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Debate grows over Jackson memorial costs
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Debate grew Wednesday over the cost of the Michael Jackson memorial to the city of Los Angeles. The city controller blasted the cost of box lunches for officers assigned to the event as the city attorney promised an investigation. KPCC’s Frank Stoltze reports.
Frank Stoltze: L.A. City Controller Wendy Greuel says the city paid $50,000 for 3,500 box lunches from a deli in Wrightwood – almost 80 miles from Staples Center. Greuel says a local Subway could have provided the meals for on-duty cops for about a third of the cost.
The head of the city’s Emergency Management Department, Jim Featherstone, said he made the decision because the deli has an existing contract with the city and he needed the sandwiches fast. Councilman Dennis Zine called the expenditure “absolutely outrageous.”
Meantime, in an appearance before the City Council, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said cash-strapped L.A. shouldn’t have to pay the estimated $1.4 million in public safety costs incurred during the Jackson memorial.
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Carmen Trutanich: Rest assured our office is investigating how we are going to recoup that money for the city.
Stoltze: The newly elected city attorney didn’t suggest who should pay. He stopped short of joining some city council members who argue that the Jackson family or AEG, the entertainment company that staged the memorial, should share the costs. Police Chief Bill Bratton said he’ll let the politicians decide, but he also offered an opinion.
Bill Bratton: In reality, if this city wants to consider itself a world-class city, it has to appreciate and understand that there are gong to be from time to time world-class events, and this certainly qualified for that title. This is a once-in–a-generation type event.
Stoltze: The city’s posted a Web site at which people can donate to help pay for the memorial. As of Wednesday morning, it had collected $17,000. But the server crashed and could not accept donations for 12 hours Tuesday night because of high volume.
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