This is a tariff free column. I negotiated a “yuge” deal with Foley to bring it to you this way. You’re welcome. Maybe next week we’ll bring you low-cost eggs to go with no tariffs.
The State of Missouri still doesn’t have legal sports gambling available and it’s a testament to the dysfunction of state government. No one has paid attention to state government since about 1972 and it shows. Despite voter approval, the machinery of the state government is a slow-moving dinosaur, and we will be lucky to have it by December. It is constitutionally required to be allowed as of Dec. 1, 2025, but I would not be shocked with a last-minute change via courts or other whatnot.
I can’t even tell whose side everyone is on at this point, but there is significant money and opposition against the vote that approved sports gambling. Missouri voters approved it in November of 2024. Kansas voters approved it in May of 2022 and retail sports books were in operation on Sept. 1 of that same year. You do the math.
Arkansas legalized sports gambling in November of 2018 and had retail sports books available in July of 2019. Arkansas. Let that all sink in.
Frank White is going to be remembered as the politician that let the Chiefs and Royals move out of Jackson County. It’s going to be a staggering fall in reputation when his history is written. It should be an easy history. Local kid hits it big. Baseball star, World Series Champion, political star, retire with statues and such. Won’t go down like that now. Even if one of the teams stays, it will be in spite of White, in the eyes of public opinion.
Epic fall.
I’m just spit balling here, but if Trump is opening new prisons, maybe he’d be interested in the rusty vents at the Platte County Jail. I have not seen any updates on the rust situation, but if it is bad enough, he might entertain putting some gang members, national press or other political enemies in there and maybe throwing the funds to Platte County to build their dream jail for our local criminals, leaving the scoundrels to deal with rusty vents.
Anyway, I’m an idea guy only. Somebody clip this out and mail it to Mar-a-Lago.
I’m watching the Platte City break ins case to see what happens. It is disheartening to see small businesses get hit with this kind of crime. So useless and stupid. You’re a dumb criminal if you think you’re busting into a small-town business and going to make a good haul of cash to steal. Last I checked you can’t pawn a chunk of turkey or pizza dough. Just ignorant violence and destruction and I’m hoping these criminals get caught and Prosecutor Zahnd’s team makes an example of the perpetrators.
But I’m also keenly aware that you can’t fix stupid, or deport it, and that might be the case in this situation.
(Guy Speckman can be reached clipping columns and mailing them to Mar-a-Lago)