LA Mayor Closes Donation Website

According to E! Online, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa returned from vacation to South Africa last week to find that Jan Perry, the councilwoman acting as mayor in his absence, urged people to donate money toward last week's Michael Jackson memorial service.

Especially Michael Jackson fans had been asked to donate to cover the estimated $1.4 million costs for the city, most of that going to the L.A. Police Department for overtime expenses.

"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," Villaraigosa said during his first public appearance today, calling the website set up by his office to solicit donations "ridiculous."

The website, which had already collected about $35,000, stopped accepting money at 1 p.m. on Friday, according to Villaraigosa's spokesman, Matt Szabo.

Source: MJFC / E! Online