Dean Zimmermann:

Zimmermann defends himself on MPR.

"...we simply have to make life easier for poor people."

Zimmermann devoted nearly his entire term in office to his $600 million, 64-station PRT project.

How does Zimmermann's crazy PRT project make life easier for poor people?

Dean Zimmermann's Raccoon Eyes

Yesterday I posted a couple accounts of Dean Zimmerman's 2001, pre-election, back-alley fracas

Perhaps the weirdest detail of this very weird tale is that both Dean Zimmermann and Jenny Heiser, now Mrs. Zimmermann sported "raccoon eyes"-- two black eyes each. What are the chances of Dean and Jenny receiving this identical injury?

There is another possible explanation for how two people can have identical "raccoon eyes":

‘Black eyes’ and bruising. The kinetic energy from a blow which is transmitted through the head and brain is expelled through soft tissue, eg. the eyes, and behind the ears (‘Battle’s sign’). Bruising at these points indicates that the head has suffered exposure to considerable force.
It should be remembered that just because a casualty has two black eyes (Raccoon eyes), this does not necessarily mean that he or she has been struck in the face. ‘Raccoon eyes’ may indicate a forceful impact elsewhere on the skull.

Sounds more like they got into a car crash or were butting heads like goats.

Nah... raccoon-eyed crime-busters are way more believable... especially just before an election.

Dean Zimmermann's Crime-Busting Days

CJ's Strib column four years ago:

Dean Zimmermann's black eyes are "pretty good ones," said the Park and Recreation Board member who was the highest vote-getter in the Minneapolis Sixth Ward race for City Council. He got them early Saturday when he was defending his East Phillips neighborhood against people busting out car windows. "Sometime around [1:30 a.m.] we heard this bang, bang and I looked out my kitchen window, saw these [two] kids beating the windows out of a neighbor's car. I called the police, then went out to try to delay their departure. I was successful in doing that," said Zimmermann. His delay tactic involved following the kids down the alley. "Kind of got them to turn around and talk to me," he said. "Don't really remember what I said, just anything that would get them to react and turn around." Although Zimmermann wanted "to keep a little distance between us, at a certain point they made a little whistle and three other compatriots came in behind me. They started picking up stones to throw, and I thought that would be a good time to retreat.`' Zimmermann said he ran into his neighbor's yard and they followed. "They kind of all jumped me at once," he said. With fists and a chair they "whomped me." Other neighbors came out, and "they took off. The cops nabbed one of them. So the mission was successful. We have to press charges, as they say, and we're planning to do that." Zimmermann, who retells the story in his low-key style, decided he should see a doctor Tuesday because "these just don't seem to be clearing up at all. You know, I've had black eyes before. Not a big deal." Really? "I've had a life of experience. I'm not a timid wallflower. If you're on the cutting edge of things, sometimes you get cut." And sometimes those cuts come with "raccoon eyes," said his partner and campaign manager Jenny Heiser: "He looks so awful." She's not looking great either. A girl in the group blackened her eyes.

Here's Ed Felein's account in Southside Pride

When Dean Zimmermann decided to run for a seat on the City Council he didn't think he'd run into gang trouble in his own backyard.
    On Sept. 15, at about 1:30 a.m., he was awakened by some loud noises in his alley. He got up and looked out and saw some kids beating windows out of a neighbor's car. There had been a number of incidents of windows being broken out of cars in the East Phillips neighborhood recently.
    One of the kids had double zeros on the back of his jacket, Zimmermann said. He called the police, described the situation, and said he was going out after them (thinking this would encourage the police to come more quickly).
    He went out with the intention of delaying the kids until the proper authorities arrived.
    “I danced behind them, but probably not at quite a prudent distance, talking to them, 'Why don't you guys leave us alone?' I was about 150 feet away. They answered back, 'Why don't you go home, old man?' Then, they gave a gang signal, whistling, and three guys came up behind me throwing rocks. I turned around and ran at one of the guys. I tackled him. But the other four jumped me, and that's how I got the black eyes. Some women neighbors came out, and the young men beat them also. The kids took off. Twenty minutes after they were called, the police showed up. They were able to pick up one of the kids. He was 13....

There's more, ending with this howler...

Zimmermann said he promises big changes in the way the city deals with crime if he's elected to the city council from the 6th ward in November.

Dean Zimmermann: Was it "Want" or "Need"?

As Mick Jagger would tell you, there's a world of difference between the words "need" and "want". Here are two accounts of an incident mentioned in the warrant used by the FBI when they raided Dean Zimmermann's house:

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David Tilsen

"This June 6th meeting was at the Black Forest Inn, it was a fundraising party for Dean on the occasion of his 63rd birthday.  Dean was speaking to a group of over 100 supporters from a makeshift stage, and someone unknown raised his/her hand and asked “Dean what do you need?”  Dean said “money money money”.  As we can see, the affidavit is true, but not actually the truth."

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Wizard Marks

"I interviewed Zimmermann and his wife today. Zimmermann and Jenny Heiser (Mrs. Zimmermann) both agree that Dean Zimmermann could have met Carlson on June 6th, as the affidavit claims, but that there were over 100 people in the room with Zimmermann and Carlson at the time because it was Zimmermann's birthday party. The Zimmermann's also agree that
Zimmermann said, "money, money, money". They further claim that his saying so was in answer to the shouted question from one attendee, "What do you want for your birthday, Dean?"

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Gee, and I thought a Green's birthday wish would be for something like world peace, or an end to pollution or an end to genetic engineering, or an end to the destruction of the rain forests, or.....

Is Dean Zimmermann Innocent?

According to his friends, Zimmermann is not guilty of bribery even though he took the money.

It's kind of complicated, but...

www.dtilsen.net/blog

Dean Zimmermann and the "Money, Money, Money."

While I'm waiting for the Feds to decide what to do with Councilman Dean Zimmermann, I thought I'd take a look at Dean's latest campaign finance statement (PDF file) filed with Hennepin County.

One item that really looked interesting was a bunch of expenditures totalling at least 3 thousand dollars* to "River Aide Consulting". I Googled River Aide Consulting and came up with nothing. I looked River Aide Consulting up in the phone book... again nothing. By chance, I noticed that River Aide Consulting had the same address as Park Board candidate Annie Young... interesting!

Speaking of Annie Young, her old website, www.annieyoung.org has gone smutty.

Speaking of porno-greens:

www.fuckforforest.com

*Apparently not $16k I incorrectly stated earlier.

Dean Zimmermann Investigation

The Pi Press connects the dots.

Bribe case had small beginnings

Unheralded condo project led to Zimmermann accusations
BY BETH SILVER

At the center of the latest federal bribery probe roiling Minneapolis City Hall stands Chicago Commons, a small-scale condominium project that has touched off big-time corruption allegations against City Council Member Dean Zimmermann.

More about the Zimmermann investigation at Mpls Upside Down.

The Fish Rots From the Head Down

If FBI bloodhounds follow the stinking trail of corruption at City Hall, it just may lead to the Mayor's office.

The Mayor, like Zimmermann supported Sabri's Elroy project.

Rybak also supported Zimmermann's PRT project even though he knew PRT was not a practical transportation system. The Rybak administration saw Zimmermann's "PRT Test Facility" as a "community development" project... a phoney jobs program as sustainable as Rudi Perpich's chopstick factory.

City Hall needs a broom... not an air freshener.

Dean Zimmermann Bribery Scandal

PRT-skeptic blog

It will be interesting to see if Taxi 2000 and the CPRT will be drawn into this mess. Here's a post on Zimmermann asking the CPRT to help his campaign over at Lloydletta.

Here's some news reports just in:

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http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=106861

Zimmermann allegedly took $5,000 last year and is said to have needed the money to repay a legal bill.

The court documents say Zimmermann also took bribes totaling $2,200 for his re-election campaign.

The affidavit also says that in June of this year, Zimmermann was recorded talking to the man working with the FBI about the rezoning issue and Zimmermann was heard saying he needed, "money, money, money."

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http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_252193345.html

In June, the FBI said when the witness asked how he could gain the support of Zimmermann, the councilman was on tape saying "money, money money."

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http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5606567.html

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/12601882.htm

On June 6, the developer agreed to pay $4,000 to $5,000 toward Zimmermann's legal bill, and made an audio recording of a meeting where the arrangement was made. The money was passed to Zimmermann at a June 14 meeting, which was audio- and videotaped.

Dean Zimmermann Searched by FBI

"The campaign for Minneapolis City Councilmember Dean Zimmermann is in disarray after FBI agents took campaign materials and financial records from Zimmermann's home. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office said little about the case except that it was part of an ongoing investigation."

MPR's story

No surprise at this blog.

The real Dean Zimmermann