Villaraigosa's remarks on paying for Michael Jackson's memorial service anger readers
Michael Jackson's extravagant memorial service drew criticism last week from city officials who were concerned over the event's estimated $1.4-million price tag.
However, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced this morning that he would not be attempting to recoup any of the cost, arguing that it was the city's responsibility to oversee the event. According to L.A. Now, he even criticized a donation website that had been set up by his staff.
“I thought it was ridiculous,” the mayor told reporters during a visit to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.
Villaraigosa said Los Angeles is a large metropolitan city where major events occur routinely, and that the city is obligated to protect public safety. He added that no one would have expected New York or Chicago to ask others to donate for basic city services during a major event, and he said he is not going to ask AEG, the owner of the Staples Center, to either pay or raise money to offset the city’s expenses.
Many readers believe that Villaraigosa's comments are inappropriate considering the city's financial troubles.
"Given the budget Mr. Mayor, just why should the tax payers pay funeral expenses fpr a private citizen when librarys, parks, hospitals & schools are facing shortened hours/closures, city employees are facing layoffs & furloughs? Oh, wait I know ... it's just another part of your political platform of kising up to the rich & famous," said kgoddess.
"i am not surprised ... AGAIN a politician acts like taxpayers dollars are his private slush fund that he can dole out as he pleases. it never ceases to amaze me that politicians continually forget who pays the taxes they so generously give away to celebrities," wrote the watchdog.
"So a service for a PRIVATE citizen suddenly becomes the PUBLIC's responsibility? Boy am I sure glad I live in the suburbs and not the city itself. Festering hole of incompetence and idiocy," wrote m.
What do you think of Villaraigosa's remarks? Should taxpayers foot the bill?
-- Brendan Bigelow
Photo: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Villaragosa should have stayed in South Africa. His leadership or lack thereof is not needed in this city.
Posted by: s. Chaidez | July 13, 2009 at 04:32 PM
Okay , I understand the anger but everyone have come to think why micheal jackson casket was so small compare to his actual body size?
Posted by: MINNIE | July 13, 2009 at 05:06 PM
Why does this not suprise most of us citizens?? Many of us who are not Rich & Famous are sinking or will be in some form or another soon enough. Let's not forget IOU's Mr. Mayor. Will The Jackson Family, Honored Guest or AEG be getting any?? When I die can I invite 20,000 people- feed & have thousands of police officers line the streets at the expense of the tax payers and tax deductable donations? I am a PRIVATE citizen and my funeral is also considered a "MAJOR" EVENT! Will LA pay for me too! OH! I forgot! My family thought ahead(us little people ya know!) We saved-saved-saved and paid ahead and put aside for my day of passing so my CHILDREN! (or a city) will not be burden with the costs or standing in front of stores asking for money to bury me. Oh! A web site is more profitable sorry! Just because we are a MAJOR CITY Mr. Mayor does not require us to finance Privite Events. Pull your head out!!
Posted by: Oh Boy! | July 13, 2009 at 05:09 PM
NO, NO, NO... the Jackson Family and the promoters should pick up the tab - this was a planned "MEMORIAL SERVICE" NOT A DEMONSTRATION... when my father died we (the family) had to pay for all services including the police escort from the funeral parlor to the gave site.... what's the difference here... are we saying the "people who live in this city are worth less than the celebrities who visit and rarely pay taxes" especially now that 1.5 million could pay for meals or healthcare for elderly/disabled... have villagrosssa pay out of his pocket for this... this is one person who will NOT vote for him... he's too busy looking for a camera....
Posted by: Barbara Long Beach | July 13, 2009 at 05:26 PM
If Michael Jackson's family and AEG weren't willing to help cover the public expenses of the event, they should've just had the ceremony at Forest Lawn and proceeded with the burial on-site, where Forest Lawn staff and private security PAID by the Jackson family would've been appropriate. Maybe the Mayor was exposed to too much heat in Africa, but in no way should taxpayers take on the burden to an event like this. We can't afford to spend money like this, and Mayor Villaraigosa should realize this now that reality has sinked in that he's not going to be our next Governor.
Posted by: Esteban Martinez | July 13, 2009 at 05:48 PM
I do agree with one thing that the mayor said, and that is, the city should not have asked citizens for donations (to help pay). AEG or the Jackson family should pay. I suspect that part of the reason for the mayor's reluctance for asking to recoup the money is because of the cost of the Laker's parade. Another debacle! Taxpayers should NOT have to foot the bill for such events. If, these organizations (or famliies) want to hold PLANNED events, then they are responsible for the security as well. Furthermore, the fact that major freeways were closed for a funeral of a private citizen is a joke. Celebrity or not. Our city seems to have its priorities twisted.
Posted by: Kelly | July 13, 2009 at 05:50 PM
You are truely a snake. How you sleep at night is something that must be the 9th wonder of the world.
Why are the jacksons not responsible for paying to have a public concert?
Why do you think that would be the responsibility of taxpayers?
If I died can I get the city of LA to pay for SWAT Teams and police?
Why would you possibly put MJ in the same arena as a president?
What is your problem? what do you have to gain-hmm, I wonder. dirty dog. we know you're filthy and up to something. Throwing a rock and then hiding your hand.
You will be the next story on my blog, which makes fun of idiot california politicians like you
You Run the City of LA like exactly like you ran your own personal life
You are a laughing stock and this is part of the reason - So, if you thought so highly of the city of LA, Michael Jackson, AEG...why did you run away to another country with your friend, Moonbeam?
Posted by: merijoe | July 13, 2009 at 06:13 PM
I think Mayor Viaraigosa should pay for it himself if he thinks like that. A man clearly out of touch with the reality of the current days.
Posted by: John Michelle | July 13, 2009 at 06:27 PM
The AEG executives gave thousands of dollars to Tony Villar when he was running for reelection. No wonder he does not want AEG to pay, but instead insists that taxpayers put the bill for a private memorial service.
Posted by: George | July 13, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Villaraigosa has such a cartoonish overly defiant tone when expressing his babbling tortured logic for this obvious self-serving decision, that one can only conclude yet another back room deal has been made for his personal gain.
His "thinking" is probably that he is newly elected and voters will either have long forgotten about this heinous grotesque breach of fiduciary duty by the next election (they didn't forget about tv reporter mistress #1 by the last election), or that his career will be so in the hole that this won't matter by then.
Does he really think he's fooling anybody? It's obvious he was paid off or threatened in some way.
Just when it seemed this guy couldn't get more unctuous and incompetent, he one ups himself.
High-larious that he says his staff never should've set up the donation website, as if an "I didn't do it" exonerates him. It shows how negligent he is because he should've been reachable by his staff to approve the site. This means he either neglected his duty or he's lying about not knowing about it. Either way, no one is at the wheel of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, once a beautiful thriving city of hope, has never been more trashed and grim.
Los Angeles voters seriously need to clean house PRONTO.
The "leaders" should be recalled, starting with this guy.
Posted by: Recall the Mayor | July 13, 2009 at 07:28 PM
I can't understand how such a big deal was made about the Laker's parade, they are an LA team, yet Michael jackson gets one and we have to pay for it! WHY!!! What is going on here! I also can't understand how the LA Times put MJ coverage on the front page everyday for almost a week, no wonder you never here the LA Times mentioned in the same breath as the NY Times!
Posted by: ab | July 13, 2009 at 07:35 PM
After our Mayor's latest idiotic statement all I can say is:
"So long, Mr. Mayor."
He is soooo history.
Posted by: Bob | July 13, 2009 at 07:40 PM
Do a word search for "AEG" on the list of the Mayor's political contributors and judge for yourself. Tens of thousands of dollars were paid to the Mayor's campaigns. (Be patient, there are many and this takes time to load...): http://ethics.lacity.org/disclosure/campaign/search/public_search_results.cfm?orderby=RPT_LNAME,%20RPT_FNAME&orderbydesc=no&showall=yes&requesttimeout=1000&disclosure=campaign&search=public%5Fsearch%5Fresults%2Ecfm&CITY=la&REPT_TYPE=ALLCon&S_USER=%27villaraigosa%27%2C%27021100120002%27&S_OFFICE=MAY&S_TYPE=I&SCHEDULE=A%2CB%2CC
Posted by: AEG political donations | July 13, 2009 at 07:46 PM
Hey, Villaraigosa -
You rambled endlessly about how taxpayers should pay for FUNERAL security.
Taxpayers shouldn't pay for private funerals.
However, THIS EVENT WAS NOT A FUNERAL.
It was a concert.
It's one thing if security was needed for the ACTUAL funeral (which laughably they took but didn't need because nobody cares), but this was entertainment.
The company that threw the concert is going to profit. There's no profit from funerals. Taxpayers should get a piece of that profit. But they won't.
Mr. Mayor, taxes are not there as your personal bank account to fund your political career.
Posted by: Not a Funeral | July 13, 2009 at 07:48 PM
This is the very same Mayor who wants to furlough City employees because the City doesn't have enough money. "Shared sacrafice," he says. I guess that doesn't apply to Hollywood.
Posted by: What a faker | July 13, 2009 at 07:54 PM
Apparently the SWAT team was needed for a murder/kidnapping case, but was unavailable because it was twiddling its thumbs at this Jackson fiasco.
Someone needs to investigate how the mayor benefits from this egregious position.
Posted by: Egregious | July 13, 2009 at 07:55 PM
So the Mayor now feels like he needs to also foot the bill for funerals. No wonder the city and the State are all under the hole when it comes to finances. Villadisgracefull has managed to single handedly make Paris Hilton seem sensible and thrift by his stuip policy.
Posted by: Cesar | July 13, 2009 at 09:17 PM
What, Michael Jackson's estate, his MONEY grubbing and media obsessed family couldn't foot the bill? Maybe prosecuting his "doctors", I mean his drug suppliers, might supply the funds to pay the debt of a KNOWN drug abuser...
Posted by: Marc A. Ellis | July 13, 2009 at 09:39 PM
Villaragoza keeps digging a deeper and deeper political hole.
This stupid remark by the Mayor is his political kiss of death because the people of this area and state will never forget how this guy feels about the taxpayers dollars.
People will not forget this attitude of his. He will pay a heavy political price for his remark.
Posted by: Noel | July 13, 2009 at 09:48 PM
I agree with Mayor Villaraigosa. It was the cities responsibility to protect the morners as well as the public. There were so many instances where someone could have disrupted the event had the LAPD not been out in full force. We all no that there are times when fans become unruley and unstable.
It is the cities responsibility to protect the public and the morners and it's part of the services tax payers pay into the pool for. I can't believe how bitter and stingy many people in this city have become. Entertainers generate far more tax dollars into this city than many of regulalr citizens do and now we want to charge them extra when they die? Absolutely Ridiculous!!!
Perhaps we citizens need to do a better job by doing our homework when voting through the tax laws legislaters have to adhere to AND maybe the Governor, state legislature, and city governments need to do a better job of recruiting corporations and the entertainment industry back to California and Los Angeles.
Posted by: bettmac | July 13, 2009 at 09:52 PM
The MAYOR IS RIGHT!!! The Jackson family had their memorial for their family member and along with AEG paid for the beautiful event itself. It is not their responsibility to be aware of public safety or anything else. They got enough on their minds. Public Safety is the responsibility of the city and no one else. The sad thing is that if this memorial service was for someone like Ronald Reagan, (who is not an angel himself) no one would be complaining. The MAYOR IS RIGHT!!! If this were some other city like New York or Chicago, we would not see them fighting over funds and where it's coming from. For once we have a Mayor/politician that tells it how it is and the citizens of Los Angeles, along with others that don't even live here, keep complaining about everything he does. Get over it LOS ANGELES and let him do his job.
Posted by: Cesar | July 13, 2009 at 10:25 PM
MICHAEL PAYED TAXES TOO!!! And a lot of it. I would guess he has payed taxes enough to be buried - and more.
Posted by: av | July 13, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Hey, let's face it! It's called a double standard. The mayor is big on those in his personal life and now we are seeing it in his professional life. The Lakers have to pay and AEG gets a free ride? AEG is a big political contributor. The mayor criticized James Hahn for his relationship with Fleishman & Hilliard...what about this? I think the Times should ask some serious questions about the mayor's intentions here. As a taxpayer I say this shall not stand! He can't declare a fiscal emergency one day and the next day throw the people's money around anyway he sees fit. This is an insult to the Lakers and all Laker fans!
Posted by: Foxy LA Lady | July 14, 2009 at 12:02 AM
yes it is the city's responsibility to provide security; HOWEVER security would not have been needed in the first place of aeg and the Jackson family decided to have a private memorial instead. I'm all for grieving fans, but having a memorial service at my expense? At the expense of the entire population of los angeles, who really couldve gone without a memorial service? If anything, Mr. Mayor should be the one paying it out of his own pocket, let's see how he feels about that.
Posted by: krish | July 14, 2009 at 12:02 AM
No surprises here. The mayor thinks he is an elite, so he naturally favors spending your money on the rich and famous. I guess the lesson is if you're going to die, die in a very big way and the city will not charge your very wealthy estate a penny. It's a particularly callous stand for the mayor to take in normal times let alone in the current economic climate.
Posted by: BobCov | July 14, 2009 at 12:07 AM