yep, it is slightly cleaner, but it still does not satisfy my criteria:

* will the code be more easily understand by a reader if you add the helper?
* does adding the helper reduce redundancy?

I think those are excellent criteria. You are proposing your own criteria, which is essentially "will the code be cleaner?". I do like cleaner code, but unless the code is much cleaner, it just doesn't justify in my mind the extra effort you are forcing on the next reader who comes by your partial and needs to hunt down all the helper definitions, helpers which are single purpose and not used anywhere else.