On February 19, 2012 one of the best singers of all time was laid to rest. Whitney Houston was an entertainer with unmatched talent and she was given a very lavish funeral by officials in Newark, New Jersey.
The funeral cost the city's taxpayer's more than $187,000 in police overtime, roughly 5% of the budget for the year and some citizens are upset about that.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous when you have people who are unemployed and homeless, people walking up and down the streets,” Newark resident Quincy Ruffin told CBS New York. "If they wanted it to go that far, do that much, they should have been the ones providing for it."
Others were upset they weren't allowed near the funeral that was attended by many stars like R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and more.
“I think it was a waste of time and then now we find out what happened and how she actually died, it makes you think twice saying was it worth it or not,” resident Minerva DelValle said.
In the end city officials feel like they did the right thing by bringing in extra police.
“I was able to be witness to the thousands upon thousands of people who were desperate to attend service but held back by barriers and officers of the law,” said Democratic Councilwoman Mildred Crump. “If they had not been there someone may have been trampled, seriously hurt.”
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