The Friday Massacre won’t be forgotten soon. Check out this quote from Sen. Gary Forby, whose amendment to attach ComEd to the rate freeze bill was killed when Senate President Emil Jones used an almost unheard-of parliamentary tactic…

“President Jones and the people from Chicago– they just back-stabbed me is what they’ve done. They’ve back-stabbed southern Illinois.”

* The Sun-Times also weighed in today with an editorial entitled, Trick makes rate-freeze vote look wired…

…there is no defending the cheap parliamentary gamesmanship Jones and his close ally, Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), engaged in Friday in undermining a one-year freeze proposed by a fellow Democrat, Sen. Gary Forby of Benton. […]

Consumers are under enough duress without having an unheard-of technicality determine their rate-paying future. Jones’ friendship with ComEd President Frank Clark demands he act openly and straightforwardly on this issue. His stunt was neither of those things.

* The Belleville News-Democrat’s editorial is headlined “Majority rules? Not in Illinois”

In theory the Illinois Senate operates on majority rule. In practice Senate President Emil Jones runs it like a dictatorship when he wants to get his way.

* The Rockford Register-Star’s editorial board published this zinger today…

Jones may not know where Rockford is, but he sure knows who his friends are.

* SJ-R editorial: A cynical message from Sen. Jones

…this is Sen. Emil Jones, D-Chicago. The president of the Senate. The guy whose wife got a nearly $80,000 raise for her nearly $200,000-per-year job that she secured after state rules were changed to allow her to qualify for that job. The guy whose son received a nearly $60,000 state job that doesn’t require a college degree and apparently didn’t need to be advertised so others might compete for it. Oh, and the guy who has received more than $270,000 in campaign contributions from electric utilities.

Mr. Jones went to Springfield last week and played games with one of his own Democratic members of the Senate. But more importantly, he demonstrated to the people of Illinois that power is what matters. Might trumps right was Jones’ clear message.

* Decatur Herald & Review: Reform sorely needed in state government

The result of Friday’s sleight of hand is that a bill, supported by a majority of the Senate, is being held up by one man. ComEd executives have to feel pretty cozy with Jones protecting them in the Senate.

Friday’s activities point out the need for reform in state government. Legislative reform is needed to take some of the power away from legislative leaders and ensure that those elected to represent the people get a chance to do so. Campaign finance reform is needed so political contributors will have less influence on the legislative process.

It’s unlikely any of that will happen soon. More likely is that Illinois government will continue to be an embarrassment to the people of the state.

* And the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board? Nothing. Nada. Zip.

* Meanwhile, the Associated Press ran a story the other day that didn’t get the notice it deserved…

Not one of the 16 states – plus the District of Columbia – that have pushed forward with deregulation since the late 1990s can call it a success. In fact, consumers in those states fared worse than residents in states that stuck with a policy of regulating their power industries.

An Associated Press analysis of federal data shows consumers in the 17 deregulated areas paid an average of 30 percent more for power in 2006 than their counterparts in regulated states. That’s up from a 24 percent gap in 1990. […]

Utilities say markets are still adjusting to many years of artificially low rates that drove potential competitors away. They point to states like Illinois, where rate caps just recently were lifted and where there already is talk of reinstating them.

Consumer groups, however, say deregulation has had a chance to prove itself. In Texas, for example, competition did develop after rate caps ended – but the energy prices remained higher.

* And a couple of more stories from today…

* Governor wants electric rates frozen at ‘06 level

* Electricity suppliers offer relief

* By the way, that story at the top which included Forby’s quote was mainly about a woman in Forby’s district who is calling Emil Jones’ constituents asking for help.

Maps, street names, and a phone book… Gay Vaughn says these are the tools to get the ball rolling against Emil Jones. Calling the people in his region and telling them how Southern Illinois is hurting from the high rates.

“They don’t think southern Illinois will do anything. If they start hearing from their own constituents and get them to write him, maybe they might change their mind,” says Vaughn.

Vaughn hopes one day he’ll be voted out of office, but for now she’s staying on task until things change… losing sleep, and devoting days at a time to this project.