Jones: Rate freeze ’stupid’
Thursday, Mar 2, 2006 - Posted by Rich Miller
The gauntlet is thrown.
Senate President Emil Jones scolded his counterparts in the House Wednesday, calling their support of extending a freeze on residential electric rates “stupid.” The Chicago Democrat said members of the General Assembly should not interfere with current state law regarding electric rates.
Rather, he said that is the job of the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates utility rates in Illinois.
“They have the staff and the administrative law judges to rule on what they’ve done,” Jones said.
“I’m not an expert, but for the House to continue to play to the cheers of the crowd is rather stupid,” he added. […]
Although he didn’t specifically address the House legislation, his message was clear: It is unlikely he will allow the rate freeze extension to be called for a vote in the Senate this spring.
This wasn’t exactly unexpected. Jones has received tons of campaign contributions from ComEd and its officers. He killed off former CUB executive director Marty Cohen’s nomination to the ICC. The fact that he won’t bring a rate freeze up for a vote shouldn’t surprise anyone.
- grand old partisan - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:26 am:
Bravo, Mr. Jones. Well said.
- ron - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 9:32 am:
. like grand od partisan says, “bravo mr. jones”
- Hello - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 10:16 am:
This is precisely why electing a new governor won’t change anything.
- Pat Hickey - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:03 am:
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- Curious Southsider - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:05 am:
What a shocker that dear old Emil is putting his best foot forward for Com Ed and ignoring his constituents, who undoubtedly would benefit from the rate freeze. The Republican party should be proud to call Emil one of their own.
- Independent SOB - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:17 am:
I don’t care. I live in Springfield and don’t have to support for profit electric utility companies.
- Tom DeLay's Mom - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:35 am:
This is Just further proof that President Jones is nothing more than a privately-held subsidiary of Exelon. God knows, the electric utilities have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in Mr. Jones…and, apparently, that investment will pay-off, to the severe detriment of Illinois consumers.
If I’m a Senate Democrat, I’d be very nervous about my Leader’s clumsy comments to the media - after all, it IS an election year…
If Frank Watson was more politically adept, he’d have a little chat with Speaker Madigan, work together, and get the rank-and-file Senate GOP members to rally around the “pro-consumer” platform and press for the rate-freeze extension.
Obviously deregulation is a Republican ideal - which might require some fancy foot-work for Watson - but dereg with egregious impacts on voters should not be palatable to any reasonable partisan in an election year. Force the Senate Democrats to wear the “anti-consumer, big business sell-out hat”
It would be a win-win for the Senate GOP. We all know that Jones doesn’t make a move without ComEd’s prior approval - so the House Democrat bill will languish in Rules Committee, ad infinitum (no threat to ComEd)…meanwhile, Watson could position his members as consumer champions…and reap the electoral benefits.
However, that would require a clever bit of legislative strategy on Watson’s part, so I can’t imagine the Senate Republicans will head that route…absent that sort of creativitiy, they’d better get used to the notion of “President Jones”…
- Southern Illinoisian - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:46 am:
Rich,
The commentary at the end of your citation would lead one to think that you feel that Sen. Jones did this just for politcal purposes, rather than because it’s a good public policy decision.
Jones, along with the majority of state government leaders, has gotten money from all of the utilities. It’s been like that for years (disclosure, I’ve been a memeber of a utility PAC).
The Cohen nomination was a bad idea from the start. No one needed contributions to see that, and if we have Sen Jones to thank, why then I’ll shake his hand, even if he is a Democrat.
The rate freeze IS a bad idea. Anyone interested in how utilities are regulated should type the phrase “regulatory compact” into their favorite search engine to get more information.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:51 am:
You’re entitled to your opinion, of course, SI, but maybe you should offer a little more disclosure of your interests.
- ET - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:53 am:
I’m sure Emil or his spokesperson would say the money that has been contributed to him has nothing to do with where he stands on this issue. Please spare me the BS. Until we have true campaign finance reform in this state leaders as well and rank and file legislators will continue to do the bidding for whichever industry gives them the most campaign cash.
- Paul Powell - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 12:35 pm:
“The love of money is the root of all evil” Looks like all this campaign cash that utility execs have dished out over the years is going to serve them well. I’d say we have a lot of folks elected in Springfield who dearly love all that money. Are they a part of the problem or do they have a solution? Hmmmmmmmmmm
- Southern Illinoisian - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:26 pm:
Rich,
I thought I DID disclose. I used to belong to a utility PAC, so I obviously used to WORK for a utility. No, it wasn’t Comed. I’m a taxpayer and voter in Illinois. And, I give a damn about this state.
That’s all there is. Sorry I can’t offer any more intrigue than that.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:35 pm:
I never thought I’d say this, but Tom DeLay’s Mom is right.
More importantly, Jones is giving away something for nothing. Sure, he’ll get more campaign cash, but all that will do is help him hold on to the seats he has — if he’s lucky. After all, if rates jump the expected 25%, consumers will blame all Democrats.
If Jones and the Senate Democrats were smart, the would tell ComEd they’d be happy to put a brick on a rate freeze, if ComEd can produce the votes they need to pass Education Funding Reform — in the House AND the Senate — with a veto-proof majority.
That is, if Education really IS Senator Jones’s top priority.
- Navin Johnson - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:36 pm:
Southern Illinosian,
Do you really believe Emil would come out strong against a rate freeze if he hadn’t accepted tons of money from ComEd/Exelon, that he is basing this purely or mostly on policy?
ComEd’s legislation to allow it to purchase Illinois Power a few years ago was a classic example of a bad idea. Despite the fact that it was a policy stinker, Emil pushed it through the Senate. Thankfully, Speaker Madigan refused to play ball. Where was Emil’s concern about policy then?
Another example was the SBC bill that was enacted into law in less than one week (eventually struck down in federal court). Yep, sure was a lot of concern about policy back then.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 1:49 pm:
Is it ComEd running the Emil Jones political ad disguised as a Black History Month PSA?
- Southern Illinoisian - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 2:40 pm:
Navin,
I’m not a complete cynic, yet. Sure, he’s got a “ton of money” from Comed, but my point was, who hasn’t (except for Blago)?
I hardly think that the money, BY ITSELF, is the sole basis for his actions. He’d get it anyway, unless he went stone-cold against the utilities, like Blags has.
The fact of the matter is that a rate freeze just makes our Gay Governor look good for his re-election. The freeze is bad public policy, and unless we want Illinois to become the next California, the idea needs to stay in the trash can.
Look, I wouldn’t give Comed a blank check, but the utility business is a long-term business. You can’t jerk it around, because key business decisions end up getting postponed, and it ultimately costs all of us more in the long run.
An economically-sound, technically-feasible, well-planned-out, non-political, policy is the best answer.
Think of it as the anti-Blago system.
- Tom DeLay's Mom - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 2:56 pm:
Southern Illinoisan,
Would you mind disclosing your financial interest in ComEd / Ameren / Exelon? Seems that the only folks who are willing to defend the power auction and ensuing rate-hike are on their payroll…Emil Jones - a case in point.
- ron - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 4:14 pm:
i have a novel suggestion. why not propose a freeze on taxes/fees, what ever you want to call revenue.
let’s just put a freeze on gas rates, telephone rates, gasoline prices, and anything else used by consumers. come on folks, it is aboout free enterprise. rich seems to be concerned about a company making a profit. HOW DO YOU THINK THEY BUILD NEW PLANTS, TRANSMISSION LINES AND UNDATE INFRASTRUCTURE, IF THEY DON”T MAKE ANY MONEY? part of the problem with gasoline prices is no new refineries built in the us in 25 years. basic economics, low supply and high demand means high prices. so the rates go up 25% after being frozen for five years. 5% a year not much of an increase over inflation. by the way, i have no affiliation wtih any utility or pac or oraganization supporting utilities.
- enviro-zealot - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 10:35 pm:
It wasn’t long ago that the experts told us that electric utility deregulation, or “restructuring,†would unleash free-market forces to drive down electric rates. Industry and commercial customers may benefit, but it doesn’t seem likely for residential consumers. I vote for continuing the rate freeze until the legislature and ICC sort things out and find ways to stimulate more competition.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 2, 06 @ 11:03 pm:
Ron - you are trying to defend the indefensible.
When utilities quit giving Emil’s golf partners outrageous golden parachutes and salaries for kissing up to him, then they can talk rate increases. When they put money into not polluting the ground water (see tritium publicity) and when they quit lying about their power plant “incidents”, then they might have something to brag about. This may be a free enterprise country but everything eventually comes to an end and when the average middle class working person has to decide to make the car payment or pay the utility bill, it’s only a matter of time before they stop paying them both. With customers who are broke and/or over-extended, who are you going to sell power to then? Profit is one thing, greed is another.
- Southern Illinoisian - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 10:06 am:
TD’s Mom,
My financial interest in the listed companies, and in any government entity, is ZERO. Maybe you should just deal with the fact that some ordinary folks don’t see money in EVERY pocket.
Care to reciprocate?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 10:23 am:
What about Dynegy?
- Tom DeLay's Mom - Friday, Mar 3, 06 @ 1:06 pm:
SI:
Mr. Miller asks a valid question. You may have ZERO financial interest in the two major incumbents - but I’ve got a feeling you have some scratch in this game.
If you don’t have any utility interests whatsoever, I apologize for the allegation. But, if that’s indeed the case, I also feel very sorry for you for gulping down the electric utility Kool-Aid. This is a raw deal for everyone EXCEPT ComEd, Ameren and Exelon (and the generators). Period.