“The City of Tacoma has launched a new and unique effort to gain national attention as America’s #1 Wired City.The new promotional strategy is an organized attempt to get a City of Tacoma employee chosen as a contestant on the popular television game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? A May 22 edition of Take Five, a City Community Relations Department internal publication, outlines the strategy.Noting that purchasing a commercial to promote Tacoma on the high rated show would cost far too much of taxpayer’s money, the City has created The City of Tacoma’s #1 Wired City Millionaire Club, to encourage City employees to try out for the game show.To join the club City employees just have to:- Agree to tell host Regis Philbin that the employee works for Tacoma: America’s #1 Wired City.- Agree to donate a portion of the employee’s winnings to Community Connection, the City of Tacoma charitable organization supporting community causes. The amount donated is up to the employee.- Sign up for the club and pick up a membership card at the Community Relations Office.Take Five provides instructions and tips on how to try for the show. It outlines procedures, and notes that City employees can make the tryout calls on work time, with approval of a supervisor.On-the-clock calls are allowed, as the club is part of the City of Tacoma’s official economic development marketing campaign.I came up with the idea, because we’ve all been giving a lot of thought to ways we can spread the word about our #1 status, said Dan Voelpel, communications supervisor for the City’s Community Relations Department. This approach doesn’t cost the City anything.This is a similar approach to our singing garbage men campaign; employees get an opportunity to contribute to a critical promotion of Tacoma for economic development. Plus, employees can keep the money they win if they happen to get on the show.Voelpel said he was not aware of any other city trying this strategy. And yes, he is calling in.”