Dean Zimmermann Protests LRT and Promotes PRT in North Mpls

I wasn't expecting to see Zimmermann today at a transportation meeting in North Minneapolis... but there he was in the audience dissing light rail and promoting the pods along with CPRT director Margaret Beegle . I asked Zimmermann a few questions.. listen:



UPDATE: Pods on Streetsblog.

Pod People Meet at the Scene of Zimmermann's Crime

If you go to the Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit website (CPRT.org), you'll notice they had a meeting recently at 2200 Clinton Avenue South in Minneapolis, the home of convicted felon Gary Dean Zimmermann.



2200 Clinton is where Zimmermann was caught on video accepting a cash gratuity from government witness Gary Carlson on August 31st, 2005:

Carlson says they need to get Zimmermann elected, then hands him an envelope and says “that’s for getting us the zoning over there.” [This envelope contains $1000 in the form of 10 $100 bills, given to Carlson by the FBI.]

Jenny Heiser, Zimmermann’s wife, comes in and Carlson asks for a campaign t-shirt. Carlson has a discussion with Heiser about line-drying their t-shirts and Heiser exits.

Zimmermann tells Carlson, “this guy down here [in the 9th. ward] is running against Schiff, Dave Bicking…[Schiff is a?] significant obstacle, this’ll be in his ward. He [Bicking] could use a little promotion, he’s got an uphill battle, but he’s got no relation with Hamoudi and those guys,” even though he met with the Sabris. One of them [I don’t recall if it was Zimmermann or Carlson] mentions Sheila Delaney, a candidate Hamoudi [Sabri] and his friends promoted, who withdrew from the race.

Carlson then says he thinks there are three people running in Zimmermann’s ward. Zimmermann replies by saying the “other guy” [other than Lilligren] is a “straw man we put up so there’ll be a primary.” He says the campaign wanted to have a primary to see “where we stood.” [I believe he also said something about his whole campaign knowing about this “straw man,” James Gorham.]

...2200 Clinton was raided by the Feds:

After lunch the prosecution continued its questioning of Agent Bisswurm. In response to questioning, Bisswurm explained that repetitive portions of the tape we just heard had been edited out, but the full and unedited version was supplied to the defense. He said a federal search warrant of Zimmermann’s home at 2200 Clinton was served on September 8, 2005. He explained that money was indeed found in the desk drawer: $1200 cash in four envelopes (Exhibits 34-37). He said all $1200 was there, but there was no trace of the $5000 or the original $1000. Docherty asked him is any of the original $100 bills (other than the $1200 in four campaign envelopes) were found in the house, and he said no. He said Zimmermann was asked where the $1000 was and he replied “all over the place.”

The CPRT has no problem with law-breaking, having broken IRS law to help get Zimmermann elected in 2005.

Here's Margaret Beegle of the CPRT at the Living Green Expo last year:

Dean Zimmermann is Back and He's Boring...

Mpls Issues had a notice about a "Community Discussion and Forum". One of the speakers was Dean Zimmermann:

Dean Zimmerman is a former Minneapolis City Council Member. A well known and respected member of the local progressive peace and justice communities, Dean is considered a hero by many people and has always been a champion of poor and oppressed people.

A very small group of people listened to Zimmermann drone on and on about stuff including, of course the pods:

Gary Carlson Speaks

Developer and Builder Gary Carlson talks about the trial of Gary Dean Zimmermann:

Gary Dean Zimmmermann Still Asking for the "Money, Money, Money"

The following letter was posted on David Shove's Progressive Calendar. Jenny Heiser, Dean Zimmermann's attack-wife implores the Zimmer-cult to wish her husband, Dean Zimmermann a happy birthday (and give Dean gifts and more “money, money, money”:

From: Jenny Heiser
Subject: Dean Z birthday 6.06

Dean's 65th birthday is next Wednesday, June 6. I know he'd love to
receive a greeting from you, even if it gets there a day or two late.
Here's his address:

Gary D. Zimmermann, #12696-041
FCI Englewood/Satellite Camp
9595 W. Quincy Ave
Littleton, CO 80123

In mid-April I was able to travel to Littleton, CO to visit with Dean.He's lost over 25 lbs. and looks fine. More on this visit in another message.

Here's the address for a web-blog created by friends for Dean. Feel free to post a message, I'll send them to him at least once a week.

Reading is a major pastime for Dean. Here's a link to a reading "Wish List" that his brother, Joel, created for Dean in case you'd Amazon.com to send him a book (HYPERLINK) It would be best to let Amazon send him the book you choose because of very stringent prison rules around what Dean can receive and the packaging he can receive books in.)

Dean is earning approximately $25/month. This just covers his expenses related to correspondence. His phone cards cost him $90/month. He'd love to purchase a radio from the prison commissary (no, you nor I can send him a radio). If you feel so moved, please consider contributing to his legal defense fund to help cover these costs, and either David Tilsen or Scott Cramer will see that your contribution gets put into Dean's prison commissary account:

Zimmermann for Justice
c/o David Tilsen
3220-10th Ave So
Mpls, MN 55407

Please feel free to share this information with others. More in another message with information about what you need to do if you think you'll be in the Denver area this summer or fall and wish to visit with Dean.

Love & peace to all!

Jenny

Jenny Heiser & Dean Zimmermann
2200 Clinton Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404-3655

This is likely the first of many attempts we'll see to rehabilitate Gary Dean Zimmermann's image. No doubt, the Zimmer-cult is encouraged by the fact that U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose refuses to give the FBI tapes shown in open court to the media. Those tapes would dispel any doubt that Zimmermann is guilty of soliciting and accepting bribes from a Hummer-driving developer who raised money for Senator Norm Coleman.

In other news, Zimmermann's PRT pod pal, Rep. Mark Olson's trial for domestic assault has been postponed (again) to July.

Gary Dean Zimmermann Still Owns Property Worth $794,500

At the time of his trial, Gary Dean Zimmermann had a court-appointed lawyer. Zimmermann claimed he was broke.

According to the City of Minneapolis website, Zimmermann still owns 3 properties worth $794,500. How is that possible?

2200 Clinton Av. S. $226,500

2012 Grand Av. S. $389,500 

2416 - 17th Av. S. $178,500

Rachel Paulose and the Zimmermann Tapes

Reporters and bloggers are trying to figure out why a loyal Bushie was put in charge of the US Attorney's office in Minnesota.

So far they've been looking in all the wrong places.

The question they should be asking is what happened to the investigation of municipal corruption in Minneapolis.

The investigation of Gary Dean Zimmermann should have yielded a treasure trove of information about Zimmmermann and his contacts.... many of them prominent, wealthy and influential right-wing Republicans.

The FBI tapes shown in open court during his trial showed Zimmermann soliciting and accepting large amounts of cash from Gary Carlson who held a fund raiser for Norm Coleman. Zimmermann also lobbied for Crown Hydro, acompany owned by William Hawks who held a fundraiser for Michele Bachmann (special guest Dick Cheney)

Perhaps Zimmermann's computer served up a e-mails to and from prominent Republican politicians and donors. There were a bunch of prominent Republicans promoting PRT and the Taxi 2000 Corporation.

Yesterday I found another prominent Republican donor who for a time was a co-defendant in the Taxi 2000 lawsuit.

Zimmmermann lobbied incessantly for Taxi 2000 while he was in office. I hope that the media takes the time to ask the question fellow Green Party office-holder Annie Young asked back in 2004:

“This is not a Green Party issue; this is Dean’s project. I’m concerned about his relationship to Taxi 2000, and about the time he’s spending on the project and whether he’s meeting the needs of the people in his ward. There are potentially some good things that could come from it, and I see what the point is but I’m not sure the timing is right. There are also a lot of questions about it, like why are the Republicans so interested in it?... "

To learn more about Zimmermann's odd relationship with prominent right-wing Republicans and about the FBI tapes showing Zimmermann requesting and receiving cash bribes from a Hummer-driving Republican developer, read this post at Lloydletta.