L.A wants help pay for MJ Memorial

In a move likely to be controversial depending on which side of the fence one stood at, the Los Angeles city Mayor, Villaraigosa, called on residents and fans to help pay for Michael Jackson's Memorial.

Michel Jackson's death and memorial come at a time when the State of California and City of Los Anglese like many others around the world are going through lean times. But this move does not sit well with a portion of the fans just like they accuse his father Joe Jackson of thinking the fortunes his son's name and fame can bring even after his death. Michael Jackson's death and memorial come at a time when the State of California and City of Los Angeles like many others around the world are going through lean times. But this move does not sit well with a portion of the fans just like they accuse his father Joe Jackson of thinking of the fortunes his son's name and fame can bring so soon after his death. Michael's Memorial is expected to cost close to $ 4 million an amount that the city deems cannot come out of its recession damaged budget. A number of residents argue that they should not be made to pay towards Michael's Memorial because they may not even be fans of his music. The call comes complete with a PayPal account and residents and fans can contribute as little as $0.01 and is tax deductable for US residents. They see this move as money making move cashing on the spirit of the moment hoping that grieving fans will open their wallets in a large way. And yet others will not forget the child molestation charges he was accused of and see no reason why they should contribute towards giving him a hero's send off; even though he was cleared of all charges. And yet others feel that AEG or the family should pay for the memorial and argue that either of them will afford it anyway. Before his death Michael was worth $ 236 million net according to a report by CBS news website and to that total assets would go as far as $ 500 million. It is expected that in the coming months and years, his music, name and brand will continue to rake in millions; 2.6 million songs have been downloaded in the last week alone. There are also speculations that Neverland Ranch could be turned into a tourist attraction and bring in even more funds. CBS News also reports possibility that Michael 'had completed a new DVD and a recorded a dozen songs before he died'. However Michael was a magnet for law suits of all kinds and even at his death there were a number of ongoing lawsuits that could hack away at this fortune meaning his trust might see less of the money expected to flow in this year and beyond; his own publicist for many years sued for $ 44 million recently, not to mention the Bahrain Sheik for breach of contract and others. What about AEG? AEG owns and manages the Staples where the memorial was held and where Michael rehearsed for his London tour before his death also planned and managed by AEG. Although AEG has already collected $ 85 million in tickets sales which are insured it is not really in a position to pay for the memorial because insurance pay outs depend on the results of Michael's autopsy. If it is alcohol or drug related it could get complicated unless it was included in the policy. Billboard.biz reports a concert executive saying that what is in stake for AEG is; either horrible, or very horrible'; because 30 million has already been spent on production and $ 10 million is speculated to have already been paid out to Michael as advance fee. Michael Jackson’s family have a right to feel offended that the city is not willing to pay for Michael’s funeral since when he lived and worked, he paid millions in taxes to the city and will be paying more in even in death. Like others stars that call L.A home he helped make it the entertainment capital of the world. In any case it does not seem likely that a funeral less than this would have sat well with most fans. .