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Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate
What costs are we talking here? If you are talking about the stage setup and garbage clean-up, that's all covered by AEG.
The $4M was for increased police presence and other public servants providing the duties that they are supposed to provide. And that is being covered by the city of Los Angeles. However, they are asking for donations... from the Jackson family, from AEG, from other corporate sponsors AND the public. They are hoping that donations cover the $4M the same way that the Lakers celebration was covered by donations.
However, some economists say that the city shouldn't be asking for donations given that (a) the public servants including police officers were providing the service that they are hired by the public to do... is the public supposed to pay twice? and (b) the city is going to get its money back. There were so many people drawn into L.A. by the event, all renting hotel rooms, renting cars, going to restaurants... and according to the L.A. Economic Development Corp., the increased tax revenues from the event balance out the costs.
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Exactly, people are very quick to look at one side of the ledger without considering the other. Very few, if any, people travelled to LA for the Lakers parade, any gains to the city would have been small. On this occasion LA has seen many people make a trip for the purpose of the funeral, and in a city that has such a large tourism base to begin with all of the requisite taxes and fees are in place to suck a good deal of money out of the visitors based on their presence alone.