Stick a fork in Sizemore, part deux

Carla Axtman

My recent gossipy piece on Bill Sizemore appears to have some grounding in fact, at least in part.

I'd been advised by two sources (both anonymous) that Sizemore had relocated to Redmond. Several folks speculated that it might be Redmond, WA (mostly because I assumed Oregon, I didn't ask a follow up).

Nope. Not Redmond, Washington.

Redmond, Oregon:

Bill Sizemore has moved to Redmond.

That, he would confirm.

He wouldn’t comment on his political plans.

In the past, his activities have been bankrolled in large part by two men: Nevada businessman Loren Parks and Dick Wendt, the cofounder of wood products maker Jeld-Wen.

Wendt’s organization is based in Klamath Falls – where Sizemore just moved from.

Sizemore did say he is “slowing down” some of his signature gathering efforts.

Still, he says the rumors of his political demise are greatly exaggerated.

Bill Sizemore...phoenix? We'll see.


  • Sid Leader (unverified)
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    Poor Billy Bob moves so much, I hear he picks up his mail general delivery.

    The good news is U-Haul wants to sponsor him!

  • The Chinuk (unverified)
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    Don't laugh. His next step will be to move outside of Madras and start a commune.

    It's been done.

  • Murphy (unverified)
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    Damn -- when I read it was "Redmond" I thought it might be here:http://www.communityguide.com.au/suburb.cfm?/redmond-6327/

    We can always hope.

  • The Chinuk (unverified)
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    Actually, now that I think about it, when I saw Carla write:

    Bill Sizemore...phoenix? We'll see.

    I hoped that meant he was considering a move to Arizona. They love his sort down there. And the place is already a Godforsaken desert from one boundary to the other, saving him a huge step.

  • Becky (unverified)
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    The outstanding question in my mind - and what everyone should be wondering - is how is he making a living? I simply cannot picture Bill Sizemore the employee with a boss. And the real estate market ain't that great right now. So something is definitely up and worth digging into.

  • Jiang (unverified)
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    how is he making a living?

    In two words, "Dick Wendt". I heard this from a director at Jeld-Wen. He has many evangelical projects where Sizemore's "working for a boss" would be traveling with no criteria to judge his performance, except that he talks like an evangelical. Lots of outreach to important business leaders that requires luncheons, dinners, rounds of golf, hunting trips, seats at the game... And, of course, you want to put your best foot forward, so he gets a car, a wardrobe budget, etc. It's also a good way to take the pulse on right wing-nut initiatives and seeing who you could hit up for funding.

    That post by T. E. Kennedy on Christian fund managers certainly had the ring of truth. There's nothing the wealthy like better than gratuitously rewarding people that claim the same values as they do. It's sublimation; they can't call out private police to just shoot workers much anymore, so they give people that are nothing like their workers perks to piss the working classes off and entice them into showing up at church.

    Personally, my theory is that he'll begin "a ministry". His whole legal error is in trying to run ballot initiative promotion like you would a church. The laws and IRS look very critically at political funding, unlike churches. I expect him to retreat into that hallowed land where almost any fraud is permissible.

    If he were smart (what a hypothetical) he would start a non-301 C religious organization. It allows his business ethics, lifestyle, schmarmy talk, and he could still do the same ballot initiative krap.

  • bendskier (unverified)
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    Oh goodie.

    Redmond Oregon. Lucky us.

    Close enough now for me to picket his residence!

    Anyone want to join me?

    We could start something akin to the sex offender registry, but it would be a initiative offender registry...

  • Zachary Vishanoff (unverified)
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    I wish oyu people would scrutinize our abundance of corrupt politicians with even a fraction of the energy you spend on this guy.

  • Zarathustra (unverified)
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    We could start something akin to the sex offender registry, but it would be a initiative offender registry...

    People probably wouldn't have time to check. Maybe wearing a scarlet "F".

  • Zarathustra (unverified)
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    Oh, and Zachary, a lot of us would like to, but there isn't much critical mass do to group think. Don't know how important it is, but it also puts people off writing checks.

    Was it Bill B. that said BO is the official, unofficial blog of the Oregon Democratic Party? Fair dinkum, I say, and good on 'ya Zachary for the concern.

  • voiceinthe wind (unverified)
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    Speaking of Sizemore and initiative petitions, I think that a great initiative petition clean-up would be any person, corporation, or organization that has committed a crime in any phases of the election process more specifically in the initiate process; including initial filing, creating PACs, signature gathering, tax evasion, should be prohibited from directly or indirectly doing so in the future. Or if not a total prohibition, that a bond or assets equal to the cost of conducting the reviews and recording, including conducting the election be posted, above and beyond the ordinary fees, proceeds going to an ethics office. It would be held and then forfeited should it be determined that any fraudulent, deceptive or unethical practice occurred.
    The need is particularly true when the state incurs expenses and public trust is shaken.

  • Becky (unverified)
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    What I meant by "Bill Sizemore the employee with a boss" is doing what he's told from 8:00 to 5:00 like most of the rest of us do, rather than being able to keep the sort of schedule and do the sort of things that make one feel like a big man, such as described by Jiang above. If that's actually true, then there must be a very interesting back story because Wendt's trusted people aren't all that enamored with Bill and I can't imagine they've kept their reasons to themselves.

    I wouldn't put it past any of them to steer Bill toward a ministry of some sort. It totally suits his personality.

  • Jeffrey (unverified)
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    He's got Lucky Thirteen in the oven, as we sit -- with his usual kitchen-table mentality.

  • Jeffrey (unverified)
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    Hey Bendskier, Start here: 1650 SW CANYON DR REDMOND OR 97756

  • voiceinthewind (unverified)
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    Holy smokes! 13 ballot measures! I would love to add one more: Prohibits Election Racketeers From Filing Initiaves bold</bprohibits>bold</b. While Reaping Personal Gain and not Paying Judgments. Nullifies all the other initiatives where BS is chief petitioner, establishes penalties. Estimated budget impact- big savings when we need it most.

  • The Chinuk (unverified)
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    Zachary:

    I wish oyu people would scrutinize our abundance of corrupt politicians with even a fraction of the energy you spend on this guy.

    We did. We voted a lot of them out this last time around.

    signed, One Of Oyu People

    PS: Now back to NW Republican with ya!

  • The Chinuk (unverified)
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    Becky:

    I wouldn't put it past any of them to steer Bill toward a ministry of some sort. It totally suits his personality.
    Oh, my God (so to speak).

    He'd fit right in as a televangelist.

    I understand there's openings at the A&W for cashiers though. No health plan but, with the economy the way it is, what're you gonna do?

  • Jeffrey (unverified)
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    They wouldn't give him a job a Jeld-Wen.

  • pedro (unverified)
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    unbold!

  • Checkers (unverified)
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    I wouldn't put it past any of them to steer Bill toward a ministry of some sort. It totally suits his personality.

    Ha! Looks like he's found a religion-based way to make a little money: http://www.newswithviews.com/Bill/sizemore166.htm

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