GOPUSA Illinois

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Illinois Republican Party chair Bob Grogan aims to shake off ‘Stockholm syndrome’ of struggling state GOP. Shut out of statewide office for a decade, the new face of the Illinois GOP is appealing to a suburban base that has evaporated under President Donald Trump.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2026/07/20/bob-grogan-illinois-republican-party-new-chairperson-dupage-county-auditor
(FROM THE ARTICLE: It doesn’t take a professional auditor to conclude the Illinois Republican Party is stuck in a rut, but the state GOP is hoping one can get them back on the path to relevance. Nearly 12 years removed from their last statewide election victory and long relegated to super-minority status in Springfield, Republicans have tapped former DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan to chair the state party, aiming to revitalize the suburban base that has largely abandoned the GOP under President Donald Trump. Grogan spent 12 years as an elected watchdog keeping tabs on various arms of the county government, and he has no misconceptions about his new volunteer post recruiting candidates, fundraising and, most importantly, attempting to unite a fractured party. “You get blamed for everything and credit for nothing,” Grogan told the Sun-Times. “I’m not in it for the glory. I like to say professionally, what I do is I fix broken things. And that’s my audit background, where you find problems, and you don’t play ‘gotcha.’ You just say, ‘Here’s a list of solutions. Let’s try to go out and do it.’” He’ll need a long list in the wake of his predecessor, Kathy Salvi, who wasn’t able to make many statewide inroads before Grogan unseated her in a May vote by the Republican State Central Committee. “She was more aspirational, and I’m more operational,” said Grogan, who doesn’t embrace Trump quite as enthusiastically as Salvi did. Grogan compared the president to an “elephant in the china shop.” “We share a lot of the same goals. We definitely don’t share a style,” the Downers Grove resident said, referring to Trump. “I come from a totally different background. I’m a boring CPA. He’s a reality TV show, New York real estate developer … But he’s got the hardest job in the world, and I probably have the second hardest job in the world, being chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.” Trump has certainly complicated matters for the state party in the suburbs, which provided the lifeblood of the Illinois GOP for generations. Former President Joe Biden won DuPage County by 18 percentage points in 2024. Grogan contends the “evolution in the suburbs” started under former President Barack Obama. But he acknowledges the headwinds the MAGA movement has brought to suburbs that used to be reliably red. “[Trump] brought in blue-collar voters that weren’t ours before, and that’s a good thing and it’s a challenging thing,” Grogan said. “Blue-collar voters need to be enticed a little bit more. They need to be excited a little bit more.” Grogan doesn’t push Trump’s false conspiracy theory of widespread voter fraud costing him the 2020 presidential election, and Grogan says his party needs to embrace mail voting the president has sowed doubt about. But the new chair is quick to note “no system is zero-fraud and zero-error” — including the one in DuPage County that saw him lose his bid for a third term as auditor. “In 2020, I lost by 76 votes out of a half a million, and I will tell you that the error rate was probably north of that, because we threw out over 800 ballots,” Grogan said. “People should know that every vote does count, and we want to count every vote accurately.” As for abortion rights that remain popular and important to many suburban voters, Grogan, who calls himself pro-life, decried Illinois as “an abortion destination state, and I don’t think that’s what the average suburban, pro-choice person really wants. “They don’t want late-term abortions. They don’t want taxpayer-funded abortions for folks that aren’t even citizens,” Grogan said. “Abortion tourism is not something that they would really endorse.” And he’s undaunted by the odds playing on heavily gerrymandered, Democratic-drawn maps. “Voter patterns change, and they evolve. I have optimism … that eventually governance matters, and I think that the governance of the state of Illinois, and city of Chicago, leaves a lot to be desired,” Grogan said. “That old definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.” But Republicans are running Darren Bailey again this November against Gov. JB Pritzker, four years after the southern Illinois farmer got trounced by the billionaire governor who’s now heavily favored to win a third term. Grogan backed Ted Dabrowski in the GOP primary and now says Bailey “has definitely come back at it with a different approach … We have structural problems. But if you only believed polls, Hillary Clinton would be president.” More importantly, Grogan said, “There is definitely a lot more JB fatigue than there was six years ago. “You bring up the governor’s name, and there’s a grimace. Where they were giving the benefit of the doubt a couple cycles ago, they’re not so happy,” he said, pointing to COVID-19 business restrictions under Pritzker early in the pandemic and the governor’s potential White House ambitions in 2028. “A lot of people are getting the impression he’s looking over the person’s shoulder at New Hampshire, and the recipe for New Hampshire and Iowa is not the recipe for Illinois,” said Grogan, who’s tasked with working up a fundraising rebound, too. The Democratic Party of Illinois’ $1.2 million cash on hand at the end of June roughly quadrupled the state GOP’s total. Meanwhile, Bailey entered the summer with about $128,000 in his campaign fund compared to more than $3 million for Pritzker, who can cut another massive check anytime he pleases. “We’ve had an over-reliance on one or two donors on the Republican side, which means that we’ve been lazy on developing infrastructure for small-dollar donors and such that really should be our bedrock,” Grogan said, referencing the likes of conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein. A lot of it will take basic leg work and candidate recruitment. “Even if they aren’t going to win someplace, and obviously some … districts are really hard, I think that a well-crafted dialogue with voters has up-ticket and down-ticket effects,” Grogan said. “The first step is they have to meet us, and then they’ve got to hear us, and then they’ll like us. And you can’t do that just by listening to the screamers on Facebook.” It’s also about changing the mindset of Republicans who “kind of suffer from almost a Stockholm syndrome, that they’ve been so long outside of power that they no longer identify [with] what it’s like … to get power,” Grogan said. “So we argue about how many angels dance on the head of a pin, as opposed to how to most advantageously take back a House seat,” he said. “Fratricide is not a great campaign strategy.” “We are in the super minority, and we’ve been there for a long time. We haven’t held statewide office for quite a few years now. But the same was said 40 years ago — like the governor’s mansion was ours exclusively,” Grogan said. “There’s no magic flipping of a switch … We actually have to not fight about things that aren’t really as determinative to the average person trying to make their mortgage payment or their rent payment,” Grogan said. “We have prescriptions for many of the ills. At some point, I think the voters are going to stop digging deeper and look out of the hole that they’ve dug themselves into.”)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly use the Patriot Front against Republicans. Of course, the Patriot Front knows that. What does that say about the Patriot Front?
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/20/column-patriot-front-washington-white-supremacy-donald-trump-page/
— First-generation professionals. DD: Thanks to my parents and to my teachers, I not only became first generation bachelor’s degree holder in 1970 when I was 21, but a first-generation MBA holder when I was 27, a first-generation CPA when I was 30, a first-generation master’s accounting degree holder when I was 31, a first-generation Certified Internal Auditor and licensed CPA when I was 32, a first-generation holder of four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48, and a first-generation master’s in finance degree holder when I was 48.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/20/opinion-chicago-first-generation-business-professionals/

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH PICTURE: Facing 30% toll hike, truckers warn of fallout for the industry, consumers and roads. DD: I first started paying tolls when I was 20 in 1969 when I commuted in my 1969 Dodge Charger SE weekends to/from NIU and my parents’ home in Crete to keep my part-time Park Forest Post Office job.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260719/transportation/facing-30-toll-hike-truckers-warn-of-fallout-for-the-industry-consumers-and-roads/

VERMILLION COUNTY FIRST
— Bailey Tells Vermilion County GOP “Bring Out the Voters.” DD: As the Republican Precinct Committeeman for DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 59 in Wheaton, I will hand-deliver to the 400 residences in my precinct that have at least one Republican or one Independent registered voter a copy of the sample ballot, campaign literature from all the candidates who provide it to the Milton Township Republican Organization (MTRO), and a MTRO election guide. The Republican candidates on the ballot in my precinct are: Tracy, Bailey/Del Mar, Fioretti, Harris, Drew, Soloman, Oakley, Lewis, Vrankovich, Grasso, Noonan, Schiappa, Henry, Eckhoff, Michaud, Schultz, Quirk, and Helland.
https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2026/07/19/bailey-tells-vermilion-county-gop-bring-out-the-voters/

HOMEWOOD FLOSSMOOR CHRONICLE
— Cook County Board passes Miller’s resolution to place millionaire tax on November ballot.
https://www.hfchronicle.com/2026/07/18/cook-county-board-passes-millers-resolution-to-place-millionaire-tax-on-november-ballot/

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Benton case reopens questions about reform.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/07/20/benton-case-reopens-questions-about-reform-01004642
(FROM THE NEWSLETTER: THE GOVERNOR’s RACE is beginning to take shape, and both Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey are looking to the latest headlines to sharpen their attacks. Urban love: Bailey last week continued working to make inroads with Chicago voters, hosting a meet-and-greet in Pilsen just weeks after moving into an apartment on the city’s Near South Side. The event, held at The Frida Room, was part of an effort by the downstate Republican to broaden his appeal beyond his rural base and connect with urban voters on issues such as affordability, housing costs and civil liberties. The appearance drew criticism from Team Pritzker, which sees it as an attempt by Bailey to rebrand himself after attacking Chicago, saying Bailey “is the same extreme” candidate he was in 2022. The exchange comes as both campaigns increasingly look for opportunities to turn news events into political ammunition. Bailey used the July 4 arrest of a man accused of jumping a fence at Pritzker’s Gold Coast residence to criticize the governor’s leadership on public safety. “If a criminal out on electronic monitoring can break into the Governor’s own home, we have a problem,” he says in a fundraising ad. Pritzker’s camp accused Bailey of exploiting a security incident, via the Tribune. The back-and-forth shows the race is likely to focus heavily on public safety, the economy and how the two men operate in Chicago. For Bailey, the challenge is convincing city and suburban voters that he can appeal beyond his conservative downstate base. For Pritzker, the task is tying Bailey to the positions and rhetoric that made him a polarizing figure during his unsuccessful 2022 gubernatorial bid. Election Day is 106 days away.)

CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— More IL Tax Subsidies Wasted On Chinese Battery Production.
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/07/19/more-il-tax-subsidies-wasted-on-chinese-battery-production

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois state Sen. Chris Balkema said True Value’s decision to move its headquarters from Chicago to Fort Wayne, Indiana, is another example of businesses seeking relief from what he described as Illinois’ costly regulatory and tax environment.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_ff44c6d1-447f-4610-920c-85b24341f408.html

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Socialists’ agenda takes hold in America’s cities and towns, while their foothold grows in Congress.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/19/socialists-agenda-takes-hold-americas-cities-towns-foothold-grows/
— The Democratic Socialists of America flexes its muscles in the Democratic Party. DSA can bamboozle useful idiots because of ignorance.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/19/democratic-socialists-america-flexes-muscles-democratic-party/
— U.S. must not ignore radical Islam’s cultural threat.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/19/us-must-not-ignore-radical-islams-cultural-threat/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Some ICE officers take issue with Trump approach to immigration enforcement.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4653698/ice-melting-under-trump-expectations/
— Cognitive dissonance is fueling the socialist surge.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/patriotism-unity/4648378/cognitive-dissonance-is-fueling-the-socialist-surge-disgruntled-democrats/
— Nurses and teachers unions bankroll leftist candidates and causes.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4654207/nurses-teachers-unions-bankroll-leftist-candidates-causes/

NEW YORK POST
— Revoke trucking licenses for illegal immigrants — and punish states that don’t comply.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/19/opinion/revoke-trucking-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants-and-punish-states-that-dont-comply/

AMERICAN THINKER
— JD Vance’s real political cause: JD Vance. A provocative essay from Lee Smith makes the case that Vance, having been humiliated over Iran, is finding scapegoats, including Israel and Trump himself. DD: My Democrat superiors who were veterans blamed Republicans like me for America losing the Vietnam War. They especially blamed me because I was 1-A for the Vietnam War draft and I because I avoided the Vietnam War draft with four student deferments and a financial hardship draft deferment. They knew full-well that I was 1-A for the draft even though I could not run because I had an inherited bone disease, my eyesight could not be corrected to 20/20, and I had partial red/green color blindness. They stressed that if I had not avoided the Vietnam War draft, I would not have been sent into combat and that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am a disgusting unmitigated hypocritical lying coward. I should write about my Democrat superiors who were veterans.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/jd-vance-s-real-political-cause-jd-vance/

CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES
— H-1B – Designed for Cheap Labor. DD: All my employers would have hired noncitizens instead of me if they could have. My critics/opponents cannot say that because they had wealthy parents. Noncitizens work for less money and they are easier to exploit.
https://cis.org/Miano/H1B-Designed-Cheap-Labor

DAILY SIGNAL
— DSA’s Dark Triumph: Socialism Surges as America Turns 250.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/19/dsas-socialism-america-turns-250/
— American Psychological Association Pushes Bias on College Campuses.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/19/the-american-psychological/

FOX NEWS
— Tom Homan slams Mamdani over sanctuary city policies, ICE criticism.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401560708112
— Tom Homan warns ICE surge coming to New York City as Mamdani boasts about sanctuary status. The border czar said he won’t reveal operational details to avoid tipping off groups that could interfere with enforcement.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/tom-homan-warns-ice-surge-coming-new-york-city-mamdani-boasts-sanctuary-status
— Major appeals court declares New Jersey AR-15 ban unconstitutional in landmark Second Amendment ruling. The NRA called the ruling a ‘historic victory’ in a case it has litigated since 2018.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/major-appeals-court-declares-new-jersey-ar-15-ban-unconstitutional-landmark-second-amendment-ruling
— Communists have captured socialist groups. The Democratic Party is next.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/former-dsa-member-alleges-communists-captured-socialist-group-warns-democratic-party-next.amp

JONATHAN TURLEY
— University of California Suspends Move to Restore Standardized Testing. DD: My critics/opponents have always attributed my success in passing standardized tests to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who share their demographics.
https://jonathanturley.org/2026/07/15/university-of-california-suspends-move-to-restore-standardized-testing/

LEGAL INSURRECTION
— Trinity College Offering Course to Teach Students to ‘Unsettle’ the ‘White Gaze.’  “White supremacy and racial capitalism structure our world, setting in motion the systems of domination.” DD: I avoided liberal indoctrination by majoring in business, accounting, and finance.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/07/trinity-college-offering-course-to-teach-students-to-unsettle-the-white-gaze/

TOWNHALL
— AOC, Sanders Rally for Democratic Socialist El-Sayed in Senate Primary Fight.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2026/07/19/aoc-sanders-rally-for-democratic-socialist-el-sayed-in-senate-primary-fight-n2679721

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Democratic socialists the new political force in the nation.
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/democratic-socialists-grace-mausser-the-point-with-marcia-kramer/

REUTERS
— US to revive public charge rule that could deny green cards to immigrants using public benefits.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/us-to-revive-rule-that-could-deny-green-cards-to-immigrants-using-public-benefits/ar-AA284VmA
— DD: Illegals know full-well that Democrat leaders encouraged/invited them to come to America illegally and to stay in America illegally. Illegals know full-well that Democrat leaders want them to use their false identifications to register to vote and to vote. Democrats run elections in America.
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/trump-claims-voting-by-noncitizens-is-rampant-america-numbers-tell-another-story-2026-07-19/

MSN
— Strengthen your resume. DD: What did you do to strengthen your resume? I earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21. I earned an MBA when I was 27. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48. My critics/opponents stress that notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/top-10-skills-that-instantly-strengthen-any-resume/ss-AA25SdWD
— Mastering high school for college success. DD: When I was a Crete-Monee High School (CMHS) student 1962-1966, no one saw me as being college material. At best, they thought that Prairie State Community College in Chicago Heights might accept me. Neither of my parents had attended college. My father was only the first of my ancestors to earn a high school diploma. My mother never attended high school. I did not even try to get a student loan because I could not have gotten one. But nevertheless, I got accepted by UIC by taking college preparatory courses, by getting an ACT score of 24, and by graduating in the upper 20% of my class. I had to work my way through college. To buy a new car to commute to/from my parents’ home in Crete and classes at UIC, I washed dishes 28 hours a week during my junior and senior years at CMHS and 40 hours a week during the summer in between. I delivering mail for the Park Forest Post Office part-time while UIC was in session 1966-1968 and full-time during the summers of 1967, 1968, and 1969. My critics/opponents stress that college expenses were much lower back then and that my parents provided me with room and board while I took classes at UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. I graduated debt-free from NIU in August of 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in business and owning a 1969 Dodge Charger SE.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/mastering-high-school-for-college-success/ss-AA27oyIb

NEW YORK TIMES
— States Rush to Fill Graduate Loan Gap Opened by G.O.P. Budget Bill. DD: What were the reasons why you earned a master’s degree? For me, the main reason was my IRS employee manual which encouraged taking graduate courses in business and accounting. IRS had hired me when I was 22 in 1971. I started taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola in 1972. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn an MBA from Loyola until 1976. By then, it was too late. Nevertheless, I then started taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul in 1976. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul until 1980. By then, it was too late. Nevertheless, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT until 1997. By then, it was too late. I earned the degree from IIT because my GAO superior wanted all her subordinates to have a master’s degrees in finance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/your-money/states-graduate-loans-us-government.html
— DD: My critics/opponents have always attributed my success in passing standardized tests to my benefitting tremendously from tremendous discrimination against those who share their demographics.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/opinion/new-york-high-school-test-racism.html

WASHINGTON POST
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly fight personal responsibility and traditional marriage.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/02/25/success-sequence-bills-classrooms/
— Trump loomed over the World Cup, up until the awkward trophy ceremony. The president was loudly booed as he entered the field after Spain’s win, waving to people as he made his way to the stage. DD: What percent of soccer fans hate America, hate Americans, and hate Whites?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/19/trump-loomed-over-world-cup-up-until-awkward-trophy-ceremony/

USA TODAY
— Vacations. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates became ever-increasingly furious as I ever-increasingly benefitted from my wife’s job as the Corporate Secretary for the U.S. League of Savings Institutions. I went with her on her four annual business trips to luxury resorts across America 1978-1992. We almost always followed her business meetings with trips to national parks. According to my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates, they were grossly underpaid. They decried the time and money they spent raising their children. They decried their wives having little or no income. They ever-increasingly demonized, denigrated, and condemned my wife and I as being selfish disgustingly rich DINKs. Previously, my Democrat Park Forest Post Office superiors who were veterans were furious when I took vacation days for a spring break in 1969 and drove to Daytona Beach with three of my female NIU classmates in my 1969 Dodge Charger SE. In 1970, I repeated the aforesaid. My Democrat Firestone Store boss who was a veteran was furious that I went on a student package trip to the Bahamas while I was taking a graduate evening business course at UIC in the spring of 1971. My aforesaid Democrat veteran superiors and bosses were furious that I took the aforesaid vacations because I had avoided the Vietnam War draft with student deferments and with a financial hardship deferment at a time when my peers were dying in Vietnam. They blamed Republicans like me for America losing the Vietnam War. Further, while I worked for IRS 1971-1980, many, most, and at times virtually all my of superiors and supervisors were Democrat veterans who also especially blamed Republicans for America losing the Vietnam War. They were furious when I took vacations in 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976. For them, the federal government existed to hire, to retain, and to promote Democrat veterans. In defense of the four vacations that I took to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Mexico, and Jamacia with my IRS coworker 1973-1976, they were all budget packages offered by the National Treasury Employees Union.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2026/07/06/summer-travel-too-expensive-trump-inflation/90771431007/

SEATTLE TIMES
— DD: To get more votes, Democrats ever-increasingly flood America with those who have demographics that vote for Democrats, that is, those who want/need/demand massive government assistance. To get more cheap labor, RINOs ever-increasingly flood America with those who will work for less money.
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/birthright-citizenship-challenges-have-always-failed-but-they-persist/

SHORE NEWS NETWORK
— DD: Anticipate/expect that Democrat leaders will ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that Jesus is a socialist and that he condemns capitalists.
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/aoc-draws-criticism-after-comparing-jesus-to-socialism-at-memphis-campaign-rally/

DALLAS EXPRESS
— Duty To Disobey. DD: For Democrats, the federal government exists to hire, retain, and promote Democrats who are minority, female, younger, veteran, disabled, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. While I worked for the Democrats who ran the federal government for almost 30 years, I never disobeyed any order that they gave me, including their ever-increasing orders to give more and more and more preference to my Democrat subordinates who were the aforesaid and/or had performance problems. All of those who they assigned me to supervise were many, most, if not virtually all of the aforesaid. But that was not enough for my Democrat superiors. When I was 49 in 1997, they forced me to retire and gave my Black subordinate my job and my preferred corner office. He had less education than I had. He had less work experience than I had. He had one professional certification while I had six. He had no professional license like the one I had.
https://dallasexpress.com/opinion/opinion-duty-to-disobey/

FORBES
— Reasons Why You Should Get A College Degree. DD: What were the reasons why you earned a college degree? For me, the main reason was my father’s often decrying his not having one. He had brittle type 1 diabetes from childhood. His doctors discouraged him from seeking a college degree because of the stress that would cause him. He often decried his being passed over for promotions. He often decried his not being able to keep up with Jones. He died suddenly in 1969 when he was 47 and I was 21. He never earned more than $50,000/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2021/07/31/even-more-reasons-you-should-get-a-college-degree/
— Timing Is Everything: What To Consider When Seeking Career Growth. DD: I earned an MBA from Loyola when I was 27 in 1976. But by then, it was too late. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. But by then, it was too late. I earned a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul when I was 31. But by then, it was too late. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt and became a licensed CPA when I was 32. But by then, it was too late. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. But by then, it was too late. I earned a master’s degree in finance from IIT when I was 48. But by then, it was too late. The aforesaid would not have been too late if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and or veteran.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2019/02/28/timing-is-everything-what-to-consider-when-seeking-career-growth/

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL
— What is a good job? DD: Because I refused to become a Democrat, my Democrat Post Office, IRS, and GAO superiors made working for the federal government a bod job for me. Nevertheless, to advance, I earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21. I earned an MBA when I was 27. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48. I would have earned the aforesaid master’s degrees much soon if I had taken more than one course at a time. But that was all I could afford and my focus was my IRS and GAO job duties.
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/wiener/programs/economy/our-work/reimagining-economy-blog/daniel-schneider-defines-a-good-job

FAST COMPANY
— How much are you worth? Estimate your employability and earning potential. DD: What did you do to increase your employability and earning potential? I passed the postal employment test when I was 17 in 1966. I passed the Federal Entrance Examination when I was 21. I earned a bachelor’s degree in business when I was 21. I earned an MBA when I was 27. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt when I was 30. I earned a master’s degree in accounting when I was 31. I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt when I was 32. I became a licensed CPA when I was 32. I earned four more job-related professional certifications when I was 41, 45, 47, and 48. I earned a master’s degree in finance when I was 48. My critics/opponents stress that notwithstanding the aforesaid, I never earned more than $154,682/year in today’s dollars.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91505244/how-much-you-worth

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS JOURNALS
— Good Jobs versus Bad Jobs. DD: My critics/opponents have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that all the jobs I had were bad jobs that they would never stoop to take. I delivered newspapers 1962-1966. I washed dishes 1964-1966. I cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966. I delivering mail 1966-1969. I worked on an automotive assembly line in 1970. I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971. I pumped more gasoline 1971-1972. I collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980. I audited federal agencies 1980-1997. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on those whose parents were the wealthiest.
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/209978

INSIDE HIGHER EDUCATION
— Young Men’s Perceptions of Higher Ed. DD: What were the reasons why you earned a master’s degree? For me, the main reason was my IRS employee manual which encouraged taking graduate courses in business and accounting. IRS had hired me when I was 22 in 1971. I started taking graduate evening business courses at Loyola in 1972. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn an MBA from Loyola until 1976. By then, it was too late. Nevertheless, I then started taking graduate evening accounting courses at DePaul in 1976. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul until 1980. By then, it was too late. Nevertheless, I started taking graduate evening finance courses at IIT in 1992. Because I took only one course at a time, I did not earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT until 1997. By then, it was too late. I earned the degree from IIT because my GAO superior wanted all her subordinates to have a master’s degrees in finance.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2026/07/20/young-mens-perceptions-higher-ed