Bill Sizemore
Encyclopedia
Bill Sizemore is a political activist in Redmond, Oregon
, United States
. Sizemore has never held elected office, but has nonetheless been a major political figure in Oregon
since the 1990s. He is considered one of the main proponents of the Oregon tax revolt
, a movement that seeks to reduce taxes in the state. Oregon Taxpayers United, a political action committee
he founded in 1993, has advanced numerous ballot initiatives limiting taxation, and has opposed spending initiatives; however, they often propose measures which require a great deal of additional expenditures by the state. Sizemore made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Oregon
in 1998. He also announced his intention to run for governor in 2010, but was indicted by the state on charges of tax evasion.
on June 2, 1951. He graduated from Montesano High School in Montesano, Washington
. He earned a Bachelor's degree
in theology
from Portland Bible College
in 1976. After graduating, Sizemore taught bible history and ran a series of unsuccessful businesses.
's $3.4 billion light rail expansion.
Sizemore added several initiatives in 2008.
Sizemore's most notable success was passing Measure 47
in 1996. The measure rolled back property taxes to 1995 levels. Measure 47 also mandated a double majority
for ballot measures increasing taxes. With Sizemore's assistance, the Oregon Legislative Assembly
amended some of the provisions of Measure 47 in 1997, and referred the amendments back to the voters as Measure 50, which also passed.
In 2000, Sizemore drafted and placed on the ballot Measure 7
, which required governments to pay just compensation to property owners when a government-imposed regulation reduced the fair market value of their property. Oregon voters approved Measure 7, but the Oregon Supreme Court
later nullified it. A similar measure, 2004's Measure 37
, subsequently passed, and was amended by 2007's Measure 49.
as a Republican
in 1998
. He won his party's primary, defeating three other candidates who had little or no name recognition. During the general election, The Oregonian
ran three major articles detailing Sizemore's alleged shady business practices, both in private business and in the operation of his political action committee and non-profit educational foundation. These included one about a "Trail of Debt" he had left behind, much of which involved outstanding loans from fellow church members; one about a fishing club to which he tried to sell memberships before obtaining the proper permission or stocking any fish; and one about an apparently falsified loan application on which he claimed not to have declared bankruptcy when, in fact, he had done so. Sizemore lost the November general election to incumbent
Governor John Kitzhaber
, a Democrat
. Sizemore won 30% of the vote, to Kitzhaber's 64%.
and the American Federation of Teachers
filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against two of Sizemore's organizations: Oregon Taxpayers United and the OTU Education Foundation. During the trial Becky Miller, Sizemore's top aide, under protection of state and federal immunity deals, testified in detail about the unethical and illegal
practices of Oregon Taxpayers United. These included alleged money laundering involving both Sizemore and Americans for Tax Reform
founder Grover Norquist
, as well as falsification of federal tax returns and state campaign finance reports. Additional testimony reported financial deals designed to disguise or hide the sources of funding for campaigns, as well as to allow Sizemore to personally profit from the campaigns
After three weeks of testimony and a million dollars in union legal fees, the jury found Sizemore's organizations guilty of racketeering, and the organizations were fined approximately $2.5 million. Sizemore refused to pay the fines and attempted to avoid the liability by changing the name of his organizations to Oregon Taxpayers Association and carrying on with business as usual. After a post-trial evidentiary hearing Sizemore was found personally liable for his organization's civil racketeering liability, and the judge shut down his 501(c)(3) education foundation. Nearly a million dollars were added to the fine as a result of Sizemore's resistance to earlier court orders/decisions. On appeal both sides claimed victory.
s into account when setting insurance premiums. In the most expensive Oregon ballot measure campaign of 2006, the insurance industry spent $4 million to defeat the measure. The campaign to defeat the measure, which focused heavily on Sizemore's credibility, was successful.
in 2010
.
On November 30, Sizemore and his wife were indicted by the State of Oregon on charges of tax evasion for failing to file state income tax returns for the years 2006–2008. He had previously acknowledged failing to file in sworn testimony and was indicted after he failed to file during Oregon's tax amnesty ended on November 19. Sizemore called the charges politically inspired and said he had paid $50,000 in estimated taxes for 2006 and 2007. In 2011 he pled guilty to three counts of felony tax evasion for failure to file these state income-tax returns, with a plea agreement to serve 30 days jail and 3 years probation.
Sizemore continues to be a featured writer on a number of Web sites, such as
Redmond, Oregon
Redmond is a city in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated on July 6, 1910, the city is located on the eastern side of Oregon's Cascade Range, in the High Desert, and is considered the geographical heart of Central Oregon...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Sizemore has never held elected office, but has nonetheless been a major political figure in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
since the 1990s. He is considered one of the main proponents of the Oregon tax revolt
Oregon tax revolt
The Oregon tax revolt is a political movement in Oregon which advocates for lower taxes. This movement is part of a larger anti-tax movement in the western United States...
, a movement that seeks to reduce taxes in the state. Oregon Taxpayers United, a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
he founded in 1993, has advanced numerous ballot initiatives limiting taxation, and has opposed spending initiatives; however, they often propose measures which require a great deal of additional expenditures by the state. Sizemore made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Oregon
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
in 1998. He also announced his intention to run for governor in 2010, but was indicted by the state on charges of tax evasion.
Early life
Sizemore was born in Aberdeen, WashingtonAberdeen, Washington
Aberdeen is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884. Aberdeen was incorporated on May 12, 1890. The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis...
on June 2, 1951. He graduated from Montesano High School in Montesano, Washington
Montesano, Washington
Montesano is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,976 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grays Harbor County.-History:Montesano was first settled in 1852 by Isaiah L. Scammon....
. He earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from Portland Bible College
Portland Bible College
Portland Bible College is a private four-year college in Portland, Oregon, USA that offers theological and church ministry degrees. It was founded in 1967 by Dick Iverson and is associated with the City Bible Church. The campus is adjacent to City Bible Church atop Rocky Butte in northeast...
in 1976. After graduating, Sizemore taught bible history and ran a series of unsuccessful businesses.
Ballot initiatives
In 1993, Sizemore founded Oregon Taxpayers United and became its executive director. He is noted as the author and driving force behind a number of ballot initiatives in Oregon. One of the first measures Sizemore was involved in was a referendum which stopped PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
's $3.4 billion light rail expansion.
Sizemore added several initiatives in 2008.
Sizemore's most notable success was passing Measure 47
Oregon Ballot Measure 47 (1996)
Ballot Measure 47 was an initiative in the U.S. state of Oregon that passed in 1996, affecting the assessment of property taxes and instituting a double majority provision for tax legislation...
in 1996. The measure rolled back property taxes to 1995 levels. Measure 47 also mandated a double majority
Double majority
A double majority is the name given to a vote which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria. The mechanism is usually used to require strong support for any measure considered to be of great importance...
for ballot measures increasing taxes. With Sizemore's assistance, the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
amended some of the provisions of Measure 47 in 1997, and referred the amendments back to the voters as Measure 50, which also passed.
In 2000, Sizemore drafted and placed on the ballot Measure 7
Oregon Ballot Measure 7 (2000)
Ballot Measure 7, an Oregon, United States ballot initiative that passed with over 53% approval in 2000, amended the Oregon Constitution, requiring the government to reimburse land owners when regulations reduced the value of their property....
, which required governments to pay just compensation to property owners when a government-imposed regulation reduced the fair market value of their property. Oregon voters approved Measure 7, but the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
later nullified it. A similar measure, 2004's Measure 37
Oregon Ballot Measure 37 (2004)
Oregon Ballot Measure 37 is a controversial land-use ballot initiative that passed in the U.S. state of Oregon in 2004 and is now codified as Oregon Revised Statutes 195.305. Measure 37 has figured prominently in debates about the rights of property owners versus the public's right to enforce...
, subsequently passed, and was amended by 2007's Measure 49.
1998 gubernatorial election
Sizemore ran for Governor of OregonGovernor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in 1998
Oregon gubernatorial election, 1998
The 1998 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Democratic nominee John Kitzhaber defeated Republican Bill Sizemore to win a second term.-Results:Official results from the Oregon Secretary of State are as follows:...
. He won his party's primary, defeating three other candidates who had little or no name recognition. During the general election, The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
ran three major articles detailing Sizemore's alleged shady business practices, both in private business and in the operation of his political action committee and non-profit educational foundation. These included one about a "Trail of Debt" he had left behind, much of which involved outstanding loans from fellow church members; one about a fishing club to which he tried to sell memberships before obtaining the proper permission or stocking any fish; and one about an apparently falsified loan application on which he claimed not to have declared bankruptcy when, in fact, he had done so. Sizemore lost the November general election to incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. Sizemore won 30% of the vote, to Kitzhaber's 64%.
Racketeering case
In July 2000, the Oregon Education AssociationOregon Education Association
The Oregon Education Association is the largest public education employees' union in the U.S. state of Oregon, representing more than 46,000 teachers and classified personnel. It has local affiliates in each of the state's 199 public school districts, and 8 community colleges...
and the American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers is an American labor union founded in 1916 that represents teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; local, state and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff, and nurses and other healthcare professionals...
filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against two of Sizemore's organizations: Oregon Taxpayers United and the OTU Education Foundation. During the trial Becky Miller, Sizemore's top aide, under protection of state and federal immunity deals, testified in detail about the unethical and illegal
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
practices of Oregon Taxpayers United. These included alleged money laundering involving both Sizemore and Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
founder Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist
Grover Glenn Norquist is an American lobbyist, conservative activist, and founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform...
, as well as falsification of federal tax returns and state campaign finance reports. Additional testimony reported financial deals designed to disguise or hide the sources of funding for campaigns, as well as to allow Sizemore to personally profit from the campaigns
After three weeks of testimony and a million dollars in union legal fees, the jury found Sizemore's organizations guilty of racketeering, and the organizations were fined approximately $2.5 million. Sizemore refused to pay the fines and attempted to avoid the liability by changing the name of his organizations to Oregon Taxpayers Association and carrying on with business as usual. After a post-trial evidentiary hearing Sizemore was found personally liable for his organization's civil racketeering liability, and the judge shut down his 501(c)(3) education foundation. Nearly a million dollars were added to the fine as a result of Sizemore's resistance to earlier court orders/decisions. On appeal both sides claimed victory.
Measure 42 in 2006
In 2006, Sizemore broke with his pattern of anti-tax measures by filing Measure 42, a consumer-oriented bill that would have denied insurance companies the ability to take credit scoreCredit score
A credit score is a numerical expression based on a statistical analysis of a person's credit files, to represent the creditworthiness of that person...
s into account when setting insurance premiums. In the most expensive Oregon ballot measure campaign of 2006, the insurance industry spent $4 million to defeat the measure. The campaign to defeat the measure, which focused heavily on Sizemore's credibility, was successful.
Arrest in 2008
On December 1, 2008, Sizemore was sent to jail after a Multnomah County judge found him in contempt of court for the fourth time in his long-running legal battle with two Oregon teachers unions. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Janice R. Wilson ordered Sizemore jailed until he signed and filed federal and state tax forms that charitable organizations are required to complete to maintain their tax-exempt status. He was released on December 2, 2008.2010 gubernatorial election
On November 23, Sizemore announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Governor of OregonGovernor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
in 2010
Oregon gubernatorial election, 2010
The Oregon gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, to elect the Governor of Oregon, who will serve a four-year term to begin on . The incumbent governor, Democrat Ted Kulongoski, was ineligible to run due to term limits barring him from being elected to more than two consecutive...
.
On November 30, Sizemore and his wife were indicted by the State of Oregon on charges of tax evasion for failing to file state income tax returns for the years 2006–2008. He had previously acknowledged failing to file in sworn testimony and was indicted after he failed to file during Oregon's tax amnesty ended on November 19. Sizemore called the charges politically inspired and said he had paid $50,000 in estimated taxes for 2006 and 2007. In 2011 he pled guilty to three counts of felony tax evasion for failure to file these state income-tax returns, with a plea agreement to serve 30 days jail and 3 years probation.
See also
- List of Oregon ballot measures
- Oregon tax revoltOregon tax revoltThe Oregon tax revolt is a political movement in Oregon which advocates for lower taxes. This movement is part of a larger anti-tax movement in the western United States...
- Loren ParksLoren ParksLoren Parks is a businessman from the U.S. state of Nevada. He previously lived in Oregon , and is the biggest political contributor in the history of that state. He has financed numerous ballot measure initiative petitions and campaigns since the mid-1990s...
, has financed numerous Sizemore initiatives
External links
- Bill Sizemore's website
- Oregon Taxpayers United website
- Politics shaped by man of many measures, Oregonian, July 9, 2000
- Sizemore's organizations guilty of racketeering
- Sizemore personally liable for fines
- Judge shuts down Sizemore operation
- Official Election Results 1998 Governor's Race - Sizemore does damage by diverting campaign funds from other progressive priorities
Sizemore continues to be a featured writer on a number of Web sites, such as