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I have an idea. Let's take a city that already has a deep deficit and have them spend $2.5 million on the memorial of a late pop singer! Sound like a plan? It sounds ridiculous you say? Well, it can't be that ridiculous because that is exactly what is happening to the city of Los Angeles tomorrow when the Michael Jackson memorial and its performers hit the Staples Center.
E! online reports that not only is it going to cost L.A. money, but the Jackson family and promoter AEG will be making money off of the memorial. There will be 11,000 fans at the Staples Center today, but there are another 9,000 private guests of the Jackson family. So if you think about, the Jackson's are making L.A. their bitch tomorrow. Wait, didn't the Jackson family already have a memorial with private guests?
L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine tells E! that AEG has declined to pay for some of the public costs of the event tomorrow. This public city effort includes at 1,400 police officers, the Department of Transportation to work the streets, the Department of Public Works to keep everything clean, and fire and rescue specialists in case something goes wrong. That, my friends, is what $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars is going towards.
Listen, I'm just as ready to have a big huge memorial service for Michael Jackson as the next guy, but I don't have that kind of money to be giving to L.A. And whatever money I do have, I want it to at least maybe try to be used in a better way. I mean, look at the amount of cops needed in those pictures. And all those streets that are closed, seriously? Trust me, I visited the Jackson family home and the amount of police and L.A. county officials there was ridiculous.
Ahh, who am I kidding. This is L.A. This is probably the best way the money has ever been used.
All of our Michael Jackson coverage can be found here.
Gallery Info: Los Angeles gets ready for Tuesday as family and fans say good-bye to Michael Jackson.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: www.gettyimages.com
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