Dean Zimmermann

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Image:Z.Baja.jpg

2005 photo of former Councilman Dean Zimmermann in front of the Baja Riverside restaurant - where he later received a $5,000 cash bribe from a real estate developer

Dean Zimmermann (Gary Dean Zimmermann) is an American politician and member of the Green Party of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was an elected member of the Minneapolis City Council from 2001 to 2005. Before that Zimmermann served on the Minneapolis Park Board, initially as a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

In the 1970s Dean Zimmermann briefly belonged to a group called the "O" which Janja Lalich, assistant sociology professor at California State University-Chico described as a political cult [1]. During this time, he was also involved in what became known as the "co-op wars" -- in which he took the side of those promoting a Marxist vision for food co-ops, rather than a principally ecological one.[2][3]

Dean Zimmermann was convicted August 10, 2006 in federal court of accepting bribes in connection with his official duties. He was found guilty on three counts of accepting cash from a local real estate developer who had business before the City Council of Minneapolis[4]. During the trial, the prosecutors presented the jury with videotape surveillance of conversations between Zimmermann and the developer, Garl Carlson -- who was surprised during one meeting to find the councilman interested in attending a Republican fundraiser. Zimmermann replied, "Republicans, Democrats, Greens … What's the difference? It's all money." [5]

In December 2006, Zimmermann was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his felony convictions and is currently serving his sentence in the minimum security wing of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Englewood in Littleton, Colorado. [6] [7] [8]

2004 photo of Dean Zimmermann giving a presentation about PRT at MInneapolis City Hall with Rep. Mark Olson

Dean Zimmermann has been an outspoken proponent of personal rapid transit (PRT)[9]. He developed a proposal to build a PRT system in Minneapolis consisting of 31 miles of track and 68 stations [10]. Dean Zimmermann worked with Minnesota State Representative Mark Douglas Olson (16b), a Republican from Big Lake, Minnesota to promote and pass legislation for PRT.