Michael Jackson Lunacy Legacy

At the risk of paving my own "fast-lane" to hell, denigrating the deceased, and particularly ignoring all the humanitarian causes to which Michael Jackson gave his time and money, I offer this column.
While avoiding accidents along the 110 Freeway, one can see the giant, electric sign outside Staples Center advertising car wrecks within: "Oasis," "Britney Spears," "The Clippers," and of course, "The Kings."
But at least these performers had a pulse.
Less than one month after our cash-starved city paid for the Lakers parade, we're footing the bill for a Staples Center memorial service for a pop star who did as much to feed the world's children as he did to feed the world's impression that Los Angeles is the universal capital of narcissism, ego-mania and idiocy (better luck next year "misplaced priorities.")
Even more peculiar than Jackson himself is the dual role of AEG as the promoter of the 2009 Jackson tour that wasn't (spelling tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars in losses), and as the owner of Staples Center, which will collect payment from the city and fans for today's service. So, the Forum, Hollywood Bowl, Coliseum, etc, weren't available today? Or how about a nice, private service with mournful fans paying an entrance fee to Neverland? Could have off-set some of MJ's debts, or better: raised money for some of those children's causes Jackson seemed to care so much about. I see the clear line connecting Jackson and AEG - they already had a relationship; the contacts were already in place to make this memorial service happen quickly, but what involvement did the city have in closing this deal - and at what cost to its residents?
Never mind that aside from his years as the prodigious Jackson Five front-tot, Jackson's artistic work has been, to me, mediocre, and his human-as-living-catastrophe performance art piece of a life, well, just that. If boring, pointless, absurdities like "Billie Jean," "Bad," and "Beat It" (Q: "Who's bad?" A: Uh, not you, dude.) didn't take Michael Jackson off my pop art radar, then certainly, deciding not to be black, or a man, or even human anymore took him off my reality-scope (any singer, especially one who has had such immense success as Jackson, would be insane to reconstruct the acoustics of his or her instrument, a key component of which, would be his or her nasal passages. It would be like Elton John saying, "On my next record and tour, no singing, and I'll only play the bag pipes." It just wouldn't be his billion-dollar sound anymore. A bold choice, but not necessarily the one that gives the people - or ticket sellers what they want).
And let's not even talk about the accusations. That dimension of the Jackson lunacy (legacy? Lunacy.) is just not anything I have time or energy to include in my life.
The bottom line is simply this: while teachers are being laid off, and city programs suffering mortal cutbacks, the City of Los Angeles can not, and should not afford to cover today's events.
I'm not saying that those who enjoyed Jackson's work should not be allowed to spend money on paying tribute to him. Hell, buy all the "King of Pop" souvenir soda bottles and sequined gloves as you can carry -- keep the wheels of commerce churning. But don't force me (just in case it's not yet clear: I was not a fan) or the children of Los Angeles to suffer the financial burden of this latest collision of life, art and absurdity along the 110 Freeway.