Bill Sizemore, executive director of Oregon Taxpayers United, spoke at the City Club of Eugene on Friday in opposition to Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s tax proposals.
Sizemore’s appearance was in response to Tim Nesbitt, Kulongoski’s deputy chief of staff, who spoke at the City Club on March 2 in favor of Kulongoski’s proposals to raise taxes on cigarettes, auto insurance and corporate profits in order to fund budget increases for education, children’s health care, state police and a state savings account.
Sizemore, who has previously authored several ballot measures limiting tax increases, said Kulongoski’s plans to raise $1.2 billion in taxes aren’t needed when the state’s general fund is expected to see a $2 billion increase in revenue.
The state government should fund services like the state police and infrastructure, but it should not be paying for people’s health care, he said.
“I don’t believe that all taxes are bad,” Sizemore said. “I believe taxes are necessary to have to provide services that are essential. The fact is I don’t believe in carte blanche taxation.”
Sizemore spent most of his speech talking about four ballot measures for 2008 that he is working on. He said one bill would allow a homeowner to make $35,000 worth of improvements annually to their home without a permit. Another bill would require English immersion for non-English students. The other two measures would deal with property taxes for residents over age 65 and with campaign donation reform.
“I’m not running for office, I’m proposing measures that everyone should get to vote on,” he said.
– Calvin Hall