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Who Should Pick Up $1.4 Million Jackson Memorial Tab?

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is speaking out saying his staff made the wrong decision in setting up a website that requested public donations to cover the $1.4 million price tag for Michael Jackson’s memorial last week. The mayor was on vacation in South Africa when the decision was made.

According to the Los Angeles Times: 

“I thought it was ridiculous,” the mayor told reporters during a visit to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. 

Villaraigosa said Los Angeles is a large metropolitan city where major events occur routinely, and that the city is obligated to protect public safety. He added that no one would have expected New York or Chicago to ask others to donate for basic city services during a major event, and said he is not going to ask AEG, the owner of the Staples Center, to either pay or raise money to offset the city’s expenses. 

Last week, city officials estimated that the memorial cost the city $1.4 million — with $1.1 million directed toward police equipment and overtime costs. Several City Council members have called for a full accounting of the costs and new policies to govern the city’s response and financial obligations for extraordinary events. 

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