LA wants Jacksons to help with memorial cost

The city of Los Angeles today asked Michael Jackson’s family for financial help with the cost of coping with the singer’s memorial tomorrow.

Councillor Jan Perry said she would “love it” if the Jacksons helped defray some of the city’s expected costs but that 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 city 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.”

Meanwhile it was confirmed Jackson’s ex-wife and mother of two of his children Debbie Rowe will attend the memorial.

Dozens of police were parked outside Dodger Stadium today where ticket winners could start picking up their coveted passes to the event.

Winners were to show up with a unique code and instructions to pick up tickets. A wristband was to be placed on each person’s wrist. Organisers will check IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands are the same people who originally applied online.

Fans must have both the ticket and the wristband to enter Staples Centre. Wristbands that have been ripped, taped or tampered with will be voided.

But organisers acknowledged that high-priced touting of the free passes was possible because winners were permitted to give anyone their second

Organisers were considering how to distribute any unclaimed seats, but had not immediately decided on a plan.

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

The tickets will admit 11,000 people to the centre plus 6,500 in an overflow section. The surrounding streets will be closed to prevent those without tickets from trying to attend.

Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned the ticketless to stay away. “You’ll be standing in the hot sun on a city street with a lot of other people,” he said. “But not within eyeshot of Staples.”

The ceremony will not be shown on Staples’ giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city. No details were available about the actual memorial events.

The joyful anticipation among the chosen fans comes as the courts continue to untangle the future of Jackson’s estate and police probe the circumstances of his death.