photo: King Anyi - Youth Radio/ BY-NC-SA

While most of the city of Inglewood watched Kobe Bryant fall flat on the court in the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, a handful of attendees of the Inglewood City Council meeting on June 9, witnessed a court brawl of the political variety. During closing remarks, the City Treasurer of Inglewood, Wanda Brown, PhD., accused Councilman Daniel Tabor (Dist. 1) of selling his support of an underwriting contract between the city and Rice Financial Products Co., who was a defendant in a fraud suit resolved in 2006 made by the West Basin Water Municipal District.

Before any one could get a hold of what was going on, an argument had erupted between Mayor Dorn, and councilwoman Judy Dunlap (Dist. 2). And of course, while the furniture remained on the floor, the word “liar” was hurled around more than pizza dough at Domino’s. At one point, Dunlap accused the mayor of breaking the law with regards to Council meeting procedure.

A lot of accusations were made at what started out as a normal council meeting. When the dismissal of Brown’s claims of shady dealings were dismissed by Dunlap as election cycle grandstanding, it all made sense. Maybe these weren’t a bunch of elected officials fighting like babies, it was a group of adults fighting for their jobs. Even though the only council chair in contest was that currently held by Tabor, it’s safe to say that everyone in the room was leaving with a lasting impression as voters head to the polling places in less than a week. At one point Eloy Morales Jr. (Dist. 3) positioned himself to be peacemaker, pointing out that this behavior excites the lowest of human behavior. Seeing as how I was the only one beaming from excitement from the all the arguing, I had a feeling Mr. Morales, who made eye contact with me at one point, directed his comments towards my reaction to what was happening. And to think, I was going to go right across the street to the Savoy so I could watch the game with the REST of the city.

Calls to Rice Financial Products Co.’s Senior Vice President, Phil Smith, as well as Treasurer Brown, and Council Member Tabor were not returned.