Should California Taxpayers Pay For Michael Jackson's Memorial? (POLL)

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry said today that she was concerned about how much Michael Jackson's memorial on Tuesday will end up costing the city. EOnline has reported that the event could run the financially-strapped city $2.5 million. Perry has said that she would "love it" if the Jackson family would help cover some of the expenses.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Daily News reports, city councilman Dennis Zine said today that "concert promoter and Staples Center owner AEG should pay all the expenses for Michael Jackson's memorial tribute, and the cash-strapped city should be reimbursed for the cost of deploying police and fire crews to secure the streets around the event. "

"This is not an emergency. This is a memorial service for a celebrity who died a week ago," Zine said. "We are cognizant of AEG's need to honor the memory of Michael Jackson, but they should also be cognizant of the taxpayers' needs."

Zine added that AEG could have held a private memorial, but they chose to make it public even handed out free tickets.

More details about the potential costs from the Los Angeles Times.

Because the fiscal year started July 1, the fund for all police overtime -- which according to one source covers 1.6 million hours, or nearly $90 million -- is flush. But some city officials questioned the wisdom of spending possibly more than $1 million for overtime so early in the fiscal year, noting that the city could find itself cash-strapped later in the event of a fire, earthquake or other major disaster.

Do you think taxpayers should be responsible for paying the cost of Jackson's memorial? Vote below.

Quick Poll

Should California Taxpayers Pay For Michael Jackson's Memorial?

Yes, absolutely, 100%.

The Jacksons should pay for part of it.

AEG should pay for it.

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Comments

[TXfemmom]

The state is in a very difficult situation and the family of Jackson created this situation. Any added costs should be charged to AEG and the Jackson's. When we have to have extra security and escorts from police officers for a funeral in our area, the family has to pay for it. These are every day people, so if the Jackson's want to play this up and get involved in this kind of situation, then so be it. They and the promoters of Jackson should pay for the additional costs.

[tcastillo]

I guess you did not hear over and over that the family is having a hard time with this. So help out and keep your mouth shut.

[psychmaj323]

They are...

[t mout]

Yes. Insufficient options.
There are enough wealthy musicians owing a debt as they say to MJ to offer to pay. That would be the right and good thing to do.

[spitz]

California is broke, it's ridiculous that we're even at a point where these kinds of questions need to be asked

[GardenerNorCal]

What did the citizens of the nation and California pay for Nixon's funeral?

"His body was flown to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Orange County, California via SAM 26000, the presidential plane used as Air Force One while Nixon was in office.[3] It was transported to the Nixon Library and laid in repose. A service was held that evening, attended by world dignitaries, the president and first lady of the United States, and all four living former presidents and first ladies."

[ORpolitico]

You're comparing the funeral of a has-been entertainer to that of a former President? I'm speechless­...

[tcastillo]

Have you seen the music chartstoday and everyday? A former disgraced president? Did you finish high school?

[tcastillo]

Oh, you didn't even finish speech class.

[tcastillo]

This is not Watergate. This is Michael Jackson.

[Halfwit]

That was a state funeral.
That was paid for by federal taxpayers, as is every state funeral.

[Trittydi]

Your polls are always insufficient in options.

Maybe for part of it --- but only down the road somewhere, and in better economic times.
*

[tcastillo]

Should have we asked MJ to die later?

[Rule Of Law]

He// no!

and

With what?

[Yves Papa]

This is what "fiscal responsibility" should be about. Governments should stop giving money for star tributes that could have paid for themselves. This is waste spending. First I'm sure they would have found 10 thousand people ready to pay $1K a pop for a seat. That's about $10 M right there.

Government money should go where it should: Education, health care, public infrastructure.

[Tyrione]

California is making a mint off the visitors coming to California which costs the city $2.5 Million. The thousands showing up will cover that cost and much more.

[tcastillo]

Thank you.

[GardenerNorCal]

Exactly. It the first real influx of business we've seen in quite a while.

[Yves Papa]

They could have made the same mint plus $10 M by simply charging $1K per Staples center seat.

[tcastillo]

And what? be greedy again at the expense of the one and only MJ? People just do not stop picking his pocket.

[ORpolitico]

I wonder how much a circus/mob will actually spend....

[Chernynkaya]

Uh, no. $100,000,000 in sales would need to be generated to offset the 2.5 million in costs. Sorry, not gonna happen.

[Phalanxman]

Who is the genius that wrote this poll? It is about as slanted as any I have evere seen. I did not cast a vote, because the one obvious vote, i.e., "no," was left out of the poll. Instead, we are given the options to let the public pay, let the Jackson family pay "some" of it (an undefined amount, with no indication who pays the rest), or to have AEG pay for it. While the answer "have AEG pay" would seemingly relieve the public, it is qualitatively a different answer from that posed in the question, i.e., "Should the public pay for it." A person might not pick this option because they may feel AEG is doing a community service in honoring Jackson. So the result is skewed. This is a great example of how a dishonest (Yes, HP, I just called you dishonest -- you got the integrity to print it?) pollster can present poll results that are accurate reflections of votes cast, but not completely true. Please, HP, I expect you to set a higher journalistic standard. And, for the record (such as it is), no, I do not believe the public should pay for Michael Jackson's memorial.

[lianmolive]

What are you thinking PHal? This is Huffpost..­. what do you expect with such polls?? :)

[tcastillo]

Yes they should pay. It is MJ's payback for court costs in frivolous lawsuits in Santa Barbara.

[dyldrix]

sleeping with kids is frivilous?

[GardenerNorCal]

He was acquitted. Found NOT guilty.

[lianmolive]

Santa Barbara is not Los Angeles. That's like saying... make Detroit pay.

[tcastillo]

Santa Barbara was the first choice and concern about the $. Read the news.

[nippyfan]

If they don't and they cancel it, they'll be paying for a riot. Believe it! I saw the huge amount of fans, from all ethnic backgrounds, together, outside the morgue for God's sake, don't mess around peeps. Its not worth it.

[funnyman26]

She had a huge EGO, Michael Didn't... se la vie.....

[dansup]

guess mayor Villarigosa must be out of town, otherwise his useless mug would be all over the tv too, he's never met a camera he didn't hog. Shameful local gov't to be supporting this sideshow

[BlueStateMensch]

ALL of this is RHETORICAL, we KNOW that, don't we?

It's a "fun" OPINION POLL that has no REAL basis in reality.

The FACT of the matter is that NO tax dollars will be spent on the extra police..

The PROMOTERS of the event will be billed for the overages.. JUST as it is done all the time.

I'm off for a while.. had a nice time debating.

Later..

PEACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U37JOVoDIE
.

[opine2u]

Just saw the BBC film on the life of Michael Jackson 'What Really Happened,' and you could come to no other conclusion that he was a pedophile, and a real mean person with little or no heart. Her had a close confidant who worked for him for seventeen years and was fired for no reason with no severance pay, and had to sue Michael Jackson to receive his well earned vacation pay. Not only that the 'King of Pop' wasn't even regarded in Las Vegas as worthy of performing or even gaining any attraction at all. Michael Jackson was and to this day is stone cold broke, all monies earned are owed in the hundreds of millions. You are being fed a load of crap by the media looking for instant ratings as they create an instant myth, if it were not for a black President, Michael wouldn't be given the time of day, because with a black President, no one who is black can be made to look bad, but remember that Michael Jackson has already told you that he's bad. "I'm Bad, I'm Bad." The news no longer reports the truth, so make sure you watch the broadcast. It is Quincy Jones that you should love, not Michael.

[tcastillo]

You are a complete idot for believing this. The BBC is also the media. What you want to believe is who you are.

[Yves Papa]

What makes the BBC credible is that they are paid through a tax on TV sets, no commercials, therefore no undue influence. They can tell the truth that most of American media can't because they will lose sponsorship.