Michael Jackson’s memorial service today will apparently cost Los Angeles taxpayers $3.5 million+ in a time when the state of California is essentially broke. Local law enforcement will be providing security for attendees which include private guests of the Jacksons. E!’s Answer Bitch reports:
“We have city employees getting pink slips because the city dollars are not there,” points out L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine. But even though city officials have asked AEG to pick up some of the public costs, the company has declined, Zine tells me. AEG did not respond to my requests for comment.
“You would think AEG would say, ‘We’re the ones who did this, we could have had a private ceremony and not a major public memorial.’ AEG is a big entertainment company. They’re going to get international coverage and tons of publicity from this.”
And just what kind of city effort are we talking here?
* At least 1,400 police officers to keep the peace
* Workers from the Department of Transportation to arrange and enforce street closures
* Still more workers from the Department of Public Works to keep the area clean and operating
* Fire and rescue specialists, just in case too many rabid fans moonwalk into one another out in the streets
Okay, while this is probably a horrible use of taxpayer’s money during a fiscal crisis, the important thing to remember is at least nobody’s kids are getting touched. By Michael Jackson anyway. — Wow, I feel better already. They should put that on the programs.
First of all, the ability to acrue over $400 million in debt while you’re alive is quite a feat. To ring up even more- on the taxpayers dime no less- after you’re dead is unbelievable.
Alexis you misandrist
why don’t you go back back to touching yourself over images of little girls because we know those who protest the most are the ones most guilty.
Or are you so frigid you have to convince yourself what you say is true so that you don’t need a man.
Maybe men don’t pay you any notice because of superficial reasons like the way you look or maybe it’s because of real reasons like your personality.
You’re a bitter disgusting woman who is only going to remain alone unless you already made it to the sperm bank in which case they had better take your kid of you before it starts looking “good” to you and you cant control yourself anymore….
or is that why you went there in the first place?
LMAO
People are truly moronic. The state of California will make >20x more money than it put into this event. And so will the networks, and this website, etc…
Oh, and white people are the corniest haters ever. Too funny.
@53
How is the state of CA going to make >20x more money than it put into this event?
#9 nigger.
Soooo… where is the money from the ticket sales going…? (Kinda weird that SOMEONE decided that this would be an appropriate opportunity to make money isn’t it??? Too bad California’s fiscal officials aren’t as shrewd…)
@54
Magic.
#35, the governor of the broke state of California is a conservative, republican white male. None of your psychoses or jealousy toward blacks or immigrants or BO or whomever will change facts.
Go grow a dick and then play in traffic. Retarded loser.
Can’t believe I’m saying this but, it was worth every fucking penny! California spent tax payer money taking Britney Spears crazy ass to the hospital when she went nuts so why not spend it on a memorial for an actual artist with some talent. It was a good memorial service.
Why do black people love this guy? He denounced his race by changing his nose and skin color. Yet, black people just adore him. Why?
Have people forgot about him being a drug addicted pedophile? Just a few years ago, he was vilified by everyone, now he’s a hero? Because he overdosed?
What is wrong with people these days?
What i saw was horriyfing. I watched the funeral today and saw MJ open his eyes, jump out of the coffin ,slam the lid, jump on top of the lid and proceeded to do one of the funkiest moonwalks on his coffin ive ever seen! He then proceeded to grab his crouch, leer at the audience,then get back in his box. Man what a performance! When i was a kid back in the early 70s i enjoyed the Jackson Five but as for disco and pop Michael that sucked big donkey dick. As for California them cocksuckers are all gonna burn in hell.
Jamie’s Uterus,
Perhaps because they’re not a bunch of soulless zombies?
I would think that the memorial is probably bringing a lot of money into the local ecomomy, so I think it pays for itself if not actually making money for the state.
Haven’t read this blog in a year and I thought I’d pay it a visit because a good person died and people would pay respects in the comments section. I was wrong so I guess I won’t be coming back to this piece of shit website.
@63… you’re totally right! People are buying his albums like crazy. Plus people flew to LA, booked hotels/motels, gas, taxis, food. This event I’m sure pumped a good amount of money into the economy. And wtf is it with the government saying it’s costing the tax payers money.. THEY ALREADY HAVE THE MONEY. There’s money set aside that they have to spend for specific things, asking for donations is the system that is why our government is so messed up!
Say what you want but don’t forget what his daughter said today;
“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine, and I just wanted to say that I love him, so much.”
MJ donated over 300 million dollars to charity and spent time in a number of countries trying to offer his support throughout his lifetime and I’m sure he payed a little bit in taxes, property and otherwise. Oh, and he wrote Thriller so go fuck your self. But as always, some white dude who thinks that Staind is like the greatest band ever has some comment about MJ when he can probably count the number of black friends he has on one hand come to think of it one finger. And I bet it’s a co-worker.
ABOUT THE TAXES…
For the record, former Beatle, Paul McCartney was worth about $1 Billion. He’s the “first” billionaire musician on record. Michael Jackson’s people has always kept his finances very secretive. He’s never appeared on the Forbes list. But if you figure this…if Michael Jackson own’s the Beatles’ music and royalties, AND has the #1 and #2 selling album in the world…how much do you think he’s made??? AND have paid taxes on? And for those who like to talk about his super big debt….(meaning he spent so much money, more than he has mad) so when he spent all that money, over a BILLION, how much sales taxes has he paid?
For those who suck at numbers, so you could get an idea, a billion looks like this… $1,000,000,000.00 (that’s more zero’s than even a regular calculator could hold for you trying to do some math now on it)
So even if the government is spending $3.5+ million on his memorial service, everybody need to stop complaining. If you made a billion dollars and paid incomes taxes on that…AND spent a billion dollars….AND paid sales taxes while spending it…
I am sure the government would be more than glad to spend a measly $3.5+ million on your memorial service too!!
This is a sad, sad blog. I love to read it in general, but when somebody is using MJ’s (or anybody’s for that matter), death to show how “funny” they are…pathetic.
To all you frat boys out here, how much does it cost this great city of LA when you burn the fucking cars after your team has won? How much does it cost for the security for EVERY SINGLE Laker/Clipper/Kings Game out there…put down your bongs and think this one through.
Don’t bother replying, since this is def the last time I will be on this site.
Immaturity rules.
Michael es un leyenda,un figura clave en la cultura popular no solo de los Estados Unidos sino del mundo entero sino basta ver como impacto su muerte alrededor del mismo,esta bien que en este caso el Estado de California gaste ese dinero en su funeral.
lo tiene mas que merecido
saludos
This site never fails to surprise me with the lack of research done on it’s posts. Why don’t you stick to bathing suit pictures of celebrity idiots instead? Those don’t require as much writing or thought, so any lack of thinking on the writer’s part won’t be that apparent. 1) The memorial’s being paid for by an extraordinary events fund (so while it does come out of taxes, the money isn’t coming out of current city taxes, nor is the fund scheduled to be tapped for, say, city worker wages) and 2) there’s been a massive tourist influx in LA, stimulating both the local economy and resulting in increased sales taxes – and the influx will probably continue for quite a while.
I hope MJ shit is over soon. This guy was a good singer and a good dancer and that is ALLL the value he had. He DID nothing of any value, never SAID anything of value and helped kids financially with one hand and molested them with the other. Yet I’ve heard him being referred to as a “Civil Rights Icon”. Gimme an effin break. Only in this great country of ours could a dancing child molester who was a completely MESSED up individual be considered a civil rights icon. No wonder nobody respects Americans. God help us.
I think 3.5 million+ is a small price considering the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tax he would’ve paid over his lifetime.. and the amount of money he has donated to charities and organisations. Michael Jackson deserved/deserves so much more respect than some people give him. He was not a paedophile he never molested any children he settled out of court because he was being sued and when you are being sued you have to prove that you’re an innocent not the other way round where the boy would have to prove MJ was guilty… it was easier to just them the money they were after to prove something that was just his word against MJ’s. Realistically how many paedophiles do any of you know? Just because MJ was eccentric, softly spoken and preferred the company of children to most adults does not make him a child molester…an easy target for those accusations but he was a good person who was holding himself together as best as he could for the all the shit that he went through from the media and greedy people, coz I certainly would’ve had a mental breakdown and checked myself into rehab if I had to deal with half the shit he had to… the price of fame.
Just when you are convinced that jealousy is a feminine trait, a white guy shows up.
@54
If I have to explain that to you then you’re probably too ill-equipped to comprehend. I suggest you stick to the basics
He has very wealthy friends.Can’t they cough up the money?
HOW MANY MILLIONS OF TAX-PAYERS MONEY WERE IN THE “POCKETS” OF SHABBY POLITICIANS DUE TO HIS ABILITIES?
…………………..thanks for asking!!
It is the last chance to say goodbye to the pop icon, Michael Jackson on the touching.
I will repeat Michael Jackson memories via treasure up my favorite Michael Jackson DVDs , playback on your portable player
you ppl are so simple minded….just becuz the media spits out facts for a quick buck doesn’t mean u have to believe everything u read…dickhead snedon (leading prosector) tried his best to humiliate destroy and find anything…anything right down to the one adult magazine to prove MJ’s guilt…and guesswhat ppl??? it ddnt happen…hmm…wonder why…wonder how come the 1,000′s of kids interviewed never gave any insite to michael’s wrong doings, wonder why there’s no video, photo’s nothing…only 2 accusers who both happen to come from low life poor families…get over it you assholes…believe what u want but keep your thoughts to urself cuz u sound racist, silly, and outright stupid…how’s this for racist…both accusers happen to be latino…
oh and on a second note click here if you wanna believe media and tabloid stories..and when ur done reading it take it and run with it like you did with the false accusations and bullshit charges that were made…LA ddn’t have the money to prosecute MJ but they sure would have but the State in as much debt as it took to get a conviction…hahahahaha ddn’t happen..and MJ was not the only person wrongfully attacked by the infamous mr snedon…
http://michaeljacksonebmeier.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/jordan-chandler-admits-he-lied-about-michael-jackson
I’m so sick of the little kid jokes, Michael Jackson never molested anyone and you should be disgusted with yourself for still making jokes about it when it is surely what killed him. If there is a hell I am sure you will be in it.
TIGER UPPERCUT!!!
I don’t understand why his estate doesn’t pay all the expenses. For the average person, if they want a cop escort at a funeral, they have to pay for it. WTF should the city of LA have to shell out for this washed up has-been’s funeral?
@81 Whats brown and in little toddlers diapers? Michael Jacksons hand
It would be nice if some of the celebrities who were sucking up the spot light at the memorial service help paying the million dollars tab.
http://protectthepaint.com/2009/07/08/kobe-and-magic-the-michael-jackson-memorial/
MJs not a child molester hes the greatest performer that ever lived so shut up no 1 cares what u say RIP MJ love you
Did I ask the Jacksons Family to pay when my Mother died hell No
I like MJ songs
HOW MANY MILLIONS OF TAX-PAYERS MONEY WERE IN THE “POCKETS” OF SHABBY POLITICIANS DUE TO HIS ABILITIES?
…………………..thanks for asking!!
It’s getting crazy with the spending. Maybe the city can get a cut of the windfall from the sale of Michael Jackson Commemorative coins from http://amazingproducts.tv/michael-jackson-coin.html