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I live in California and my state is broke. As you've surely heard by now, California isn't even paying its debts. Instead it's issuing IOU's.
(Note to readers: When the bill collectors call, if you just say you've got an IOU for 'em, please let us know how that turns out for ya.) My city of Los Angeles is broke, too. With more than $500 million dollars in debt, summer school classes have been canceled, bus routes cut back, and services for the elderly and the sickest of the sick have been slashed.
So why in the hell is the City of Los Angeles set to pay an estimated $2,000,000 dollars for police and other services in support of tomorrow's Michael Jackson Memorial at the Staples Center? ...
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I cringed as I watched City Council member and acting Mayor (while Antonio Villaraigosa is on vacation) Jan Perry practically plead for private donors to come forward to make contributions to defray costs. Los Angeles Times editors weighed in on this nonsense, too:
So why is there now any thought at all of dipping into a city fund for ''extraordinary events'' to subsidize this one -- which, if a ''public viewing'' becomes part of the memorial, will turn the whole thing into a Michael Jackson corpse carnival? Source: Michael Jackson's memorial -- what would LA taxpayers get for their money? Los Angeles Times
Even though he found himself in debt at the end of life, Michael Jackson's net worth is still estimated at more than $200 million dollars. All costs paid by the city should be reimbursed by money from Jackson's estate. Or even more appropriately, AEG should pay. After all, AEG is promoting the memorial and will probably make a gazillion dollars from selling rights to the unreleased footage of Jackson's final rehearsals.
Oh I know some people counter my pay-as-you-play proposition with the fact that tourist dollars will be spent at venues in and around downtown LA. Yes, that's true. But I am not convinced that the tax revenue from this surge will balance out city expenditures. I'd rather see that $2 million dollars go to hire more teachers, fund summer school classes and home health care for those who depend on it.
What do YOU think?
Comments: (50)
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By: nmmoore on 7/07/2009 9:25PM
Michael Jackson residence is California.California was in debt BEFORE he died. Did California ask their rich residence to help with summer school?
The family did not want all the media and fans they asked several times to let them grieve in private. We the public did not let that happen.
The family has not said they would NOT help pay this bill, grief takes time. Wills going though court takes time. The public who showed up when asked not too did pay California. Hotels, eating, transportation, etc. Where will that money go?
Every time someone reported on MJ, others/we were there to listen. So somebody got paid. The Media is all about the numbers, if the numbers was not up they would have stopped reporting. The police would not have had to hire 2000 plus people if we just stayed HOME and watched...
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By: Denise on 7/08/2009 12:02AM
It's just a shame...I totally agree with the statement made by Tammy, instead of complaining about the hardships of your state (and hince all across America, people are going and have been going through things like this_not to mention the recession hunny) If you stopped for a second to take a look at the bigger picture, these people are not stupid nor are they unaware that they will make some kind of profit from the service. I can't believe you guys wouldnt put aside that issue (even though it is very much serious) at least until the man is buried. Like Tammy stated michael did not put your city in debt, he did not demand this, don't take it out on him, it's your city that has made the choice to do this, to honor the greatest entertainer. I cant begin to state how I agree with everything that Tammy stated in her response, 100%
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By: vance76 on 7/08/2009 12:10AM
Money is not a thing that is meant to stay. Money is meant to be spent. For the so called Christians, didn't Jesus talk about the love of money and trying to hold onto it? And didn't Jesus honor those who gave up things for others? Just like Jesus, MJ is no longer physically here, but his spirit still is. Therefore, he is not dead. So you can still do for him because he still lives. How many of you would complain about the amount of money spent on those you love? And how would you feel if people told you to get over them? People are honored to this today who have been physically gone for centuries and people haven't complained. Even presidents have their faces on dollars and you do not complain. Give to God what is God's and to MJ what is MJ's. Your money and taxes have to go somewhere. Would you rather it go to war and prisons? I'd rather it go to someone who has contributed something.
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By: Stephanie on 7/08/2009 12:35AM
Many people have a grand time undermining other people's pain. Doesn't this family deserve the respect due any family in mourning? (when was the time you were charged for attending uncle joe's funeral?) These are REAL people, they're just very wealthy and related to one of the greatest entertainers of this time period. It is sheer jealousy that spurns such hatred. You nay sayers are very unfortunate to not know the simple humanity of sorrow. Michael Jackson did not ruin this economy(lay offs, school closures, upside down mortages) George W. Bush and the Republican party played an enormous role in this situation. The wealthy citizens of California are heavily taxed and we pay our fair share of local, state and federal taxes. If all of the wealthy people began pulling their money out of the economy then where would this country be?
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By: Angelika on 7/08/2009 12:57AM
I understand what you are saying, but I also have a different take on the subject.
First, I also live in California and am suffering from the problems of the no budget. I am a 42 year old woman who is currently back in college and I can not receive my CAL Grant until there is a budget passed. Second, I have a brother that passed away one week prior to Michael Jackson, and since he had no insurance, we had to come together as a family, and trust me funerals are expensive.
Third, Since my major is Criminal Justice, I have found out that Police Departments budgets normally are heavily made up of overtime. This I found out by several of my instructors, a few are current police officers and a few are retired. Fourth I am mighty sure that AEG and The Jackson's Family will pay for all or part of this memorial. Fifth, you also must look at the fact that no matter what anyone thought of Michael Jackson, he single handedly, has contributed more to charities and other things that help people in need. You can check it out for yourself, it is in the Guiness Book of Records. Sixth, it is Los Angeles, and they have a special budget set aside for "Special events", like the Academy awards, Golden Globes, Grammys, American Music Awards, etc. Lastly, I am a Christian with Southern Roots and I was raised to believe in celebrating a person's life, and when you have someone who, with their celebrity status like Michael had, used that status for a lot of good, I have no problems with either way it is paid for. So say what you want, but I don't have a problem with it, no one has even actually said who is paying for it, so why not just leave it alone and wait and see.
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By: JOHNSON on 7/08/2009 1:58AM
I THINK YOU SHOULD JUST STOP HATEING ON HIM SO WHAT IF IT WAS ELVIS YOU WOULDNT BE SAYING ANYTHING SO LET IT REST. AND GET A LIFE BACAUSE IF YOU HAD ONE YOU WOULDNT BE PUTING ALL YOUR ENERGY IN THIS. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE YOU DONT HAVE A JOB. IF YOU DID YOU WOULD JUST PAY YOUR BILLS AND STOP TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD.I LIVE IN MICH AND THEY ARE BROKE BUT NOT ME SO ALL I CAN DO IS TO KEEP MY HEAD A FLOAT AND KEEP IT MOVING I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME.
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By: talevon on 7/08/2009 2:51AM
yes california is in a bad place right now,the funeral itself was paid by donations and with all the people coming to funeral and traveling there to attend i hope it stimulated some money for the city. Events such as this normaly do. Maybe not enough to settle California's debt but a help. iam sure NY would have welcomed it freely.
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By: babybear on 7/08/2009 3:24AM
everybody needs to shut to f up yall have to realize this man did more for the world in one day then matha f_$#kers do in a lifetime so stop all the haten and pay respect to the KING!!!!!! DAMNIT
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By: Phillip . S. March on 7/08/2009 11:36AM
My question is when the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship where did thay get the finances to pay for the parade or did you give them a parade and if so who paid for the security of that. Micheal Jackson memorial was watched by over 1.5 billion people that day this was the largest viewing audience ever viewed by the U.S. and the World. So me as a citizen of this country thinks the city of Los Angeles could foot the bill for this one. Some might think not but just look at what he brought to the state of California and to rest of United States and the World thank you for time P.S.March.
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By: patina on 7/15/2009 8:22AM
Why isn't his family paying for all of this.
They have the money. We have to pay for our family memorials. That is the end of the story
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