It is not surprising, with the state of the economy, that numerous bodies are going unclaimed in the morgues of Los Angeles and surrounding counties. With the cost continuing to rise for burial services and cremation, families are opting to let bodies go unclaimed instead of forking out large quantities of money they don't have.
From the LA Times
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske July 21, 2009
The poor economy is taking a toll even on the dead, with an increasing number of bodies in Los Angeles County going unclaimed by families who cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones.
At the county coroner's office -- which handles homicides and other suspicious deaths -- 36% more cremations were done at taxpayers' expense in the last fiscal year over the previous year, from 525 to 712.
The county morgue, which is responsible for the indigent and others who go unclaimed, saw a 25% increase in cremations in the first half of this year over the same period a year ago, rising to 680 from 545.
It so happens this problem comes only 5 years after Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed to outlaw necrophilia, making it illegal in California to have sex with a corpse - punishable by up to 8 years in prison.
California's fallen on tough times and the governor's made it clear that he is open to suggestions on cleaning up the state. Just recently he took the advice of students and decided to autograph different items and auction them off at a large, state garage sale. The sale, considered a moderate success, netting a million dollars, does little to chip away at the state's 20 billion deficit.
A student at one of the state's universities suggested the necrophilia ban be lifted until unclaimed bodies can be removed from the overcrowded morgues. Just another way to save some taxpayer dollars. This raises some concerns for health officials because not all bodies are deceased, some are in unconscious or comatose states when arriving at the morgues. When asked how he would handle the situation, Schwarenegger responded, "If it bleeds, we'll kill it."
