Whitney Houston Funeral Bill Passed on to...

While Whitney Houston's cause of death may be highly debated, the cost of death may be what New Jersey taxpayers will debate for a while. They may be stuck with a big police bill.

Yep, that's right, Whitney's untimely death may cause taxpayers in Newark to cough-up a whopping $187,000 police bill for the overtime and added security for her funeral. That is a ton of extra money... a 5% burden on the city's budget. All of this because people wanted to line the streets and be close to Houston's private ceremony. Of course, even the 200 extra police couldn't keep a picture of Whitney Houston's body in her casket from being released to the public, but at least they were able to keep her funeral civil.

Was there a way to cut costs for the city? Probably not. With thousands descending on Newark to say their final farewells to Whitney Houston, the local authorities had to keep public safety in mind. Of course, some citizens are pretty mad that they have to pay the bill when they were 'shut out' of a private ceremony. Should the taxpayers be on the hook or should Whitney Houston's estate pick up the tab? This will surely be a debate that will rage on, perhaps as long as the argument over Houston's cause of death.