Page 9 - Life In Naples March 2022 Flipbook

Potpourri
NAPLES

BILL BARNETT

ell, I’m not used to walking out of the house to pick were non-descript, the questions from the audiences were hand-
up the paper from the driveway and the temperature is picked to be asked and in my opinion it certainly seemed to me
W33 degrees as was the case this morning. I actually like that some of the candidates knew the questions in advance. Again
it. I like to be able to put a jacket and a sweater on, I like walking this is strictly my opinion but I do consider myself somewhat of
and wearing gloves and covering my ears. But best of all I know an expert when it comes to City campaigns. Perhaps the saddest of
that within the next three days the temperature will be back in all was the bashing of former Councils and how they were going
the high 70s and the low 80s! I am definitely feeling the pain for to “fix” the errors that had been made. I can tell you that never
our Northeast neighbors as they are getting blasted with brutal during any of my campaigns did I or any other candidates make
winter weather. A friend of mine e-mailed me this morning from a point of past Councils. They for the most part the candidates
Connecticut on his way out the door in 5 degree weather to get said what their goals were, not what had been done in good faith
his snowblower and do his walk and driveway. I think I remember by prior Councils. And finally, our City Charter clearly states that
those days but it’s just a vague memory and not necessarily a our city elections are non-partisan. Anyone who paid the least
pleasant one. bit of attention to this last election would have thought this was
After giving up on my Buffalo Bills they made a great a political party slugfest. It was anything but non-partisan and it
comeback and as most of you football aficionados know their game really upset me to witness.
against Kansas City was probably one of the best games ever even It’s hard to believe that March is here already, and Naples has
though the Bills lost. Not because the Bills lost but in my humble had a great season. The problems we see are seen nationwide as
opinion the NFL needs to change the overtime rule as it is just well and that’s the employee situation. I don’t see that getting
plain unfair. The way that rule is written the team that makes the better in the future. What concerns me is it is going to get tougher
correct call on the coin toss to see who gets the ball first during and tougher to find good employees because the price of real estate
the overtime kickoff has a huge advantage because if they score is skyrocketing, and people can’t find places to live that they can
a touchdown on the first series they win the game and the other afford. A very good friend of mine who owns a towing service
team never gets a chance to touch the ball. Maybe I’m wrong, but has been trying for months to find a good employee. The salary is
I don’t think so. Meanwhile kudos to the Kansas City Chiefs fans good, benefits included. He finally started looking out of state and
for not only being good sports but by donating to Buffalo’s Oishei had a few quality applicants that had families. The problem? Once
Children’s Hospital which is where Quarterback Josh Allen has a they came down and saw what it would cost them to live, they said
foundation. Because the Bills lost with 13 seconds left in the game no thanks. We need to seriously find solutions to this problem.
the Kansas City fans have donated over Four-Hundred Thousand Since owning Bulldogs and subscribing to membership in the
Dollars in thirteen-dollar donations! National Bulldog Club of America I dropped the treasurer a note
The City Council election is two days away and you won’t read and said we lost our last Bulldog but would remain members of
this article until the results have long been tallied. I am annoyed the club. I received a card back expressing their sorrow and for all
with this election which is my prerogative for many reasons which of you dog lovers there was a quote from the famous author Agnes
I don’t mind sharing. I have participated in seven non-consecutive Sligh Turnbull who said it best “Dogs lives are too short, their only
elections, the first started in 1984 and the last in 2016. This isn’t fault, really.”
about me but I will share with you that this last election has been Enjoy Naples and what we have to offer and count your
one of the ugliest I have ever seen. Why? Well for one thing we blessings to be here.
didn’t have newspaper coverage during the campaign. Sure, there Former Mayor,
were a series of questions the candidates answered and one other Bill Barnett
article, but it was all vanilla. There were no challenges to what
some of the candidates put in their campaign brochures and I I do respond to e-mails at: mayornaples@gmail.com
can’t emphasize strongly enough there was information printed in
them that was bogus but yet there were no reporters to research
and challenge, so it became gospel. The few forums that they had

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