LOS ANGELES--A disintegrating city budget will not stand in the way of the Lakers' victory parade, which is scheduled to follow a two-mile route from the Staples Center to the Coliseum on Wednesday.



Despite some grumbling about the cost of the celebration as city workers face layoffs and furloughs, fervent basketball fans demanded an opportunity to salute their hometown heroes.



The NBA champions and city will split the cost, each kicking in about $1 million for the festivities, which for the first time includes the significant expense of renting the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.



The city will pay for police, transportation and general staff, said Mark Szabo, spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The mayor said that it was "untenable" not to have a parade, even though city officials had been meeting behind closed doors to find hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts. (Source: Los Angeles Times)



Story Date: June 16, 2009