Addressing the chairman of the state ABC commission in his resignation letter, Parks Helms said, "I take issue with his use of my name as a scapegoat for the troubled North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control system."
Helms also said the accompanying "media frenzy" compelled him to resign from the Board of Directors of Florence Crittenton Services and the Advisory Board of Child Care Resources.
Here is the full text:
_____________________________
H. Parks Helms
January 14, 2010
Ms. Jennifer Roberts
Chairperson
Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners
Dear Jennifer:
Please accept my resignation as chairman of the Mecklenburg County ABC Board effective upon receipt of this letter. I had hoped to tender my resignation yesterday after a meeting with the Chairman of the State ABC Commission in Raleigh. Enclosed is a copy of a statement (prepared by his office) which he was to have made at a joint news conference.
Unfortunately, the Chairman chose to make remarks at the Commission meeting yesterday morning in which he portrayed me as an example of a “culture of entitlement.” As you will note, this is inconsistent with the enclosed statement.
I take issue with his use of my name as a scapegoat for the troubled North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control system which those in power have condoned for generations. I was particularly troubled by Governor Perdue authorizing the Chairman to trample on my name and my reputation for political gain. I will measure my ethical standards and character against the State Chairman and the Governor’s other appointees to the State ABC Commission at any time. The calls for my resignation by fellow local ABC Board members to shift blame to me for years of negligent oversight is disappointing. The dissection and distortion by the tabloid media of every statement I have made about the November 18th dinner have been painful.
I have given the most productive years of my life to the people of North Carolina and Mecklenburg County. I have never felt “entitled” to anything. On the contrary, the cost to my personal life in terms of earnings, lost time with Eleanor, my children and grand-children have been enormous. The impact of this media frenzy has so damaged my image that I have felt compelled to resign from the Board of Directors of Florence Crittenton Services and the Advisory Board of Child Care Resources.
I have reached a time in my life where all I have is a reputation. My net worth does not consist of money or “things of value” … it is in family and true friends who have stood by me in difficult times. I am deeply saddened by the events of recent days. Although I have been advised by the preeminent Alcoholic Beverage Control lawyer in North Carolina at the UNC School of Government that I have violated no rule, no regulation, no law, I regret that my action has resulted in my decision to resign.
Finally this - as I try to recover from this experience, I am going to follow the advice that I have given to my children and grandchildren for many years – Remember Who You Are.
Yours very truly,
H. Parks Helms
cc: Harry Jones
Calvin McDougal
____________________________________
- Doug Miller
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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32 comments:
Even in defeat this condesending old mule takes NO RESPONSIBILITY. I would be ashamed to drag my family into this issue. Hopefully there will be charges brought against this piranha.
Jim Black awaits your visit.
Parks....it is not inconsistent with the message. You may differ with his opinion but inconsistent it is not.
So now you want to blame the Commissioner, the Governor, your old buddy Jennifer Roberts. Why not just blame it on Bush?
Are you really that stupid or do you just like the limelight?
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a classic case of pure liberalism at work - denial and deflection.
This pompous *ss spent years on the BOCC pontificating his garbage about quality of life issues and what's good for the community all the while taxing and spending us into oblivion.
Helms was stabbed in the back by his own crowd of corrupt politicians, so he thinks he's a scapegoat. Harry Jones should be next.
Don't let the door hit you, where the good Lord split ya.
The entire ABC board concept is outdated and a recipe for abuse just like what we saw. Let communities decide if they want the sale of alcohol and where they want to allow it to be sold. If they want alcohol sales give license to private business to handle it and collect the taxes from the business.
Would anyone else like to see the "enclosed statement" from the ABC Commissioner that he refers to? I would.
"Don't let the door hit you, where the good Lord split ya."
Thanks, Bubba! I love it when Bubba drops his pearls of wit and wisdom on a anxious citizenry.
With regard to Helms: It's never the act itself. It's the appearance of impropriety, the appearance of privilege that brings politicians down. As a long-time politician who has seen everyone from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton to Mark Sanford, you should know that. Enough with the self-pity.
With regards to the laughably antiquated ABC system: Privatize at once.
The People can make changes, one down, many to go.
Parks Helms, at last, discloses what was behind his imperial robes of condescension all along. Hubris, wrapped in self-worship, tied up with narcissism. His fall has nothing to do with himself, but is all a manufactured product of the media he so adeptly used all of his career. He is stabbed not by political adversaries, but by his own kind -- liberal tax and spend democrats. He fades away now, at the hand of the political class whose damaging blows he once directed toward others, covered with buttery platitudes to conceal his petty hungers for ever more power. Good riddance.
anony 4:29. This has nothing to do with "liberalism". Parks Helms has been in government too long. There are many Republicans and Democrats that look to government as lifetime jobs. Name a corrupt Democrat and I'll name a corrupt Republican. Hopefully any incumbent will be in trouble during the next few election cycles until we can get some new blood in office that really want to serve. There is too much partisanship that isn't helping anyone. Parks Helms should not have been an ABC commissioner after serving all of those years on the County Commission. Why do you have to have connections in order to serve. If he truly thinks accepting a 12k dinner from a company that could have business before the ABC board was appropriate he should have never been in that seat.
5:23, Republicans spend too, they just cut taxes before they do it because "deficits don't matter". At least until a Democrats in office. Then all anyone can speak of is the national debt and the deficit.
What y'all miss is what Mr. Helms is really saying, that this sort of thing has been going on for years.
I don't mean years, I mean decades really.
The question is with the fall of "Parks Helms" can the rest of Char-Meck Gov-Co hang on?
Will we see the former Gov and his goons next? What about Rodney Monroe, Clown Curt and Harry Jones?
I think Parks was doing business the way it has always been done in North Carolina. The only way he knows how.
How many of you people on here can point to the law, rule, or regulation he has violated?
Parks Helms has done more for this City, County and State than any of you could ever dream of doing.
"the troubled North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control system which those in power have condoned for generations"
"years of negligent oversight"
And what did you do, Parks? Try to fix it? No, you just jumped in line with the rest of the crooks.
Remember who you are; we will.
Really, 6:11? What has Parks done, other than hang around a long time?
I remember when Jennifer Roberts got the most votes in a County Commission election and Parks, not wanting to surrender his chairmanship to her, suggested a transition period so she could learn the job. Arrogant sexist ~!@#$%.
Fortunately, she had the cojones to stare him down.
And Parks, you look like W.C. Fields.
He just doesn't get it, does he?
And now perhaps it is a good time to look at Park's brother that owns land off Hwy 16 in north Mecklenburg that is way undervalued.
After all, it was Mr. Helms himself that decided to drag his "family" into this discussion.
Imagine that, Parks claiming that he got stabbed in the back by his own party.
I think Roberts looks more like W.C. Fields than Parks Helms does.
What a sanctimonious piece of pure garbage.Parks Helms----be assured we will remember who you REALLY are---a POMPOUS,self-serving politician !
SHAME on you forever! PLEASE just go away into the sunset! ENOUGH OF YOU!
7:03, either you don't really know what W.C. Fields looked like (white hair, bulbous nose, mottled skin, all like Parks Helms) or you're just reaching for a cheap shot at Jennifer Roberts' looks. I suspect the latter.
I find it most interesting that Parks Helms was the ONLY member of the ABC Board that attended the dinner at Del Frisco as well as the Ritz Carlton luncheon!
typical democrat--takes no responsibility -Adept at the playing the 'blame game' card. Why not blame Bush for all of this Helma? Thats the only one that you left out!
What a moron--he was in government only for the power and control - and those who think otherwise--'he was here to help'--I have a big bridge for you!
Parks, you need to call Bill Belk for damage control! He's got it down to a science.
what is the point of an ABC Board anyway? Seriously, is a govt run agency the best way to sell alcohol? What are they saving us from?
I agree with the person who wondered why Parks Helms was the only Board member to attend the dinner and luncheon. BECAUSE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS KNEW IT WAS WRONG! At the dinner he was like a little midget following big man Mr. McDougal around downing drinks. It's too bad law inforcement Mr. Crowley could not have been out on the street to arrest all of them, instead at the dinner drinking with the reat of them.
Parks...don't knock the Observer for their excellent reporting in knocking you off your perch. They just earned my subscription for another two years. I know we'll manage without you - at last.
Just a good old boy, never meanin' no harm...
Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law
Since the day he was born.
Straightenin' the curves, flattenin' the hills...
Someday the mountain might get 'em but the law never will.
Good Night, Grandpa Helms! Ah Heuhh!
Mr Helms is a good man, he has done no wrong, I think that he should run for mayor, remember those without sin should cast the first stone, and i picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue, laying down that booty action lay em down and smack em yak em, cold got to be, shit
Goodbye Parks W.C. Fields Helms. It's been good to know ya, you tax and spend lib.
Please, damn you. It's the G. D. RE-Pubs who won't take a bit of responsibility. For the love of God, George Bush did that his entire stinking life. Blame Bush? ......you damn well better believe it. The republicans are nothing more than filthy, greedy liars who themselves are nothing but sick hypocrites. Every one of you will split hell wide open with your diseased vision.
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