Interim Appointed Fifth District County Commissioner John Schoonmaker made his first televised debut today on WATE’s Tennessee This Week. His segment lasted about 7 minutes and he bombed. First of all, he was trying to play the middle of the road on the issue of the Knox County School Board and Knox County Commission. He said that the County Commission awards a pile of money to the schools and the school board determines where it is spent. He is partially correct there.

When Moderator Samantha Manning pushed him for a commitment on more money for teacher pay raises. He said well the schools need to tell us where they are going to spend it. Now first off Schoonmaker says he has been intimately watching county government for 15 years. He says he served 5 years on the Board of Zoning Appeals, 2 years as Chairman. Assuming his statements are factual. Where has he been in the budget process for 15 years? The Knox County School Board always spends considerable amount of time discussing and proposing a budget. EVERY YEAR, there is money there for teacher and staff salary increases and EVERY YEAR the County Mayor and County Commission do not approve the entire amount for the salary increases proposed. So, Schoonmaker either has an agenda to shield the Mayor and the County or he is ignorant of the county budget process.

Additionally, Schoonmaker informed Moderator Manning that he would do what is right for Knox County FIRST and the Citizens of the Fifth District LAST. Pundit panel members George Korda and Craig Griffitts jumped on that during their segment saying that if he doesn’t represent the citizens of district five first, the citizens of district five will find a new Commissioner. Of course that may be why the Republican voters in 2004 rejected Schoonmaker over Mike Hammond and rejected Schoonmaker in 2008 over Richard Briggs. Just Saying the obvious.