The letter at the top of the weekly message termed-out Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks sends to residents of the 8th District made him sound like a dutifully polite Boy Scout:
Dear Constituents,
I want to thank each and every one of you who came out to my 12th annual Fireworks Extravaganza at Van Ness Park and my Jazz on the Hill festival at Norman O. Houston Park on the Fourth of July. I never get tired of putting these events on and seeing the smiles and the faces light up from simply having fun. My last term is really flying by so I hope you won’t miss a beat with me and will attend my upcoming leadership meetings, and holiday festivities later in the year.
Norman O. Houston Park was spruced up with new parking and permanent restrooms in time for my Jazz on the Hill festival. We had some amazing acts this year: the incomparable Barbara Morrison, Karen Briggs with Jazz in Pink, Derf Reklaw, and Man 2 the Future. Based on the pictures, I know they were hitting all the right notes that got you moving! It was a hot day, but my great eighth constituents came prepared with tents, blankets, snacks, and everything else to enjoy quite the concert.
What Mr. Parks hid from unsuspecting constituents was that in a fit of pique last week, he held up the City Council for $60,000 from somebody else’s budget so he could stage his own Fourth of July show.
The, ahem, mature Mr. Parks was in a snit because his ego told him he needed to stage his very own Bernie Parks Fireworks Show. In the old days of two years ago, he used to hold the Bernie Parks Fireworks Show at the Coliseum. Then it was routed out of his district and into new Councilman Curren Price’s 9th.
Mr. Price held a fireworks show, Mr. Parks, not away, soothed his ego and taxpayers were $60,000 poorer but not wiser.
