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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.
