Podcar Conference a Bust

The Pod People have been hyping their silly conference for months. The Catherine Burke opinion piece in the LA Times was the opening shot in what I thought would be a barrage of publicity. I'm sure they also expected to see some national publicity come out about the conference.

In the last few days... (crickets).

The Connect Ithaca web site is still down.

There was some very silly local TV news reports on the conference:



A notable absence from the conference was would-be PRT vendor Taxi 2000/Skyweb Express... not even mentioned on the vendor page.

Olson still links to Skyweb Express on his campaign website.

Here's Olson and the Taxi 2000 pod back in the days when both were riding high in the media spotlight:

Debbie Cook Does Not Appear at the Ithaca Podcar Conference

Looks like Congressional candidate Debbie Cook will not appear at the Podcar Conference as the Podcar website claimed.

The current program says the following:

Video Message from Debbie Cook, Mayor of Huntington Beach and candidate for US Congress (D)

Why the "(D)" after her name It should not matter to a supposedly non-political group what party she belongs to. But matter it does since the Pod people are sweating that Republicans will be out of power in January and it is the anti-transit, right-wing fringe that Rep. Mark Olson comes from that supported PRT in Minnesota.

But, Gus Ayer was there... Gus from last year's Podcar conference:

Local TV News Coverage of Wacky Podcar Conference

Hilarious... a bunch of Swedes and a local developer peddling PRT snake oil with a wacky "bubble and beams" CGI video. The developer Frost Travis predicts that Ithaca will be covered in bubbles and beams in ten years.... interesting that the website for Connect Ithaca website is down... is Jake Roberts still working for Connect Ithaca?

Podcar Conference Marketing & Sponsorship Director Fired from his Other Job

Ithaca Journal:

ITHACA — The Ithaca Festival faces a major deficit and a search for a director following this past June's event that saw an expansion of attractions and performers at two locations in the city.

“The festival is in debt, and the festival director was terminated, and the festival board is determined that the festival continue in 2009 and beyond. We expect to continue the mission of the festival to bring out the artist in everyone,” said Ed Marion, the president of the festival's board of directors.

According to the 2008 Executive Director Jacob Roberts, who was fired by the festival's board on July 11, the budget was approximately $300,000 and the deficit as of June was well into the six figures.

Scott Hamilton, who managed expenses for the 2008 Festival, said that the deficit handed to the board following the festival was $150,000.

Jake Robert's bio in a Podcar Conference newsletter (PDF):

Jacob Alan Roberts

By Christer Lindstrom

PODCAR CITY: ITHACA is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Jacob Alan Roberts as its Marketing & Sponsorship Director. Over the past decade, Mr. Roberts has been a tireless leader in catalyzing and inspiring the creative sectors of Syracuse and Ithaca, NY. His extensive body of work as an executive, civil servant and community volunteer has yielded transformative action in social, cultural and economic spheres that continue to bring about sensible and innovative solutions to the greater region.

Since graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Fine Art in 1996, Jacob has committed himself to the promotion and advancement of Upstate, NY by creating a diverse portfolio of initiatives that produces results. From co-founding NGO’s that work to support the areas “creative class”, to launching a community-based fiber optic network, to spearheading the largest
gathering of “young professionals” in US history, Mr. Roberts continues to make positive impacts with his time and energy.

We are happy to welcome Jacob to the team!

What a team... Michele Bachmann, Dean Zimmermann, Mark Olson, Jacob Roberts... the PRT guys sure do a heckuva job picking people to promote their boondoggle.

Ithaca's PRT Promoters Know Better Than You

On another blog, a persistent troll accused me of representing the interests of "the light rail lobby".

It's a ridiculous claim, but it gives me an opportunity to say what I stand for.

I am in favor of full and meaningful citizen participation in decisions that effect the neighborhoods they live in. That is why I volunteered to oppose the 35W Access Project.

Meaningful citizen participation requires that citizens be given the power to make decisions based on the best available information.

The PRT promoters of Ithaca seem to have another idea... no meaningful citizen participation.

This is from the local Green Cities blog:

THE GOVERNMENT: Top down approach. This is how any really major change has ever happened in the world of environmentalism. Without governmental guidance or support very little will get done in a short period of time.

And what sort of "major change" do these self-styled "green" tyrants want to force on Ithaca?

Personal Rapid Transit:

Goal 1: To engage the Cornell community in learning, discussing, and eventually approving the vision of Connect Ithaca, which includes collaborative planning for an Ithaca-wide personal rapid transity (PRT) system.

Goal 2: To outreach to the downtown Ithaca community about Connect Ithaca and work with any other parties in promoting PRT in Ithaca.

Looks like the Connect Ithaca Team is going about the business of lining up support for their top-down pod revolution. Here is a resolution passed by the Cornell Student Assembly.

And the Chair of Connect Ithaca Jacob Roberts is also going about the business of lining up support:

Ithaca is well positioned to become a beta-site for one of the first modern PRT networks in the world. Various Industry leaders, International PRT NGOs, and even other US city Mayors are already supporting Connect Ithaca and its effort to situate Ithaca, NY and Tompkins County as the testing, development and manufacturing hub of the first major North American PRT network. Very exciting, indeed!

What Jake means by "beta-site" is that Ithaca is where the PRTistas plan to work out the bugs in their ridiculous concept.

Here's Jake talking about the Podcar Conference:

Click To Play