The County seems to have plenty of money to waste on buildings, often owned by their good ole boy buddies but can't fix roads, can't give raises to prosecutors or public defenders

 

These are two posts I did on the County of Humboldt buying one of the buildings co-owned by Larry Doss.

I also did an earlier post about the other building across from the jail 509 J street and the top floor was supposed to be rented out to various parties and eventually became the North Coast Journal offices.

Yesterday, I was researching and just happened to find these minutes from January 15, 2025 which are relevant to the posts above. It also explains why Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal is on the second floor; sometimes.

The County was looking at 509 J street as a Day Reporting Center or other issues. 

Ming Tree is a private business. Larry Doss is one of the generational families in Humboldt. When he unsuccessfully ran for Fifth District Supervisor, First District Supervisor Rex Bohn and Sheriff Honsal endorsed him. Larry, as many in Humboldt County, on the left and right benefit from these political connections. It is how "bidiness" is done in Humboldt County.

Outsiders are rarely welcome unless you are willing to suck up for years and maybe get some crumbs thrown at you, if you are lucky and keep your mouth shut.  If you challenge the status quo like me; it does not matter how much you gave to the community and the good ole boys and gals who at one time praised you will turn on you and use the cliquey, cowardly small town to make it impossible to survive.

The other point is about the Humboldt economy and who is successful. If a private owner like Larry, well connected, has to sell buildings to the County of Humboldt; what does it say about the dwindling economy of Humboldt? Politicians and businesses scratch each others back and the reason we have certain businesses who get arrogant and control every industry in Humboldt is this informal connections which the other local media refuses to report or has no clue about but they do get advertising.

There are people who have built their businesses with hard work but many continue to appear "successful" because they stroke the right egos

Now another site, 605 K street is being explored as a possible site for the Day Reporting Center. These are minutes from June 17, 2026.

Downtown Eureka is mostly government offices, many associated with the criminal justice system, safe and sober houses or some other treatment center. Concerns brought up by hotel owners, businesses and residents are ignored. I already called out the City of Eureka in a recent post. Nothing has changed. The County of Humboldt is just as culpable.

The County of Humboldt and the local tribes are buying many buildings.

In 10 minutes walking on 4th, 5th and 6th streets in Eureka between E and L streets, I saw this guy who has been screaming obscenities on 4th, 5th and 6th street day and night for the past two days digging through the trash cans outside the Conflict Counsel office. Who do you think is going to clean that mess up tomorrow morning?

Larry Doss and Gary Stone?

Several "hotels" and "motels " are now places for drug deals, mentally ill, criminals who stay for a day,  few days, weeks and loiter around for their side hustle while taxpayers subsidize them.

Fences and no trespassing signs do not deter the high, walking dead of Eureka who wander these particular streets from the bushes or their taxpayer funded motel rooms and safe houses on their phone, blasting music, with baggy jeans on their free phone calling their bud for a not so clandestine meeting.

I am fed up of dealing with the same faces who appear frequently on the jail log or are well known to anyone living downtown. I cannot walk a block without an able bodied man or woman, fairly clean, soliciting me for money.

You think tourists want to put up with this when they pay money for a vacation and if the 12% TOT passes, forget that revenue.  

Larry Doss, Jon Stone, the Supervisors, Eureka City Council do not live downtown. Humboldt so called leaders and generational business owners and their sycophants got theirs. They have a monopoly out in the Lost Coast and both want the rest of us to be dependent, struggling or homeless so they can continue the grant funding and taking advantage that funds their power and lifestyle.

There is no money to pay the overworked Deputy District Attorneys, Public Defenders and law enforcement who deal daily with the crisis created by the useless, greedy Humboldt "leaders." But there is money to buy buildings and advance expenses for Sheriff Billybob to fly out on the East Coast? How did Billybob's East Coast speaking engagement "vacation " help Humboldt County?

If I were living anywhere else, I would be able to monetize my work. 

The people with money or "influence" who claim they want to make Eureka better again or improve Humboldt are full of empty words. It is their choice to continue to let it be a stagnant, empty wasteland. If they are so successful and have vision; prove it with actions and results.

Make sure to look for a fluff, PR piece or press release from the County of Humboldt and City of Eureka in certain other local media next week or soon. That is usually the standard go to move when I call them out.