Mayoral candidate Tim Holden did not have his shining moment in the sun when East Side residents came together Thursday night to discuss a wave of youth “flash mob” style attacks that have resulted in repeated tragedy this summer. After waiting in a rather lengthy line to share his views on the issue before a crowd of hundreds at Arlington Hills Lutheran Church, Holden was almost booed off the mic.
Held in the church basement conference room, the stifling hot, three-hour forum was full of East Side pride, and Holden, who lives in Hamline-Midway, was perceived as an outsider trolling for votes.
When the audience finally calmed down, he eventually got a chance to say a few words, despite continued grumbles from the crowd and Payne-Phalen District 5 moderators urging him to get on with it.
The audience paid rapt attention, on the other hand, to the father of beating victim Ray Widstrand, and the mother of one of his alleged attackers, who also took the mic to say that her child would be held responsible for whatever role he played.
Holden, who will be on the November ballot, wasn’t impressed with how he was treated relative to other speakers, and he went online afterward to the E-Democracy forums to say so:
Pastor Miller/ALL
I was glad the East side held a meeting to discuss the violence And lack of community safety tonight.
It was unfortunate that PEOPLE who do not live on the East side were so UNWELCOME!!!!!!!!!
The meeting invitation stated EVERYONE was welcome!!!!!
I live in the Hamline Midway and have had my own problems with crime, THREE Break-ins within the last year!!!!
The district council representative at the microphone did not want to let me speak as she stated I am not a East side resident????
Please HONOR &RESPECT ALL and review YOUR INVITATION!!!!
I WILL change this closed minded unwillingness to listen behavior when I become Mayor!!!!
This ignorance is what will hold back people ever wanting to engage and affect positive change!
Find a leader for the district council
that will work and LISTEN to everyone’s input especially when a INVITATION WELCOMES ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAD I been allowed to speak I would have said my heart and prayers go out to the victim and his family for this tragic event.
The problem I witnessed tonight was a select few in the community NOT willing to listening to everyone’s ideas, feelings and point of view.
This is the reason why I am running for Mayor. ALL people deserve RESPECT and MUST BE LISTENED TOO!!!
I will work for EVERYONE in SAINT PAUL not a select few!
I again would like the victim and his family to know that they are in my prayers.
I will also pray for ALL those that did not respect and allow input from EVERYONE INVITED.
Peace and Love to ALL!
Tim Holden
EVERYONE’S MAYOR CANDIDATE
Holden also left a phone message for a Pioneer Press reporter, reiterating that he didn’t get the soapbox he was looking for:
“The meeting this evening was supposed to be open for everyone to talk, and the lady from District 5 didn’t want me to talk even before she gave me the microphone. So it’s kind of unfortunate that they won’t let people talk … I’ve got some things to try and talk about with break-ins. We’ve personally been broken into three times, I have been, in my house. I am taken aback by the whole thing this evening.”
So how are East Side residents responding to his continued complaints?
Here’s a sample off E-Democracy:
Tim Holden, I was one that reacted negatively to your statement last night. Not because you were not from the East Side or because what you were saying wasn’t important. It was because the first thing out of your mouth was a campaign statement. That was absolutely NOT the time or the place to be running for office. Say what you want, attend any meeting you want, but do not announce you are running for an office, then maybe you will be welcome to speak.
It was a great turnout and it shows that there are many, many issues that are having an effect on a lot of people. I am glad my neighbors talk to each other & make an effort to keep the area clean and participate in things. But it really is up to each of us to make the difference we want to see happen. Be a good neighbor, smile once in awhile, pick up the garbage on the street in front of your house, report illegal activity and things will start looking up!
Danette Allrich
Westminster/Case, Saint Paul
Here’s another:
Tim,
You are no one’s mayoral candidate if you choose to take a political platform at a community event like such. If you had introduced yourself as a Tim, concerned St. Paul resident rather than Mayoral Candidate I may have been more apt to listen rather than boo you off the microphone.
Mayor Coleman has my vote based on this awfully zealous email you’ve chosen to blast to our community’s democratic forum. And because he’s a damn fine public servant.
Best regards,
J Samuel Clark
Sent from my iPhone
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2:30 p.m. Friday Addendum: Here’s another response to Holden’s repeated E-Democracy missives, which continued throughout the day Friday…
Tim -
We get it. The community has heard you, many, many times now. It’s time to stop. Really. This forum has heard you, free speech and all, but is not the place for your continued cry for political platform.
Suzan Forsberg
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School board candidate Greg Copeland — a vociferous Republican activist who has run for public office in the past — also took the mic earlier in the program, to a somewhat warmer welcome.
Holden will appear on the November ballot along with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who is angling for a third term, and candidates Sharon Anderson and Kurt “Dirty Kurty” Dornfeld.
As for the lengthy forum, audience members gave impassioned speeches in favor of having the police impose youth curfews to the extent they did last summer, step up police presence on the East Side, respond to police calls faster, and take proactive steps toward preventing youth violence.
St. Paul Police say they plan to deploy an additional 30 officers, though its unclear where that manpower will come from. They also noted that Ramsey County dispatch handles the prioritization of 911 calls — an issue that probably needs to be sorted out between St. Paul Police and the Ramsey County Sheriff. When calls about property damage or groups of youth congregating come in to dispatch, it probably doesn’t register as an immediate threat like a robbery or assault in progress would, even though there have been six or seven melee-style incidents on the East Side this summer.
Last summer was relatively calm, said the mayor, but this summer has “heated up.”