17,500 -- The number of tickets available for Tuesday morning's memorial service for the late entertainer Michael Jackson.
500 million -- The number of hits in the first hour on the Staples Center website where you can register for the lottery to win tickets to the 10 a.m. service.
Billions of dollars -- What the Jackson family, Sony and Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz' AEG company that owns Staples and was arranging the Michael Jackson tour stand to make in exploiting his death, his music, his celebrity.
Millions of dollars -- What LA taxpayers will spend for police and other services Tuesday at AEG's Staples Center and LA Live -- both heavily-subsidized to begin with -- for the Michael Jackson service.
It doesn't make any sense at all, does it?
Why should the long-suffering taxpayers of LA -- who have given hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to Anschutz and massive tax breaks to Sony and other entertainment companies that continue to support runaway production -- pay for the exploitation of Michael Jackson's death?
The answer is we shouldn't.
Huge crowds, their emotions at a fever pitch fed by the media frenzy, will show up for this event which is being used by all those who stand to profit handsomely from the death of this tragic figure.
Cops on overtime will be needed to avoid a riot. There will be tons of trash. It will go on for hours and hours and tie up traffic throughout the downtown area.
I guess it really doesn't matter. The city is going broke, its leaders lack the will to do anything about it, so why not live it up because there's no tomorrow.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
Happy 4th, Ron:
Andfor someone who is a temporary resident of the city since January and who was leaving town!
I'm a little confused at the wrath of Ron and his readers. Is the city paying to rent Staples Center on Tuesday or something? I know the cops will cost, but that is true of any large group at any event and for Christ's sake,the amount of hits on the website for people who want to attend the memorial is staggering and it's not the fault of the city that someone so incredibly popular died so they still have to protect the crowd. I think the litter and riot comments are too ridiculous to give merit to. Well, maybe there will be more litter, but I don't believe there will be riots. Just because your average reader is probably not a fan of Michael Jackson and even probably disapproves isn't reason to confuse his memorial with the issues we all have with subsidies, Staples, etc.
I'm not sure how everyone will profit from his death, but I bet a lot of people have profited from the death of icons in the past.
Michael Jackson moved here at a young age, attended school here and hasn't lived away more than he lived here. Why does someone keep posting that he's not a resident and that he was leaving soon?
AEG should simply be sent the bill for police protection, trash pick up, barricades, and parking officers. No more subsidies from the taxpayers of Los Angeles.
Thank you Ron for again being the voice of reason. City council has abused special event waivers for years. Why is LAPD who has already had their budget cut being given the burden of this event? AEG took out a $17 million insurance policy on Michael Jackson for the concerts. They should use that money to repay the city for services. AEG and the Jackson family will make millions on the DVD, music rights and so much more. This is a private funeral and Michael's body won't even be at the Staple Center on Tuesday. City council consistently wastes our tax dollars on their political payback favors to friends. They should be asking AEG to put up the money. Hellloooo City Council doesn't seem to get WE ARE IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS!!!!
This is what city council should do. They have $1.5 million in the special event general funds to cover the cost. Now the Jackson family is saying they are going to takie this memorial on a world tour. You can't tell me they're going to make money. This is a greedy family taking advantage of the tragic death of their son and they have no morals to exploit his death and make LA taxpayers foot their bill. Jan Perry is crazy to think we should pay the cost.
"""The City Council may provide funding for Special Event Subsidies in the General City Purposes Fund No.1 00/56, in a Special Event Subsidy Account with a sub-account for each Council District, for Citywide Special Events, and for Parades and Assemblies, or in another fund and accounts and sub-accounts as it deems appropriate. The amount of funding, if any, to be appropriated in the City budget for Special Event Fee subsidies shall be in the sole discretion of the City Council and Mayor
This is what city council should do. They have $1.5 million in the special event general funds to cover the cost. Now the Jackson family is saying they are going to takie this memorial on a world tour. You can't tell me they're going to make money. This is a greedy family taking advantage of the tragic death of their son and they have no morals to exploit his death and make LA taxpayers foot their bill. Jan Perry is crazy to think we should pay the cost. Let's ee if they like it coming out of their budget instead of LAPD's.
"""The City Council may provide funding for Special Event Subsidies in the General City Purposes Fund No.1 00/56, in a Special Event Subsidy Account with a sub-account for each Council District, for Citywide Special Events, and for Parades and Assemblies, or in another fund and accounts and sub-accounts as it deems appropriate. The amount of funding, if any, to be appropriated in the City budget for Special Event Fee subsidies shall be in the sole discretion of the City Council and Mayor
I have just heard that the metro schedules for the week are being altered so that people who use the bus will have to walk blocks to get to alternate routes for their place of business.
I think I could have stomached paying for the LA Laker victory parade easier than this memorial.
Dime to a dollar: 3:44 is a public employee, and Michael Jackson hasn't lived in LA since, at least, 1997.
Jan Perry's attitude that we already have this figured into the LAPD budget for events is egeregiously irresponsible.
Didn't she file personal bankruptcy a few years ago?
Does anyone know who decided that only LAPD would pay out of their budget for this circus? Or was it the incompetent Jan Perry who decided because there was no council vote and its in her district.
Thanks for covering this. I am assuming that Jan Perry consulted the mayors office either directly or through a Deputy Mayor. Actually this is very similar to the Lakers victory celebration and should have followed the same formula. The City had an option of either not issuing a permit for this or setting up a solution where the City is reimbursed by private interests (Laker's example). In this case, AEG could have charged for the tickets and had another Corporate interest purchase a specific quantity of tickets and offer it to those who could not afford the tickets. In any case this is a bad message to send to the public in the current economic environment the City budget is facing.
The cost to the city is going to be huge. There is no earthly reason why LA should roll over without getting suitable indemnities from AEG. What if there's a riot and LAPD gets sued? Who is going to pay? We are.
Where is our Mayor and President of the City Council? On vacation - in other words letting others get the blame because they know there's no earthly way this event can take place without disturbances.
Santa Barbara (where this should take place) had the guts to say 'No.' Our Mayor took it on the lam and dodged the bullet. Now Jan Perry's in the chair and she's all for it. If this event goes as expected - like the Lakers times 10, then Bratton better have his next job lined up because he should have had the guts to stop this.
Honoring a child molester drug addict is a disgraceful waste of public money, and AEG is going to make millions televising the event. Why are we letting them make money while we are $530M in debt?
The May Day riots cost us $13M in settlements, and every huckster is going to be at Staple Center provoking the police so that they can get a handout. Will someone please do something to protect us before it's too late?
whats goin on there is no mayor no president of city conncil and no bratton they all alway from there job they are not even in the u .s .a. one is in africa another in japan anoter in u k what are we paying for ?
so how is the mayor joe jackson or rev sharp or jessy jackson there all over the t. v .making rules as they go .
they belive this show will cost taxpayers of los angeles 2 million
and no one from jackson camp or a .e. g whants to talk to conncil member perry she thinks she is the mayor on paying back some of the money
so far the black hole is gering biger for los angeles
Perry: The same woman who is voting for Grand Avenue project while owning real property within 500 feet -- a clear reason to recuse herself. Yet, she keeps voting. She claims the City Attorney concluded she had to requirement to recuse, yet the City Attorney refuses to make public his analysis.
Now that Carmen Trutanich has been elected, one wonders if the City will continue to cover up for Perry's ethical lapses.
If the officials were not so oblivious to the real issues of this city they would have been able to estimate no real need for all the security and emergency tactics put in place. Listen folks we are in deficit due to the illegal use of our services (welfare, medical etc.) and like wise we only need to expend so much money for these gatherings due to the attendance of the illegals who take every opportunity to destroy our city and create havoc and want us to consider their plight in america. They did not attend because they don't give a rip about blacks including Michael J. GET THEM OUT SO WE CAN LIVE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!
Not only do I agree with you on who should pay - I question why AEG was allowed to stipulate that they are only responsible for inside their facility. Unfortunately the financial arrangements for the memorial should have been made first and not negotiated after the fact. If the Jackson's et al couldn't come up with the money then the public memorial should have been postponed. So his body wouldn't have been there - that wasn't promised to begin with. Both the Laker Parade and the Jackson Memorial were essentially private events. If I have a party in my neighborhood that requires additional waste, security and other services I have to pay. We've had events at the Valley Glen park (a public city owned facility) where chemical toilets, security and cleanup all had to be paid for in advance - on private property that isn't even a question that you (not the city) foot the bill.
I am a small business and the State of California is sending me IOU's for goods they have purchased and have not paid for.
It is unconscionable to believe that we can balance the City or State budget on the back of small business and the blood of the elderly and disabled.
Not only do I agree with Councilman Zine on who should pay - I question why AEG was allowed to stipulate that they are only responsible for inside their facility. Unfortunately the financial arrangements for the memorial should have been made first and not negotiated after the fact. If the Jackson's et al couldn't come up with the money then the public memorial should have been postponed. So his body wouldn't have been there - that wasn't promised to begin with. Both the Laker Parade and the Jackson Memorial were essentially private events. If I have a party in my neighborhood that requires additional waste, security and other services I have to pay. We've had events at the Valley Glen park (a public city owned facility) where chemical toilets, security and cleanup all had to be paid for in advance - on private property that isn't even a question that you (not the city) foot the bill.
I am a small business and the State of California is sending me IOU's for goods they have purchased and have not paid for.
It is unconscionable to believe that we can balance the City or State budget on the back of small business and the blood of the elderly and disabled.