Knox County Sheriff’s Office works hard to curb underage beer sales, last month the Beer Board which is all ELEVEN Knox County Commissioners sit in judgement of retailers that are caught in underage beer stings. The stings are conducted by supervision of Sheriffs Office with an underage sheriffs cadet, the cadet produces an id that shows their real age and they retailers cited inevitably sold to the cadet.
The retailers that were before the beer board in June sold during stings conducted during the high school prom and gradaution season. As C&C Outdoors in John Schoonmaker’s district was announced, Commissioner Sam McKenzie praised the business for having NOT gotten caught for five years and suggested a reduction of the fine. Schoonmaker then made a motion, to reduce the fine by 50%. Six of the 11 Commissioners approved the reduced fine, five Commissioners Randy Smith, Brad Anders, Charlie Busler, Mike Brown and Ed Brantley voted NO. Thank you to the five Commissioners of courage, Commissioners of Accountability and Commissioners that Hold Retailers Responsible.
The video captures the entire hearing of C&C Outdoors, you first hear them give the normal fine of $1,000 or 30 days suspension to the previous offending retailer. There are hundreds of retailers, thousands of store clerks that have NEVER sold to underage but McKenzie and Schoonmaker think that five years is a badge of honor that earns a 50% reduction.
If you get a ticket, go to court and tell the Judge, I haven’t had a ticket in 5 years, you should give me a break.
Instead, of the beer board slapping a lenient fine, how about the law abiding businesses that have never had a violation receiving recognition. Schoonmaker and his band of 5 other Commissioners have dissed the work of the Knox County Sheriffs Office.
Commissioner Charlie Busler was NOT happy with the reduction and made it clear later that night in a “beer board” discussion. While Randy Smith who voted for the higher fine discussed wanting to increase the fines or penalize the Clerk’s all in effort to reduce the number of offenders, if you are not willing to do the job of Commissioner and Beer Board Member, then maybe he should resign and let someone else that is willing to serve do the job for the third district?
As you watch the video, before the Commission Chalr announce the vote, listen to Schoonmaker arrogantly say, “simple majority” I guess meaning his six votes stuck.
