LOS ANGELES, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Los Angeles City
Council on Tuesday resumed the debate on whether millions of dollars in taxpayer
money should have been spent in connection with Michael Jackson's memorial
tribute.
Almost a month after Jackson's death, the City
Council remained divided on whether it was necessary to spend so much money on
the pop icon's memorial service at Los Angeles Staple Center.
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The Andrae & Sandra Crouch Youth
Choir appear onstage to sing "We are the World/Heal the World" during the
memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles,
California, July 7, 2009.(Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
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The City Council said it would take up five motions pertaining to the
late King of Pop.
A pair of motions by Council members Dennis Zine and
Jan Perry called for an accounting of "city resources used and expenditures made
in response to the public reaction to the passing of Michael Jackson."
They also sought to explore ways to offset those
costs.
Zine has demanded that concert promoter and Staples
Center owner AEG Live cover all the costs, but Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
rejects the idea.
"I've made it very clear: We're a world class city
and we will provide police protection in the city because it's our
responsibility," said the mayor.
The Mayor's Office estimated the city incurred about
1.4 million dollars in costs in the aftermath of Jackson's June 25 death. Zine
believes the actual cost is 3.9 million dollars.
Councilwoman Janice Hahn has a motion seeking to
compare the city's expenses with the revenue collected by the city as a result
of the tourism boom that followed the entertainer's death.
She noted that airlines and downtown hotels
experienced a surge in business as fans from throughout the world flocked to Los
Angeles to grieve for their idol and celebrate his legacy.
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A star-studded public memorial service
pays a farewell tribute to late pop star Michael Jackson at the
Staples Center, Los Angeles, Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
A fourth motion, also from Zine, called for reviewing
the process of selecting vendors to the city after City Controller Wendy Greuel
raised questions about the purchase of 3,500 box lunches for police officers
deployed to the Staples Center ceremony, claiming the food could have been
purchased at a lower cost from a local vendor, instead of one 80 miles (128
kilometers)away.
The fifth motion, from Councilman Tom LaBonge, called
for establishing a process to justify the use of city funds and resources to
provide for public safety at significant events like sport team parades,
memorial events, presidential visits and award ceremonies. It also directed
various city agencies to develop a collaborative planning process that is
transparent and fiscally prudent.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Michael Jackson's
death continued on Tuesday, with the focus on painkillers the King of Pop may
have used, and the doctors who gave them to him, the Los Angeles Police
Department said.
The cause of Jackson's death has been listed as
deferred, pending the results of toxicology tests.
Michael Jackson's father suspects foul play in
son's death
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Pop star Michael Jackson rehearses for
his planned shows in London at the Staples Center in Los Angeles,
California in this handout photo taken June 23, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters,
File Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
BEIJING,
July 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Micheal Jackson's father said he has taken his
son's demise "very hard" and suspects foul play in King of
Pop's death.
Joe Jackson in an interview with ABC News said
Friday, "I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that. Yes." Full story
Hollywood studios bid for Michael
Jackson's rehearsal footage
LOS ANGELES, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Major Hollywood movie
studios found themselves in a frenzied bidding war over the weekend to acquire
film rights to late pop
AEG Live, the concert promoter behind Jackson's
planned 50-concert tour at London's O2 Arena, offered the rights to some 1,200
hours of rehearsal footage to all the major movie studios last week, according
to the Los Angeles Times. Full story
LA mayor says city will pay Jackson memorial cost
LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa on Monday said the city will pay for the cost of Michael Jackson
public memorial service at the Staples Centers last week.
Villaraigosa said at his first public appearance since
returning from a week-long foreign vacation that it is the city's responsibility
to provide police and fire services.Full story
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