2 Veteran LA City Council Members Spend Last Day In Office In Different Ways
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Members of the Los Angeles City Council said farewell to two of their longest-serving men as Tuesday marked the final day on the council for Bernard Parks and Tom Labonge.
The two now-former councilmen said their own farewells in very contrasting ways.
After 40 years of working for the city of Los Angeles, Labonge spent the day in the council chambers, essentially going about business as usual.
Parks, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen as he concluded his 50-year career. Councilman Gil Cedillo had moved into Parks' former office by Tuesday.
The council held a two-hour celebration in honor of Labonge last week, and Parks, upon being offered the same celebration, told members, "Thanks, but no thanks." Parks opted, rather, to attend an invitation-only event, in which a documentary showing his career as a police chief and councilman will be shown.
As a councilman, Parks was often the lone descending vote on many issues, earning him the nickname "Chief No."
Labonge, when asked when he would do now, responded, "I take my tie off."
