(Mayor Morgan McPherson’s photo from Key West City’s website)
A nap dream yesterday left me thinking I understood why Mayor Morgan McPherson said at a city commission meeting that he would not want his wife going bare to a nude beach, because he would not want us to covet what he had in matrimony. Something in the dream caused me to call a fellow who has known Morgan since childhood, who tells me all sorts of stuff about Key West people. When I told him about the dream, he said something that seemed to confirm my own thinking.
I have heard a number of times that Morgan frequents local watering holes and is seen out on the town with women he knows. I have also heard a number of times that he is a devoted family man. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say the reason Morgan said he didn’t want us to covet what he had in matrimony was his way of telling his wife that he was faithful. That is the only way of looking at what he said that makes any sense to me.
Dreams last night took me back to the trial of Louis LaTorre, which came about as follows.
Louis, Morgan and others, regular drinking buddies, spent much of an afternoon and part of an evening in one of their favorite watering holes. Louis left them to get his car and drive home up US 1 outside of Key West. On his way, Louis turned around and headed back down US 1 toward Key West. He crossed the median and struck a car head on, driven by an East European woman who had lived in Key West a while and was well liked by people who knew her. She suffered permanent body injuries and permanent brain damage, and, as I recall, by the time of the trial had returned to her home country.
Louis was charged with aggravated D.U.I., and that was what the trial was about. Morgan and others from the watering hole crew testified that Louis didn’t seem intoxicated to them when he left the watering hole to get his car and drive home. The jury felt otherwise, and convicted him.
I remember being quite disturbed by the testimony of Louis’ friends” that he did not appear intoxicated. How could they make that determination, if they had been drinking all that time with Louis? How could any of them passed a D.U.I. test? How could any of them, in the face of what happened on US 1, testify in good conscience that Louis didn’t seem intoxicated when he left them to get his car and drive home?
When I was told it was because they were bubbas, and bubbas protect each other, I said that didn’t wash for me. I wondered if the woman whose life was wrecked had been a conch, or even an American, maybe they wouldn’t have testified? No, I was told bubbas protect bubbas. I still wasn’t satisfied, until someone in the know told me that Louis had something on all of them, and that is why they testified for him at the trial.
Several people now have told me that Morgan’s weakness in this campaign is his record as mayor. What has he accomplished?, they tell me to keep asking. I agree, I don’t see much that he has accomplished. One person told me that at least Morgan didn’t do anything to hurt Key West. I don’t agree. I think Morgan testifying for Louis LaTorre set a very bad example for every child and adult in Key West.
Tonight is the Hometown! PAC District 3 forum, featuring city commission candidates Tom Lavender and Billy Wardlow, and the four mayor candidates. Location: Grand Key Doubletree Resort, cocktails start at 5:30 p.m, the forum at 6. The panel of questioners will be local journalists. Maybe they will give the candidates a good grilling.
Sloan for mayor, campaign advertisement approved and paid for by Sloan Bashinsky