CAPITOL FAX
— The circular firing squad heats up ahead of state party vote (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, in Illinois, under Rauner, if you support a primary candidate who supports the traditional family, right to life, immigration, and other planks in the Illinois Republican Party platform, anti-conservatives question your “judgment and political acumen.”)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/04/16/the-circular-firing-squad-heats-up-ahead-of-state-party-vote/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Mary Ann Ahern: IL GOP Conservative members of the State Central Committee from the 16th District, who supported Jeanne Ives and James Marter are told NOT to run again, questioning their “judgment and political acumen”)
— How did Ives spend her money?
https://capitolfax.com/2018/04/16/how-did-ives-spend-her-money/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: I took a quick look at her expenditures and found a few interesting items. For instance, that book her campaign published and mailed to voters about Gov. Rauner cost her $385,680 via Jameson Books Inc., which is based in Ottawa. Ives spent $2,748,284.85 on advertising, including $64,660 to run spots on the Illinois News Network, which used to be run by the Illinois Policy Institute. She reported spending $257K on media production and just $3,759.65 on polls. Her spokesperson Kathleen Murphy was paid a mere $1,000, which is really odd. Pundit and PR person Dennis Byrne was paid $20,000 for contractual services. Locality Labs, which is owned by Dan Proft ally Brian Timpone, was paid $37,908 for a website, newspaper advertising and contractual work. Timpone’s Newsinator LLC was paid $750. Trump Tower got $1,294 for lodging and an event, while Uline Ship was paid $352.68. And, finally, a company called Union Signs and Printing received $4,200 for yard signs out of a total of $35K spent on the signs. A look at her in-kind contributions show Proft’s Illinois Opportunity Project paid for a plane ride the day before the election.)
— What’s Sam McCann up to?
https://capitolfax.com/2018/04/16/whats-sam-mccann-up-to/
— How the Pritzker campaign fought off “fake news”
https://capitolfax.com/2018/04/16/how-the-pritzker-campaign-fought-off-fake-news/
NBC5
— 16th District Letter Suggests Divide in Illinois GOP – Mary Ann Ahern
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/mcglasson-16th-district-letter-479917943.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A letter mailed to Republicans in one Illinois district shows just how divided the state party is after the contentious primary. The message is directed to 16th District Committeeman John McGlasson — who did not support Gov. Bruce Rauner, but rather Jeanne Ives. McGlasson also did not support Congressman Adam Kinzinger. The letter, signed by four current lawmakers, asks McGlasson not to run for committeeman again. The same letter was also mailed to all of the newly elected precinct committeemen in the 16th District. (THE LETTER) McGlasson tells NBC 5 he will not be deterred and is going to run for the committeeman post again and expects to win. He sees the letter from the lawmakers as a way to silence his voice. McGlasson says he will “certainly support Rauner over JB Pritzker, even if I would have preferred Ives.” The letter in question is signed by state representatives David Welter and Jerry Long, as well as state senators Chuck Weaver and Dave Syerson. Weaver tells NBC 5 “The letter focused far more on the congressional race” than McGlasson’s support for Ives. Welter says the letter was not just sent to McGlasson but also “every newly elected precinct committeeman in the 16th district”. He adds “myself and several leaders feel that it would be in the best interest of the party and to achieve unity moving forward if McGlasson were to not run again and allow new leadership.”)
— ‘Roseanne’ Hasn’t Changed Much, But the City That Inspired It Has “It is crazy to me that she’s a Trump supporter because that is so divisive and he is so divisive” (DIERSEN: What percent of those who have moved into Elgin in recent decades are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
https://www.nbcchicago.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/Changes-in-Elgin-City-That-Inspired-Roseanne-479880063.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: When “Roseanne” was first on TV from 1988 to 1997, the Chicago suburb of Elgin that inspired the show’s setting was predominantly white and Republican, with a rusted out economy. Not anymore, NBC News reports. In the years when “Roseanne” was off the air, it became majority Hispanic and voted for Obama and Hillary Clinton. Its economy is on the rebound, too, featuring a huge riverboat casino. At the Dutch Inn West, a dusty bar where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump voters of various ethnic backgrounds watched the latest episode over $2 beers, some residents said they love “Roseanne,” even if it doesn’t get the city’s diversity right.)
— Ives on Harvey: ‘Bankruptcy is The Only Way Out’ – Mary Ann Ahern
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/ives-harvey-bankruptcy-479935603.html
ABC7
— Proposal seeks to ban city business for banks with clients without safe gun sales policies – Sarah Schulte (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats make it clear that they want a abolish the Second Amendment.)
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/proposal-seeks-to-ban-city-business-for-banks-with-clients-without-safe-gun-sales-policies/3352707/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrats had strong showing in DuPage County Board primary – Kimberly Fornek (DIERSEN: What about your precinct? According to final results that I received today, of the 504 registered voters in my precinct, 219 voted, 112 cast Republican ballots, 107 cast Democrat ballots, 68 voted for Ives, and 43 voted for Rauner.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/hinsdale/news/ct-dhd-dupage-county-board-elect-tl-0419-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: More Democratic ballots, 15,740, were cast in the District 3 primary than Republican, 13,934 ballots, according to the DuPage County Election Commission. Greg Hart of Hinsdale, with 8,427 votes, and Downers Grove Mayor Martin T. Tully, with 6,924 votes, won the Republican primary for District 3, defeating Woodridge Village Board member Greg Abbott, who received 5,793 votes. Democratic voters also outnumbered Republican voters in the primaries for County Board seats in Districts 1 and 2. Peickert suspects that may be due to more independent voters going to the polls than traditional Republican voters pulling Democratic ballots. In District 1, Democratic ballots totaled 10,326 compared to the 9,936 Republican ballots cast. The difference was even greater in District 2, where 16,614 Democratic ballots were cast compared to 13,141 Republican ones. In District 2, where two seats will be up for election in November, incumbent Democrat Elizabeth (Liz) Chaplin of Downers Grove was the top vote-getter among both parties. She received 10,203 votes, followed by Arlene Kendorski, also of Downers Grove, who received 5,429, to win the Democratic primary. Coming in third was Claire Goldenberg of Lisle with 5,232 votes. Incumbent Peter DiCianni of Elmhurst and Steve Nero ran uncontested in the Republican primary and received 8,189 and 7,621 votes respectively. District 2 includes all or parts of Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Elmhurst, Lombard, Westmont, Downers Grove and Naperville. The Democratic primary in District 1, where two seats also were up election, was uncontested. Ashley J. Selmon received 6,417 votes and Zahra Suratwala received 5,431. In a three-way Republican primary for District 1, incumbent Sam Tornatore of Roselle was the top vote-getter with 6,819 votes, followed by Dino Gavanes of Itasca with 4,226 votes. They bested Paul DeMichele of unincorporated Bensenville, who received 4,079 votes. District 1 includes at least portions of portions of Elmhurst, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Itasca, Lombard, Roselle, Villa Park and Wood Dale.)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-conservatives are overjoyed that Phyllis Schlafly is dead. To get her endorsement, Trump promised to defend and advance the Republican Party platform.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/news/ct-lns-selle-equal-rights-amendment-illinois-st-0417-story.html
— From good to great How to understand the difference at work – Scott Mautz (DIERSEN: Assessing job performance in extremely subjective. In the federal government, Democrat supervisors use that subjectivity to get rid of their employees who are Republican, and especially those who are White, male, and/or non-veteran who they did not promote to GS-13 (currently $96,403) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $113,920) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $134,000) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $164,200) by age 40.)
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20180416/281917363667538
— Trump is right that the Postal Service needs reform – Joe Nocera (DIERSEN: I worked for the Postal Service 1966-1969. If my Democrat superiors had not succeeded in forcing me to resign, I might still be working for the Postal Service.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-postal-office-reform-amazon-jeff-bezos-0416-story.html
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Jobs at Facebook: Slithering into government – Maurine Berens
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-facebook-jobs-political-honest-ads-act-0416-story.html
— Let the Blagojevich saga be an important lesson for all Illinois politicians – Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-blagojevich-governor-illinois-corruption-20180416-story.html
— You’re losing a major tax deduction this year. Stop the whining. – Dalton Conley (DIERSEN: Do your critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes want you to pay higher federal income taxes? Mine do. Since 1972, they have been furious that I have deducted real estate taxes. Since 1978 they have been a) furious that my wife and I have deducted real estate taxes and b) overjoyed that we have paid the marriage penalty. Roskam should increase the $10,000 SALT cap to $20,000 for married filing jointly.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-deductions-0417-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For many upper-middle-class residents of high-tax states, Tuesday will be the last time we can file to receive a full tax deduction for our state and local income and property taxes. Many Democratic voters in high-tax states cried foul when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act capped these deductions at $10,000 from 2018 onward, and some are trying to fight back. “We’re attempting to come up with ways to negate and blunt the harsh and unfair Republican tax policy,” Kevin de Leon, the Democratic leader of the California Senate, told CNBC. Several states are devising schemes to allow residents to pay some of their state tax liability as a gift to a charitable fund rather than directly to the state government, restoring its deductibility. Such efforts are misguided. The overall tax bill may be a disaster, but nixing those deductions was the progressive thing to do. Liberals should train their ire elsewhere.)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Emanuel’s ‘Safe Guns Policy’ stalled amid opposition from banking industry – Fran Spielman (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats make it clear that they want a abolish the Second Amendment.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/finance-committee-to-consider-emanuels-safe-guns-policy/
— With mayor’s blessing, women-only social club heading to Chicago – Stefano Esposito (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, those who either a) hate men or b) pander to those who hate men dominate the Democrat Party.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/controversial-women-only-social-club-heading-to-chicago-with-mayors-blessing/
DAILY HERALD
— Comey says Trump ‘morally unfit to be president,’ possibly susceptible to Russian blackmail – Matt Zapotosky and Devlin B
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180416/comey-says-trump-morally-unfit-to-be-president-possibly-susceptible-to-russian-blackmail
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Can Roskam, GOP make tax cuts a winning election issue? – Bloomberg (DIERSEN: Roskam should increase the $10,000 SALT cap to $20,000 for married filing jointly. Government should encourage marriage and homeownership.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180416/NEWS02/180419908/can-roskam-gop-make-tax-cuts-a-winning-election-issue
— Illinois’ pension crisis: Is there a way out? – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180416/BLOGS02/180419895/illinois-pension-crisis-is-there-a-way-out
WBEZ
— Rauner Administration’s Report Alludes To More Legionnaires’ Cases At Quincy Home – Dave McKinney
https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/rauner-administrations-report-alludes-to-more-legionnaires-cases-at-quincy-home/8ec64fe8-fea1-4e2a-8960-88348a09f097
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, those who run Illinois make it clear that they are going to get rid of you if you do not promote LGBTQ activity. How soon, if not already, will those Democrats impose quotas on teachers to crank out “good little Democrats” who are LGBTQ?)
https://www.wbez.org/shows/morning-shift/illinois-could-become-2nd-state-to-require-teaching-of-lgbtq-history/26960b0b-0c9f-413a-9b20-7404e2e15b6b
MADISON RECORD
— Madison County GOP chair calls for more political diversity on bench; Says it will help shed ‘judicial hellhole’ reputation – Ann Maher
https://madisonrecord.com/stories/511392965-madison-county-gop-chair-calls-for-more-political-diversity-on-bench-says-it-will-help-shed-judicial-hellhole-reputation
NPR ILLINOIS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats make it clear that they will get rid of you if you do not promote Islam.
http://nprillinois.org/post/bullied-its-faith-muslim-family-fights-back-through-education#stream/0
WGLT
— Nation’s Large Newspapers Bolstered By Trump Coverage – MIKE MCCURDY
http://wglt.org/post/nations-large-newspapers-bolstered-trump-coverage#stream/0
AURORA PATCH
— Teacher Shoots Himself, Faced Child Porn Charges: Aurora Cops The retired teacher was wanted for multiple child pornography charges. – Lisa Marie Farver
https://patch.com/illinois/aurora/teacher-facing-child-porn-charges-shoots-himself-aurora-police
CHICAGO NOW
— Berkowitz with one of Rauner’s strongest boosters, moderate Republican Pat Brady (DIERSEN: Pat Brady is an anti-conservative, so therefore, he is an anti-Republican.)
http://www.chicagonow.com/public-affairs-with-jeff-berkowitz/2018/04/watch-berkowitz-with-rauners-last-booster-moderate-republican-pat-brady-cable-and-web/
JEANNE IVES
— “‘Bankruptcy’ is Not a Four-Letter Word” Ives and Dabrowski Discuss the Path Forward for Communities Struggling Under Pension Debt (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would be overjoyed if the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) would file bankruptcy. I stress to them that if my Democrat GAO superiors had not succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” in 1997 when I was 49 years old, and if I was still working for GAO as a GS-13 Step 10, in today’s dollars, I would have paid $180,572 into the CSRS instead of the CSRS paying me $1,067,534. My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes rail against government waste, but they side with my Democrat GAO superiors and their wasting my career and forcing me to retire.)
https://mailchi.mp/4c31ec8cc33b/bankruptcy-is-not-a-four-letter-word
ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Algonquin Township – Blame-shifting coupled with deficient reporting leaves public clueless – KIRK ALLEN (DIERSEN: What do you get blamed for? Since 2000, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have blamed me for all the losses that Republicans have suffered in Illinois.)
http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2018/04/algonquin-township-blame-shifting-coupled-with-deficient-reporting-leaves-public-clueless/
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— REPORT: AVERAGE COLLAR COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILL REACHES AS HIGH AS $8,890 – Joe Kaiser
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/report-average-collar-county-property-tax-bill-reaches-as-high-as-8890/
ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Rauner says Illinois revenue estimate is a starting point – Greg Bishop
https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/rauner-says-illinois-revenue-estimate-is-a-starting-point/article_a040baa2-3f52-11e8-adca-c7bbb830816e.html
— Illinois lawmakers to vote on local net neutrality – Cole Lauterbach
https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/illinois-lawmakers-to-vote-on-local-net-neutrality/article_21a3b4bc-3e92-11e8-a8be-97f9e1f9d575.html
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— ILLINOIS CONSIDERS REQUIRING PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS INCLUDE LGBT EFFECT ON HISTORY
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/bills-mandating-textbooks-include-sexual-orientations-of-historical-persons.html
— UNIV. OF ILLINOIS STUDENT GOV. IMPEACHES STUDENT FOR CONSERVATIVE VIEWS (DIERSEN: I am still waiting for my critics/opponents to put in writing the reasons why they wanted the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me at its 2006 Annual Convention in the Wheaton Bowl Banquet Hall.)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/univ-of-illinois-student-gov-impeaches-student-for-conservative-views.html
ONE NEWS NOW
— VERY SAD: Pro-Trump evangelicals ‘personae non gratae’ at Wheaton College meeting – Steve Jordahl
https://www.onenewsnow.com/church/2018/04/16/pro-trump-evangelicals-personae-non-gratae
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Several dozen anti-Trump evangelical leaders are meeting today and tomorrow at Wheaton College to discuss how to rescue the movement they contend has become tainted by its association with President Trump. Doug Birdsall of the Lausanne Movement and Darrell Bock of Dallas Theological Seminary have arranged the invitation-only meeting of likeminded pastors, authors, and seminary staff together. According to The Christian Post, they want to refocus the movement away from politics but fully expect Trump to be the “elephant in the room.” Attendees reportedly include Pastor Tim Keller, Wheaton College’s Ed Stetzer, Fuller Seminary President Mark Labberton, NYC megachurch pastor A.R. Bernard, and many others who have publicly expressed their displeasure with President Trump. Other high-profile individuals in evangelicalism – like Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse, Jerry Falwell Jr. of Liberty University, Dr. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist-Dallas, and a host of other evangelicals who support President Trump – are “not involved in [the] discussions yet,” Birdsall responded when asked. “I have been in touch with two of their offices with a desire to engage in a meaningful conversation,” CP quotes Birdsall saying. “I don’t think they are globally perceived as evangelical thought leaders by virtue of what they have written or by virtue of the values that are reflected in their public statements.” Dr. Richard Land of Southern Evangelical Seminary says a look at who’s invited – and who’s not – betrays their real purpose: marginalizing evangelicals who support President Trump. “Any definition of ‘thought leaders’ and any definition of evangelicalism that excludes the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Franklin Graham is a pale imitation – anemic and incomplete,” says Land. The organizers’ complaint is that supporting Trump excuses his past indiscretions and taints the evangelical movement. Robert Jeffress – who is among Trump’s evangelical advisors – says the president’s past and very public failings are immoral and offensive, but still better than the alternative in 2016.)
— Protesters claim Starbucks is anti-black – AP
https://www.onenewsnow.com/ap/business/protesters-claim-starbucks-is-anti-black
GOPUSA
— Pressure mounts on Contra Costa sheriff to stop posting inmate release dates for ICE (DIERSEN: Needless-to-day, all county sheriffs should be posting release dates for ICE.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=43783
— What will you say when your doctor asks about your guns?
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=43773
— RINO Colorado senator holds up Trump nominations for deal on Marijuana
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=43770
— Background Check: Will waiting 5 days instead of 3 stop school shootings?
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=43777
BLAZE
— OUTRAGEOUS: Trump tells Colorado senator not to worry about Jeff Sessions’ memo on marijuana – Mike Ciandella
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/04/16/trump-tells-colorado-senator-not-to-worry-about-jeff-sessions-memo-on-marijuana
CAMPUS REFORM
— The University of Illinois Student Government voted Wednesday to impeach a conservative student based primarily on his political activity -Joel Valdez (DIERSEN: I am still waiting for my critics/opponents to put in writing the reasons why they wanted the Illinois Center Right Coalition to censure me at its 2006 Annual Convention in the Wheaton Bowl Banquet Hall.)
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=10738
THE HILL
— White House lashes out at Comey after explosive interview – JORDAN FABIAN AND BRETT SAMUELS
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/383345-trump-lashes-out-at-comey-after-explosive-interview
— Gig economy is no excuse for lax protections for American workers – DAVID WEIL
http://thehill.com/opinion/finance/383334-gig-economy-is-no-excuse-for-lax-protections-for-american-workers
REUTERS
— GAO slams Trump Cabinet on spending – Timothy Gardner (DIERSEN: I worked for GAO for almost 18 years, the last 11 years of which at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $96,403/year-$125,325/year.)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-pruitt/u-s-government-watchdogs-slam-trump-cabinet-on-spending-idUSKBN1HN287
NEW YORK TIMES
— Report for America Supports Journalism Where Cutbacks Hit Hard – Nellie Bowles
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/business/media/report-for-america-service.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A group of journalists have decided to do something about the diminution of newsrooms at the local level. They’re making reporting part of a national service program. Report for America, a nonprofit organization modeled after AmeriCorps, aims to install 1,000 journalists in understaffed newsrooms by 2022. Now in its pilot stage, the initiative has placed three reporters in Appalachia. It has chosen nine more, from 740 applicants, to be deployed across the country in June.)
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Enthusiasm Gap Between the Parties Widens – Janet Hook (DIERSEN: What diminishes your political enthusiasm? For me, it is seeing candidates who claim to religious, conservative, and/or Republican to get elected, but once elected, they increasingly do anti-religious, anti-conservative, and/or anti-Republican things.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-maintaining-advantage-over-gop-in-voter-sentiment-poll-1523797200
— In Praise of the News on Paper You can read and read online, but unread stories are still everywhere. – Barton Swaim (DIERSEN: I spend more than $3,000 dollars a year for home delivery and full website access to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Naperville Sun, Wheaton Leader, and Crain’s Chicago Business.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-praise-of-the-news-on-paper-1523817821
— Give Amnesty for College Writings It’s dangerous to punish judicial nominees—or anyone else—for thinking while immature. – David Lat (DIERSEN: Your past predicts your future.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/give-amnesty-for-college-writings-1523819122
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— Officials Highlight Pay for Performance, Streamlined Firing in New Management Document – Erich Wagner (DIERSEN: Democrats run the federal government. They will use this to get rid of their employees who are Republican, and especially those who are White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/04/officials-highlight-pay-performance-streamlined-firing-new-management-document/147477/
GLOBE AND MAIL
— Marijuana-induced psychosis behind Toronto lawyer’s bat attack, judge rules – GEOFF ROBINS
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-lawyer-mark-phillips-pleads-guilty-in-st-thomas-ont-baseball-bat/
MIDDLE EAST EYE
— Wave of Muslim candidates across US look to reverse Trump policies Muslim Americans say they feel energized to run for public office because of Donald Trump’s Islamophobic policies – James Reinl
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/wave-muslim-candidates-across-us-look-reverse-trump-policies-61809681
