Lee Helgen is a DFL City Councilman who represents Saint Paul’s North End.
Among the whole crowd of DFL sinecures up for election this fall, Helgen’s seat is probably going to be the most interesting race.
We’ve encountered Helgen before – his involvement in the controversial teardown of the house at 14 East Jessamine last year (I covered it here and here) is still fresh in many minds. Rumors around Saint Paul hint of other stories that haven’t broken yet.
And then there’s this:
MGM [Liquor Warehouse] owns two residential homes on the southern part of the block [at the southwest corner of Larpenteur and Lexington], 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.
Now, bear in mind these District Council meetings usually make watching paint dry seem pretty cool.
Not this time:
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.)
(I think I’m liking this Dinkel guy more and more)
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.”
It’s going to be an interesting race.
Saint Paulicy covers the brouhaha and ties it to some other Helgiana.
How typical. Helgen considered bringing up an issue he doesn’t want to talk about “disrespect” and he believes that he in “entitled” to respect just because he got elected.
What a boob.
“…as an elected official I’m entitled to some respect”
Ahh, Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
(pant pant)
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Somebody call Jon Stewart! A politician is demanding respect.
Interesting that saintpaulicy decides not to inform its readers that Mr. Dinkel is the brother-in-law of Mr. Helgen’s opponent, and wife his is the campaign manager…
Fulcrum, this:
“It seems that Mr. Billy Dinkle, manager of the David Haas campaign and member of the district council’s board”
and this:
“With Helgen and David Haas (Lee’s opponent) in attendance”
make it read like Dinkle is the campaign manager, but it doesn’t seem like SaintPaulicy is hiding the information.
SPicy posted a correction:
“A small correction. Mr. Billy Dinkle is not the campaign manager for the David Haas campaign. ”
http://saintpaulicy.com/2007/07/19/correction.aspx
but he is, indeed, brother in law to David Haas. Word on the street is that he is kept away from the campaign due to his tendency to speak his mind without filtering.
I know someone who was at the meeting and says that Mr. Dinkel had his hand raised to ask a question for more than 20 minutes while the board chair apparently ignored him and called on others to ask questions. When the time came that he finally got to speak, he was agitated and brought up the issue of MGM’s contributions to Mr. Helgen.
He offered the correction, but still didn’t note the relation (to his/her defense, he/she may not have known that relation).
I have no horse in that race, but saintpaulicy should be upfront about that relation (as stated above, if she/he knew about it). Just as inquiring about donations from MGM is a fair question, it is fair to note the questioner’s relation to mr. haas.
I realize that saintpaulicy is a blog, but i am just trying to keep the discussion honest.
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