Councilwoman says city will pick up police costs for Michael Jackson memorial

L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry said this morning that the city will dip into a special fund set aside for extraordinary events to pay for the security costs associated with Michael Jackson's memorial service Tuesday at Staples Center.

She also asked for financial aid from private donors interested in "honoring" Jackson by helping to pay for non-security services such as sanitation and trash collection that will be needed for the massive event. Private donors came forward to cover the costs associated with last month's Lakers victory parade and celebration at the L.A. Coliseum.

"The city would deeply appreciate help to offset what are the ... non-police costs," she said, adding that if anyone was interested, they could e-mail her at City Hall to discuss it.

"Its not the first nor will it be the last time our police department is called upon to make and execute the necessary plans for special events of this magnitude," Perry said at the news conference.

Later, she told CNN that the Jackson family had not come forward to pay for taxpayer costs associated with the memorial.

"I am not aware of any activity from the family to do that," she said.

Perry represents the downtown area that includes Staples Center.

-- Cara Mia Di Massa

 

Comments

[Pablo]

We need your help, donors! Please donate so this memorial can happen! Michael Jackson's estate is only worth over $1 billion and the costs are just too much for them to bare. P

By the way, I'm glad everything got resolved in Iran. You never hear about it anymore so I'm guessing everything's all good, right?

[Joshua]

Let's us honor the man as the "King of Pop", "The Entertainer", "The Musician", and as "The Family Man". He will be surely missed.

Joshua

[sam]

"L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry said this morning that the city will dip into a special fund set aside for extraordinary events to pay for the security costs associated with Michael Jackson's memorial service Tuesday at Staples Center."

WHY should the city pay for THIS!!! Everybody was up in arms about the city paying for the Lakers Parade!

The Lakers brought jobs and money to the city. michael jackson did NOT! As a resident of the City of Los Angeles, I strongly disagree with jan perry!! Let her personally pay for IT!

I am sure the majority of residents agree with me.

[jill]

It's already cost us taxpayers a fortune to keep cops stationed at the rented Bel Air home which had to be blocked off to tourists, making visitors walk down busy Sunset Blvd and park on other private streets, all needing monitoring. Then there was the even bigger need for cops at the Encino home, and all over Hollywood Blvd. near his star. AND downtown around the Staples Center.

How much has this cost already? Most of these fans are not big consumers or staying in fancy hotels like convention guests, they may buy fast food and throw the trash in the street,, clog traffic and create need for crowd control. For the funeral itself the organizers will charger 25 bucks -- will there be a profit and if so, who's getting it?

Perry said we don't need a Lakers parade, then when private donors stepped in she was only too happy to show up and walk out on the field only to be dissed like the whole council. That wasn't just for the Mayor, it was for all of them - this city council ;has run us into a huge deficit and the funeral isn't the only police cost associated with this Jackson spectacle so tell Jan Perry to cough up the full figures it cost us so far. At least there hasn't been any violence like from the Laker "fans."

[stewart]

for s much tax revenue gvt got from MJ ? I guess it would be nice to get something back for it? Too bad he had to die first before he ever saw it huh?

[Michael Rules!!!]

Although no one is happy Michael died, he has given a gift to the city. Imagine the revenue this event and all Jackson memorial and fan related events are and will be bringing to the distraught downtown L.A. area. The police costs will be more than met by the tremendous boon of tourism dollars to all the hotels and local businesses, not to mention L.A. Live and Staples Center. Stop your moronic complaining. Let the fans morn.

[Melaine Samsoni]

Jan Perry should pay out of her own pocket.

[G-Mesa]

The city should not pay for anything michael jackson related

[rockman]

That's absolutely ridiculous. I'm glad the City of LA is so fabulously wealthy.

[R.G.]

the city of L.A is cutting jobs because there is no money but yet we as taxpayers are paying for a Michael Jackson memorial??

[Frank F]

Amen, Pablo. Both the City and the Times should be ashamed. And so should "We, the People" for letting them get away with it.

[eva]

This is completely insane. These "fans" need to have their heads checked. We simply cannot afford to pay for this ridiculousness! We didn't pay for the Lakers parade, why should we pay for this faux sentimental b.s.?

[Baffled Observer]

I think it's outrageous that the taxpayers of the city should be forced to pay for something like this. Why can't the city wake up and realize that *they don't have the money* for this sort of thing?

[Pepper]

How and WHY do we have this "special reserve" when teachers are getting fired, kids are forced to be in larger classes and the state is sending out IOU's. Sure, if the state was in better shape this would not be an issue BUT IT IS NOT!!!! the folks who want tx for the memorial SHOULD PAY FOR IT...this is an outrage and I'm ashamed to live in this city-

[James Campbell]

"the Jackson family had not come forward to pay", and is anyone surprised? They're in it for the money. But here's a thought, what about the Madonnas, Timberlakes and every other no mark pop star who couldn't wait to declare their debt to Jackson, with barely a thought for the free PR? Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity for them to put up the cash? No, stupid, they're in it for the money, too... So let the ordinary folks pay, just like they did when they made the man obscenely rich in the first place. Same as it ever was...

[Trey]

I don't understand all this noise about the city having to foot the bill to provide public safety. Afterall isn't that already the city's job. HELLO! There are concerts and events all over town every night. There are also hordes of visitors and tourists on Hollywood Blvd. and at other tourists spots. This is LA. It draws people here for one thing or another all the time and it is part of the city's duty to provide public safety at all times. It doesn't matter that Jackson's memorial at Staples is a private event. So are Laker games, Clipper games, Kings games, and everything else held there. The point is LAPD is suppose to provide for crowd and traffic control at the city's expense as a matter of course.

[J G]

I should not, as a tax payer, pay for observations of illegal substance abuse. Why doesn't the Jackson family pay for the cost and why aren't the leaders like Villaraigosa and Perry discussing the total cost and pushing for donations as they did for the Lakers parade. They need to stay consistent in dealing with the budget. Our city's leadership has definitely lost credibility!

[Brandi Boyle]

We are stuffing kids in classrooms and cutting teachers???? but we have funds to pay for this????? The family decided to have a public memorial and they have plenty of money to pay for it. Use some of MJ's money, Jackson money, or support from some of the celebs....how about Al Sharpton??? I'm a big MJ fan, but I don't think our city has the money to pay for this....but all the MJ abusers, users, including family that didn't help him do!!!!

[eric]

this is really dumb. Our enitre City Council needs to be replaced at this point. First we are gonna waste money on the Lakers now is Michael Jackson, next we will be making Madoff's birthday a holiday here. Needless to say this makes me sick to my stomach when we have hard working men and women losing their jobs....

[eric]

@trey

Let me help you understand what all the noise is about.

We are wasting money to honor someone at a time when average people cannot pay bills.
IF MJ can be buried in a Bronze and Gold $25,000 coffin, Im sure he can pick up the tab if he wants this "honor".

The city is NOT obligated to pickup tabs for BS like this.

In fact the City of LA would have been better served if they denied the use of Staple center unless the organizers provide suffiecient security and such.

[Nelcisco]

Good point Pablo, Michael's death means more to us than the fact that our nation's unemployment rate is approaching 10% or Iran wants to wipe out Isreal which is the little Satan or U.S. which is the big Satan, North korea is launching missiles but hey....!

"The Jackson family had not come forward to pay for taxpayer cost for the memorial". Interesting... so we should, and its their funeral.

[TMM4SC]

Another example of tax payers getting shafted. The Jackson Family and AEG should foot the bill for this event, which isn't needed in the first place in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed most of MJ's music and recognize his talents as an entertainer. But enough of the hero worship already, especially for a man who publicly stated there is nothing wrong with sleeping in bed with young boys. How can this be over looked regardless of his accomplishments?

What we should be doing is sharing all this love for our troops returning from or heading off to deployment in the middle east! In my opinion they are the true heros we should be offering thanks to and acknowledging their enormous sacrfices. Where are our priorities?

[Diane]

Note to LA City Council,

Helloo wake up and smell the coffee you seem to have "special fund" for this but not for fixing potholes and not cutting back on city services, no wonder the state, county and city are broke.

[Trey]

@Eric

Let me explain to you democracy and free market econony 101. A.) The city has no authority to tell Staples Center or its owner what events can be held at the facility anymore than the city can tell Subway what kind of sandwiches it can and cannot serve. B.) The owners of Staples Center are obligated to pay for security to protect their property and the people attending events there, but they are not obligated to direct traffic and to control crowds on public streets that do not have a ticket to attend an event at Staples. That is the responsibility of law enforcement which businesses like Staples already pay taxes to support.

[Exit]

I predict that the DVD sales of the Michael Jackson memorial day in LA will make the Jackson family a tidy sum as well