State House of Representatives in the 24th District, Position 1. As an Army Veteran, and a retired Border Patrol Agent, I have the strength and the resolve to fight for the needs of our District, instead of our current “representatives” who vote for what is good for Seattle.
My friends, I have jumped out of airplanes. I have had criminals hit me with a car. I have been shot at more times than I care to remember. I have stared death in the face quite a few times in my life — both while I was in the Army, and as a Border Patrol Agent — and have been victorious each time.
Jim Walsh, JT Wilcox, Joel McEntire, as well as a few others, have been asking me to run for office for a few years now, and I always told them the same thing — I wanted to run, but I needed to retire from the Border Patrol first.
The people of the 24th have been poorly “represented” (and I use that term loosely) by my opponent. During his tenure in elected office, he has been a regular vote for more government interference in our everyday lives. During his time as our “representative”, inflation, gas prices, crime, drug abuse, homelessness, a disregard for our law enforcement, taxes and attacks on our Constitutional Rights have all been on the rise.
That is NOT the representation we need.
Ladies and gentlemen, my opponent has a history of showing he is not for the values of the 24th, but rather those of Olympia and Seattle. He has shown he is not willing to fight for what is right. Instead, he is in lock step with his fellow liberals.
Thanks to those liberals, we now have kids being taught about “gender identity” as young as the 3rd grade. We should allow the parents and the local school boards to decide what our kids are taught, instead of progressives in Olympia.
The cost of building new houses is increasing due to government regulation, yet the government is taking more money out of our pockets through taxes to help “affordable” housing.
We have families struggling to put food on the table, and gas in our cars, yet he is calling for higher gas taxes.
We are living in a society where the left feels they have the power to take away our constitutional rights. The democrats attacked the 1st Amendment by introducing legislation which would criminalize certain types of speech.
With the blessing of Governor Inslee, bureaucrats who don’t answer to the voters, were able to enact policies like vaccine passports which allowed only those they thought were worthy to be able to gather with friends and restricted our right to peaceably assemble.
The entire time, our “representative” was silent. He either agreed with those actions, or he cowered in fear, and refused to stand up for the people of the 24th.
As someone who has looked death head on, and lived to tell the tale, I can assure you I will not be silent, I will not cower in Olympia. I will stand up for the values, and for the rights, of all those in the 24th Legislative District.
As I have done my entire adult life, I will fight for our Constitutional Rights. I will fight to lower taxes, or at a bare minimum to keep them from rising. Especially the property and the sales taxes, which affect the most vulnerable in our district disproportionately.
I will fight for deregulation, and for lowering the costs of permits that make the American dream of buying a house out of reach for the average person.
I will fight to repeal the absurd laws restricting the rights of those who wish to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights.
In short, I will fight for real solutions to the problems we face.
As I travel throughout the district and meet the voters, I have had the opportunity to talk to people from all walks of life. Republicans, Independents, Swing Voters and Democrats. I am proud to say that, as I speak to them, I have been able to get people from all those categories to declare their support for me. They all are sick at what has become of this great state, and this great district. Just the other day, I was talking to someone, and the conversation started out with “I like the Democrats”, however, by the end of the conversation they were agreeing the democrats have got to go!
What is it about me that makes people decide to support me?
Maybe it is my background. The fact I am a Veteran, or retired Federal Law Enforcement. Maybe it is because I have proven my compassion by my ongoing efforts to house homeless veterans. Maybe it is because I know that no one side has a monopoly on good ideas, and that I am willing to speak with anyone in order to find effective, real solutions to the challenges we face.
Or, maybe, it is because they know that I have a quality that is lacking in everyone else in this race.
Leadership.
If you want to find out more about me, please feel free to reach out. You can also check me out on facebook at Rainwater for Washington, or on the internet at Rainwaterforwa.com or on twitter at Rainwater4wa.
State Representative Jim Walsh and Congressional candidate Elizabeth Kreiselmaier with Matthew after he threw out the first pitch at The Lefties baseball game at Civic Field. All photos provided by Matthew Rainwater Top photo: Matthew with his wife Debbie
For this year’s primary races, our readers are invited to ask candidates questions and add comments in an interactive exchange below. Here’s your chance to probe local office-seekers in a relaxed public forum where you’ll even get the chance for a couple rounds of follow-up questions!
Participating candidates have agreed to engage with commenters for at least three days following publication. Candidates can expand upon and clarify their views; voters can get a deeper look into what they have to offer. The candidate will reply daily to each posted comment during the 3-day period. Candidates can reply as expansively or as briefly as they want, optionally writing collective replies to multiple similar comments or commenters who post multiple times during the same day. Comments that violate PTFP commenting policy will be blocked or removed by moderators so won’t qualify for candidate replies.
All contenders in local primary races with at least three candidates were invited to participate in these roundtables —
Jefferson County Commissioner:
Jon Cooke, Greg Brotherton, Marcia Kelbon
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 1:
Sue Forde, Mike Chapman, Matthew Rainwater
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 2:
Steve Tharinger, Darren Corcoran, Brian Pruiett
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S U E F O R D E
My name is Sue Forde, running for State Representative (R) Legislative District 24, Position 1, against Mike Chapman – to be YOUR VOICE in Olympia and to help bring positive change, balance and common sense to our state, with strong representation for our District.
My Background:
I’ve lived, worked and raised a family in Clallam County for 33 years. My background is in business. Since retiring from a 21-year career in the title and escrow business as a certified Senior Escrow Officer and Manager, I’ve been a small business owner for the past 20.
My major in college was journalism. I have also taken various courses in escrow, accounting and business. I taught Escrow I, II and III in community college.
I’ve served as a volunteer administrator and teacher for a teen redirectional program – a successful nonprofit organization (no government funding) for teens with drugs and alcohol and other problems. I also served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club, as Farm Bureau president and was a founding member of a local Toastmasters club. You can read about my diverse background on my website – www.electsueforde.com
Sue and granddaughters JazLyn and Amy Anne
I was elected to two terms as Clallam County Home Rule Charter Commissioner, the second time, receiving the majority of votes overall and elected by my peers as 1st vice chair in a bipartisan vote. I’ve been politically active here for more than 20 years, standing for private property and individual rights.
Sue with grandson Steven
I have strong family support, and my daughter Shauna is working closely with me as my campaign manager.
On a personal level, I’ve enjoyed our two dogs, a cat, chickens and for several years, raised Saanan goats. I’ve played in a variety of small bands as a keyboardist, and enjoy playing classical music, too. I love reading, researching and writing.
Why I’m Running:
The icing on the cake was this last legislative session when we had a $15 BILLION surplus in the budget, and instead of returning any of it to us taxpayers, Mike Chapman and the majority party spent it all. It was — and continues to be — an affront, especially when so many individuals, small businesses and families are still hurting due to the Covid shutdown and now, rampant inflation.
Over the years, we’ve seen an increase in taxation and regulation that intrudes upon our ability as citizens to use our hard-earned money in ways that benefit us and others at a local level, and reduces our freedoms. We’ve seen mandates (that are not law), which also adversely affect our freedoms.
We have had a trifecta (all three branches of state government run by one party) for 16 years. I believe it’s past time for some “balance” in the legislature.
I was asked to run for state representative in 2019 by my peers and friends, and ran in 2020 as a first time candidate for that position. Our legislative district covers Jefferson, Clallam and the northern portion of Grays Harbor counties; despite the Covid shutdown and the inability to campaign as usual, I lost by less than 5% of the overall vote. This campaign season, I’ve seen so much support with volunteers, and words of encouragement. I look forward to serving you, and ask for your vote in the Primary and General elections.
Port Ludlow Fire Commissioner Glenn Clemens: “Sue will work very hard to represent us in Olympia returning this country to law and order and responsible government. I am very honored to endorse Sue. She is what this great country needs right now!” Sue’s supporters also include WA State Representative Jim Walsh and the North Olympic Counties Farm Bureau. See her endorsement page here.
The Issues:
Higher taxes, bigger government, more bureaucracy
Mike Chapman and his majority party votes for higher taxes, for bigger government, and for more bureaucracy.
As an example, he voted straight party-line for a transportation budget that increases taxes and fees, and does little to help with our roads and infrastructure. Instead, money goes to the I-5 corridor for special interest projects. Follow the money! (About 95% or more of Chapman’s donations come from special interests, while 97% of mine come from people in our own District.)
I will vote to lower gas tax, sales tax, property taxes, the B&O tax and will vote to repeal the capital gains state income tax.
Education:
Public school now costs more than $18,000 PER STUDENT, yet students’ scores are abysmal. At a time when we see 70% of our public school children failing the math assessment test, and 52% failing the English assessment test, we need to do better to educate our children and grandchildren in the basic skills, so they graduate and can earn a good living.
Folks across party lines agree with my idea for school choice, where the money follows the child for their best education – whether it’s public school, private, vo-tech, charter or homeschooling, including special needs. (The average private school costs about $7,000 a year.) With competition comes lower costs! Let the parents choose where to send their children to school, and post curricula online so they can see what is being taught.
Housing:
I will work to roll back the Growth Management Act (GMA) to build more homes under LOCAL control, instead of an unelected, unaccountable state board. When there is more supply in housing, costs go down. I will work to streamline government to lower costs of building. It currently costs about 24% (approximately $124,000.00) in government regulations and fees to build a new home. This is unacceptable. There are good ideas from various communities to help solve the cost of housing, including moving a house instead of destroying it.
Homelessness:
As I see it, homelessness can be broken down into three categories:
(1) As a result of lost jobs or other economic situations where individuals need a hand up, not a hand-out. We need to offer the help they need to get back on their feet utilizing private and local programs wherever possible.
(2) Mental illness – With the closure of facilities to help those who have mental disabilities, there is a need to fill that gap, instead of leaving them to their own devices, often living on the streets.
(3) Drug and alcohol abuse – There are many programs available to help those who want to get clean and sober, from temporary housing to 12-step and other programs. These individuals can transition from a bad lifestyle to a better one, often becoming an active, productive member of society. Those who do not want help, but are maintaining their lifestyle through crime should be arrested for those crimes and incarcerated. Often, incarceration will lead to a change of heart, and those will get on the right path toward recovery.
We need to treat each of these areas for the best solutions while not wasting taxpayers’ money. I will work toward that goal.
Where I stand:
I support our law enforcement, and will vote to restore the law so they can defend and protect us and our property. Criminals should be handcuffed, not the police.
I will strongly defend, as I always have, our Constitutional rights. I oppose government mandates, which are a slippery slope to loss of freedoms.
In Closing:
I have been listening – and will continue to do so – to the people of our district, and will be a strong voice to serve you as YOUR VOICE in Olympia – for balance and for common sense representation – for transparency and accountability.
I’m often in Jefferson County, and hope to meet you at your door or at a neighborhood meeting at some point during the campaign! Please share your thoughts and ideas with me!
You can learn more about the issues and my campaign at my website: www.electsueforde.com, by e-mail at electsueforde@gmail.com or by phone at 360-477-8151. Please follow me on Facebook or Instagram @ Elect Sue Forde – I’m posting events and issues there daily. If you’d like to donate, volunteer or endorse me, you can do so through my website.
I’m Sue Forde, Republican for State Representative. I ask for your support and your vote in the Primary on August 2nd.
Thank you!
Sue kicks back with the Buck Ellard Band All photos provided by Sue Forde. Top photo: Sue with campaign manager Shauna Millar at a rally.
For this year’s primary races, our readers are invited to ask candidates questions and add comments in an interactive exchange below. Here’s your chance to probe local office-seekers in a relaxed public forum where you’ll even get the chance for a couple rounds of follow-up questions!
Participating candidates have agreed to engage with commenters for at least three days following publication. Candidates can expand upon and clarify their views; voters can get a deeper look into what they have to offer. The candidate will reply daily to each posted comment during the 3-day period. Candidates can reply as expansively or as briefly as they want, optionally writing collective replies to multiple similar comments or commenters who post multiple times during the same day. Comments that violate PTFP commenting policy will be blocked or removed by moderators so won’t qualify for candidate replies.
All contenders in local primary races with at least three candidates were invited to participate in these roundtables —
Jefferson County Commissioner:
Jon Cooke, Greg Brotherton, Marcia Kelbon
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 1:
Sue Forde, Mike Chapman, Matthew Rainwater
WA State Representative, District 24, Position 2:
Steve Tharinger, Darren Corcoran, Brian Pruiett
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M A R C I A K E L B O N
I am running for Jefferson County Commissioner, District 3. I am a mother, grandmother, engineer, attorney, and recently retired biotech executive. I have lived with my husband in the West sound and canal area since 1981 and love this community. I am an independent thinker and a moderate Republican but firmly believe people must be put over politics. My objective is to provide a balanced voice for Jefferson County.
Why I am running
For the last few decades, I commuted into Seattle for work. In recent years I watched that once proud city decay due to its well-intended but ineffective policies concerning the homeless, defunding and disrespecting of law enforcement, decriminalization of drugs, and punishment of job creators. I have been concerned to see some of those same policies being employed in Jefferson County.
Three years ago I retired at age 60 and moved full-time to Quilcene. I have always been actively involved in community service where I live or work. As I became more involved locally, I realized just how difficult it was for working-age people to make a go of it here. The national and state shortage of housing has been exacerbated in Jefferson County by decades of local policies and regulations creating barriers to reasonably-priced housing. The growth of businesses providing true living wages has also been severely restricted. Those factors make it incredibly difficult for working-age adults and families to independently make their way here, reduce service providers for retirees, and burden all, including those on fixed incomes, with a growing tax burden.
It is also concerning that our county commissioners take or endorse actions that do not adequately respect individual and constitutional rights — rights that cut across party lines. Our elected officials should protect those rights irrespective of their personal opinions.
My background
I am running to address all of the above issues using my business, legal, and technical skills as well as my passion for this community. After completing my Master of Science in chemical engineering at the University of Washington, I worked for the U.S. Navy as a civilian engineer for four years. I then went back to UW to complete my law degree, and began practice as a patent attorney, protecting intellectual property and helping businesses start and grow. Twelve years later, I went in-house to join a start-up biotech company. Over the span of 19 years as a senior executive and General Counsel, I guided that company to being publicly traded, creating approximately 250 jobs along the way. I have experience and skill in prioritizing limited resources, budgeting, policymaking, shareholder accountability, operating in regulated environments, grants administration, job creation, hiring and supervision, team building, dispute resolution and technology. Skills that the Board of County Commissioners could well use.
My community involvement includes current service as a Quilcene Fire Commissioner and volunteering for East Jefferson Habitat for Humanity, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, and other organizations. I previously served on a regional board of Catholic Community Services, provided pro bono legal services to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and volunteered as a Girl Scout troop leader and with Babe Ruth baseball. In my role at my biotech company, I worked to enable our company to provide medicine on a no-cost basis to people in need throughout the world.
Two of my adult children and a dear granddaughter live in Jefferson County. I want this area to be safe and prosperous for those generations as well as older individuals. Like most of us in our community, I highly value nature and enjoy hiking and biking in our amazing environment.
Leadership solutions
Housing
To address our housing shortage, we need to start permitting rental, multi-family, and starter homes in our urban growth areas. We need to amend our comprehensive plan, using the annual or an emergency review process, to create smaller buildable lots near our village centers. These steps will increase the supply of reasonably-priced housing without harming the environment or losing our rural character. We should curtail septic regulations where cost is added without a commensurate benefit to the environment. We need to reduce permit fees and greenlight less expensive construction techniques. Building moratoriums such as the one currently in place in Jefferson County are counter-productive and must be avoided. The county should negotiate with developers for density bonuses in return for the inclusion of affordable units. All of these steps would move us toward restoring the ability of hard-working people to build, buy, or rent homes of their own.
Business Development
We need to embrace business. This includes permitting the growth of our existing, small-scale technology, manufacturing, and retail businesses. We also need to support our few existing large businesses, rather than constraining or shutting them down. The skills, energy, and funds of a generation of telecommuters that have moved into our area should be welcomed. When those individuals are ready to start environmentally-friendly technology and light manufacturing businesses, we should be sure that we can incubate their ideas here. We can partner with our local community colleges to train our residents to supply a pipeline of workers in diverse fields that pay well. These may include, for example, welding, computer programming, CNC machining, healthcare, and the manufacture of cross-laminated timber modules. The goal is to nurture the creation of true living-wage jobs. Green tourism is important, particularly in the South and West ends of the county, and should be encouraged, but it is not sufficient. A true economic development effort is required.
An end result of housing and business development will also be the growth of our tax base. The escalation of the tax burden on property owners can finally be curtailed so that those on fixed incomes are not at risk of being taxed out of their homes. And a more secure income stream will be available for full funding of public safety, including law enforcement and emergency responders, roads, and infrastructure.
Homeless
Some of our unsheltered individuals simply need a greater supply of housing and better-paying jobs, which the above efforts will alleviate with time. But a majority of homeless are truly sick – addicted to substances, mentally ill, or both. We currently warehouse these individuals in encampments, where they can reside for up to three years. And at the end of that time, they will be just as sick as when they went in. Based on history to date, some will likely die during that period of time, including our youth. We are simply hiding the problem rather than treating people with true compassion and the dignity of accountability. Instead of enabling continued substance abuse, we should insist on screening and then provide the services needed to become healthy and actually move forward in life.
Individual Rights
Regardless of any personal preferences, I will respect individual rights including those enshrined in the U.S. and Washington constitutions. Local ordinances and policy may impact, for example, property rights, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religious expression and from government establishment of religion, second amendment rights, the right to work to better and house oneself, the right to medical and health autonomy, and anti-discrimination rights.
More information
Please keep an eye out for me as I motorcycle through the community campaigning – I love to connect with people. I can be contacted at 360.774.0150 or by e-mail at electmarciakelbon@gmail.com. Please follow me on Facebook or Instagram @ Elect Marcia Kelbon to learn more about my take on local events and issues. Anyone wishing to assist my campaign can do so at www.electmarciakelbon.com.
All photos provided by Marcia Kelbon.
Top photo: Marcia and her husband biking the San Juans.
This article is the first in a series that will shine light on the inner workings at our local hospital system. Administrators at Jefferson Healthcare would have us believe that all is well within their institution, particularly as they return to the taxpayers, hat in hand, to fund their next dream of upgrades to the Sheridan Street facility. With the backdrop of a looming global financial crisis, materials shortages and supply chain ruptures, how viable is this $100 million-plus gamble? What will it actually cost when all is said and done?
Jefferson Healthcare is struggling mightily to retain and recruit nurses and other patient-facing staff, and as this exposé will reveal, significant roots of that problem are internal. Through personal accounts from insiders, public records requests and investigation of current federal funding mechanisms, we will take a deep dive into the contemporary condition of Jefferson County’s hospital system.
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“We concluded years ago that we are in the trust business… Hospitals are nothing but fancy buildings with expensive technology if we don’t have a great employee base. So we are very focused on — one, recruiting and bringing in the right people for our team, and then once they are here, working really hard to provide a work environment that is satisfying both personally and professionally and allow for providers to grow and develop.”
Jefferson Healthcare CEO, Mike Glenn at the May 12, 2022 Community Presentation
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We have come to expect glowing reports of good deeds and great intentions when public agencies are selling a property tax increase. But how much truth is contained within Mike Glenn’s flowery assessment above? Is the view from the ivory tower the same as it is on the patient floors? What degree of “trust” exists within “the team” in the medical institution so many in this community count on?
Anyone who has lived here for long has personally, or has family and friends who have received stellar care at Jefferson Healthcare facilities. I have, my partner has. The nursing and support staff get rave reviews again and again, as do most providers.
However, the Free Press has been contacted on multiple occasions by hospital workers who feel an urgency to sound the alarm on what they see as chronic mismanagement that puts nursing staff and patients alike in potentially dangerous situations. The aim of this article is to give voice to those who have not been heard, despite their years-long efforts to improve the work environment through dialogue and negotiation. Management responds with platitudes like “let’s continue to work on solutions together…” as they neglect the reforms most requested by staff — regular schedules and part-time employment.
I sat down with one of those whistleblowers recently, and listened to her story. She’s asked that I use a pseudonym to protect her identity, understandably concerned about retaliation.
Suzanne is a Registered Nurse (RN) who came to work at Jefferson General Hospital over twenty years ago. She loves her work — that is to say, she loves taking care of people.
The era of healthcare facility mergers and acquisitions ushered in new and improved bean counters and fancy new nomenclature to distinguish upper management from the rest of the pack. Jefferson Healthcare birthed its own Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) approximately fifteen years ago. The current SLG is pictured below.
Strategic Leadership Group(from top left): MIKE GLENN, MHA, Chief Executive Officer; JOSEPH MATTERN III, MD, FAAFP & HMDC, Chief Medical Officer; TINA TONER, RN, MSN, MBA, CENP, Chief Nursing Officer; BRANDIE MANUEL, MBA, CPHQ, Chief Patient Safety and Quality Officer; JENN WHARTON, PT, MHL, Chief Ambulatory and Medical Group Officer; JACOB DAVIDSON, MHA, FACHE, Chief Ancillary and Support Services Officer; TYLER FREEMAN, MSA, CPA, CHFP, Chief Financial Officer. (Not pictured, ALLISON CRISPEN, Chief Human Resources Officer)
Suzanne describes a gradual and insidious decline in staff morale that’s emerged since 2014-2015, most notably when the SLG Chief Ambulatory and Medical Group Officer began restructuring the clinics and family practice offices. Then the hospital stopped hiring part-time nurses.
Using ever sharper pencils, the SLG further streamlined by cross-training, deleting existing part-time positions (firing those who couldn’t work full time), cutting overall positions in each department and not hiring new staff — even when there were qualified applicants, Suzanne reports. Set schedules, the likes of which make life predictable for days off and family time, were eliminated. Plans to attend important rites of passage like graduations, weddings and funerals became a luxury of the past.
Scheduling and the loss of part-time positions created wide-spread disgruntlement throughout the facility. Complaints from staff were met with “you just need to figure out why you want to work here, or you can leave.”
Senior nurses pleaded with management for more staff and part-time positions, citing their own recognition that if their concerns were ignored, there would be an escalation of safety issues that could harm patients and the hospital’s bottom line and reputation.
There was also the phenomenon of what has come to be known as “compassion fatigue” in overworked and under-supported staff. Suzanne says “We’re caregivers. We don’t want to make the hospital look bad.” So the nursing staff shouldered more and more responsibility, working long days without breaks, sacrificing their own welfare for the sake of patient care and hospital optics.
She reports that managers began to look for excuses to ship patients out for care. Surgeons were being pressured to hurry it up. Staff witnessed nurse managers asking, mid-surgery, “how much longer do you think this will take” and providers being told “you’re taking too long to do surgeries.” Adding to the pressure, in recent years the number of surgeons has increased as the number of support staff has been eliminated.
The lack of respect and increasing demands have resulted in “running off 20 nursing assistants” in the last few years, according to Suzanne. They were being asked to care for too many patients. Changes that could be implemented to maintain staff and improve morale — set schedules, retention bonuses, compensation for extra shifts — have not been forthcoming.
“Human resources,” a risible term for working people, is at a crisis point in healthcare. Efforts by institutions to run lean has led to many nurses abandoning the security of steady work in a familiar place close to home in favor of hitting the road and hitting it big with travel nursing.
According to this 2016 article on the trade website TravelNursing.org, nursing shortages began with the 2008 financial crash. The CEO/president of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) was quoted back then, saying:
“At AACN, we are most troubled by the shortage of nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate levels since research shows that having enough of these nurses is important to lower patient mortality rates, reducing medication errors and realizing other positive care outcomes.”
At the time, nursing schools were turning away qualified applicants because the schools lacked “faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, preceptors and [had] budget constraints.”
Fast forward six years and the unnatural disaster surrounding Covid, and those highly trained, veteran nurses — the shortage of which so troubled the AACN — now often find themselves working alongside novices with decades less experience who are being paid three to four times as much.
Raises for Me, But Not for Thee
The battle for pay increases at Jefferson Healthcare has been epic, with mediators arguing on behalf of nursing staff for the most niggling little bump. Management maintained that “it’s not sustainable to pay more.” Retention became a major issue, with experienced staff leaving to work elsewhere for single digit increases and the perennial issue of scheduling. During labor negotiations in November 2021, the contract was delayed because the SLG was
“philosophically opposed to raises
for nurses in the top five steps.”
Philosophically opposed. Well, at least they had a philosophy.
There is a seniority tier system in nursing, with the tiers varying from hospital to hospital. Each year of experience is called a “step.” There are 32 steps to reach the apex of the nursing world at Jefferson Healthcare. Random steps are called “ghost steps,” a pause year that precludes pay increases.
After another grueling round of mediated negotiations, the latest contract was finally ratified three weeks ago, on June 22nd, 2022. Despite management’s philosophical opposition, all of the nurses got at least a 4% raise. Ghost step years now pay modest increases instead of none.
Suzanne reports, “The time spent to get there was very disappointing and disheartening. The nurses were made to feel unworthy and expendable.”
In stark contrast, CEO Mike Glenn’s 6% raise three months earlier sailed through the board with only one commissioner, Matt Ready, opposing. [Ready maintains a creative blog of his experience as a Jefferson Healthcare Commissioner.]
Glenn’s pay package is now around $380,000. The rest of the SLG incomes range from a quarter to a third of a million dollars, most of them paid as much or more than Washington’s Governor.
In addition to public record request responses from Jefferson Healthcare, the Free Press has received news tips from stressed nursing staff, current and former, all of them requesting anonymity for obvious reasons. The following are excerpts from a variety of these sources:
“The ACU Staffing Crisis is management created. The Restructure and the stress of Covid-19 are not the root causes of the mass exodus…”
“I understand staffing ICU, especially at night, has been a challenge, however untrained and unqualified staff are being used to staff ICU in unsafe ways that risks liability and patient safety especially when taking into account ICU patient census and telemetry monitoring obligations. It seems the expected standards for ICU care have become adulterated recently with untrained staff for the amount and the acuity of patients we have been having. As I mentioned above, I am all for cross training willing and able nurses to ICU, it just needs to be done correctly with consideration to ICU census, patient acuity, telemetry patients, and number of qualified staff. I’m more than happy to discuss this further and assist in any way. My apologies for the long winded email, I’ve been stewing on this for a couple days now. I can only imagine the amount of similar emails you have been receiving. I’m just rather concerned for the reasons listed above; and my co-nurses, I am sure, share the same sentiments as well.”
— ICU RN, Feb. 2022
“I came onto shift this morning as Charge RN and am receiving no report on the patients. I have never come on and gotten no report in 7 years. Last night one set of patients had 3 nurses covering in succession. When I came on shift Monday the same thing happened and the set of patients I received had 3 different nurses in a 12 hour period. I had to round to the patient and family members who were upset because the care plan was not followed and a comfort care patient inadvertently had oxygen placed on her, which they did not want. I had to explain it was because of the staffing that information did not get across as it should have. This patchwork planning is having impacts on our patients and our staff. It is unsafe. We also have a new nurse for ICU who was put on the floor with no orientation. He spent hours running back and forth to ICU getting supplies because he did not know where they were on ACU [Acute Care Unit]. The standard of nursing care here is actively deteriorating and it makes me uncomfortable.”
— Charge Nurse, Feb. 2022
“The staffing on night shift is unsafe. From the time of the restructure, travelers not fully oriented to our hospital have had to work independently monitoring tele [telemetry] , managing FBC [Family Birth Center] or ACU RNs in the ICU. During many of those times, Telemetry was not documented per policy…
The restructure and the administrations refusal to set templates, or allow self-scheduling, forcing part time employees to take full time positions have left us relying on per diem RNs and travelers. In the ICU, we now only have 3 full time RNs and 1 part time. The rest are employees who have switched to per diem in order to control work-life balance. We are woefully understaffed because of their hubris and arrogance.”
— ICU RN, Feb 2022
“I am not sure if you are aware of this, but the current ACU and ICU staffing situation is very bad. Dayshifts and nightshifts.
It is difficult to see that there is any management involvement in providing real solutions. We just hear about increasing ratios. That will NOT be safe. Over night we had a very busy floor with lots of cognitively impaired impulsive fall risk patients, and only one CNA [Certified Nursing Assistant] available as the other one is stuck as a sitter with our 1:1 resident. The ICU was slammed all night last night and needed assistance that I could not always provide while also assisting the floor. There was an FBC nurse sitter there silencing Teles because the ICU Nurses were so busy.
This feels very dangerous. What is going to happen next week when surgery goes up to full speed and you lose another full-time nurse? We’re drowning here.”
— RN, Feb. 2022
“From 2017 onward, as management initiatives evolved and pressures increased, morale began to decline and the scheduling method changed. As time went on, I watched as we hemorrhaged CNAs (30 in less than a year at one point) and the nurses continuously expressed their discontent and began to leave too…
The lowest hanging fruit to improve morale and to retain staff is to give the nurses a REGULAR SCHEDULE… Please know that the [employment] contracts are attached to PEOPLE. People with lives and families. Well-educated and hard-working people who care about taking care of patients. People who actually WANT to work at Jefferson Healthcare (and would come back) except they just can’t take the mismanagement anymore. They are exhausted by the irregular schedules… and the disregard shown for their work-life balance… nurses that are left are disheartened and do not believe that there is any hope for change. Some of them biding their time prior to retiring, others are actively looking around at other hospitals. I am watching as warm bodies are leaving, first year nurses be pushed into the Charge Nurse Role, being robbed of developing their clinical foundation. Doesn’t this seem dangerous to you?
The ACU Staffing Crisis is management created. The Restructure and the stress of Covid-19 are not the root causes of the mass exodus…
I understand that this is just part of a very complicated issue with this hospital system and there are many pressures from all sides, but it is tough to run and grow and maintain a basic safety level if your staff is gone.”
— RN, Nov. 2021
“I left as I didn’t want the Jab, nor did I want to put a religious exemption in as I fully believe that my right to choose not to have the Jab was exemption enough… employee health is struggling as they don’t have enough staff… I wish more nurses would come forward.”
— former Care Team Specialist, JH Home Health & Hospice, Oct. 2021
Management Response
SLG Chief Nursing Officer Tina Toner offered this response to emails she’d received from nursing staff, including some of the above:
“I want to acknowledge the real challenges we continue to be faced with in terms of staffing. Please know, it is ever apparent that you and everyone of our team is doing all they can to help support their department and care for our patients. I hope that you know that as nursing leaders we are also doing all we can to support staffing, recruitment and retention. When we do have days with less-than-optimal staff our staffing coordinator, the House Supervisor Team and department leaders are all aware. Each morning at 0815 our team comes together to discuss staffing for the next 24 hours so we can collectively work on solutions. This is in addition to time spent looking ahead over the several days and weeks into the future and evaluating the need for additional staff. I know that this is hard, everyone is working hard, and we are all tired. Please, let’s continue to work on solutions, together, I know we will find them. Thank you for all you are doing!”
In the past, nursing and other staff could reach out to board members to share issues and concerns that weren’t being dealt with by their supervisors. Apparently, as the complaints increased, management’s tolerance for that approach trended in the opposite direction. Late last year the board passed a new bylaw that requires all staff complaints and concerns to be copied to the board chair and/or the CEO, thus making the complainant a potential target for retaliation from the very people who aren’t fixing the problems being complained about. No wonder staff dummies up, or leaves to work elsewhere.
A public records request I submitted recently disclosed that Jefferson Healthcare conducted a survey entitled “Employee Engagement 2020,” covering the time period of October 20, 2019 to October 20, 2020. The resulting 46-page document revealed gratitude for co-workers, a modicum of satisfaction and appreciation for the facility, and a substantial amount of frustration and mistrust towards management.
Granted, that was a singularly difficult year for everyone, particularly those in healthcare fields. However, the vast majority of complaints were not Covid-time specific, rather referenced embedded institutional norms of disparity and upper echelon cliques that have resulted in a disabling rift between the worker bees and the bosses.
I’ll share that document with our readers and highlight key aspects in the next installment of this series shortly, along with an overview of the Jefferson Healthcare’s proposed “Campus Modernization & Expansion Project.” On July 20th, the SLG gives one more update to the board before they vote on Wednesday, July 27th, whether or not to take this project to the voters in the form of a bond measure in November.
One can only imagine how beleaguered staff choked on the CEO’s words at the top of this article. A demand for transparency is in order. Should the administration be required to get their house in order before they build another house?
In the military, I learned how to work hard and smart. I was recognized with over 30 awards including the Bronze Star Medal for service in Afghanistan. I was selected for promotion ten times and retired as Lieutenant Colonel, Battalion Commander. I also served a three-year appointment as Inspector General, implementing organizational excellence, inspections, investigations, also dealing with corruption, crime, and malfeasance.
My community involvement includes current service as a Quilcene Fire Commissioner and volunteering for East Jefferson Habitat for Humanity, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, and other organizations. I previously served on a regional board of Catholic Community Services, provided pro bono legal services to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and volunteered as a Girl Scout troop leader and with Babe Ruth baseball. In my role at my biotech company, I worked to enable our company to provide medicine on a no-cost basis to people in need throughout the world.
