Meet Gerhard Watzig, who filed to run for office this morning. He’s on the ball, too, sending out a press release today pointing folks to his campaign website.

I haven’t spoken with him yet, but his site is a wealth of information on his platform and history.

Watzig—who will not be using the public financing program—could present an interesting challenge to front runner Sam Adams, thanks to his “back to basics” platform that is a bit at odds with Adams’ more visionary style.

On the surface, his “back to basics” approach sounds just dandy.

If elected mayor I will define a purpose and agenda that addresses the real issues facing this city. These issues are about restoring accountability for revenues spent, repairing infrastructure city wide, decreasing crime and vandalism, providing funding for mental health treatment, drug addiction intervention and providing mechanisms to create living wage jobs.

But on closer inspection, Watzig’s positions should make for some very interesting debates with Adams:

• on “Accountability,” Watzig says “we are all familiar with the cost overruns concerning the Tram, extravagant payouts for improperly terminating city employees, purchasing materials to cover reservoirs then selling them at auction for a dime on the dollar. City Hall is out of control with expenditures for dubious projects. This management style is not sustainable.” Taking direct aim at Adams, he adds: “Spending 130 thousand dollars for a study to build the Burnside-Couch couplet, this is not necessary and is not welcomed by the neighborhoods involved.”

• As for “Bicycle Safety,” Watzig says he is “an advocate of bicycle commuting.” However, the details of his advocacy suggest otherwise. “There are some major thoroughfares in the city that currently are just not conducive to bicycling safely. Bicycles need to be excluded from those streets. They still can use the sidewalks. We really do need to address the passing on the right law that was passed by the legislature as the behest of the bicycle community. This is analogous to allowing exiting a freeway from the center lane. It is not safe and has led some fatalities recently,” Watzig says, referring to the two recent deaths were cyclists were obeying the law and riding in the bike lane. He also says that “the bicycle advocates are over represented in city hall” and calls for licenses for riders over 18, saying cyclists “need to share more responsibility for revenues toward their infrastructure.” (Perhaps he’s unaware that it takes more than just gas taxes and drivers’ license fees to build those roads?)

• on “Economic Development,” Watzig—who owns Flowers by Dorcas on SW Broadway—chastises “a city government that is only too happy to add obstacles to businesses.”

• on “The Homeless,” Watzig calls for Adams’ proposed bike infrastructure improvements—$24 million worth—to be diverted to “a comprehensive program to facilitate the eradication of homelessness,” though he doesn’t propose details for such a program. He does, however, call for additional police funding “to be allocated toward training, intervention and placement with the mentally dysfunctional and drug and alcohol abusers.”

• Watzig has more to say about the rest of Adams’ Safe, Sound and Green Streets proposal (which includes that bike infrastructure funding): “My opponent has developed a gold plated list of projects and an inflated cost of completing them. He is also proposing a complicated revenue plan aimed at households and businesses. Included are provisions involved with penalizing automobile usage and rewarding alternative transportation methods. This would create another layer expensive bureaucracy to enforce and sustain.”

• Finally, he’s for reinstating the racially unbalanced Drug Free Zones: ” I am an advocate of community policing. Until a better system is found I will propose to restore the exclusion zones in Old Town, North Portland and on NE 82nd and Sandy.”