Portland Mayor Loses Bet - Attends Vancouver City Council Meeting

GOVERNMENT 

By Andrew Theen

Portland, OR  March 24, 2008 2:33 p.m.

Portland Mayor Tom Potter will list 15 things tonight that he loves about Vancouver.  Potter and Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard had a friendly wager about who could raise the most money for military families.  The loser had to attend the winner's city council meeting with compliments in tow.

It was part of the annual event "Operation Santa" put on by Bob Miller of KPAM radio.  

Now that his residents raised more for service families, Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard says the cities have a rivalry, but the contest is all in good fun.

Royce Pollard: "I think Mayor Potter and I both agree jobs in our region are important for both of us.  Now we'd like to have the jobs in Vancouver, he'd like to have them in Portland, but we want to keep jobs here for our citizens.  But if someone is going to leave Vancouver, you know i don't want them to leave, but I'd prefer they go to Portland and stay in the area."

Pollard said one thing he loves about Portland is its light-rail system.  He also thanked Mayor Potter for being the first person to offer assistance after a January tornado touched down in Vancouver.

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