In recent years, every election day has been termed the most important ever. And so they have been. As our nation divides, voting has become the most important weapon short of civil war by which we define ourselves as a people.

So be sure you vote this primary day. Every office from the highest down to local school board elections are of vital importance.

The Monroe County Commission has approved a $100 million airport expansion to the Key West Airport. I hope it is enough money. Improvement to the airport is needed big time.

I have lived in Key West some 30 years. There have been several airport expansions. Each not enough. The County has the habit of only improving the airport to make it current. Bring it up to date. No concern is ever given to the natural growth an airport experiences. As a result, we have been left each time with a soon overcrowded too small facility. $100 million sounds like a lot of money. The question however is it enough so 5-10 years from now we will not be experiencing the too small squeeze again.

Womenfest is coming! Five days with the ladies ruling the roost. Deservedly so. Now more than 20 years old. Lesbians will arrive from all corners of the world. They will party and meet. Key West is happy to welcome them. September 7-11 are the days.

Schooner Wharf remains one of the last vestiges of Key West. Steve Thompson reminds us of its beginnings. A time he experienced.

In the early eighties, a schooner docked in Key west. The perfect place to stop for a rest. The Diamante was really cool. And Paul and Evalena were, too. They said, “Bring your own wine, enjoy it on deck.” They didn’t have their liquor license yet.

They kept spreading out getting bigger each day. And they really cleaned up the area.

There was a time you didn’t go near at night. Unless you wanted to end up in a fight.

For 40 years Schooner Wharf has survived. Good food, good fun, and good music live.

Susan Neill has been a friend more than 20 years. Susan who ran Dr. Michael McIvor’s office. Dr. McIvor was my heart doctor. He passed away a year ago.

Susan became my go to person when I had a strange ache or pain. Always a simple telephone call away. We did dinner together on occasion.

Soon after DR. McIvor died, Susan became seriously ill. All kinds of serious problems at one time. I hurt for her.

She moved to the St. Petersburg area for professional care and to be near her children. We kept in contact via telephone and e-mail.

Then nothing. No response from her. I did not know how to contact her children. This no response began several months ago. I assumed she had died.

Till yesterday. Susan telephoned me. I cried. She was alive and in a rehab facility. Her ailments had significantly minimized themselves. Tears fill my eyes as I share this good tiding with you.

St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church is a significant part of Key West history. St. Mary’s was dedicated on 8/21/1904.

Its educational facility will expand to include a high school. The high school will open August 2023. Initially for its first two years.

Too much money in politics. It corrupts and controls. Contributions become larger each year. On both sides. I have been of the position for years that elections should be publicly financed. Especially federal ones.

In addition to the Supreme Court’s recent abortion ruling, one of the worst was years ago when the Court declared corporations were people. As a result, corporations acquired the ability to contribute financially to elections. Conservative Republicans seem to have the edge in this regard.

The corporate contributions are viewed as “dark money.” The term speaks for itself.

Marble Freedom Trust is a new conservative non-profit corporation. It recently received $1.6 billion from a single donor. The $1.6 billion being the largest single contribution to a politically focused non-profit.

The donor is Bare Seid. Seid is a 90 year old electronic company executive. The $1.6 billion was in the form of corporate stock.

Marble Freedom the recipient is led by Leonard Leo. Leo is Co-Chair of the ultra conservative Federalist Society. Leo will distribute the funds further to candidates, etc.

One of the beauties of this type giving is that Leo’s group is not required to disclose to whom the money is distributed. Why such recipients are referred to as “dark money” groups.

An interesting New York Times Guest Essay today: Ukraine’s Russian ‘Liberators’ Are Seeing That We Live Better Than They Do. The author is the Ukrainian Yegor Firsov. His opening line: “The invaders have seen the reality: The Ukraine’s live better than they do.”

Putin continues to come up looking bad. From the quality of his soldiers and military arsenal to the quality of the the Russian people’s lifestyle. Have to give Putin credit however. He bullshitted the world for years. It took tiny Ukraine to expose Russia’s short comings.

Enjoy your day!