Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Gov. John Kitzhaber is wasting his breath asking Speaker of the House Lynn Snodgrass to join the fight against Bill Sizemore's latest anti-tax measure. By her own admission, she hasn't even bothered to read the thing yet. We were surprised by this confession from Snodgrass when she visited our office in April for an endorsement interview. Now, a month later, Snodgrass says she still hasn't done her homework. Sizemore's initiative would let Oregonians deduct the amount they paid Uncle Sam in federal income taxes from their state income taxes. According to the state legislative revenue office, this would cut $1 billion dollars out of the $11 billion budget that was passed last year. We're talking school closures, health-plan cuts and draconian slashing in all kinds of public services. It's possible Snodgrass is playing dumb in order to avoid taking a position on the measure so she won't alienate Sizemore. The initiative king has been encouraging listeners to his AM radio show to pick Snodgrass over Lynn Lundquist in the GOP primary for secretary of state. In fact, we'd almost prefer such cynical posturing over the alternative: that the Speaker of the House and candidate for the second-highest elected position in the state is too busy to waste time thinking about the future. Snodgrass says she'll analyze the initiative closely if it qualifies for the ballot. Given Sizemore's record, that's like saying you'll buy an umbrella if it rains in Portland. She also dismisses the measure's critics as Chickens Little, recalling the dire predictions surrounding Sizemore's last two tax-cutting measures, Measure 5 in 1990 and Measure 47 in 1996. What Snodgrass either doesn't know or doesn't care about is that unlike previous measures, this one goes after income tax, not property tax. Over the last decade, income tax has become the pillar that supports the state and school funding. If the measure passes, there is nothing to fall back on. Since she first entered public life, Snodgrass has shown herself to be savvy in politicking but overwhelmed by the intricacies of lawmaking. She should know better than this. The question is whether she actually does.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published May 10, 2000