Martin Cohen Quotations

We stand with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in this lawsuit, ... The Illinois Commerce Commission does not have the legal authority to order a power auction with unlimited rate hikes as the outcome. The ICC should tell Ameren and ComEd to take their auction proposal to Springfield for review by the General Assembly, which approved a Public Utilities Act that clearly gives Illinois regulators final say over electricity rates.

What we're seeing as we look into the futures markets presently are increases that seem to be never ending,

must disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which his or her impartiality might reasonably be questioned.

My sense is that we have a lot of (uninsured) folks out here who would take advantage of it.

I wouldn't say it brought a tear to my eye, but certainly a little bit of a lump in my throat when I (first) sat down here and looked out that window and said, OK, this is a great responsibility I have.

The apartment market is poised to do well.

Utilities have a legal responsibility, not to mention a moral one, to ensure that their customers receive reliable service at the least possible cost, ... It's the commission's job to make sure that happens. It's a matter of having the proper incentives, both carrots and sticks, to make sure utilities do the best they can for their customers and have a fair opportunity to earn a profit.

You have no choice if you're going to live through the winter than to turn your heat on,

Currently, there is little or no overbuilding in any commercial real estate sector, and as the economy continues to grow and produce jobs, excess space is being absorbed, making occupancy rates rise. To build a building today costs materially more than six months ago or two years ago in most major cities.

Energy markets have proven to be volatile, unpredictable and trending dramatically upwards. This auction would expose consumers to all of the risks of the market.

There's no reason to think that because I have a pro-consumer background that one should therefore conclude I'm not going to be impartial,

Any opinions I have are based on the same evidence that commissioners looked at. I haven't pre-judged anything. I don't have any preconceived notions. I have well-informed ideas.

This is a real crisis heading our way that won't be felt until the bills start coming. Our best hope is to get lucky with a warmer than normal winter.

They're entitled to recover their reasonable cost of providing service and a fair profit on their investment, ... But there's no doubt going to be a big battle over how much that is.

It's amazing to be here. I mean, look at that,

It will either scare people or attract someone looking for a challenge.

If there's one property type that has absolutely sailed through all of the economic times that we've had, not just in the past few years but the past 10 or 15 years, it's been the regional malls, ... It's a fortress of shopping for consumers. This company is the largest. They trade at about a 7 percent yield and probably a good growth rate as well.

If you really want to deal with the obesity issue, you have to talk with the people who buy the food.

In fact, the first week out, my little suitcase with my clothes in it was stolen.

He told me the reason was that his family came to the conclusion they didn't want to move (to Massachusetts).

He said, 'I want you to go out and do the best job for the people of Illinois. Use your best judgment.