Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may be out of town until the end of the week, but his office is still working to keep the finances of the City under control. One unexpected expense this week: The estimated $4 Million cost of hosting the public memorial service for the late King of Pop Michael Jackson. Although City Councilmember Jan Perry, acting in her capacity as Mayor pro tem, went public with a plea for donations, much like the manner in which the costly Lakers Championship parade and rally was funded, no major donors, including the Jackson family or Staples Center owner AEG have come forward with funds.
Now the Mayor's office has set up a website to accept donations via PayPal or major credit card. The site reads:
Help the City of Angels provide the extraordinary public safety resources required to give Michael the safe, orderly and respectful memorial he deserves. [...] If you're a Michael Jackson fan, consider giving a small donation to help us celebrate his extraordinary life and music.
The site was launched this morning; no current tally of donations made has been released, but it's certainly going to take many "small" donations to cover the $4 million tab.
