Is Alderman Greg Helding, who has visions of one day becoming the mayor of Racine, covering his tracks by accusing a fellow aldermen of having political motivation by asking Mayor John Dickert about the city's hiring process at the City Council meeting Tuesday?The mayor attempted to silence Shields with his voice and gavel several times during the meeting after Alderman Michael Shields questioned him about the hiring of former Alderman Mark Eickhorst, as a part-time public relations worker for the city, through a contract with Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce.
Alderman Greg Helding said Shields is trying to make it seem like the mayor silenced him because he tried to ask questions about the hiring process.
Shields said there was nothing political about his actions; he just wanted to call attention to the city's hiring process.
The question remains, why did Helding keep silent until the issue hit the media, and bloggers on this website, RacinePost, as well as on the Journal Times, became outraged at the action of the mayor.
Helding, one of the few Alderman who dominates the Council meetings, said nothing during Tuesdays meeting, but has had back-to-back stories in the Racine Journal Times since the incident occurred.
In the daily paper today, Helding said that questions about the hiring process had already been asked at the meeting and before the meeting by other aldermen. He said the mayor and others were happy to answer those questions. Shields said he knew nothing about the meetings. Did those meetings of Aldermen constitute a quorum, and if so, should it have been posted in the local media?
Is Helding trying to clear up the mess in the paper, which is no more than his attempt at carrying water for the mayor, or are some of the practices of the former mayor creeping back into City Hall? It was very common in Mayor Becker's administration that meetings were held behind closed doors with certain alderman, while others was left out.
The "Gavel Attack" is another example of how our local government is out of control.
What do you think?
6 comments:
I want to be able to follow this article but it needs to be proofread.
I thought it was a great article and I followed it very well. Thank you very much for being informative and letting us know what is going on within the Community, even at City Hall! Excellent Job
I think Helding disgust me, and I think I just read that there is more of this crap coming our way, the mayor and these fools are trying to shove a 40k personal friend of the mayor into a no bid contract! That's 40K for a PART time 20hrs a week!
Helding is a rino! but Helding d
was not defending them mayor he criticised both. Sheilds
is a bully! And sending out a release as naacp was politically motivated. Did the naacp board vote to have him send out the letter? Come on-I Michael Sheilds, president of the naacp is upset that the Aldderman Michael Sheilds was gaveled down.
The Release we recieved did not come from Alderman Sheilds. The fact is that it was un-named.
My statements on this were made during an interview with the Journal Times. I was not interviewed by this paper, so they don't have the full story. Of course, not having the full story has never stopped either the Journal Times or the Insider from printing an article.
I am always available to talk to citizens about issues. Anyone who wants to discuss this, or any other issue, in a civil and open way can e-mail me at greg.helding@cityofracine.org
Thanks,
Ald. Greg Helding
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