Private donors to fund Lakers parade

Private donors agreed to cover nearly $1 million in taxpayer costs for a parade honoring the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.



The prospect of the cash-strapped city having to cover the cost had drawn strong criticism.



The costs for police, traffic control and other services for tomorrow\'s parade were still being calculated, but they were expected to run a bit under $1 million, said Julie Wong, an aide to city council president Eric Garcetti.



Employee unions had objected to public spending on the parade at a time when Los Angeles were contemplating layoffs to close a more than $500 million budget gap.