Jones acting like a politician at the end of his run
If this year's legislative session is any indication, Democratic Senate President Emil Jones Jr. appears like a politician at the end of his run.
The old-school lawmaker -- who turns 72 in October -- spent the past six months taking ethical broadsides over his family's numerous jobs and contracts, failing to get his agenda through despite a commanding majority, alienating his members and publicly embarrassing them, and horse-trading with the governor to get his long-coveted pay increase.
How else to explain the session Jones just presided over besides a planned retirement?
•Critics blasted Jones for cutting a deal this week with Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich: in return for not overriding Blagojevich's budget vetoes (and keeping the governor relevant), Blagojevich signed the pay-raise legislation Jones wanted. "I've been fighting for these pay raises for a year," a proud Jones said after his fait accompli.
A midnight deal to raise lawmakers' pay by 10 percent? That, more than anything from this ill-fated session, could resonate with voters, assuming Republicans push it next year.
Jones could not afford to abandon Blagojevich, whose administration gave his psychologist wife a big pay increase in her state job and put his son on the state payroll as well. But if Blagojevich goes ahead and cuts out the pork projects for the Senate Democrats, Jones will have a major revolt on his hands. He'll have killed whatever trust in him remains among his members. It's unclear whether Jones' deal with Blagojevich included sparing the Senate Democrats' pork.
•For months, Jones left the perception out there that he would rather take care of top campaign contributor ComEd/Exelon and his stepson's wallet than help the economically disadvantaged people hurt by higher electric rates. Jones' stepson's firm had an Exelon computer contract, the Sun-Times reported.
The utility stood to lose a stack of cash if electric rates were frozen, and Jones made sure that didn't happen. Jones also caught tremendous heat downstate for what appeared to be a procedural double-cross on one of his own members trying to roll back electric rates. A deal to provide some power rate relief was reached, but only after much feet-dragging on Jones' part.
•Suburban voters handed Jones a surprise veto-proof majority last fall by sending four new Democrats to the Capitol. Despite holding a tremendous advantage that made Senate Republicans virtually irrelevant all year, Jones failed to pass much of his long-sought agenda. No income tax increase. No significant windfall for schools coupled with property tax relief. No health care plan for his buddy Blagojevich.
And no big gambling expansion either. Jones, in a purely symbolic vote, did persuade freshman Sens. Michael Noland of Elgin and Linda Holmes of Aurora to vote in favor of a gambling expansion plan that would have hurt the riverboats in their districts. The vote could come back at Holmes, who's up for re-election next year.
•By the end, Jones had alienated two of his four Latino members and a veteran Southwest side lawmaker aligned with Madigan and upset the aforementioned downstate lawmaker.
In an effort to find out if Jones is hanging it up, I asked Camp Jones if he's running again next year -- his 14th state Senate District seat is up. Didn't hear back.
Jones always appeared to legitimately care about more school funding and making that his legacy. Instead, he's now leaving an image of a politician concerned with getting relatives on the payroll and raising his own pay.
ekrol@dailyherald.com