Is Councilman Lee Helgen A Leader?
Click onto the links below you decide if Lee Helgen is a dignified leader.
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-councilman_16.html
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2006/11/helgen-misguiding-public-to-gain-votes.html
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2006/09/police-rally-on-rice-st-john-krenik-of.html
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33082780&postID=117167149315101593
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-you-need-to-know-about-councilman_16.html
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2006/11/helgen-misguiding-public-to-gain-votes.html
http://ademocracy.blogspot.com/2006/09/police-rally-on-rice-st-john-krenik-of.html
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=33082780&postID=117167149315101593
posted by Bob at Thursday, July 26, 2007
7 Comments:
From City Hall Scoop. You can also find a link to City Hall Scoop on the front page below the image of Saint Paul.
Ward 5: Ready to rumble?
Think it’s hot now? You should have been at last week’s District 10 - Como Community Council meeting at the Como Park streetcar museum.
If you don’t think the Ward 5 race between Lee Helgen and David Haas is going to be the one to watch, well then, pull up your chair and listen to a story -- because just hours after the City Council elections filing period closed last week, we darned near had ourselves some fisticuffs.
On Tuesday’s agenda was the MGM Liquor Warehouse store on the corner of Larpenteur and Lexington. The location doubles as the company’s headquarters, and there is talk that the Upper Midwest’s biggest liquor store chain might want to expand to better train employees and do all the other things that corporate headquarters are supposed to do.
MGM owns two residential homes on the southern part of the block, leading to speculation that expansion into the quiet neighborhood north of Como Park is imminent -- something many neighbors oppose.
But the meeting really got interesting when Billy Dinkel, a District 10 board member and exec at the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that MGM honchos were pouring money into Helgen’s reelection campaign.
(This is a picture of the two of them we took in January, 2006, at the Chris Coleman inaugural dinner. We actually asked them to stand together, because we figured sooner or later there'd be something going on with these two.)
Anyway, we did a little research on the MGM matter and found three people connected to the company who gave five donations totaling $425 to the Helgen campaign, according to January’s campaign finance reports, the most recent available (new reports are due in August).
That businesses or developers grease the skids shouldn’t surprise anyone. Then why is this significant? Because Dinkel is married to Nancy Haas, David’s sister and campaign manager.
We weren’t there, but we talked to both men about the incident and a confrontation that took place outside after the meeting.
Helgen said he thought Dinkel was out of line bringing politics into the MGM discussion, and decided to tell him so after it was over.
“I took a step to him and said, ‘That’s not right. This is a community meeting,’” Helgen said.
Dinkel said the campaign donations were relevant to the discussion, and defended the move. “It was a legitimate issue. It gives the illusion. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong, but it gives the illusion,” Dinkel said.
Exactly how heated it got is conjecture, but by all accounts the two men were nose-to-nose. At one point, Dinkel told Helgen “Go ahead and do it,” or something along those lines.
That’s when David Haas stepped between the two men. But if they really wanted a piece of each other, the 5’11” Hass couldn’t have stopped them -- Helgen stands 6’4” and weighs 250, while Dinkel checks in at 6’2” and 225.
Helgen said he felt like Dinkel disrespected him by raising the issue.
“I don’t mind having heated political discussions with people, but as an elected official I’m entitled to some respect,” Helgen said.
(Incidentally, Councilmember Jay Benanav also told us he felt disrespected by Dinkel at a recent District 10 meeting. Then again, St. Paulites have never really put their politicians on a throne.)
Dinkel, however, said he feels like the victim.
“I did not do one thing to instigate that,” Dinkel said. “It frustrates me to no end that he did this thing to me.”
As for the supposed MGM expansion, Helgen said it’s off the table.
“That’s not going to be allowed. The neighbors were clear that they didn’t want that,” Helgen said.
It could be a long, hot election season in the North End.
Posted by cityhallscoop on July 23, 2007 at 02:19 PM | Permalink
Please get some help Mr. Helgen. Reading here I think you have some maturing to do yet.
They also have a anger management class for individuals that are having a difficult time controling their temper.Mr. Helgen is an example of a person where their power has gone straight to their head!
Lee Helgen has already answered the question. He has failed as a human being, and just wants to push people around. He needs to be condemned.
It is very disppointing a man like this is our representative. Helgen lives about 5, 6 doors from me.
I haven't voted in the past. I will this year.
HAAS HAS my vote!
VOTE HAAS IN THE NEXT ELECTION!
Helgen is no leader and never will be. He's just like the rest of the city council....just a con man (Harris excluded) that tris to play everyone and everything against each other hoping he will come out the winner.
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