BY-NC-SA Two weeks after his passing and one week after his nationally televised memorial, Michael Jackson is still leaving his mark on the world. Unfortunately for the city of Los Angeles, the mark left by the late singer was a hefty financial one. So heavy, that city officials have engaged in a little bit of in-fighting.
Almost as soon as mayor Villaraigosa, who was away in South Africa during the death and memorial planning of Michael Jackson, released an estimated cost figure of $1.4 million, councilman Dennis Zine (Dist. 3) claimed the taxpayers spent nearly $4 million memorializing the pop icon. Almost every aspect of the celebration was criticized, from the contract agreement with the company that provided the police lunches, to the call on public donations to help ease the financial load. Although councilwoman Jan Perry, then acting-mayor and spearhead for the memorial, made public calls for third party sponsors other than donations solicited, it was when LA’s official mayor returned, calling the solicitation “ridiculous,” that revealed some tensions that may exist in city hall.
I was at the memorial and from where I was (outside), there seemed to be two types of individuals in attendance: those there to remember Michael Jackson, and those there to profit from Michael Jackson. While the two groups were both well represented inside the Staples Center and the surrounding area, it looks like the city is having a hard time figuring out what line of the sand they stand on.
Even though the city rushed to organize a memorial, making funds available at a rapid pace (sickening to anyone working within any of LA’s under-funded departments I’m sure), it didn’t seem genuine. I stood outside of the Staples Center with the other thousands of LA citizens who weren’t allowed access, either because of denial, or because they didn’t register. I didn’t feel like the event had the city in mind at all. It felt like a private party for who’s who’s and VIPs. This feeling was made possible, not only by the fact that the Jumbotrons on site were deactivated, but mainly by the wristbands distributed in pure Hollywood nightclub fashion. They probably could have saved a TON by hiring actual nightclub bouncers instead of Overtime LAPD support.
While I can’t say how much effort went into SAVING money on this event, I’m am sure that even less effort went into MAKING money on this event. I understand if the city wanted to provide a respectful memorial and not disrespect the family by directly capitalizing from it, but I would then remind the city that their loyalties should stay to the well being of it’s citizens. Michael Jackson loved children. I’m sure more than he’d like to be memorialized by the city of LA, he’d like for it’s youth to have full access to summer schools and other programs. Because of this Velvet Rope memorial, however, it seems like the citizens will have to pick up the tab, likely at the expense of a struggling, under-funded department.
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