Who Pays for Michael Jackson's Funeral Cost?

In a state that is already hurting for money, it pains me to see the amount that went into conducting the July 7, 2009 funeral of Michael Jackson. While there is no denying the impact the artist had on the pop music industry, one has to wonder the impact the funeral will have on Los Angeles County financially.

According to Entertainment Weekly, roughly 1.4 million dollars went into paying for the 4, 173 law enforcement officials to conduct security, direct traffic and other roles needed for the mega-star's service. That is money that Los Angeles did not have in it's 2009 budget. Much of the money was due to many of the police officers being pushed into working overtime to handle their normal duties in addition to fanfare related to the unscheduled event.

I have to wonder, how much money is Los Angeles going to make off of this media event? Surely they have had a surge in the taxes collected from the additional lodging, traveling, eating and souvenir purchasing that sprang up relating to this memorial. The fans that flocked, with or without the coveted tickets to the main event, the added press that seemed to endlessly cover each and every detail no matter how small, all spent money while they were mourning. The sales tax rate in Los Angeles County is at 9.75% after a recent half cent raise as of July 1, 2009. Hopefully the surge in fans and press to the area pumped enough tax dollars into the city with the money they spent so that it will help the city recoup some of the cost.

With so many fans who considered Michael Jackson the King of Pop, its seems fitting for them to give back to help cover the cost of a funeral fit for a king. At least that is what the city of Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, is hoping. The city has set up a way for fans to contribute to covering the cost of the over to top pop celebration, the city's portion of the cost at least. "Help Give Michael the World Class Memorial He Deserves" reads the website where fans can make a tax deductible donation in honor of their idol. The cost could easily be raised and more if each of the 1.6 million fans that entered the lottery to win passes into the memorial each donated a single dollar. Then the city would have a surplus to help pay for road improvement that the tax increase was stated to address. Also lets not forget the many fans who watched online or on television around the world. They can share their love and support monetarily as well. I dare say that most fans will end up showing their support by purchasing memorial T-shirts or CDs. Lets hope that the companies selling these items consider giving back to the city that has given so much at this historic time.

It will be interesting to see if the fans really do see the value and are willing to part with money in his honor. So how much is Michael Jackson loved? I hope for the residents of LA that the finances are covered by this online fundraiser.

Does this open the door to memorial celebrations of the future. Will this set the standard for future icons? If so Los Angeles, New York and other cities need to start thinking now about how they are going to fund these future fabulous funerals. What's next? I see special edition music for sale in the near future. How much would you pay for the chance to relive the sounds of the event while driving to work daily?

Sources:

Entertainment Weekly Story

MSNBC Story

CBS Story