By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 4:39 PM
Channel 5 reporter Mike Owens hasn't been able to find a scandal in the mayor's office in years (not since the infamous "Midnight Basketball" brouhaha from the Bosley Administration), but he has no problem following leads from The Evening Whirl to dirt on northside politicos. Labels: Media_Watch
Owens, who is married to 28th Ward Alderman Lyda Krewson, reported yesterday that Talibdin El-Amin, husband to State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin and a candidate to replace her, took out a bank loan for the couple's political activities while he owed thousands to his baby's mama.
Click here to read Owen's story and watch the video report. Warning: You will wince.
26 Comments:
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5/24/2006 8:30 PM
Honestly this type of tabloid investigative reporting leaves much to be desired. Scandals are worth reporting, IMHO, if they evoke a public policy question. This is a private matter, and eventhough these are public figures subject to public scrutiny, resources could be allocated for a better story.
5/24/2006 8:31 PM
What do you mean that this is a private matter?
He is up for public office and he should be held to a higher standard. I would like to thank Mike Owens for doing a story and sheds the true light on some politicians. It is a sad state that this man can run on a family values platform only to be a deadbeat dad.
Don't run for political office if you don't want your dirty laundry aired to the world.
I say there should be more of these investigations and publications so that we truely know the type of person that is running and that will be holding office.
5/24/2006 9:26 PM
WHO DOESNT HAVE DIRTY LAUNDRY?
5/24/2006 11:27 PM
There should be no comment from anybody on this matter, because who cares? Whether he owes back child support or any other matter that may be wrong, look at all the other politicians in the news today. Nobody really cares about what a politician does or does not do? The lady knew about this matter a long time ago, and now she wants to bring this up when the guy is running for office! What a loser she is for embarrassing her children in public like this to try to solve a problem that should have been dealt with in private. The State of Missouri probably made a mistake in calculating this guys child support payments! We know they are having problems with child support calculations! There are hundreds of guys that owe back child support, and running for office does not make a difference. Vote for the guy, and maybe he will be able to pay his child support!
5/25/2006 2:23 AM
The point is that this story is only being released during a campaign. The purpose of this story is not for the public good, but to damage his reputation, in the same way the Republicans only attacked Clinton for their own agenda, not for the good of the american people.
Public figures are not protected privately since they are public figures, however there are many better stories which could be reported.
5/25/2006 6:35 AM
Deadbeat Dads are a big problem for this city. IF the candidate for public office is really behind in child support, he deserves the bad press. How much are the children suffering from this lack of support? Are taxpayers bearing the burden of his lack of support?
That said, I have such doubts on the local media's competence, I can't really hold this against the man unless I see proof. I didn't see the newscast because I don't watch local news--because it's usually trash anyway. But did anyone weigh the pain this story may cause to the children? What will publicity do that Child Support Enforcement couldn't do?
I don't know that candidates for public office should be held to a higher standard. But they should be held to the standard of a responsible adult and parent.
5/25/2006 8:53 AM
You reap what you sow, and Talibdeen got his. This story is entirely appropriate, especially because it is during the campaign. The guy is running as a "devoted father" and he is a deadbeat dad. You cannot believe that you can run for office with that kind of stuff hanging out there. He obviously knew about it, and thought nobody would find out? Extremely stupid. Welcome to the big leagues Talibdeen, pay your bills before you run for office.
5/25/2006 9:17 AM
How can The El-Amins take out a $10,000 loan for a campaigne but not catch up on his child support obligations? He is just like the typical black man. And Yaphett should be ashamed of herself supporting such a deadbeat like he is. I know Yaphett El-Amin, her sister Honore Aqil and their father Eddie Hasan, and they are all a bunch of fake, greedy, dishonest wanna-be muslims. They all need to just KILL THEMSELVES!!!
5/25/2006 9:20 AM
"He is just like the typical black man."
I have many friends who take offense to this comment. Your blatant stereotyping of black males is quite wrong, and I bet you did not post your name for this reason.
5/25/2006 10:12 AM
Given the horrors of the shooting at Finninger's Catering just a few weeks ago, somehow you'd think the media would be a little more sensitive and careful about these kinds of reports.
Ugh.
5/25/2006 11:13 AM
If I had to be married to Lyda Krewson, I'd probably be a nutjob too.
5/25/2006 11:43 AM
I have met Talibdin and have liked what I have heard him say. That being said, since child support is an issue that the legislatures might have to deal with I don't want him to vote for or against something to help his child support payments. The children are to important for this not to be an issue.
5/25/2006 12:14 PM
Listen, I manage the gas station at Hampton & Oakland, along with Arena Liquor on Hampton. I have three children back at home in the UAE, yet I send them money every month.
If this guy cannot pay for his kids, then he is a disgrace. I am not even a US citizen but I take care of my business.
5/25/2006 12:22 PM
The El-Amins are making a choice to spend money on their Political Family's well being instead of their personal families well being. The El-Amins are running for the MO Legislature where they would have influence over billions of dollars in spending on MO children and families. How someone prioritizes their spending on their own children and families (aspirations on a family political dynasty for Mr. El-Amin and his wife) before his own children's well being is highly relevant in my opinion. This is a matter in our public legal system and thus it is clearly fair game. Let's be big boys and girls and hold our elected officials to some standard. There might be a logical explanation to this but I think the voters deserve to hear it.
5/25/2006 12:27 PM
"There might be a logical explanation to this but I think the voters deserve to hear it."
No they really do not, this is a private matter.
Biznitch.
5/25/2006 1:35 PM
I think it's an interesting discussion. If a candidate chose to not pay their taxes, or declared personal bankrupty is that an issue for the voters? If the issue was one of domestic abuse would that be for the voters? Is choosing to not pay child support an issue for the voters? At the very least I would like to know where he stands on child support issues from a policy perspective. In the end every voter must make their own decisions on if and how family decisions shape their views of candidates. I think child support is a huge policy issue so how someone chooses to deal with it is of interest to me. I appreciate a desire to keep private matters private but private matters typically stay out of the legal system.
5/25/2006 4:37 PM
This guy has a good chance of winning with the El-Amin name, because most people will not care about if he paid child support or not. There are so many people with problems in their life, and that owe back child support. Maybe this guy will understand the dynamics of why people owe back child support due to his own personal circumstances. Either way, the El-Amins people seem strong in the community that they serve. They seem to control that area regardless of who owes what to whom. The matter is between that guy and his children's family that he owes the money to. We can talk all day but voters make their decision according to the name they recognize. Therefore, all Mike Owens did was give this guy great publicity for free, because at the end of the day people will only remember the guy's name!
5/25/2006 4:58 PM
It's not getting a lot of play in this discussion, but the real issue here is abuse of power. Yaphett called the reporter's boss before the story ran. Sounds like somebody was trying to kill the story. I'd like to hear Yaphett explain why she made that call.
5/25/2006 5:11 PM
Four things:
1. I just watched the KSDK video. Ouch!
2. I am offended by the comment, "Maybe this guy will understand the dynamics of why people owe back child support due to his own personal circumstances." If you don't have the resources to take care of your children's needs than maybe you shouldn't take out a loan for your wifes campaign which she at best has a 25% chance of winning. If the facts are true, how about understanding responsiblity to your family and find the right job rather than running for your wifes seat and spending your resources on your kids instead of you and your wifes political ambitions.
3. If this guy is going to win his race because everyone knows his name and El-Amin is the latest political dynasty in St. Louis than we are in BIG trouble.
4. I really hope the facts are not true.
5/25/2006 5:47 PM
Yaphett did what any great wife would do if her husband had a problem, stand by him! They are in this to win it, by any means necessary! Yaphett held her ground with Mike Owens, like a strong black woman should and defended her husband showing the strongest of loyalty! If more couples stuck together through adversity, we would have a better world out here. What State Rep. that is married and has a microphone stuck in their face would talk bad about their husband or wife on camera? What State Rep. doesn't make a phone call when they need to for their family to help them when they get in trouble? Yaphett is a fighter and she doesn't give up easy! Whatever stories KSDK comes up with against the El-Amins, they will recover because they are strong. Yaphett will guide them to victory on election day, and all that didn't support them will taste the agony of defeat! Yaphett and the El-Amins always win and remember she is use to running in numerous tough races, unlike her opponents that had weak competition when they ran! Whatever morons can't see this victory coming must be blind as a bat! The El-Amins will be the next political dynasty in St. Louis and not just on a local and state level. Give it some time and Yaphett El-Amin will be on a federal level in some capacity! Now that the story broke the back child support will be paid, just give it some time and everyone will be on one accord again. You could tell from the news story, that girl is still in love with Talibdeen. She is just jealous that he is with a State Rep. and not with her! Get over it lady and get a better job that occupies your time instead of sitting at home waiting on a handout!
5/26/2006 3:11 AM
The post above says it all. I think I will take a pass on the "El-Amin" dynasty. The more I hear about this story the more it makes me sick. We have enough crooked and stupid "dynasties" in this town. I hope they pay their child support, maybe spend some time with ALL of their children and take care of their business and worry more about their family than their "family dynasty".
5/26/2006 8:25 AM
We have the following:
Conway, Slay, Bosley, Blunt, Clay, Villa...
Anyone have any more to list?
5/26/2006 8:37 AM
Hate Mike Owens if you like and deplore his methods and objectives. Even then, you can't defend the El Amins for not taking care of their responsiblities. State Rep. El Amin enacts legislation to enforce the payment of child support. Legislation that includes what punishment is imposed for the failure to pay. The Workhouse is full of men who failed to pay their child support. The recent matter with Mr. Chalmers should have raised alarms that this was and could become a problem. Not for their election bids, but because it's his responsiblity.
Obviously, Yaphette knew about his children before they married. His responsiblity is to take care of both sets of children, not just the two from his wife. As a wife and mother, she should want all children treated equally and provided for the same.
There is no defense for this. Stop debating that fact. Dynasty? What dynasty? What we are witnessing is a attempted power grab by two greedy people. Yaphette appointed her husband to the Committeeman post, he has never been elected to anything. Now she runs him as State Representative, knowing that he is in arrears for child support. Then she calls Mike Owens' boss to try to stop the story.
A REAl strong woman would have been there saying to Mike, "I know you're mistaken. My husband takes care of his children and has always done so. You need to check your facts. She didn't say this because she obviously condones this behavior. With 50% of marriages ending in divorce, I hope we don't find Yaphette in court one day trying to get child support from her former husband. What will the discussion be then?
5/26/2006 9:02 AM
I'm no expert, but if the balance went from $10,000 to $7,000 in a year, it sounds like he was making some headway. I'm not defending deadbeat dads. I'm not defending him. But he is evidently making the current payments and paying down the old stuff. That could be the result of him living up to the requirements of a child support order that requires current payments plus a portion of the old stuff.
Sure, he could have applied for a loan to pay off the $10,000 last year. But since we have no real details on why he didn't, where is the real story?
5/26/2006 9:38 AM
He applied for a $10,000 loan that was used for his campaign, not back child support. His children could wait, but his election bid couldn't? If he's elected, will he base his decisions on wants versus need? Let's not rationalize this, you don't get to choose to "pay down" your other bills when they are due without a mutual agreement between the parties. Obviously, there may be an explanation, but they haven't provided one. Let the El Amins explain it, if they can.
5/26/2006 9:55 AM
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