Bernard Parks

Energy Drinks Could Be Policed By LAPD

The LAPD has a lot on its plate, what with all the gangsters, burglars, traffic scofflaws and various other idiots in a city the size of some entire countries. But L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks wants cops to do one more job: Figuring out how energy drinks can be placed in special sections, wit ... More >>

Rave Promoters Gave $40,000 to City Leader Bernard Parks' 4th of July Event: Money Magically Came Off Their L.A. Coliseum Bills

Cesar SebastianRavers at the L.A. Sports Arena.​L.A. city Councilman Bernard Parks has been an ardent supporter of the four-times-a-year raves that were fixtures at the publicly owned L.A. Coliseum and Sports Arena since 1998. Parks, a former LAPD police chief, is a law-and-order guy through- ... More >>

Bernard Parks' Office Owes L.A. Coliseum $40,000 For Fireworks Party: Councilman is a Critic of Venue's Shady Finances

Kim Smith​Updated at the bottom with a response from Parks' office. L.A. Coliseum officials are looking into a $40,000 bill left unpaid by the office of city Councilman Bernard Parks following one of his annual 4th of July community parties at the venue. Documents outlining the outstanding d ... More >>

Bernard Parks Officially Wins Re-Election, Avoids A Runoff By 225 Votes

Four more years​Councilman Bernard Parks has officially won re-election, fending off a $1.2 million labor campaign and avoiding a runoff by 225 votes.It took more than two weeks to confirm that Parks had won a majority of the votes cast on March 8. After counting thousands of provisional and late ... More >>

Expo Line Will Have A Bridge Over Sepulveda Blvd., Union Labor

Expo Phase 2​The second phase of the Expo light-rail line took a big leap forward today, as the Expo Construction Authority awarded a $541 million contract to Skanska/Rados.The authority also voted to approve a bridge over Sepulveda Boulevard, which could go some way toward mollifying homeowners w ... More >>

Bernard Parks Was Targeted as Union Object Lesson

$1.2 million buys a lot of fear at L.A. City Hall if that's your aim

Bernard Parks vs. Forescee Hogan-Rowles: Election Results

​L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks is declaring victory in his hard-fought re-election campaign this morning, having barely eked out a majority of the vote with 100% of precincts reporting.But his top opponent, Forescee Hogan-Rowles, is not conceding. On Twitter, she said, "Too close to call, still wa ... More >>

Bernard Parks Race May Not Be Settled For Weeks

Bernard Parks clings to a small lead.​L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks appears to have survived a $1.2 million onslaught from organized labor, but the race is close enough that the outcome may not be known for sure for a couple weeks.Parks' top opponent, Forescee Hogan-Rowles, is not conceding. She i ... More >>

Top 10 Reasons Organized Labor Hates Bernard Parks

Bernard Parks: In labor's crosshairs​More than 2000 people rallied outside L.A. City Hall last weekend to support public employees who are under fire in Wisconsin. Afterward, L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks issued a statement of support, in which he tried to dispel "the common misperception out ther ... More >>

Event Today to 'Talk Truth' About L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks' Dead Endorsers

Bernard Parks.​Update: Bernard Parks' camp responds, says he had no role whatsoever in the mailer. After the Weekly broke the news that several dead people were listed in a mailer endorsing the re-election of L.A. city Councilman Bernard Parks, a rally took place in Baldwin Hills this afterno ... More >>

Pro-Bernard Parks Mailer Touts Endorsements From Dead People, Misspells Magic Johnson's Name

Whoops: Earvin "Magic" Johnson's name is misspelled on a pro-Bernard Parks mailer​Unlike in Chicago, dead people can't vote in Los Angeles elections. But they can make endorsements, judging from the latest mailer to hit the streets in the hotly contested campaign between L.A. Councilman Bernard Pa ... More >>

Councilman Bernard Parks Likens Union Leaders To Slaveholders

Bernard Parks: Not going to take it anymore​Update: 4:30 p.m. Parks' opponent, Forescee Hogan-Rowles, calls Parks' slavery analogy "a racist tactic." More below.The gloves are coming off in the 8th Council District. Councilman Bernard Parks unleashed a righteous vent on Twitter on Sunday, apparent ... More >>

Incumbents Huizar And Parks Hold Fundraising Advantage In L.A. Council Races

​The incumbents have the edge in fundraising in the two most hotly contested L.A. City Council races, according to finance reports filed this evening with the Ethics Commission.On the Eastside, Councilman Jose Huizar has $123,000 in the bank as his re-election campaign gets down to the final 12 da ... More >>

Business Groups Rally To Save Bernard Parks

Bernard Parks​Bernard Parks, the former L.A. police chief and two-term councilman, is fighting for his political life against a labor-backed independent campaign. Union groups have spent more than $450,000 to support Parks' challenger, Forescee Hogan-Rowles, in the March 8 election.But now a busin ... More >>

MTA Ethics Office Drafted Censure Of Bernard Parks

Bernard Parks​The MTA ethics officer drafted a censure letter last year against L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks for accepting illegal campaign contributions. But the MTA board never followed up on it, according to a confidential memo issued last Friday.The L.A. Weekly reported last week that Parks h ... More >>

Bernard Parks and Forescee Hogan-Rowles Trade Blows At Their First Debate

Bernard Parks​Councilman Bernard Parks traded attacks with his union-backed challenger, Forescee Hogan-Rowles. at their first debate this morning.Parks set out to highlight his opponent's inexperience, while Hogan-Rowles attacked his record on job creation and on managing the city budget."Do we ne ... More >>

Raves: Challenger to L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks Asks Him to Give Back Contributions From 'EDC' Promoter, Coliseum Manager

Bernard Parks is being challenged for supporting raves and taking money from a rave promoter.​Never thought we'd see the day when raves were an issue in an L.A. City Council race, but that they are -- especially this week, after the Los Angeles Times reported that a public employee who helped ... More >>

LAPD vs. Libraries: Cops Oppose Library Funding Measure, Fearing Cuts to Police Budget

Protesters oppose cuts to library funding outside the Central Library last year​The union that represents LAPD officers came out strongly today against Measure L, an item on the March 8 ballot that would set aside funding for the Los Angeles Public Library system.In a statement, Los Angeles Police ... More >>

Raves: Forescee Hogan-Rowles, Challenger to Bernard Parks' South L.A. Seat, Says He Should Block Upcoming Electric Daisy Carnival Rave

Councilman Bernard Parks says yes to raves (but he doesn't call them that).​No other politician in town has spoken up for raves like city Councilman Bernard Parks has. In his role as a member of the Coliseum Commission, which runs the publicly owned L.A. Coliseum and Sports Arena, he has been ... More >>

MTA Hid Report on Councilman Bernard Parks' Illegal Contributions

L.A. County Federation of Labor Launches Campaign Against Bernard Parks

Labor is targeting Bernard Parks​The L.A. County Federation of Labor has started its much-anticipated campaign against Councilman Bernard Parks, dropping $20,000 into a committee to support challenger Forescee Hogan-Rowles.That's more money than Hogan-Rowles raised all last year, but probably only ... More >>

L.A. City Council Meeting Canceled Because Members Jose Huizar, Paul Koretz Were Late; Others Were Known No-Shows

The chambers of ACTION!​Ah, the great city of L.A. Shit gets done! Mountains get moved! The City Council ... cancels meetings because slacker members don't show up on time. Yeah, you heard right. For the second time in four months the second largest city in the nation's scheduled council mee ... More >>

L.A. City Schedule Cut to Four Days a Week? Out-of-Wack Council Meetings, More Euthanized Cats... But Less Traffic!

Legal PlanetWhy yes, I'd love the day off!​And on the fifth day, they rested. It's a wild notion: Would the Los Angeles City Council really go so far as to cut an entire day out of the workweek for all city-run agencies? The LA Daily News thinks it's a real possibility, and Councilman Bernard ... More >>

Is Bernard Parks In Trouble? Fundraiser Warns of Labor Clout

Forescee Hogan-Rowles​Compared to the slugfest in Council District 14, the race in District 8 has gotten relatively little attention. Bernard Parks is generally seen as a safe bet to win his third term.But this one could be a sleeper. Forescee Hogan-Rowles picked up two endorsements last week from ... More >>

Review Of Councilman Bernard Parks' Residency Closed: No Wrongdoing Found

Bernard Parks.​The Los Angeles District Attorney's office has closed its review of a complaint alleging that city Councilman Bernard Parks was not living in his district a few years ago, according to his office. "Hopefully this last bogus allegation is the final disgusting remnant of that 'sm ... More >>

D.A. Continues To Review Allegation That Councilman Bernard Parks Lived Outside His District: Parks' Spokesman Calls It A False Accusation

Councilman Bernard Parks.​It looks like Richard Alarcon isn't the only Los Angeles city Councilman facing questions about his place of residence. A complaint alleging that fellow Councilman Bernard Parks did not live in his district a few years back remains under review by the county District ... More >>

L.A. City Official: 1,761 Jobs Must Go

​Maybe Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks was right when he called Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's budget proposal for the next fiscal year a "fantasy." Along with optimistic revenue projections, the document stated that only about 750 layoffs would be needed. On Tuesday, the city's chief ... More >>

Mayor Villaraigosa's L.A. City Budget Rejected As 'Fantasy'

Councilman Bernard Parks.​Considering that the city of Los Angeles still hasn't solved its $222 million deficit, and that another $485 million in red ink is due July 1, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting in summer was a bit optimistic. Gone were the thous ... More >>

Council Committee Recommends Cuts To Police, Fire Departments

​Getting down to serious business, the Los Angeles City Council's Budget and Finance Committee on Monday recommended that cuts be made to the police and fire department -- sacred cows in city budgeting -- as well as to council offices, including the mayor's. The city is operating $208.5 milli ... More >>

Councilman Proposes Tobacco Sales Buffer Around Schools

Councilman Bernard Parks.​Following the Los Angeles City Council's approval of a marijuana dispensary ordinance that would establish a 1,000 buffer zone around schools, Councilman Bernard Parks has proposed to establish such a zone for tobacco sales. While few would argue that it's advantageo ... More >>

City Is Tapped: Bernard Parks Says Off With Workers' Heads

Bernard Parks.​Ever the Debbie Downer of City Hall, Councilman Bernard Parks says it's time to pay the piper: The city faces a $408 million deficit next year, a $98 million deficit this year, and the likelihood that layoffs will cut into Los Angeles' 30,000-strong workforce. While the rest of ... More >>

Mark Ridley-Thomas' Blowout Win for L.A. County Supervisor

Unpainted walls and a shared TV? Or chandeliers and movie stars?

Bizarre Election Triangulation: Grim Sleeper, Clear Channel and Bernard Parks

Category: Desperate election moves. Check out the new deal between former Police Chief Bernard Parks, now an L.A. City Councilman, and Clear Channel, whose bad neighbor approach to doing business has helped plaster L.A. with illegal billboards (Clear Channel denies this). Clear Channel forced LA Wee ... More >>

Election '08 Voting Guide: Endorsements From a Freethinker — No on 8, Yes on 11. And a Nod to Mark Ridley-Thomas

Why siding with Arnold on redistricting makes sense, and other ballot notes

L.A. Board of Supervisors Second District Race

Parks, Ridley-Thomas and a vast labor machine duke it out. What about voters?

Feuding Cops: Bratton vs. Parks

There was never any doubt that Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton and City Council Member Bernard Parks were not the best of buds. Parks was ousted as Police Chief and Bratton was brought in, after all. However, who knew that the feuding between the two chiefs was more than a few digs during pres ... More >>

Will Latinos Be the Swing Vote in the Tussle Between Parks and Ridley-Thomas?

Snap!

Building Confidence?

Riot-scarred Vermont Avenue finally gets a big development, but some say it’s the wrong kind

Winners and Losers

Blurring the Color Lines

On the eve of the primary, Villaraigosa, Parks and Hahn win endorsements from black groups

This Time, It’s Not Personal . . . or Is It?

Bernard Parks says he’s not in the mayoral race for exercise or to rain on Hahn’s parade

Making It Personal

What’s really driving these L.A. mayoral candidates?

He Could Have Been a Contender

Once thought of as the last best hope for black leadership in troubled times, Bernard Parks is now a mayoral candidate with no support.

Sweet Revenge

The reincarnation of Bernard Parks

CitySweep

The Sky is Falling

Parks and Recreation

Leadership, Leadership, Leadership

A new LAPD chief must bring a new approach

The Bum Blockade, Zoot Suit Riot and Bloody Christmas

An anecdotal history of the LAPD