Honorable Jim Ramstad and

MEMBERS of the WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE

I served in the Navy in WW2 and have been a mechanical engineer for 52 years. I am the founder of a Minnesota corporation - SPI. I have a patented design for an AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL PARKING SYSTEM (AMPS). Similar systems are quite common in Asia and Europe. In fact, I recently attended a presentation of five foreign vendors of this class of equipment. The first was from Korea, the second from Italy and the next three were from Germany. And though my design projects superior qualities, we will have our market flooded by these people. I appreciate that we're living in one world, but if we don't get our act together TRADE IS GOING TO BE ONE-WAY.

My stomach churned when I recently received a solicitation from CHINA for the sale of large electric motors, the designs for which were sold to them by the Westinghouse corporation as they exited the business for greater profitability investments. It is this mentality of our financial community to maximize profits without regard for the welfare of our country that is challenging. Two years ago I declined an invitation to come to Beijing to build my first demonstration. I have walked away from several "Venture Capitalists" propositions because of the avarice and arrogance they expressed.

Members of this Committee, please don't tell me where to go --in the bureaucracy. My experience persuades me that their objective, by and large, is to perpetuate their jobs. The Congress regularly includes riders in Bills for tax advantages and grants to corporations. If you can't afford a grant, extend a low-interest loan to SAFE PARK, INC. and watch its value to the community as we address ENERGY CONSERVATION, MASS TRANSPORTATION & POLLUTION amelioration.

With $1 million SPI will demonstrate its value on the property of a non-profit institution and become viable.

Sincerely,

William A. Sternad
President