To pay or not for Jacko memorial, mulls California

LOS ANGELES: Disgruntled Californians, their state broke and in budget meltdown, are asking why taxpayers should foot the bill for Michael Jackson's million-dollar memorial last week.

While the largest state in the union has long reveled in its glitzy image as a home to the stars, some officials, faced with a deficit expected to stretch to $24 billion within two years, are keen to pinch pennies.

Los Angeles councilman Dennis Zine has called for a review into how the city's resources were used during Tuesday's Jackson memorial at the Staples Center.