Inner Truth

Grants Pass, Homelessness, and the Lawlessness Question
City Politics / Homeless / Local News / Local Politics

Grants Pass, Homelessness, and the Lawlessness Question

Parkers Place Village didn’t come out of nowhere. The idea was first brought forward under the previous city council during Mayor Bristol’s tenure. At the time, it faced strong public pushback and was voted down. One of the biggest concerns raised then still resonates today - the location. Many residents felt it was too close to Riverside Park, one of Grants Pass’ most valued community and tourism areas, and too close to downtown. When the…

Comments Off on Grants Pass, Homelessness, and the Lawlessness Question
August 16, 2026
Active Forest Management in Oregon: A Common‑Sense Look at What Went Wrong and the Path Forward
County Politics / Local News / Local Politics

Active Forest Management in Oregon: A Common‑Sense Look at What Went Wrong and the Path Forward

Introduction For decades, active logging maintained healthy, resilient forests while powering the economy of rural Oregon. In Josephine County, timber harvests funded county services, sustained local sawmills, and prevented overgrowth. Beginning in the 1990s, heavy environmental litigation and federal "no-touch" preservation policies largely halted commercial harvest and proactive thinning. Instead of protecting nature, these policies converted millions of acres into overcrowded tinderboxes. Today, Josephine County faces the dual fallout: catastrophic megafires that destroy wildlife and…

Comments Off on Active Forest Management in Oregon: A Common‑Sense Look at What Went Wrong and the Path Forward
August 13, 2026
Candidate Colene Martin’s Stance on the Homelessness Crisis Demands Voter Scrutiny
City Politics / County Politics / Election / Homeless / Local News

Candidate Colene Martin’s Stance on the Homelessness Crisis Demands Voter Scrutiny

Oregon’s current strategy for handling homelessness has created significant challenges for local communities. State laws like HB 3115, which require local camping regulations to be “objectively reasonable,” have created legal uncertainty and contributed to costly litigation. State law does not require cities or counties to build and operate shelters, but when adequate shelter space is unavailable, enforcing restrictions on camping or sleeping in public spaces becomes legally complicated. Communities across Oregon are now forced to…

Comments Off on Candidate Colene Martin’s Stance on the Homelessness Crisis Demands Voter Scrutiny
August 6, 2026
Are We Being Priced Out of Our Own County? A Look at Commissioner Colene Martin’s Spending
County Politics / Election / Local News / Local Politics

Are We Being Priced Out of Our Own County? A Look at Commissioner Colene Martin’s Spending

IntroductionWhen Colene Martin was appointed to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners, the hope was for steady leadership. But a look at her voting record shows a troubling trend: a consistent push for bigger government, new county positions, and higher service fees. While expanding county programs might sound good in a meeting room, it comes with a real-world price tag one that’s falling squarely on the shoulders of local taxpayers, especially our seniors living on…

Comments Off on Are We Being Priced Out of Our Own County? A Look at Commissioner Colene Martin’s Spending
July 18, 2026
What’s Happening Behind Closed Doors in Our County Government via BCC?
County Politics / Election / Local News / Local Politics

What’s Happening Behind Closed Doors in Our County Government via BCC?

The role of an elected Board of County Commissioners (BCC) is to provide public oversight, fiscal responsibility, and transparent governance. But recent policy shifts in administrative meetings are raising serious questions about where the real authority lies and whether the public is being left in the dark.We need answers to these critical transparency questions:Delegation of Power: Is it true that the BCC recently approved a policy change giving individual department heads the unilateral authority to…

Comments Off on What’s Happening Behind Closed Doors in Our County Government via BCC?
July 7, 2026
Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds
City Politics / Homeless / Local News / Local Politics

Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds

IntroductionFollowing the phased opening of a new supervised shelter facility, the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, has closed two of its three authorized but unmanaged homeless encampments. The initiative shifts individuals into structured housing while transitioning away from unregulated public campsites that have drawn local concerns. Camp Closures: Contractors have cleared two municipal campsites located near City Hall and the police headquarters after issuing 72-hour notices to occupants. Remaining Site: A third, larger encampment situated…

Comments Off on Grants Pass Shuts Down Two Unregulated Homeless Campgrounds
July 2, 2026
Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon
City Politics / County Politics / Homeless / Local News / Local Politics / National Politics / State Politics

Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon

Two recent articles at Oregon Capital Chronicle entitled, “2 years after Grants Pass, 14 states, 350 cities have tougher laws on street homelessness” and “Year-over-year homelessness declines”. The first article points out two years after the landmark Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling originated from Oregon, over 350 cities and 14 states nationwide have utilized the decision to implement aggressive public camping bans and crackdowns on street homelessness. The other article points out while nationwide homelessness…

Comments Off on Enabling the Homeless Crisis: How State Laws Undermine Local Enforcement in Oregon
June 26, 2026
Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)
County Politics / Election / Lawsuit / Local News / Local Politics / Recall

Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)

Former Josephine County Commissioner John West filed a $2 million defamation lawsuit against Jay Meredith. The suit targeted a "recall dossier" and various news articles published during and after West’s December 2024 recall election. While the lawsuit survived initial challenges, it was ultimately dismissed on a strict statutory timeline technicality rather than the actual truth of the statements. The Three Court Hearings February 25, 2026 – Anti-SLAPP Motion Denied: Judge Galli denied the defendant's Anti-SLAPP…

Comments Off on Procedural Timeline: John West v. Jay Meredith (Case No. 25CV43500)
June 23, 2026
Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise
County Politics / Local News / Local Politics

Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise

Introduction: Regarding the Josephine County budget committee meeting on June 4, 2026. Watching the video of this meeting sat poorly with me. I believe the public needs to be aware of what happened and decide for themselves. The video starts about 3 hours and 18 minutes into the budget meeting.During the meeting, committee members openly altered the wording of an official voting motion specifically to manage public perception. To avoid taxpayer backlash over a mathematically…

Comments Off on Budget Framing: How Officials Rewrote the DA’s 36% Raise
June 6, 2026
Legal Updates: John West Litigation
County Politics / Election / Lawsuit / Local News / Recall

Legal Updates: John West Litigation

John West v. J.J. Scofield May 29, 2026: Following a two-hour hearing, Judge Galli denied J.J. Scofield’s anti-SLAPP motion (a motion intended to dismiss lawsuits that chill free speech). This lawsuit centers around statements J.J. Scofield made in Facebook regarding alleged “illegal meetings” by John West. John West v. Jay Meredith February 25, 2026: In the initial hearing, Judge Galli denied Jay Meredith’s anti-SLAPP motion, a ruling confirmed by the Daily Courier. Judge Galli also…

Comments Off on Legal Updates: John West Litigation
May 30, 2026