Cash-strapped California quizzes Jackson costs

Cash-strapped California quizzes Jackson costs

59 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Disgruntled Californians, their state broke and in budget meltdown, are asking why taxpayers should foot the bill for Michael Jackson's million-dollar memorial last week.

While the largest state in the union has long reveled in its glitzy image as a home to the stars, some officials, faced with a deficit expected to stretch to 24 billion dollars within two years, are keen to pinch pennies.

Los Angeles councilman Dennis Zine has called for a review into how the city's resources were used during Tuesday's Jackson memorial at the Staples Center.

The event, watched on television by hundreds of millions across the world, required the deployment of thousands of police officers, emergency services and a SWAT team that reportedly transported Jackson's casket.

Zine called for the probe to determine whether the event's promoters or producers might provide "reimbursement to the city to replenish the public safety and other critical funds."

He claimed the actual cost of Jackson-related events for Los Angeles may be as high as four million dollars, and urged the memorial's promoters -- such as AEG -- to pick up the tab.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090712/ts_alt_afp/entertainmentusjacksonmemorial_20090712025410



With California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured) warning that the state must scrimp or citizens could be "placed at serious risk because essential public assistance services are no longer being provided," Los Angeles has resorted to requesting handouts from Michael Jackson fans.
(AFP/Getty Images/File/John Moore)

It was a publicity stunt.

If the fans who thought more of Michael than the did, Jesus, they can collectively cough up the cash and cover their little "CELEBRATION"

It was designed for show and spectacle and I don't think the city of L.A., which is going to be denying poor people services for f*cks sake, should be paying for police, traffic control, etc. for this ridiculous circus.

Show and Spectacle in L.A., how unbecoming.

Designed to sell the Michael Jackson image. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for the Jackson estate while the city of LA goes broke.

You're an idiot!

On national TV.

And you must not think much of Jesus if you want to call me an idiot.


The worship of Michael Jackson following his death has been nothing short of IDOLATRY. What does Jesus say about idolatry?

for MJ's Memorial Service. From what I can tell, the City of Los Angeles provided security and traffic control for the public that attended the memorial at a site within their jurisdiction.

That's what they are SUPPOSED to do. That's their job!

I'm sure the Jackson Family did their part by paying the fees to rent the Staple Center.

When the authorities allowed the Staples Center to be built, it became their responsibility for the costs associated with that. Dont tell me the vendors/stores in that area did not do business similar to other concerts. This is simply MJ bashing disguised as budget concern.

and only now they're whining about their own actions after the fact?

What a bunch of certified clowns these people are.

And I'm certain that the from the extra added tax revenue and business stimulus that comes with a few hundred thousand folks in town, both LA and California made out just fine.

Hotels booked solid, restaurants packed, transportation, tours, memorabilia, etc. etc. For a solid week. That's millions and millions of dollars that rained down on Southern California.

they seemed to agree that the event was great for local businesses. Let me tell you, they (the LAPD) were in a good mood that day.

I would also think that the Jackson family would compensate the city for the costs.

That's part of the job, to provide security for large public events. And like you said, the cops were happy, hell, they were getting the big overtime buck.

I think that LA got a great deal, in exchange for police and security overtime, they got a windfall stimulus. Trying to bill the Jackson family for these services would, in my eyes, be criminally ungrateful.

Tell you what, next time there's a death the magnitude of Jackson's, you can bring that to my town, we could all use the extra money.

The city split on sales taxes is small. Also Los Angeles CITY did not get all of it. The other cities in Los Angeles COUNTY and outlying areas got most of it. It was clearly a net loser for LA City.

Best way to settle it would be a comparison of recent revenue periods focusing on food lodging.

Considering that there was probably a hundred million dropped, easily, in LA alone. Really now, think about it. Not to mention the extra taxes that will accrue as the businesses and people spend their extra money, etc. etc.

And it's not just food and lodging, not for something like this. Hell, I imagine that the trinket dealers out on the street pulled in a million all on their own.

Frankly I would wait for the quarterly tax reports at the end of the month and see just how big a spike this was.

Took a while to find it:

- http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/sp111500att.htm
- http://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/pdf/districtratelist.pdf

I've never been around so many polite people in one place ever. It was no where near the circus the media hyped it up to be.

This happened on Tuesday and I still can't stop thinking about it. Anyone that was there probably feels the same way. Totally different vibe that could ever come across on a TV screen.

they were responsible for whipping up this Jackson hysteria in the first place.

Hotels were NOT booked solid. The city of LA and the media tried to hype up the event, saying how hundreds of thousands of people would fly just to be part of it by being outside of the Staples Center. Turns out their little plan didin't work and there were more cops than fans there. I believe only about a thousand showed up to be outside, so it was not a great bonaza for the city, that's why they are trying to get back the money that was lost.

but I suspect that most of us in America and the world were looking at all this unprecedented taloid style coverage of Michael Jackson in the MSM being treated as if it were serous news, and were just thinking to ourselves, Jesus Christ Almighty....just WTF is going on here?

I know I was.

Most were sent home after only about 1,000 people made it there. So even if all of these people, plus the 17,000 inside had been from out-of-town, could they have spent "millions and millions" for the city?

And considering that the majority were probably locals...(though this is just a guess on my part)

Hopefully there will not be one like it again.

but it seems to me they should have insisted on it before the event.

Other cars moving in and out, motorcycles lane splitting by them. Even better when they got to the city streets.

It was more of inconvenience to drivers than a Presidential motorcade...