[Mpls] PRT down our throats?

[Russell Raczkowski]

Last night I attended a St. Louis Park Green Party forum where 6th Ward 
councilperson Dean Zimmermann made his pitch for PRT.  His 68 station PRT
plan notwithstanding, it seems to me that what this is all about is a government
subsidy of a test track facility for the Taxi 2000 corporation.  

If I understood Dean correctly, the funding formula as contained in a current
bill under consideration in the legislature is as follows: $12 million from the State
of Minnesota, $6 million from the Taxi 2000 corporaton, AND $6 MILLION FROM THE
HOSTING MUNICIPALITY.  That would be us, folks, if that facility was built in 
Minneapolis.  Dean mentioned the Seward "industrial area" as a possible location.

Why a test facility?  Because PRT, as designed by Taxi 2000, has never been built
anywhere on the planet.  

I have just discovered that the city council is conducting "a study session" of PRT 
tomorrow at 9AM.  Dean Z. claimed that he has support of 7 of the 13 councilmembers.

I'd suggest that we start paying attention real quick, or we will see $6 million in 
city bucks and $18 million in state funds going to a test facility for a dubious transit 
technology as our present transit system is shut down because transit workers want
to keep their current healthcare coverage.

To my mind, something ain't quite right with this picture.

Russell Raczkowski
Bancroft