A local entrepreneur who operates “sustainability focused” bike tours and who founded a successful web hosting business has just announced his candidacy for mayor.
26 year-old Slav Davidzon sent an email to supporters this morning announcing his candidacy that said in part,
“Portland needs a mayor who has the vision and courage to take the bold steps towards true sustainability and social justice.”
Davidzon runs the Sustainable Energy in Motion bike tours under his Common Circle, Inc. company and has also found success as president and founder of Thinkhost, a web hosting services company he started in 1999 (when he was only 16) that “supports positive social change” and is “powered by the wind and sun”.
Thinkhost currently donates webhosting to several local non-profits including those wild and crazy bike funnists at Shift.
Regarding bikes, Davidzon states that he plans to limit one-fifth of Portland’s streets to public transit, bikes, and pedestrian traffic. He would also subsidize public transit and make it free for everyone.
A look into my comment archives shows that Davidzon has been outspoken about his positions on many bike issues.
Reacting to a post about a legislative bill (which did not pass) to install official memorial signs at sites of fallen cyclists, Davidzon wrote:
“This is one of the dumbest things I’ve seen…Not only will it scare people from biking…it is also a ridiculous waste of money and resources that accomplishes absolutely nothing.”
After I wrote about the non-profit Community Cycling Center getting robbed and ransacked, Davidzon called for the Bike Gallery (whose owner Jay Graves used to sit on their Board of Directors) to donate. He wrote,
“The Bike Gallery is the largest bike dealer in Portland…This means that the demand on them to support the community should be far higher than those on any smaller bike shop.
I take serious disagreement with anyone who suggests that corporate giving ought to be seen only as a gracious act, rather than something to be demanded. After all, Bike Gallery would be not exist without the community.”
In response to my recent interview with City Commissioner Sam Adams, Davidzon wrote:
“May I ask why you didn’t ask Sam Adams about the failure of police to enforce existing laws? Surely he has some level of influence over the mayor, who is the chief of police…At the end of the day, it is action and action alone that matters to saving lives.
…Mr. Adams has the power to make a real difference, but no real will to do so, and this article clearly outlines that.”
Davidzon becomes the tenth Portlander to run for mayor (see all of them here). For more on Davidzon’s platform and campaign, check out OurPortland.org and/or download his announcement press release (PDF).
[DISCLAIMER: Davidzon has paid for advertising for his bike tours on this site in the past.]