• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Friday, April 10, 2026
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

Icing superintendents, $900 hammers and such

Guy Speckman by Guy Speckman
October 9, 2025
in Ponder the Thought
Back to school
12
SHARES
300
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

I’ve quietly enjoyed watching the Des Moines, Iowa public schools’ complete meltdown. The entire country gasped when ICE arrested the superintendent of schools of the district. The superintendent, a former track star, ran from ICE agents and had $3000 cash on him at the time they took him in. That sounds normal for a Midwestern superintendent of schools, right?

A group of readily available protesters even put together a quick vigil for him, until the truth came out. Not only was he in the country illegally, his complete educational and personal history was a lie. The protestors quietly packed up their protest signs and snacks and moved on to the next injustice I suppose.

RelatedNews

Graves, kings and initials

Potty mouths, senate race

Income taxes, sinking ships and such

Anyway, this guy from Guyana was really cool. He had neat suits, did lots of fist bumps with the kids and had some of those really fancy glasses. Unfortunately, he did not have the doctorate degree that he claimed, nor most of the education he claimed. Luckily, Des Moines has broad experience with being really bad at hiring.

Before this undocumented immigrant was put in charge of the state’s largest school system, they once had a lady in charge that used her school email to send racy and raunchy emails to her love interest. She resigned before the local press broke the story. But then they hired a guy that defied the Governor’s COVID orders to return to ½ time school, and he had to quit early too when that was deemed a crime.

Luckily, they found this dude from Guyana to take over. You don’t just find guys like that walking the streets.. . well, you know what I mean.

You cannot make this stuff up. Public schools are the home of the $900 Pentagon hammers at this point. Just money being dumped out the doors and windows of those places and we all just look the other way and think it’s not our district.


Schools are like doctors, no one ever says they have a bad one.


I’ve dated myself with the $900 hammer quip. Seems as though that is an 80s era slang that was born in the frustration of government, specifically the Pentagon, for everyday items costing way too much. Other examples from the day included $640 toilet seats and a $7,000 coffee maker for aircraft. I doubt that the government ever got that under control, we just got used to them overspending and the analogy became dated, just like that.

Government policy and procedure have treated us like water torture victims for as long as I can remember is an apt analogy at this point.


I don’t think Foley monitors my email, so I can send racy emails whenever I please. I guess I got that going for me.


I may get me some cool glasses and a tight-fitting suit and apply for the Des Moines job. I have a doctorate from the University of Landmark – Platte County and a master’s degree from Clinton County School of Miscreants, which should look good on a resume to those people. I can send racy emails, and I don’t mind defying the governor, so I should be in the top five at least.


Hold on. Wife tells me I can’t send racy emails. They have laws against that stuff. You have to post that kind of stuff on Instagram and I don’t have Instagram. She also said I can’t have $3,000 in cash to carry with me if I would get the Des Moines job. Doesn’t seem worth having if I can’t send random dirty emails and make it rain “hundys” when the mood hits. Think I might just stay here that Landmark until they give me a fistful of “hundys,” or both.

(Guy Speckman can be reached patiently waiting for a fistful of “hundy’s” from The Landmark HR Department)

Tags: Guy Speckmanplatte county
Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman is a Landmark contributing columnist with his Ponder the Thought column. Speckman is the former owner of the Savannah Reporter, where the column appeared for nearly two decades. Speckman is a former city government manager, serving as city administrator in Maysville, Plattsburg and Savannah before entering business. He is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University (1989). He is originally from Plattsburg, Missouri. He and his wife own and operate a real estate valuation firm and a daily legal newspaper and are the parents of two grown children.

Related Posts

Tony Luetkemeyer

Tony Luetkemeyer running for Platte County prosecutor

by Landmark Digital
April 9, 2026
0

MARK GIBSON WITHDRAWING AS CANDIDATE State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer has announced his candidacy for Platte County Prosecuting Attorney, pledging to continue his record of supporting law enforcement, strengthening public safety, and advancing tough-on-crime criminal justice policies that keep communities safe....

Platte County election

Variety of questions, issues, candidates face voters April 7

by Ivan Foley
April 5, 2026
0

POLLS WILL BE OPEN FROM 6 A.M. TO 7 P.M. Many issues and candidates will be on the ballot at the local municipal election Tuesday, April 7. It will be an active election day, with local topics like mayoral races,...

Jim Bosch

Jim Bosch announces run for county collector

by Landmark Digital
April 5, 2026
0

EDGERTON RESIDENT WAS BORN AND RAISED NEAR WESTON Jim Bosch, a lifelong Platte County resident, has announced his candidacy for collector of revenue in the Aug. 4 primary election. Born and raised on a tobacco farm outside of Weston, Bosch...

Dale Brouk

Dale Brouk, business leader, files for presiding commissioner

by Landmark Digital
April 5, 2026
0

EXPERIENCED IN FINANCE, REAL ESTATE Longtime Platte County resident, CPA, and business executive Dale Brouk has announced that he is running for presiding commissioner of Platte County, offering voters a steady, experienced leader focused on fiscal responsibility, efficient government, and...

Next Post
Parkville diversity and inclusion

Bad Bunny Good Bunny

Popular News

  • Platte County election

    Variety of questions, issues, candidates face voters April 7

    40 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Tony Luetkemeyer running for Platte County prosecutor

    32 shares
    Share 13 Tweet 8
  • It’s Hoeger vs. Brune for mayor of Platte City

    27 shares
    Share 11 Tweet 7
  • Jim Bosch announces run for county collector

    9 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 2
  • Holly Cayer announces bid for county collector

    14 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Online
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved