Campaign Announcement – October 7, 2009

Welcome and thank you for joining me this morning. It’s great to see so many close friends, family and fellow Neapolitans here for this very exciting announcement!

I’d like to begin by introducing my loving wife, Amy … and our two great children, Lola and Sammy. Also joining us today are my mother and father - both of whom have been extremely supportive of me.

As many of you know, I am committed to giving back to the community in which I live. That is my record. On a broad scale, I can do this through local public service. That is why I am proud today to officially announce my candidacy for the Naples City Council.

I spent my childhood in Nebraska, where it is much colder than it is here right now. Thus, I can tell you how much I appreciate the warm, sunny climate and, most importantly, the feel of our town.

Naples is a high-quality community, boasting beautiful beaches, top notch shopping and dining, and cultural arts combined with a friendly, small-town charm.

Like many of you, Amy and I came from other parts of the country, and made Naples OUR home. We moved here over three years ago joining our parents and siblings already in the area, and this is where we are raising our children.

We could have picked anywhere in the country in which to live - we chose Naples. We have wonderful people and wonderful potential in our town, and it is my goal to ensure that Naples remains THE premier place to live, work and raise a family – today and tomorrow.

For several reasons, most notably the prolonged economic recession, our town is facing its toughest time in years. Naples needs elected leaders who will work together in developing a shared vision for our community. A vision that allows us to navigate this current crisis and enables our town to continue its greatness into the future.

Weak leadership can allow a community to deteriorate. We have all seen this happen. Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, I saw what a great job the city leaders did in the early 1990’s to rejuvenate a decaying downtown area. Unfortunately, as soon as the city leaders took their eyes off the ball, the downtown area fell back into disrepair.

We CANNOT and MUST NOT let this happen to Naples!

Concern about the future of our community is what prompted me to serve on the Planning Advisory Board and now the Naples City Council.

As a councilman, I will give the people of Naples a representative who can listen objectively to the needs of ALL our citizens and come to a reasonable conclusion for the betterment of our community. I have extensive political experience. But the fact that I am a relative newcomer to LOCAL politics makes me well suited to serve in this objective role.

This campaign will be based NOT on what the City Council has done but what Council can do for the future of OUR town. And nobody wants to hear about what “can’t be done.” So, over the next four months, we will talk about what “can be done” for OUR great community.

Thus, the theme of this campaign is “Our Naples.” Our town has diverse interests and “Our Naples” means different things to different people.

Some residents are concerned about protecting the residential character of Naples, while others are focused on the business aspects of our community. We must balance these interests. Yes, we must take steps to make sure that Naples remains an attractive place to conduct business. At the same time, we must safeguard the charm and serenity of our residential areas.

In the end, we all live here together and this is OUR town, OUR NAPLES!

In the coming weeks, I will reach out to Neapolitans across our town to gather their thoughts and suggestions on these and other issues. I will be active in visiting every neighborhood in the city so everyone’s interests are heard and OUR shared vision for the future is represented.

As I continue on this journey to be your Councilman, I want all Neapolitans to feel free to contact me and tell me about their vision for Naples. Please visit our website at www.samsaad.com to learn more about me, this campaign, and find updates as we move forward.

Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to working hard to make sure that ALL voices are heard by the City Council and that we create a comprehensive vision for moving “Our Naples” forward to the future.