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* “Request Denied” articles

*A system of loopholes

* Exceptions made from understandable to puzzling

* AG Madigan says, ‘We’re committed to the fight’

* Springfield jockeying puts ComEd back in House rate freeze; more here

* No outlet for high electric bills

* House panel pushes electric rate issue again

* Ameren could start pulling the plug in Illinois

* Eric Krol: ComEd campaign cash

* Jones sits in the eye of a brewing political storm

* Dave Kolata: ComEd’s auction stacks deck against consumers

* Editorial: Clean up IL government, end ‘pay to play’

Oddly, the governor - who campaigned on the platform of doing away with business as usual - has not taken a position on the bill and a spokeswoman wouldn’t even say whether the governor believes in the basic principal of prohibiting donations from contractors.

* Illinois handgun background check system has some loopholes

* Rep. Mendoza: Denouncing the Little Village immigration raid

* Harper 4-year bill approved in the House

* Jefferson brings Rockford tax bill to the House

* Local official offers advice to open up state government

* Sun-Times Editorial: Answers are needed about Rezko’s deals

* Will revenue flap hurt Chicago’s Olympic bid?

posted by Paul Richardson
Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 8:39 am

Comments

Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the governor doesn’t see the need to get involved because lawmakers should be able to agree on legislation. In an e-mail, she said Blagojevich “is ready and eager to sign a bill that restores electric rates to their 2006 levels. Now lawmakers need to get together and get it done.”
Please, everyone knows Emil does Rod’s bidding. This is insulting.

Comment by Lula May Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 9:55 am
Anyone notice that the SJR forgot to put today’s non story on FOI on their website so we could all tee off.
They did did put the “Jack Davis resigns” non story and all the wingnuts are piling on.

Comment by Elijah Lovejoy Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 12:39 pm
Did anyone notice that Rep. Elga Jefferies voted against a bill she co-sponsored yesterday? It was HB 758. I guess the intelligence quota for a state rep has a new low. Thanks Elga! I think Iâ€™ll run my cat for office now.

Comment by ThePiper Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 1:00 pm
I don’t like Emil Jones, the ultimate oldtime pol who has gotten too much money from Com Ed to make him credible on utility issues and whose annual Earmarks constitute an in-your-face abuse of taxpayer monies.

I don’t like my state senator Don Harmon, either.
A tax and spend liberal who ignores his Oak Park consitutency and hasn’t had an original idea since he became a pol. Harmon is listed in Krol’s article as one of the suburban lawmakers who
hasn’t been supportive of rate rollbacks.

Putting all that aside, though, I don’t think government price controls on utilities are the answer. I’ll pay my electric bills myself, thanks, and make the necessary adjustments, like wearing a sweater in the winter and not installing central air. The solution is not government intervention combined with continuing unfettered usage of electricity. It is reduced usage and alternative energy sources. Government intervention just prolongs the inevitable since we live in a global, not local, energy market. If that’s what Emil and Don are thinking, they are right, whatever their political and ethical creds.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 1:04 pm
Gun crazy!

http://www.sfgate.com/comics/fiore/

Comment by ThePiper Friday, Apr 27, 07 @ 1:44 pm