Michael Jackson's Memorial Cost LA $1.4 Million

LOS ANGELES — A city council member on Thursday called on AEG Live to pay some of the estimated $1.4 million cost for policing Michael Jackson's memorial service at the Staples Center.

Dennis Zine told Fox 11 that the city's taxpayers "are getting ripped off" because the owner-operator of the Staples Center profited by charging media up to $50,000 to use risers outside the venue.

AEG President Tim Leiweke had said Zine was out of line for asking AEG to pay for policing because it helped solicit donors for the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA victory parade last month.

Jackson's concert promoter, AEG Live, said that it paid for the memorial itself along with the Jackson estate, but did not mention the cost of crowd control.

The parade and memorial both resulted in extraordinary costs to Los Angeles at a time when it is in debt for half of a billion dollars and facing employee layoffs.

The cost of city services for the Lakers' parade was about $1 million. Donors covered about $850,000 of that sum. The Lakers and AEG spent another $1 million to produce the parade and rally at Memorial Coliseum.

Comments

[harriettubman]

Uh oh, Most of these posts are from the "me" generation. They wanted to see MJ sent off in a public way, no matter how much it cost taxpayers or who footed the bill, it just had to happen. Regardless of CA's past financial history, in July 2009 they are bleeding red and about to lay off police officers. How dare someone ask a question about saving money in this economy.

[Gnarly]

pretty sure the fans going to LA brought in more than 1.4 million dollars to the city.

[SarcasticFringehead]

"Tuesday's public memorial service, which was attended by a total of more than 17,000 fans"

Wrong.

[Faithtoo]

Say it again!

These people should stop hating. If it's the city's job to host events such as this then they should quit complaining and find a way to pay for it...just as they have doing. It's these haters that are the problem. No less was done for Elvis.

[FlipMode]

Amen!

[DennisMM]

But it's not the city's job to host such events. It was a private function.

And, while Elvis's funeral was huge, it could not approach Jackson's.

[DennisMM]

That's to vendors and retailers and hoteliers. The cost of cleaning up and policing has to come from the city, which pays for those things with TAXES. Lots less than $1.4M in taxes coming from the event, especially as lots of street vendors are sketchy on their taxes.

[court99]

In order for a vendor to put up shop (legally), they have to file and pay for a permit which is TAX INCOME to the city.

Whenever you check into a hotel, in addition to the hotels rates you pay city taxes and all are itemized on the bill - TAX INCOME

Whenever you eat in a restaurant you pay city taxes on the food - TAX INCOME

Whenever you catch a bus or public transportation - revenue comes to the city

[unfiltered]

sounds like the poor little rich kid who doesn't want to use any of his inheritance to pay for daddy's funeral

[Peter007]

4,000 cops to look after 1,000 mourners. Thats not enough. Suppose there was a riot?
Also, $55,000 for lunches? I thought it would be 54 million for lunches.

[unfiltered]

how much has the city made off michael jackson? something tells me it greatly exceeds the 1.4M it coughed up for the memorial.

[wherriott2]

I was just thinking the same thing. Just one year in property taxes for Neverland Ranch would've covered it.

[slinkymom]

So then all our funerals should be funded by the cities in which we live because we all pay property taxes? Personally I pay $14,000 year. What kind of funeral can I get for that?

[BassMonk]

LA = Louisiana

L.A. = Los Angeles

[MsIrisMG]

The whole state's fixing to implode anyway...I­t's being crushed by massive debt and the forthcoming earthquakes wil deliver the knockout punch. This may all be moot soon.

[flurryup]

Wow, you;re a jackson fan. LOONEY!

[RobinLandseadel]

Yeah, your right, it's the end of the world as we know it, party up like it's 1999---NOT!

[cyoohoos]

How about LA releasing a DVD?

[Judyisacutie]

Here's an idea: why not have the networks pay the costs? They certainly sold enough Buicks, insurance and soda pop during the advertisements before, after and as a part of the post-funeral coverage.

[offred]

I agree. Undoubtedly at least one of the stations will package a CD condensing its memorial coverage and a full-color, glossy book to accompany it. The station could advertise that it's donating 50 cents for every cd purchased.

[Archivist1000]

Judy: It was commercial free and live .... another rant based on NON FACTS .... let me guess, you watch FOX news too ....

[Judyisacutie]

I said the commercials were BEFORE, AFTER and during POST-FUNERAL coverage. Work on your reading comprehension.

[Travis bdboy]

Another $1,4 million for the Jackson family to spend...la­ughing all the way to the bank

[psychmaj323]

Who cares, let this be volunteer service for the police. Charge it as COMMUNITY SERVICE :)

[slinkymom]

Oh great idea. Forget about all the people who have been laid off by the city and state, they don't need that money more than MJ, right?

[Faithtoo]

I don't recall hearing anything about anyone being laid off because of MJ's public memorial. What I did hear was about the hours of overtime those still employed have and will receive.

How do you know that the Jackson family and fans will not pick up the tab? Negativity runs rampant thru these posts.

[Archivist1000]

Slinkmom: your logic is flawed.

1- Do you think that if MJ had not died, the city of LA would be saying .. WHEW now we have 1.4 million more to keep on staff?
2- A lot of people need 'the money' ... what does that have to do with MJ??? He isn't getting money from LA is he?
3- If LA doesn't want to pick up the tab for security around the Staples Ctr .. it should just refuse to have large events held there. Again, MJ didn't just 'die so that he could have a funeral' .. did he?

Really, your argument makes no sense at all .....

[psychmaj323]

lol, 1.4 million I think is a drop in the bucket considering the amount of debt Cali is in. Besides, there were people getting laid off well before this memorial service.

Errr, did you also forget about the L.A. BBALL Championship event?

lol, who do you think paid for that? I hear no squealing about that.

[CitizenFarmer]

This is fine that LA paid.

[ObamAtomic]

La and the city council members are "full of hot air",the previous estimated was four millions,
now we found out they spend fifty thousand on lunches(MSNBC).

They overreacted and overreached the event.

[eleanorhawking]

Let each of his loving fans look at the "man or woman in the mirror", and reach into their pockets for one measly buck. This one last act of loving kindness would pay for the memorial, and keep Californians on the job.

[Dewtrell]

Absolutely not! I am a native Californian and Los Angeleno, I pay taxes in this state and for the city and county of Los Angeles - my tax dollars are SUPPOSE to go to this sort of thing. And the city, and state for that matter, is broke because they don't know how to manage the money given by the taxpayers - case in point, spending $50K on lunches from a restaurant that is 80 miles OUTSIDE of Los Angeles. They are so stupid that they don't spend tax payer dollars inside the city limits.

[slinkymom]

I have to disagree. I do not think tax dollars should be spent on a rich guys funeral when said celebrity and family have more than enough money to pay for it themselves.

[MsIrisMG]

I have done so - several times over at that! Every little bit helps. I know they could sell that souvenir program book for a good deal of that. I paid a dollar for a download that didn't work, but if the city put one together the right way it can be done. They just need to be creative.

[mollymac]

Since this was about MJ, why aren't the not starving Jackson's paying? When my mom passed, our family took care of the arrangements. It'd been nice if LA would have, but guess not.

[Archivist1000]

LA didn't pay for the funeral .. geez .. some people are just too dumb to read a simple article!

BTW ... I am sure your Mom was well loved by her friends and family ... but ..... well you get my drift.

[meetoo]

This was a public event for the public, asked for by the public -- the public did not pay for MJ's private memorial service. The alternative was for L.A to say NO to the public.

I agree with others that the City and AEG should come together to design ideas that could refund/replenish the coffers. The suggestion about selling the souvenir booklet and giving a portion of the proceeds to the city might be a place to start.