Amazon.com Widgets

As featured on p. 218 of "Bloggers on the Bus," under the name "a MyDD blogger."

Monday, July 06, 2009

Jackson Tour No Victory For LA City Budget?

Here's yet another major event - like the Lakers victory parade and various Fourth of July fireworks displays - that a city in California fears having the funds to accommodate - the Michael Jackson memorial event at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry said she'd "love it" if the Jacksons helped defray some of the city's expected costs associated with Tuesday's memorial, but that officials hadn't heard from the family.

Perry said the city didn't immediately have an estimate of those costs. More than 1.6 million fans registered online for a chance to attend the Staples Center ceremony, and only 8,750 names were chosen. Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging city streets.

"We're encouraging people to stay away," Perry said on CBS' "The Early Show" on Monday.


I don't think that the city leaders have entirely thought this one through. The shops and restaurants in the LA Live complex around Staples tomorrow will probably set a one-day record. Obviously the city will have to pay out some overtime for cops and the like, and traffic will put a crimp in productivity (don't expect to get anywhere near downtown tomorrow), but overall, the city stands to make money off of this, given the economic activity generated.

Still, the fact that it's almost become a cliché to discuss major California events in the context of distressed state and local budgets shows the scope of the problem.

Labels: , , ,

|