SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Calling all candidates – Editorial (DIERSEN: In Illinois, you should run as a Republican only if you can and if you will defend and advance the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform. Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. Illinois Republicans should defeat primary candidates who have acted against the IRP platform and/or who hint/imply/argue/shout that they will act against the IRP platform if elected/reelected. One could argue that because Rauner and his supporters act against more and more and more planks in the IRP platform, Rauner and his supporters should run as Independents.)
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20170902/our-view-calling-all-candidates
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: Help Wanted: Seeking numerous people for often thankless job. Must be willing to work ridiculously long hours, be criticized by those also seeking this position, and be enthusiastic about shaking hands and kissing babies. Successful candidates will be able to raise significant amounts of money on a daily basis, keep their composure even when being yelled at, and be willing to defend every statement or idea they’ve ever shared. When considering the negative, it’s a wonder anyone runs for public office. But the positives can outweigh the negatives, especially for those who truly seek to be an agent for change in order to improve the lives of friends and neighbors, or who want to be a part of public policy decisions that right wrongs or benefit more people. It is those people — the ones who want to better their communities — we hope to see run for office in 2018. Besides the six statewide constitutional offices, all 18 of Illinois’ districts in Congress, 39 of the 59 seats in the state Senate and all 118 seats in the Illinois House are on the ballot. So are a number of county seats, including clerks, treasurers, sheriffs, assessors and county board members; regional superintendents of schools; and some judgeships. The 2018 election may have already seemed to be in full swing, largely because the race for governor has been prominent since the beginning of the year. But the actual kick-off to next year’s election starts Tuesday, if you go by the first date listed in the state Election Board’s 2018 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar. Sept. 5 marks the first day those from established political parties can begin circulating nomination papers to get their name on the ballot. Those nominating petitions you may be asked to sign in the coming weeks can’t be filed until Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, at which point the March 20 primary races will start to come into focus. It’s safe to assume there will be a Democratic primary race for governor, given that nine people have declared their intent to run. It’s possible on the Republican side, although a serious challenger has yet to emerge.)
— Floreth pushed McCann, but party chose McClure – Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20170902/bernard-schoenburg-floreth-pushed-mccann-but-party-chose-mcclure
— New school aid formula doesn’t mean the end of the funding issue – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170902/statehouse-insider-new-school-aid-formula-doesnt-mean-end-of-funding-issue
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Aging in luxury: $20,000-a-month senior living on the horizon – Oshrat Carmiel (DIERSEN: Because she has health problems, my soon-to-be 87-year-old aunt is paying $230-a-day, that is, $6,900-a-month, that is, $83,950-a-year to live in an assisted living facility.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-high-end-senior-living-20170822-story.html
— Pension law won’t save money, Rauner caused chaos – Donald M. Bisch, Vice-President Naperville Police Pension Fund
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/opinion/ct-nvs-voice-letters-opinion-st-0903-20170901-story.html
WGN TV
— McHenry County case puts TRUST Act to the test – GAYNOR HALL
http://wgntv.com/2017/09/02/mchenry-county-case-puts-trust-act-to-the-test/
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— New education law aims to help those most in need – Jim Dey (DIERSEN: Have you, your parents, your grandparents, your great grandparents, or the rest of your ancestors ever been “in need?” My answer is NO, and because of that, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always demonized, denigrated, and condemned me, my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents, and the rest of my ancestors as being undeservedly filthy rich.)
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-09-03/jim-dey-new-education-law-aims-help-those-most-need.html
NORTHWEST HERALD
— Record Fox River flooding cost McHenry County government agencies about $3.6 million – MEGAN JONES
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/09/01/record-fox-river-flooding-cost-mchenry-county-government-agencies-about-3-6-million/dq60s3p/
LAKE COUNTY GAZETTE
— Jesiel rejected school funding measure for lack of reforms – Caitlin Nordahl
https://lakecountygazette.com/stories/511204493-jesiel-rejected-school-funding-measure-for-lack-of-reforms
DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Breen offers expert advice on property tax appeals – Carrie Bradon
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511204615-breen-offers-expert-advice-on-property-tax-appeals
THE HILL
— It’s time to build the wall and fix our immigration system – NED RYUN
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/348995-its-time-to-build-the-wall-and-fix-our-immigration-system
(FROM THE ARTICLE: With President Trump likely to undo Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) next week, it highlights yet again that our immigration system is fundamentally broken. Our system of admittance is a decades old program based largely on nepotism and family ties, rather than any logical system of governance that benefits Americans. Rather than recruiting and attracting the best talent from other countries, our immigration system prioritizes bringing entire families. Combine this with our costly policies that allow illegal immigration across our southern border and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Jim Acosta’s press conference temper tantrum demonstrated a number of Americans no longer realize why a country would even control the flow of immigration. They stammer and stomp their feet about what they believe America stands for, but unfortunately are entirely uninformed on the history of American immigration policy. During the 19th century, America largely had an open immigration policy as the country expanded and moved west, although, individual restrictions were placed on contract laborers, criminals, and in some cases entire countries. Those immigration laws were rewritten over the last century to implement greater controls over America’s immigration policies. These controls are especially necessary as progressives created greater and greater welfare programs. Like it or not, we are a welfare society. Whether it’s healthcare, social security, unemployment, housing, or any of the other myriad of benefits Americans receive. Just Social Security and Medicare make up nearly 40 percent of the federal budget. Throw in Medicaid and you’re getting close to 50 percent. Naturalizing more citizens and enrolling more individuals with green cards further encumbers our welfare system. We know our welfare system is hugely overburdened and threatens to be entirely insolvent by within 20 years. Thankfully, reforms in 1996 prevented those with green cards from receiving many federal benefits until they have lived in the country for at least five years and met work requirements, but we cannot pretend like admitting more people into the country has no effect. The legislation recently introduced in the Senate, named the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE) bill, is not some racist screed. It’s a clear, point based immigration system, very similar to systems already in place in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Rather than admit people based on the luck of the draw or ties to family already in the country, the RAISE system grades specific qualities that are valuable for our society. That means more young, highly educated, fiscally prepared individuals that are likely to integrate well into American society. This merit based system would help attract some of the best talent from around the world to come to our country and become Americans. But unfortunately that’s just not enough to deal with our immigration problems. Without serious proposals that actually build a wall on our southern border, problems will just continue. When you hear the Democrats talk about the new plan for President Trump’s border wall, you’d be forgiven if you thought they were the party of fiscal restraint and responsible spending. They’re breaking out the apocalyptic language to call into question the need to secure America’s borders or do anything to prevent the stream of illegal immigrants. Which is ironic given the fact that roughly ten years ago, three Democrat Senators by the names of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden voted to fund the Yuma Sector Wall to stop the flow of illegal crossings (and now Yuma has seen a 70 percent decrease in illegal crossings since 2006). There are many costs involved with illegals coming into our country, from our education and health care systems to our welfare systems, but we cannot forget that one of the largest financial strains from increased illegal immigration is the increased cost for law enforcement and incarceration. Consider the Government Accountability Office’s study from 2011 in which 251,000 criminal illegals were found to have committed on average twelve crimes and been arrested on average seven times: hardly the best use of our law enforcement. That same study showed another interesting fact: 68 percent of the criminal illegals sitting in federal prison and 66 percent sitting in state prison were from one country: Mexico. In addition to law enforcement resources dedicated to repeatedly arresting the same criminal illegals, the cost to incarcerate criminal illegals is nearly two billion in some years: a study shows Americans paid $1.87 billion to “house imprisoned illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2014.” As more criminal illegals cross the border, that number will only increase. Those crimes not only harm Americans (and a great number of legal immigrants) but also sap valuable time from police officers. In California, thousands of prisoners were released early to make room for the tens of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants, which number over 72,000. This criminal element coming across the border also exacerbates the drug epidemic sweeping the country. Compare these annual costs of law enforcement work and incarceration costs to the cost of a wall, which some think for a wall of 1,250 miles could be as high as $21.5 billion. Considering our annual ongoing costs of dealing with criminal illegals alone and that still looks like a bargain. As much as media elites want to pretend otherwise, this common-sense policy approach with changing our immigration system and building a wall would protect American citizens and make America stronger by enticing the best workers in the world to immigrate by modernizing the system.)
POLITICO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Those who promote DACA argue that DREAMers should get sympathy because their parents brought them to America before they were adults. Should those like me get sympathy because their parents raised them to be Missouri Synod Lutheran (MSL), conservative, Republican, and/or American? Should those like me get sympathy because their parents are German American and/or because their ancestors came to America while slavery was still legal? Should those like me get sympathy because they were born White and/or male? Were it not for my parents, I might very well be the following like more and more and more people are: anti-Trump, anti-MSL, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/01/daca-dreamers-trump-paul-ryan-242257
LIFE SITE NEWS
— Here’s how this liberal law center seeks to crush opponents of the LGBT agenda – Peter Labarbera
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/hate-profiteer-splc-will-use-new-liberal-donations-to-destroy-small-pro-fam
DAILY CALLER
— Public School Teachers Behind Violent Antifa Group – Peter Hasson
http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/01/public-school-teachers-behind-violent-antifa-group/
NEW YORK TIMES
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Coping With nonstop Political Chatter – Rob Walker (DIERSEN: Democrats run the federal government. Political affiliation discrimination is rampant in the federal government. While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, ever-increasingly, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates asked me questions to draw attention to the fact that I was a) conservative, b) Republican, c) baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran, d) 100% German-American, e) a non-veteran, f) old (born in 1948), g) non-poor, h) a gun owner, i) that my ancestors have been in America since 1844, and j) that I opposed patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, etc.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/jobs/when-colleagues-wont-stop-talking-politics.html
— The Best Era for Working Women Was 20 Years Ago – Bryce Covert (DIERSEN: What were your superiors doing to you 20 years ago this month? My Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” which expired at the end of the month. They wanted to give my Band II (GS-13/14) job and my preferred corner office to their employees who were Democrat, but especially to those who were minority, female, and/or younger.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/working-women-decline-1990s.html
— The 1990s Gave Us the Trump Teens – DAVID FRIEND (DIERSEN: What did you do during the 1990s? I worked for GAO until my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” in 1997 when I was 49 years old. I became a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990, a Certified Government Financial Manager in 1994, a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 1996, a Forensic Accountant in 1997, and a FINRA arbitrator in 1998. I earned a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997. I served on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter until 1996. I bought a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T collector car in 1994. I was appointed a Republican Precinct Committeeman in 1999.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/opinion/sunday/trump-reality-tv-90s.html
— HARDCOPY EDITORIAL HEADLINE: “The Trump Tax Plan’s False Promises Though details are missing, the president’s tax proposals would help the wealthy while doing little for his working-class supporters.” Are/were you a member of the “working-class?” I was a lowly member of the working-class 1962-1997. My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes paint me as being a failed but a grossly overpaid member of the working-class. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 32.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/trump-republicans-tax-reform.html
— The Real Campus Scourge No safe space or trigger warning lifts the sting of a cold new world. – Frank Bruni (DIERSEN: From what I see, sadly, to succeed in the “cold new world,” you have to be anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than your ancestors.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/college-freshman-mental-health.html
— Is Trump Really Pro-Worker? He talks about his love for miners and factory workers. So far, he hasn’t done much to show it. – STEVEN GREENHOUSE (DIERSEN: Are/were you a worker? I was a lowly worker 1962-1997. My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes paint me as being a failed but a grossly overpaid worker. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 32.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/is-trump-really-pro-worker.html
— In Silicon Valley, Working 9 to 5 Is for Losers A century ago, factory workers went on strike to demand better conditions. Today, start-up “hustlers” celebrate their own exploitation. – DAN LYONS
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/opinion/sunday/silicon-valley-work-life-balance-.html
USA TODAY
— Here’s how to get that job, even if you’re underqualified – Peter Jones (DIERSEN: What did you do to qualify yourself for better paying jobs? I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 in 1970 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 32.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/job-search-tips/2017/09/03/heres-how-to-get-that-job-even-if-youre-underqualified/105046586/
RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— GOP Voters OK With Trump Criticism of Republican Senate
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration/august_2017/gop_voters_ok_with_trump_criticism_of_republican_senate