Tom Knox

Initial Impressions

This guy started TV commercials early and often. That says to me he's rich and a long shot.

Actual Research

Okay, there isn't he usually voting information to found on this guy, because, he's never held an elected office before. He did work in government before - he was a deputy mayor under Rendell who seemed to be charged with cutting costs. He did so by going after some low hanging fruit - office space costs. He also saved the city money on health care. That just smells a little fishy to me, since he sold his company to UnitedHealth Group at some point in there. It could be industry contacts and relationships allowed him to save the money. However knowing Philly, it was some sort of backroom deal that involved Knox and his friends making some money, and conversely there are a bunch of city workers who are getting the shaft.

Of course I have no evidence for this at all. I have no real idea about the quality of a city worker's health plan.

But I do know that Knox made his money from payday loans. If the above contained a slice of sketchiness, this contains the whole pie. I know people use this service, and there is a market for this sort of thing. But I don't have admire the people who make money off it.

Couple all this, with a lack of real ideas, I can't say that I'm going to vote for him.

Bad news for me: he's leading in the polls. Good news for me: He's be advertizing for a couple months now. Hopefully his lead will start wearing off.

April 17, 2007 Posted by Terrence Ryan at 9:31 PM

Philly, Philly Mayor 2007, Politics,