Generally when we receive a memo from David Miller's office that begins with the words "Mayor urges…," we expect it to be followed by a statement like, "...Torontonians to help the environment by cutting down on electricity usage," or "…anyone with information on unsolved double homicide to contact police immediately." But hey, it's the long weekend, and the mayor's got every right to screw the pooch like the rest of us. So, behold the latest strategy to make Toronto a better city:
News Release
August 1, 2008
Mayor urges Torontonians to support homegrown Canadian Idol hopeful
Mayor David Miller is urging Torontonians to get behind hometown boy Peter "Mookie" Morris in his bid to become the next Canadian Idol.
The talented 18-year-old musician is the only remaining Toronto contender in this year's hotly-contested Canadian Idol competition.
"Toronto is known around the world as a city with a vibrant music scene," said Mayor Miller. "The Idol competition is an extraordinary opportunity to show strong support for a talented young man who has already enhanced Toronto's reputation as a centre of creativity."
Mookie has been characterized as "a diamond in the rough" by former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale. And, after hearing the local artist's interpretations of musical numbers like The Band's "Ophelia" and The Beatles' "Twist and Shout," Idol judge Farley Flex declared: "Mookie just emanates star!"
Torontonians can cast their votes for Mookie following the next Canadian Idol broadcast on Monday, August 4, at 9 p.m.
"I'm confident Toronto will rally round Mookie and make sure his star continues to shine," said the Mayor.
Toronto is Canada's largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years, Toronto has won numerous awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto's government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.
Please note: The Mayor is not available for interviews.
We're pretty sure this is the first City Hall press release to name-drop Gwen Stefani's husband, however, we wonder if the mayor's closing comment on the matter — "I'm confident Toronto will rally round Mookie and make sure his star continues to shine" — wasn't cribbed from an old Art Eggleton speech from '89…
