Lately, the city of Angels has had its fair share of national and international attention with the Lakers championship and the Michael Jackson Memorial. Unfortunately, centered square in the middle of both of these dynastic celebrations has been the question of money. As in, who is paying for all this?
It seems a strange question coming from the city where the sidewalks of Hollywood sparkle and where some of the largest bank accounts in the world reside. Unfortunately, it’s strange but true. We’re a broke city inside of an even more broke state.
Through all the media madness that took place over the last week, it was a question that kept finding its way into the news. It made this resident wonder…did Michael Jackson’s death bring this city back to life? Sure, there’s the cost of the added police officers and security that had to safeguard the Jackson’s neighborhood in Encino, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills and The Staples Center, but what about all those people coming from far and wide? They represent something this city needs: economic impact.
My last tenure was for a convention and visitors bureau in San Bernardino County and I can tell you, economic impact is everything to a city. It’s added up by passenger counts at the airport, as well as commerce at gas stations, restaurants and shopping to name a few. Through each of these hits, cities are funded via sales tax, and since ours is now a whopping 9.75%, I’m thinking the city may just have to name a street after Michael Jackson for the thousands that descended upon this fair city of ours to pay homage to an icon of a generation that may just have helped make a dent in the $500+ million debt we have. Or not.
“Donations will help the city of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly and respectful memorial he deserves,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. I’m sure the cost-benefit discussions will go back and forth for some time. http://tinyurl.com/nlztqc
© Copyright 2009 Theresa Moretti. All rights reserved.
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