Christine Dixon (Christine.Dixon@lacity.org)

William Stelly (William.Stelly@lacity.org)

Ta-Lecia Arbor (Ta-Lecia.Arbor@lacity.org)

I am writing in regards to concerns I had about last night's event. I spoke with Ms. Arbor this afternoon via phone, and decided that a verifiable email was much better for my sense of decorum than phone calls.

After arriving at the stroke of 6PM, I was pleasantly surprised to see the event starting by 6:08 -- for our community, that's downright speedy. However, there were a number of elements I can only characterize as "unprofessional," elements which created great consternation amongst would-be participants and voters. I'm sure that it's wonderful that people contributing to the community on the level of "Little Peewee" or a representative from Tower General Contractors or the "I've never seen a microphone I didn't like, I don't care that people hate the parking meters I forced into Leimert Park, and by the way I beat Bernard Parks in an election like he stole something hahaha" stylings of Mark Ridley-Thomas got their chance to come up on stage and speak at length about ... well, honestly, I lost interest, I couldn't tell you what they were talking about. In any case, while these people (and more deathly dry speakers) got their time, uninterrupted and unabbreviated, some of the people specifically asked to perform had less of a chance. I'm sure it's a wonderful sentiment that Mercedes Robinson York, a vocalist of the rarefied level of quality seen in every Black church within a 100 mile radius, had to stop her performance to summon a swarm of children to sit in front of the stage and listen to her working through the less-than-equalized sound system (interesting that the speakers on stage right stopped working after the Charger cheerleaders did the first of two dance routines). That made so big a difference.

No, my concerns are not about the lackluster sound, the overbearing individuals speaking on stage nor even the idea that the tree lighting had to be moved up because a hired Santa wanted to leave and do something else. No no no, this is new business.

The Lula Washington Dance Studio was invited to present, and as such asked the families who constitute its audience of supporters to make sacrifices to help this happen. I, for example, have a five year old stepdaughter (she'll be six in January) named [STEPDAUGHTER'S NAME REDACTED, LET'S CALL HER MOOCH], whose taken classes and been a regular fixture at Lula's, in the heart of the 8th District, since before she could walk. She got an expensive and thin white dress (not great for handling the elements) and went with my pregnant wife (she's due in 12 days, thanks for asking) and came dutifully down to the event. I drove all the way from Pasadena (after the closing of the Los Angeles Herald-Dispatch, where I was editor-in-chief for six years, I went to work as a website producer for Kaiser Permanente) to Leimert Park for a chance to lose feeling in my fingers and see our little girl perform.

Did I mention our daughter loves to perform? Taking classes in multiple disciplines, Lula herself has spotlighted the talented little angel more than once. My wife -- bereft of sleep due to the discomforts of pregnancy and nursing an aching hip -- still stood out in the cold, for more than an hour (the six o'clock hour's normally family dinner time, especially on Mondays) while waiting on Mooch's performance. We don't even celebrate Christmas, and the idea of these adaptations of Pagan ceremonies repulses us. Supporting the efforts of the LWDS, however, is important to us, so there we were, alongside five other families sitting in the first two rows, anxiously awaiting a chance to photograph or videotape their children celebrating the holiday season.

However, my wife was told by a sister with "a short natural" (Ms.Dixon, perhaps? I was in the front row of the audience, just north of the aisle, so I didn't know the backstage shenanigans), "We're going to have to cut you guys short." Parents from those five other families, some of whom drove long distances and braved the elements just to see their kids? Bright eyed grade schoolers anxious to show off their hard work, work they were invited to display?

The sentiment they received -- intended or not -- was, "Yeah, screw all that."

My question, then, is to know whether or not this -- unprofessional show management and disrespect of the time of constituents -- is indicative of the policies of Councilmember Parks' organization. Not for any specific reason, mind you. I'm not the sort of person who'd pick up the phone to call my old friends in editorial at the LA Times, the LA Weekly, or any of the producers I've had drinks with at KJLH or KTLA and say, "you know, this kind of mismanagement of resources and abuse of children's spirits in a season of hope should be reported on." It's not as though I'd use the video and studio equipment I have on hand to produce anti-Parks podcasts and video spots for YouTube, starting a guerrilla campaign against him. I'm not that kind of vengeful. Anymore. No, this is simply good information to have on hand, that if the representative of a community that's been home for me since I first took the #38 bus west down Jefferson from USC to come to the late, lamented Good Life Health Food Centre, and graduated to move specifically to an apartment on Potomac in what some refer to as "The Jungles," puts forth such policies through his staff ... well, I for one would like to know that sort of thing.

Now, you can save your limp apologies and invitations to bring my daughter out for some opportunistic photo op -- I know the game all too well and I have no interest in subjecting M'ma-Syrai to that level of grubby politicking (unless that's what she one day decides to do, spirit bless her). I simply believe that when children and families are concerned, maybe some consideration to their logistical and emotional involvement should be taken before, oh, I dunno, Little damned well Peewee and Mark Ridley-freaking-Thomas (who, by the way, hates Bernard Parks, fun fact). Perhaps tax payers and future voters before, oh, I dunno, some white guy in a suit (who, fun fact, mispronounced the name "Leimert Park" -- way to give a damn there, pal). These are just thoughts I had, based on the numbers I have here.

I don't mean to imply sour grapes, but the situation has too many instances of ... oddness to it. The parents who came to Leimert last night didn't ask for this "opportunity" to have their scions perform. Lula's students know the stage at the Luckman like the back of their hand, know the stage entrances for the Henry Ford with their eyes closed. A makeshift wheeled platform across from a Starbucks doesn't give them any warm fuzzy feelings inside. However, if my wife has to come home crying and emotionally write a blog (like this) ... well, that means our daughter has a bad night, and then my wife has a bad night, which in turn makes me have a bad night.

I don't like to have bad nights, especially at the fault of something as capricious as this.

As a recommendation (uninvited I know, but since we're here), in the future, as well as performing something as rudimentary as a sound check so the speakers don't give out mid-show (I used to work as a club DJ and karaoke host, so I know a little bit about the technology, and given the sharpness of the equalization whenever KJLH's Adai Lamar let out one of her ear-piercing cackles, I know the equipment was not up to the job nor configured properly), how about leaving the production of the event to someone who's actually successfully run an on-time show. Think of it as providing jobs in the community. I could even give you some names, if you're in a pickle. Also, perhaps have all the acts with young children go first, so Santa can get back to whatever ramshackle bar he calls home (I did think he looked familiar from the Family Room, but it's pretty dark in there) before the end of happy hour and nobody goes home crying. Just some thoughts.

I appreciate your time and attention, and hope we don't see this sort of thing at future events ... it might make some feel more inclined to behave in older ways.

Sincerely,
Hannibal Tabu
December 1, 2009

Playing (Music): "Your Sweetness" by The Good Girls