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Some of Mayor Villaraigosa's tweets asking for the public's financial help for Michael Jackson's memorial service
Last week, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tweeted seven times, asking for fans for donations that would help offset the cost of Michael Jackson's public memorial service. Every tweet included a link to the city's website where the online donations could be given.
But Villaraigosa was on vacation last week in Africa, which got LA Observed suspicious of who was Twittering--the mayor or staff? The conclusion came to was that it was not the Mayor and rather a college student.
Then the Mayor's lead press deputy, Matt Szabo, jumped in, clarifying, with a link to LA Observed: "Mayor either tweets himself, or I approve w direct authorization." About 10 and a half hours later, the Mayor's Twitter account ReTweets Szabo's.
Then comes today. Villaraigosa is back in town and this morning he slammed staff for their decision to ask the public for financial help, even though his Twitter account appealed to followers seven times. “I thought it was ridiculous,” he told reporters this morning, explaining that Los Angeles is a big city where major events occur on a regular basis, and that the city is obligated to protect the public's safety, according to the LA Times. Szabo then emphasized that on his Twitter account.
It's estimated that $1.4 million was spent on the event, prompting uproar since the city is $530 million in the red.
Previously: More Background on the Mayor's Vacation, What he Missed in LA and his Twittering.
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Why is this man our mayor?
I believe he received more votes than the other candidates, twice.
Oh yes, it turns out that's exactly why he's mayor.
The bigger question is: Why does Matt Szabo still have a job? But then again, he is no more moronic than his idiot boss. Can't wait for a new mayor.
Good catch, Zach.
It never even occured to me that Villaragosa was sending the tweets himself. Of course he is having some staff lackey taking care of it. Villaragosa is way too putting in his 2 hours of work a day.
Come on Zach you're better than this.
President Obama has a facebook and twitter acct -- along with our current Governor along with a string of other Mayors across the state.
Some of them post their own stuff, but most of them have their staff approve the online tool.
I mean Zach, when you go to the Mayor's City website do you assume the Mayor wrote each and every piece of text in there along with the updated announcements? Or do you assume someone with web expertise does that work?
You assume correctly that someone in the press operation along with the IT dept puts up the content of the website. Why would facebook or twitter be any different?
The other item I love from various blogs and news accts is this constant frame that the Mayor loves his face on TV, and yet when one of the biggest media events occur no one says "hey maybe Mayor Villaraigosa could care less about his mug on TV and just wants to enjoy his vacation"
Which well, brings me to another point. Not that I saw any on this blog but again President Obama goes on vacation he deserves it. Random councilmember from Long Beach goes on vacation, they deserve it. Mayor of LA goes on vacation and everyone feels as though they've been shortchanged because he's not in LA. Yet when he is in LA, they claim he hordes the media cameras.
I think what we are seeing with this Michael Jackson fiasco is that when the Mayor is out of LA, all of the sober-minded adults appear to have left City Hall.
We are a world class city, no laws were broken, no riots broke out - the world saw LA to be a safe sunny place to visit.
Yet the Mayberry crew wants to use this issue to appear childish and petty. How unfortunate.
Mike,
I don't care if the Mayor tweets himself or has someone else do it as long as it is clear and Szabo cleared it up just fine.
The problem is someone tweeted seven times from the Mayor's Twitter, which is only done under direct authorization according to Szabo, and then the Mayor comes back and slams his own employees for the issue his Twitter promoted.
Comparing Twitter to his website and his Facebook fan page are not on even ground. Those two items are not personal web communication tools like Twitter is. A website is like a brochure and a Facebook FAN page is just that, a fan page, not his personal account.
I think it's totally fine to go on vacation. And you're right, we did not run any post slamming him for going on vacation or being a media whore. If I'm wrong, please put a link in this comment thread, but I personally agree with Bill Maher when he says something like this: "attack the idea, not the person." I always give Villaraigosa credit when credit is due.
Of course, Szabo and his press people don't respond to me when I try to get more info about the good stuff he does (his awesome prop 8 speech, gang program stuff, etc). Szabo has only responded to me twice over the years and both of those times were to defend against things that could have potentially looked bad for the Mayor. To me, it's pretty much a waste of my time to try to contact them anymore since they've established a pattern of not returning phone calls.
Zach,
I wish I had answer for you regarding the Press office -- I don't really know all the circumstances that go into each of your examples nor do I work for the Mayor's office so I can't really say anything about any of that.
As for the Mayor "tweaking" City staff publicly -- thats what a Mayor does every once in awhile.
Part of the job of Mayor.
Thanks Zach.
Zach, if you want Szabo to respond, you've got to learn the two magic words: Camera Crew
On the memorial costs, both sides have valid points. On the one hand this was undeniably a promotional event for AEG. On the other hand, it had significant promotional value for the city. That said, when I think about the millions and millions and millions in tax breaks AEG received from the city while my taxes have spiked in nearly every category, Mayor Villaraigosa's finger-in-eye remarks don't sit well.
IMHO, considering the economic context, reason kind of favors the populist critique on this one. Sadly, every molecule of what goes down in L.A. is about corporate entitlement and the cult of celebrity. They get preferential, coffers be damned treatment with everything. It's rather sickening actually.
The fact that AEG will perhaps make tidy profits from the way that the memorial was orchestrated makes it all the more infuriating. I hope the media keeps Mayor V.'s belligerent quote handy for the next round of brutal city cuts (possibly as the sales of the memorial dvd begin to peak).
The fact that so many people are willing to cave so quickly every time a shameless leader pulls the specious, logically anemic "quit whining" claptrap to squelch a vocal group's valid criticism, only illustrates the dire need to bolster the ailing educational system.
Or at the very least a "principles of reasoning 101" class.
And who wants to bet that a DVD of the Michael Jackson Memorial will be offered for sale? It is ludicrous to expect the taxpayers to fund a public memorial for a celebrity at Staples Center. AEG and/or the MJ Estate will continue to make money off his works for decades to come and there is no reason why they shouldn't have paid for this tribute.
the tax payers should not at all have to pay for jacksons memorial.if the mayor is so hot on paying it let him pay for it himself.the jacksons have plenty of money let them pay for it or take it out of jacksons estste money.or AEG can pay for it they have made plenty of cash out of this deal.all the cash michael jackson had pissed away he can cover this out of his estate money.the people of california have paid enough taxes and gave enough of their blood for this state.regular joes have to pay for their own memorial if they have one at all.wake the F up people!
For what it's worth, while Villaraigosa was on vacation, one of his staffers decided to follow my twitter account, which is weird because I don't live in LA, tweet about LA, or follow his account. But I did follow him back and then the MJ appeal tweets started coming in...