It’s finally time to bring our mayoral candidates into the fold, grilling them on a different city topic each week.

This week, we’ll ease them in, and let them introduce themselves.

Who are you, and what’s the number one reason you’re running for mayor?

Want to take advantage of this golden opportunity, to ask our city’s next mayor (and his many challengers) anything you want? Email me.

Candidate Jim Lee was the first to respond.

Jim Lee
Position sought: Mayor
Website: blogmayor.com
Public financing status: Not participating

I was born in Saint Louis on the 4th of July 1937. Early on, my goal was to play first base for the Cardinals in the World Series. Did not happen.

After my father died during the war, my mother moved us to Portland to be with a sister and to revive her teaching career. That was 1948, just in time to catch Mayor Lee’s administration. I graduated from Central Catholic High School, then studied and worked physics in California.

I was embarrassed not being able to build a good science career in Portland (I’ve survived by working audio-visual stuff) but realized that some smart Portland guys, like Linus Pauling and Bill McLean, had to go to California to find work too!

This is the only place I care to live, and I feel the need to pay Portland back for a lifetime of wonderful support, even if it’s been financially dodgy. Life can deal a royal fizzbin, which one must play as best one can. I retired five years ago and now enjoy the best time of all.

Here’s my physics shtick—let’s get that out of the way. I worked at the margins. In 1970 I developed a theory of auditoriums based on “physical acoustics,” which is the science of sound as waves. No one has tried to do that for 2,000 years, so I’m not popular among acoustics wizards, even though all know that sound is wave motion.

Other work involves applying the calculus of variations to minimizing energy use in buildings, and apply Hamiltonian mechanics to prove that fixed-gear bicycles develop 40% more torque and power per stroke than do freewheel machines—really—it’s why fixies are such fabulous street bikes. With all that lovely torque you need only one well-chosen gear. Plus, track stands are ultra cool!

I’m running for Mayor because I want “A Piece of the Action.”

Lee’s challengers—Sam Adams, Kyle Burris, Vladislav Davidzon, Jeff Taylor, Craig Gier, Sho Dozono, Beryl McNair and Gerhard Watzig—are after the cut.

Craig Gier
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/craiggierformayor
Public financing status: Not participating

My name is Craig Gier. The main reason I am running for mayor is that I am tired of the same stuff going on and on from the city. All the other people running are different from me in the respect that they will probaly follow suit with the last bunch of people in office. With me you won't have any more tram style scams. Thank you.

Jeff Taylor
Position sought: Mayor
Website: portland123.com
Public financing status: Participating, has not submitted any contributions

My name is Jeff Taylor. I am a fourth generation Portlander and was born and raised here. I love the city and my fellow Portlanders. That's why I am running.

The City of Portland is broken and not the city I was raised in. While I cannot turn back the clock we must re-establish the trust between citizens and government and maintaining and enhancing neighborhood livability.

That's the main reason I am running.

I had the honor of receiving around 3200 votes when I ran for Mayor in 2004 and came in 5th place. I was only invited to speak at around 6 of 70 forums and debates. I wonder how I would have done if I was allowed to speak at all 70 debates and gotten the press the other top 4 candidates did.

Our citizens and businesses have had enough of money taken out of their pocket with nothing in return to show for it.

I have a passion for this city and to make change happen. In my campaign of 2004, unlike the top two candidates running for Mayor, I gave specific actions I would do that would not cost taxpayer dollars. In fact, I want to cut taxpayer dollars and cut the waste. Our greatest natural resource, our senior citiizens, my "Grey Berets", will help me cut waste in government, help with afterschool programs, and help build a worldwide model on how seniors and youth can work in harmony in a city.

I have plenty of other ideas about education, crime, housing, transportation, but these will be for future blogs. Stay reading and thank you for getting involved.

You are the chief executive officers of this city and your elected officials have not been listening to you!

Sincerely,

Jeff Taylor
Mayoral Candidate
503-684-5037
e-mail: jeff.taylor007@verizon.net

Vladislav Davidzon
Position sought: Mayor
Website: ourportland.org
Public financing status: Not participating

My name is Vladislav Davidzon. I am a social change entrepreneur who has been the vision behind well known social change brands like ThinkHost, one of the original carbon-neutral internet web hosting companies, and Common Circle Expeditions, a sustainability-focused bicycle tour. For years I have worked for social change, whether as an activist on the front lines of some of the world's most challenging conflicts, through my business ventures or through my involvement in the community.

I am running because I live in what is supposed to be one of America's most liberal, progressive cities. Yet the 'The City that Works' (as claimed by the city's slogan) does so only for the wealthy - homelessness, lack of universal healthcare, and mega corporations are ravaging this city at a level not less than any other in America. Yet, there is no one offering a real alternative vision within the political sphere.

I believe that when others fail to stand up, it is my responsibility to do so; and I believe that there are fights worth fighting even when the odds are stacked against me. Both the current and previous mayors have failed miserably to offer a real vision for the city - a vision that would begin to address the environmental crisis we face, a vision that would address the health care crisis our citizens face, a vision that would address the need for real viable, alternative transportation, and a vision that would blaze a path for other cities to follow in creating a local, living, sustainable economy.

I am running for Mayor because I believe another Portland is possible. I envision a city where every citizen is covered by universal health care. I envision a city where renewable energy isn't a mere pipe dream, but rather required and available through a People's Utility District. I envision a city where bikes, public transit and walking constitute over seventy percent of all trips because the city government once had the foresight to both
build safe multi-use paths throughout the city and to put proper environmental taxes on less sustainable methods of transit. Most importantly I envision a city where small businesses thrive in a sustainable local living economy because the city government once had the foresight to create an unparalleled grant structure to make that economy viable. Quite simply, I believe in building companies that change the world. Not only can small, localized economic development can be a tremendous tool for social change, but I also believe that business has a key role to play in resolving our planet's most pressing problems.

I am running for Mayor because I live in one of the most progressively-minded cities in America, and perhaps the only city that can stomach to take the risks necessary to make itself the sustainable role model for the rest of America to imitate. I believe that my ideas, while radical on first glance, are actually very representative of the overwhelming majority of Portlanders. I believe that by implementing these ideas, I will help spur a true green evolution in this country. And even if I fail at every other goal, but manage to provide universal healthcare to every Portlander, I will have drastically redefined the expectations of what is possible on the local, city level and what we can expect as citizens standing up to corrupt corporate power.

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com
Public financing status: Not participating, capping contributions

Who I am is very much defined by where I come from. Geographically speaking, I was born in Montana, and grew up in Newport and Eugene. When I was young, these were pretty hard-scrabble places, and working hard to get by was the common denominator of my family and our neighbors.

What really shaped my outlook, however, was the fact that you could work very hard and not get by. My family struggled through tough economic times; we received the help of subsidized housing and food stamps. And I suffered through a personal bankruptcy as well, cause by uninsured medical expenses. (I did voluntarily pay back every penny I owed).

Public education was a big part of my salvation. I had great teachers who took the time and interest to guide me, encourage me and support me – in part because they had the time: that is why I have been such a passionate advocate for schools, and to provide teachers with the support they need to make a difference in kids’ lives.

And yes, I was shaped by my experience as a young man coming to terms with being gay in an environment that did not easily accept it.

There are many reasons that I am running for Mayor – and why I have spent 15 years serving Portland as City Commissioner and Mayor Vera Katz’s Chief of Staff. But if I had to pick one, it would be rooted in my life experience. I believe that we have a great city, with natural beauty, great people, vital neighborhoods and a set of progressive values that really set us apart from other places. But in the midst of all this swell stuff, there are people and families who struggle – all too often just out of view, or just out of mind. The rising cost of living and the fact that wages are not keeping pace, is one of the biggest issues facing Portland. When it comes to the workforce, almost half of our students are not graduating from our high schools. If these trends continue we might still have a beautiful city but one where the cost of living and lack of skilled jobs and labor has pushed out its middle-income families with children.

I believe deeply that as a community and a government we have the ability to help people through tough times, to make sure that the benefits of a great city are felt by all those who live in it.

I guess I also feel a special responsibility because someone with my background doesn’t often serve in elected office much less as Mayor of a major U.S. city.

There isn’t space here to go into a list of accomplishments or policy efforts, so I hope you will click on this link to see some of what I have worked on. But I will mention some of the principles I try to work by:

• Take nothing for granted.
• Accept nothing as impossible.
• Keep your mind open to new ideas.
• Never assume – you can link arms and find common cause with the unlikeliest people.
• Work like a rented mule.
• Never forget the people who are too easily forgotten.

Thanks for reading this. Please visit www.samforpdx.com to learn more. And feel free to email me with your ideas on how to make a great city even greater.

Kyle Burris
Position sought: Mayor
Website: site not up yet
Public financing status: Not participating

I'm going to be blunt; Portland is fucked.

There was once a time when we stood as the best city in the world. Brilliant urban planing -- along with an amazing, unique cast of people -- made Portland the place to be. But that city is quickly rotting away.

NW 23ed has been completely overrun by Chain Stores and overpriced Yuppie feeding holes; the self styled "Pearl District" has perverted its self into a mini-Seattle; and housing prices are sky rocketing, from Alberta to Powell, driving out the people and the businesses that once made those places so great. That block of small businesses that
sit next to The Bagdad? They're all being driven out by a 50% rent hike! Really! What the fuck is our city coming to?!

As a native Portlander, I've seen this all unfold. I've seen Portland reduced to a husk of its former self. As a 21 year-old, I feel I have more at stake here then the average political candidate. Sam? Sho? They're old. They'll be dead soon. I'm the one that's going to have to live in the world that that next city council builds. I'm the one that's going to have to worry if I can afford to live here 20 years from now. I'm the one that's going to have to worry if I'm going to want to live here 20 years from now. Is there going to be anything left of the Portland I love? Or just an endless sea of condos and trendy, overpriced clothing boutiques?

That's why I'm running for Mayor. I want to take control of this situation. I want to implement radical new plans, not only halt the gentrification, but to drive the yuppies and hipsters from our city; to encourage the right kind of people to immigrate here; to set new standards for green living and sustainability; and to once again make Portland the best city in the world.

Sho Dozono, Gerhard Watzig, and Beryl McNair did not respond by deadline.