A few days ago, people around Los Angeles were wondering who would pay for a parade celebrating the Lakers' NBA championship, with costs initially expected to run over $1 million.
The solution? The Lakers will pony up $1 million. And so will the city of Los Angeles.
Though the 2002 version cost an estimated $1.1 million, it turns out this year's event -- scheduled for Wednesday afternoon -- will probably be twice as expensive. The route runs from Staples Center to the Coliseum, which will charge a significant fee to rent the facility.
A debate has been raging because the city is facing a major budget crisis, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts. Employees are facing layoffs and mandatory furloughs. At the same time, the Lakers are a significant economic engine that drives a lot of money through the heart of Los Angeles.
So what happens if the Dodgers, with the best record in baseball, want to stretch their legs this fall?
In this age of budget crisis in Los Angeles and the state, it's foolish to spend this kind of money on a sports parade. The Lakers can pay for it themselves if that's what they want (in fact, most of the Lakers could write the check themselves).
How do you tell teachers they can't have a job, or cops and firemen they're going to be laid off, or taxpayers that they'll have to pay higher sales taxes, while paying $1 million to throw a parade for a bunch of multi-millionaires?
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