Kay Brooks Admits She Lacks Experience for Position

NewsChannel5 seems to be on top of the controversy surrounding Kay Brooks. In an interview with the station, Brooks acknowledged fears that she has "absolutely no background in education" and that the Metro Council made the appointment merely to "do something different." During that story Metro Council member Mike Jameson was quoted as saying:

I saw what happened last night, and I said, I thought: ‘Here we go again. It's the same thing of council members talking privately, deliberating issues without the public’s knowing or awareness or their input.

Here we go again, indeed.


05/18/2006, 9:15 a.m. Update: Jameson also told the Tennessean he heard that Craddock had 15 to 18 votes lined up May 10, a day before Craddock formally nominated Brooks. A conservative blogger broke the news on Thursday, May 11 and encouraged his readers to contact their Council members to support Brooks. I'm not sure that relying on a conservative blogger is a valid or even-handed means of notifying the public at large of Craddock's intentions. In the Tennessean piece, Michael Craddock admitted that

he talked to fellow council members in a place and way he considered open: in the council chamber during previous meetings. He said he even introduced Brooks to some of them at the May 4 meeting. "Sure, I lined up votes, but I didn't violate the law doing it," Craddock said, adding that he had not traded votes with anyone.

Has Michael Craddock even read the State Sunshine Act?

The Tennessean also reports that two North End/Downtown council members, Ludye Wallace and Edward Whitmore voted for Kay Brooks. Whitmore admitted that he "talked with several council members" before Tuesday's meeting, but he refused to name them. Has Ed Whitmore even read the State Sunshine Act?

This episode stinks more with each new revelation.