LA wants Jacksons to help with cost (From Times Series)

LA wants Jacksons to help with cost

8:39pm Monday 6th July 2009

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The city of Los Angeles has asked Michael Jackson's family for financial help with the cost of coping with Tuesday's memorial ceremony.

Councillor Jan Perry said she would "love it" if the Jacksons helped defray some of the city's expected costs but officials had not had a reply.

Ms Perry said there was no immediate estimate of the costs involved. More than 1.6 million fans registered online for a chance to attend the Staples Centre ceremony, and only 8,750 names were chosen.

Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging the city's streets.

"We're encouraging people to stay away," Ms Perry said.

Jackson family friend the Rev Al Sharpton said: "The city is trying to do what it should do to secure people. That's what cities do. Clearly, no one in the family are happy that the city is incurring any expense at all.

"You're talking about an historic figure that will have an historic celebration, probably one that we would not see similar in this generation."

One person who will not attend is Jackson's ex-wife, who has backed out of plans to attend the memorial service.

Debbie Rowe, the mother of his two elder children, originally planned to attend but her lawyer Marta Almli said her attendance would be "an unnecessary distraction" and she will "celebrate Michael's memory privately".

The memorial service will be broadcast live on five television networks.

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