MICHAEL JACKSON - L.A. MAYOR: 'FANS WON'T PAY FOR JACKSON SERVICE'

L.A. MAYOR: 'FANS WON'T PAY FOR JACKSON SERVICE'

Los Angeles' mayor has slammed suggestions MICHAEL JACKSON's family and fans should stump up the cash for his memorial service - insisting the "world-class city" needs no help in paying for the event.
The Jackson family, along with AEG concert promoters, organised a huge tribute to the star at L.A.'s Staples Center last Tuesday (07Jul09).
Hundreds of thousands of fans flocked to the city to join the mass mourning, meaning a huge number of emergency services personnel were on hand to control the crowds.
The memorial ended up costing the city $1.4 million (£934,000).
Initially it was reported that mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had called upon Jackson fans to pay small donations to an online Paypal account to help the cash-strapped city cover costs.
However, Villaraigosa, who has been on vacation in South Africa, returned to the city and slammed the idea of fans and the Jackson family paying for the tribute - dismissing the donations website as "ridiculous".
He says, "This is a world-class city, and we provide fire and police protection, period. The idea that we would charge the family for a funeral is nonsensical."
And the mayor's spokesman, Matt Szabo, insists councilwoman Jan Perry - who was standing in for Villaraigosa while he was away - was the one who came up with the idea of fan donations.
In a statement, Szabo explains, "It was announced by Acting Mayor Jan Perry the Friday before the memorial that she wanted to collect donations and she gave out her e-mail address. Monday, her office asked for donations to be mailed in. The bottom line is our office then moved to support that effort with an online contribution form."