Jackson Funeral Cost Los Angeles Taxpayers $1.4 Million
Outrageous!!!!
According to the mayor's office, the memorial service for the King of Pop cost the city of Los Angeles $1.4 million!
Expenses for Tuesday's event included putting extra police on the streets, trash pickup, sanitation and traffic control.
Extra police is a mayjah understatement!!!!
The day of Jackson's funeral would have been a good day to commit a crime, since it took three thousand police officers, about one-third of the El Lay force, to keep the event running smoothly.
The city set up a Website asking for Michael's fans to donate money to take the financial burden off of L.A., which is already in debt for $530 million.
Hundreds of donors gave more than $17,000 through the site, but the city would have received more if they were prepared.
The high volume of traffic on the site caused it to crash repeatedly putting it out of commission for at least 12 hours on the day of the funeral!!!
If you're going to do it, do it right!
“The city attorney does not want something like this happening again, the city paying (the initial costs) for a private event,” said spokesman for Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. “That’s especially in a cash-strapped city, where people have been furloughed or even lost jobs.”
Damn right!
Finally, someone with some common sense!!!!
[Image via WENN.]
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Re: Lä!!!SEMICOLON!!!ggNer – I think I could say the same for you you ignorant bag of crap. If you think musicians don't change lives then you're ignorant to the power of music.
Now shut up and listen dick-face. Michael donated MILLIONS to several charities. These charities got a great boost they wouldn't have if not for him. Michael brought up the problems in Africa SEVERAL TIMES, when others tried to sweep them under the rug. He organized We Are the World which raised how many MILLIONS for those that were suffering in Africa? He talked about race in many of his songs stressing how important it was to be accepting to all people of all color, race, and creed. I KNOW how powerful this message was because it effected so many people my age. MICHAEL DID SO MUCH FOR THIS WORLD.
Don't discount the amazing works he did. He may not fit your title of what a powerful person should be but he was one.
And when you die, they'll simply throw some dirt over your head because you haven't contributed shit to this world. Now fuck off.
Re: Hate Low Class People – Why are you so shy? Just say 'Hates Black People' and get it over with.
this is stupid. pure stupidity.. why the hell should taxpayers pay out for his funeral? HES A FREAKIN JACKSON.. his family has money. paying out $2 mil isnt going to hurt them.. and besides that.. la didnt need to use 3000 popo to help.. but whatever. too late now..
although i will have to say when i first heard of la paying for the funeral service of mj i thought they were going to pay for everything. so thanks for clarifying that for me perez..
Re: Edalyne – hahahahaha…..ooops! Sorry about that one…I did indeed think he was talkin about Ahnuld. My bad and yes, I can be big enough and admit a mistake and tell that person sorry. I did look ignorant! lol!
Re: JigSaw – No shit! Maybe all the celebrities that claim to love him so much should have ponied up some cash!!!
If Janet is worth $120 million, why doesn't she pay for it????
it's a recession people!
Mariah, Usher have that kind of money also-what about the record sales for Michael's music that are being generated right now????
where is the wealthy black community that loved him so much that they can't help out?
Re: MarleyRai – I understand your point, but at the same time, we have the idiot Villaragosia out there begging for donations to a web site specifically created to cover this expense. yes, there is a "slush fund" for this type of thing, but this was still way more than was needed. If we have to beg for $$ to cover it than how can we say that we had the $$ in the first place and not to make a big deal out of it?
Re: Snickers – Oh my. You are an angry person!
Truth is they r going to tax the fuck out of us funeral or no funeral. Politics is a money game pure and simple $1.4 million is nothing compared to the excess of half a billion that the state is in debt for. I don't know how a mayor that makes 120k and lives in a huge house in hancock park and vacations for weeks out of the year and supports a mistress can afford all of that on 120k sounds like someone has been dipping in to tax payers dollars
Ridiculous! As a tax payer in LA county, this is insane! My grandparents died and our family paid for the funeral and memorial services; we didn't put the costs on others. Why should residents of LA pay for such a spectacle?! The Jacksons ALL have money, and lots of it… so why can't they pay for their family members' memorial service?! What a f*cked up family and city!!!!!
You're all lucky if you do not live here in CA! it USED to be a great state now the Terminator and Villaragosa are running us into the hole over sh*t like this
Btw I'm sure that the nearly 10% tax we pay in LA county will have this taken care of in a few days
Re: crashr10 – I agree with you! But once these famous people get millions of dollars, they never want to give it up. Most of the people that performed probably did so for publicity! It's a sad world when such a giving man passes and his peers and family aren't willing to help out.
El Lay, as you call it, should not be the one to pay for a private event as this, but they went ahead and provided services to the city. They should be responsible for it. Asking "fans" to pay for it is so tacky. Don't offer services for something and then complain about it. What is really tacky is paying so much money to feed the workers lunch, which was provided by an out of town eatery. Why didn't they give some local businesses some work? I guess El Lay does not make good sandwiches. Too much bologna…?
I see the media was there which equal ratings which equal monies! Why can't the NEWTWORKS but up money too? Those people that worked that event needed that money. But, it's the big guy that made money. The little people can't pay for everything. Networks give some of your profts from this event to help pay for it. It's the right thing to do.
Re: sheba088 – My bad networks need to help pay. Also, good valid point. Maybe some of the people who performed who have a lot of money can contribute too! Mariah, Usher, Lional, hello people he was your friend why not help out! Quincy you benefited the most from Michael and you have the money instead of being there why not put your money where your mouth is. Don't put it on the people of LA!
When my dad, then my mom passed away - it was up to me to pay for the funeral(s). I think the Jackson family should write a check to the city of Los Angeles for giving their son such a huge send-off. It would be the appropriate thing to do.
Re: MarieRi – And…. you're throwing insults at me because you're so eager to show how much of a more open-minded and peaceful person you've become thanks to listening to MJ's music, right?
Honey, do me a favour and make a search on Bob Geldof, LiveAid, Do they know it's christmas etc, as you don't seem to have a clear memory of that era and of all the other people involved in the charity movement for Ethiopia. MJ was hardly the only one, give credits where they are due please.
THE JACKSON'S NEED TO PAY!!!!!!!
They should pay with the money they get form the will.
But that would be the right/classy thing to do. S
o I know they won't. Fucked up!!!!!!!! This is bullshit, I live in LA.
Re: MyOpinionOnly – I think that should be the issue of concern. Something seems very wrong with a city asking for donations to support an event. Seems as if it wouldn't be legal, ethical, or proper. The city of Los Angeles has had big events that generate large crowds before and have used tax dollars to accommodate the crowds. This one of course received international coverage therefore its drawing a lot of criticism. The memorial could not have been held at the Staples Center w/o the approval of the city council. There had to have been funds available for the green light to have been given. Mayor Playboy was vacationing when I'm assuming it was cleared, nonetheless, there had to have been funds available, otherwise there would have been no clearance. Am I wrong in thinking that? I actually think the city welcomed hosting the memorial. I'm sure it stimulated a lot of businesses and pockets, maybe not upward of 1.4 million, but then again, who knows…. Thanks for stating your opinion intelligently and respectfully! I love good people!
I do think that the Jackson fam should fork up something that is outragous. The city could make a fortune by selling copies of the events. People will pay a pretty penny to have something that huge in their personal collections. They gotta be smart about it.
Do they do this every time there's an event at the Staples Center?
Why didn't they sell the television rights? It was all over every station, live. Maybe they did, so who did they sell them to, and where is that money? Did they televise this for FREE? I highly doubt that.
All of the crazed loser MJ fans that flooded the city for a chance to stand around and watch the funeral on a large television should foot the bill. Seriously…if you have that much time on your hands, get a fucking hobby. Re: SugarSpunSister –
They should get a fucking job is more like it.
Perass, why don't you fit the bill? Thanks LA for doing what you did for MJ, but truth be told, he deserved it.
what did the lakers victory parade and all the vandalism that occured afterwards cost the city? don't like basketball but like MJ -
Re: miss laurie heart –
A state cannot legally file for bankruptcy, but a city can, and a county can, and Los Angeles is definitely headed that way.
Sadly Trutanich is the only person in local government who isn't enamored with celebrity and in bed financially with AEG (the corporation that owns the Staples Center). Until he is Mayor dumbshit things like this will keep happening. The fact that Mayor Villaraigosa and City Council President Eric Garcetti were both out of town isn't really the scandal everyone is claiming it to be. They would have made the same boneheaded decision City Council Prez Pro Tem Jan Perry did in allowing this fiasco to go ahead and sticking we L.A. tax payers with the bill.
Maybe the Communist in Chief can tax a 4th and 5th generation into Obamageddon to pay for this!
why the fuck should i pay for this? i didn't ask for a funeral for him. i respect michael jackson but i shouldn't pay for his funeral. his family wnated thei they should pay for this. ask those damn celebrities to pay they make millions. i doubt they would die losing a few thousand dollars. bullshit. its should have been private if anything. shaem on the mayor of l.a. to ask people to donate.