December 23 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Lax oversight of Ill. nuclear power plants – BGA
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/weekend-watch-lax-oversight-of-ill-nuclear-power-plants/2812679/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Miss America leadership resigns in email shaming scandal – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-miss-america-leadership-resigns-email-scandal-20171223-story.html
— 10 things you might not know about fingerpointing – Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-10things-1231-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— 3 Miss America officials resign, 1 apologizes to ex-winner – AP
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/3-miss-america-officials-resign-1-apologizes-to-ex-winner/

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Rauner’s top 2017 achievement is school funding reform? Really? – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171223/statehouse-insider-rauners-top-2017-achievement-is-school-funding-reform-really
— Will the 2018 elections be about Trump or peace and prosperity? – Ed Rogers
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20171222/ed-rogers-will-2018-elections-be-about-trump-or-peace-and-prosperity
— Tax bill will be big issue in 2018 elections – Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20171223/bernard-schoenburg-tax-bill-will-be-big-issue-in-2018-elections

 

BELLVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Twas the night before public pension reform, when we sold our house – Editorial
http://www.bnd.com/opinion/editorials/article190896499.html

 

TIMES
— We need more talk about school consolidation – Scott Reeder
http://www.mywebtimes.com/opinion/columnists/statehouse-reeder-we-need-more-talk-about-school-consolidation/article_03c6fd10-879f-5b2a-9ba1-9f854100e2d3.html

 

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— BEYOND TRAGIC: Statewide test results: 90 percent of Whittier students failed math
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511290167-statewide-test-results-90-percent-of-whittier-students-failed-math
— BEYOND TRAGIC: Statewide test results: 80 percent of Whittier failed English language arts
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511288811-statewide-test-results-80-percent-of-whittier-failed-english-language-arts
— BEYOND TRAGIC: Analysis: 85 percent of Whittier students fail annual tests
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511292755-analysis-85-percent-of-whittier-students-fail-annual-tests

 

WIREPOINTS
— Bridgeview, Like Chicago, Sells Its Future To Back Bonds. Many More Will Follow. – Mark Glennon
http://www.wirepoints.com/bridgeview-like-chicago-sells-its-future-to-back-bonds-many-more-will-follow-wirepoints-original/

 

FOX NEWS
— Media warn about a tax apocalypse and other outlandish journalistic offenses – Dan Gainor
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/23/media-warn-about-tax-apocalypse-and-other-outlandish-journalistic-offenses.html

 

GOPUSA
— Patriotism in U.S. driven by faith, politics
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=35799

 

DAILY CALLER
— After Close Elections, Why Isn’t Meticulous Scrutiny Of The Vote Routine? – Alan Keyes
http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/23/after-close-elections-why-isnt-meticulous-scrutiny-of-the-vote-routine/

 

NEWSMAX
— Wealthy Americans Flood Advisers to Take Advantage of Tax Law
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/wealthy-americans-tax-law/2017/12/22/id/833414/

 

TOWNHALL
— WSJ: The Democratic Party Is Rooting Against The American Worker And Our Country’s Success – Matt Vespa
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2017/12/22/wsj-the-democratic-party-is-rooting-against-the-american-worker-and-our-countrys-success-n2426254

 

LIFEZETTE NEWS
— Border Hawks Scoff at Durbin’s ‘Compromise’ on DACA Democrat DREAM Act sponsor from Illinois hopes opponents accept token provisions of proposed immigration security law – Brendan Kirby
https://www.lifezette.com/polizette/border-hawks-blast-durbins-compromise-on-daca/

 

THE HILL
— Trump’s tax law creates new challenges for IRS – NAOMI JAGODA
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/366252-trumps-tax-law-creates-new-challenges-for-irs
— Republicans, fearing midterm disaster, seek course correction – ALEXANDER BOLTON
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/366229-republicans-fearing-midterm-disaster-seek-course-correction
— Democrats see tax bill as giving them midterm advantage – AMIE PARNES
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/366152-dems-see-tax-bill-as-giving-them-midterm-advantage
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, members of the following groups a) glorify and praise citizens of foreign countries and b) demonize, denigrate, and condemn citizens of America: 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.)
http://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/366175-give-me-your-tired-your-poorand-they-will-create-jobs

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Could Save More Than $11 Million Under the New Tax Plan – JESSE DRUCKER and AUDREY CARLSEN
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/22/us/politics/trump-tax-savings.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— A preview of the U.S. without pensions – Peter Whoriskey
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/i-hope-i-can-quit-working-in-a-few-years-a-preview-of-the-us-without-pensions/2017/12/22/5cc9fdf6-cf09-11e7-81bc-c55a220c8cbe_story.html
— Extreme poverty returns to America The U.N. finds growing numbers of Americans are living in the most impoverished circumstances. How did we get here? – Premilla Nadasen
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/12/21/extreme-poverty-returns-to-america/
— Will Americans punish Republicans for cutting taxes for the rich? Maybe not: Voters often hope to become rich themselves. – Stephanie Leiser
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/12/22/will-americans-punish-republicans-for-cutting-taxes-for-the-rich/

 

FORBES
— Mass Exodus From States Run By Top Democratic Governors Continues – Patrick Gleason
https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickgleason/2017/12/23/mass-exodus-from-states-run-by-democratic-machines-continues/#5488a7456d6a

 

BLOOMBERG
— Wealthy Americans Are Already Trying to Exploit the New Tax Law The legislation changes incentives on homeownership, commuting, and even marriage and divorce. – Ben Steverman
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-22/wealthy-americans-are-already-trying-to-exploit-the-new-tax-law

December 19 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— What you need to know about Rauner’s ‘Top 10’ accomplishments list (DIERSEN: What will your top 10 accomplishments list for 2017 include? Mine will include putting together and sending out a GOPUSA ILLINOIS email each and every morning and each and every evening.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-top-10-20171219-story.html
— Twitter suspends white nationalists as it enforces new rules – AP (DIERSEN: How soon will Twitter suspend the following groups: Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German Americans, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-bc-us–twitter-abuse-enforcement-20171218-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Jump into the fight, Illinois, to keep the internet free and open to all Americans – Editorial (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents do not want the internet or any other form of communication to be “free and open to all Americans.” My critics/opponents are moral relativists who believe that their end justifies their means. They want to manipulate/dominate all forms of communication including GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. They focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/editorial-jump-into-the-fight-illinois-to-keep-the-internet-free/

 

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: With deduction changes, should you pay next property taxes now? – Jake Griffin
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171218/with-deduction-changes-should-you-pay-next-property-taxes-now
— We’re intrigued by Ives’ unit district proposal – Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171219/editorial-were-intrigued-by-ives-unit-district-proposal
— ‘Simplified’ tax reform has plenty to offer ‘regulatory parasites’ – Catherine Rampell
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171219/simplified-tax-reform-has-plenty-to-offer-regulatory-parasites
— St. Charles wants to require massage employees to report sexual misconduct – James Fuller
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171219/st-charles-wants-to-require-massage-employees-to-report-sexual-misconduct

 

WGN TV
— Twitter suspends white nationalists as it enforces new rules on ‘hateful’ content (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes want everything that they cannot manipulate/dominate to be shut down.)
http://wgntv.com/2017/12/18/twitter-suspends-white-nationalists-as-it-enforces-new-rules-on-hateful-content/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Tobacco mogul stokes Raoul’s bid for Illinois AG – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171219/BLOGS02/171219876

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Illinois lawmakers fear low Medicaid-provider rates could doom plan – AP
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171218/illinois-lawmakers-fear-low-medicaid-provider-rates-could-doom-plan

 

ALTON RECORD
— Illinois Republicans Ready To Pass Tax Reform – Greg Bishop
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=257096#.Wjj1c4zR-M8

 

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Public opposition to tax bill grows as vote approaches 55% now oppose GOP tax bill – JENNIFER AGIESTA
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/public-opposition-to-tax-bill-grows-as-vote-approaches/883480025
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Two-thirds see the bill as doing more to benefit the wealthy than the middle class (66%, vs. 27% who say it’ll do more to benefit the middle class) and almost four in 10 (37%) say that if the bill becomes law, their own family will be worse off. That’s grown five points since early November. Just 21% say they’ll be better off if the bill becomes law. President Donald Trump, the bill’s salesperson-in-chief, lands at an overall 35% approval rating in this poll, his worst mark yet in CNN polling by one point. Trump’s approval ratings continue to be the lowest for any modern president at this point in his presidency. As of December of their first year in office, all first-time elected presidents back to Eisenhower have approval ratings of 49% or higher except for Trump. More than six in 10 (63%) see the tax bill as leaving the President and his family better off. Just 5% think it harms the Trump clan. And disapproval of the President’s handling of taxes has risen six points in the last month, to 57%. Almost three-quarters, 73%, say the President should release his tax returns for public review, about the same share that said so as his inauguration approached in January.)

 

OSWEGO PATCH
— Oswego GOP County Leader Takes On Kinzinger Oswego Republican James Marter is running in the primaries against a three-term incumbent from the 16th congressional district. – Caitlin Ketel
https://patch.com/illinois/oswego/oswego-gop-county-leader-takes-kinzinger

 

CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Ives says Illinois taxpayer flight a result of Rauner’s broken promises – Glenn Minnis (DIERSEN: Who wants those who share your demographics to leave your precinct, your municipality, your township/ward, your county, and Illinois? I should write a book about “leaders” who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, and in Illinois who want those who share my demographics to leave. These “leaders” 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and/or they a) reject planks in the Republican Party platform and/or the Illinois Republican Party platform and work against those like me who support those planks, b) reject the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling and work against those like me who support that resolution, c) focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate, d) were defendants in lawsuits that I have filed, and/or e) are operatives or dupes for the aforesaid. If they do not want you to leave, it means that they are manipulating you or dominating you.)
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511298809-ives-says-illinois-taxpayer-flight-a-result-of-rauner-s-broken-promises

 

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— GOP lawmakers heading to court to block bill that funds abortions – Caitlin Nordahl
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511296455-gop-lawmakers-heading-to-court-to-block-bill-that-funds-abortions

 

ILLINOIS CHRONICLE
— Rauner echoes Trump complaining about “fake news”
https://theillinoischronicle.com/chronicle-rauner-echoes-trump-complaining-about-fake-news/

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Women in America: Once Protected and Honored, Now Objectified – Tami Jackson
https://illinoisfamily.org/marriage/women-america-protected-honored-now-objectified/

 

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Senate Republicans deny buying votes for tax bill – David Sherfinski
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/18/senate-republicans-deny-buying-votes-for-tax-bill/

 

BREITBART
— Trump: ‘We Cannot Secure Our Nation If We Do Not Secure Our Borders’ – PAM KEY
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/12/18/trump-cannot-secure-nation-not-secure-borders/
— Illegal Aliens Arrested in Push for Christmas Amnesty – PENNY STARR
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/18/illegal-aliens-continue-push-amnesty-spending-bill-despite-cost-americans/

 

BLAZE
— Facebook admitted the site is bad for your mental health. Here’s what they recommend. – Aaron Colen (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) want you to know only what they want you to know and b) have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails is bad for your health.)
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/12/18/facebook-admitted-the-site-is-bad-for-your-mental-health-heres-what-they-recommend

 

POLITICO
— Tax bill whacks liberal big cities ‘This is the screw-New Jersey bill,’ the mayor of Piscataway said. – AARON LORENZO
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/19/cities-republican-tax-bill-304123

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Have You Ever Felt Sorry for the I.R.S.? Now Might Be the Time – Patricia Cohen (DIERSEN: How much do you know about IRS? I know a lot about IRS because I worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 levels, currently $79,563-$90,173 and I worked for GAO on audits of IRS for 3 years at the GS-13 Step 1-3 levels, currently $94,610-$100,917. However, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always viciously demonized, denigrated, condemned, and wasted my knowledge of IRS. I should write a book about my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/business/irs-tax-bill.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: After years of upbraiding and even threatening to abolish the Internal Revenue Service, Republicans must now depend on the agency to carry out their signature legislative accomplishment: a comprehensive revision of the tax code. The task is monumental. While processing tens of millions of tax returns for 2017 under the current rules, the I.R.S. would also have to figure out how to interpret and explain a new system and put it into practice. “Beware,” said John A. Koskinen, who retired last month as I.R.S. commissioner. “If the budget keeps being cut and the agency keeps being given more things to do, the I.R.S. is simply not going to work.” Either the information technology will fail, forcing the filing and refund systems to collapse, he warned, or enforcement and audits will become so scarce that fewer people will be inclined to pay the taxes they owe. The House and Senate were expected to vote on the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul as soon as Tuesday. Vice President Mike Pence planned to preside over the vote and, if needed, break a tie and pass the bill.)
— Tax Cuts Benefit the Ultra Rich, but Not the Merely Rich – Andrew Ross Sorkin
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/business/dealbook/tax-bill-wealthy.html
— Republican Tax Cuts Would Lift Some Industries More Than Others – Jim Tankersley and Ben Casselman
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/us/politics/republican-tax-cuts-industries-.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Evanston, Illinois: Teacher Segregation ‘Staff that identifies as individuals of color will meet in Room 226.’
https://www.wsj.com/articles/notable-quotable-teacher-segregation-1513538452
— The Google-Facebook Duopoly Threatens Diversity of Thought A political website pulled an article after Google’s AdSense team threatened to withdraw advertising. – Mark Epstein (DIERSEN: He who pays the piper calls the tunes. Since 2000, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have been beyond furious that I have enough time and money that I do not have to ask any individual, any organization, any company, any government, or any country to give me money to put out GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-google-facebook-duopoly-threatens-diversity-of-thought-1513642519
— Middle Class to Get 23% of Tax Cuts for Individuals Under GOP Bill Benefits mostly peter out after a decade, joint committee on taxation finds – Siobhan Hughes and Shayndi Raice
https://www.wsj.com/articles/middle-class-to-get-23-of-tax-cuts-for-individuals-under-gop-bill-1513644268
— Higher Education Bill Could Heat Up Competition for Adult Students Focus on shorter programs, competency-based offerings is seen providing more options for older students – Melissa Korn and Douglas Belkin (DIERSEN: I was 23 when I started taking graduate business courses at Loyola. I was 27 when I started taking graduate accounting courses at DePaul. I was 43 when I started taking graduate finance courses at IIT. Because I took only one course at a time, it took me 4 years to graduate from Loyola, 4 years to graduate from DePaul, and 5 years to graduate from IIT.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/higher-education-bill-could-heat-up-competition-foradultstudents-1513598400

 

BLOOMBERG
— Trump Asks ‘How’s Your 401(k)?’ But Most Voters Don’t Have One New campaign slogan celebrates growth of stock market Only 45 percent of private-sector workers have 401(k) plans – Toluse Olorunnipa (DIERSEN: To be able to save for your retirement, you have to qualify yourself for better paying jobs. What have you done 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.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-19/trump-asks-how-s-your-401-k-but-most-voters-don-t-have-one
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump is trying out a new campaign slogan: “How’s your 401(k) doing?” The answer for more than half of Americans is that they don’t have one. Trump has tested out the line this month at a fundraiser, a campaign rally and in a White House meeting, predicting that the rising U.S. stock market will help him win re-election. But only about 45 percent of private-sector workers participate in any employer-sponsored retirement plan, and the lower-income workers in Trump’s political base are the least likely to hold money in such an account, according to the Government Accountability Office. Trump mentions the stock market almost daily in tweets or public remarks, taking direct credit for record highs by the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other indexes. But only about 14 percent of U.S. families directly own stocks, an asset class dominated by the country’s top earners, according to the Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the president has also rolled back efforts to expand retirement savings options to more middle-class and low-income workers. For a president propelled into office in no small part by resentment that a broad swath of the country has been left behind while an entrenched establishment prospers, continual references to the stock market and 401(k) accounts risk alienating his supporters, said Austan Goolsbee, a former chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama. How America’s Inequality Machine Is Firing the Dow Into Orbit “As a political slogan, ‘how is your 401(k) doing?’ suggests he’s most interested in the one-third of people who have a 401(k),” said Goolsbee, who teaches economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. “The more you highlight how great that group of financial winners is doing, you at least run the risk of angering and irritating the very people who revolted against what they perceived as the financial and political elites in the first place.” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Trump’s statements reflect “a strong economy” that is “good news for everyone.” “For the Americans that don’t have the opportunity to invest in a 401(k) plan or who choose not to, the Trump agenda of lower taxes, higher wages, and better jobs allows them to save more on their own, and potentially have a better chance of finding a job in the future that provides those benefits,” Walters added in an emailed statement. . .‘Privileged Few’ “And, by the way, how are your 401(k)s doing?” Trump said during a Dec. 8 rally in Pensacola, Florida, where median household income is about $46,000. “ Not too bad, right?” The line was met with light applause. “I’m not sure he understands that only a fraction of the population has 401(k)s,” said Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. “So he just may not realize that he’s speaking to the privileged few.” Only a third of people contribute anything to their retirement accounts, according to a Census study released this year. Among workers in the bottom half of the income scale, less than 25 percent participate in a retirement program, according to the GAO.)

 

USA TODAY
— Minimum wage hikes: 18 states, 20 cities to lift pay floors Jan. 1 – Paul Davidson
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/12/19/minimum-wage-hikes-18-states-20-cities-lift-pay-floors-jan-1/961213001/

 

FEDERAL NEWS RADIO
— 6 things agencies did to improve employee engagement this year – Nicole Ogrysko (DIERSEN: QUESTION: What demonstrates employee engagement? ANSWER: Earning job-related college degrees, professional certifications, and professional licenses. I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997. 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. However, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the undergraduate and graduate courses that I took a) were not job-related, b) did not help me carry out my job duties, c) were taken by me to get a job in the private sector, and d) were a distraction. To keep their jobs and to get promoted, my Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government focused on getting rid of federal employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
https://federalnewsradio.com/workforce/2017/12/6-things-agencies-did-to-improve-employee-engagement-this-year/

December 18 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Mendoza says Rauner can’t take criticism ‘from a 5-foot-3 woman from Chicago’ – Rick Pearson)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-susana-mendoza-20171219-story.html
— Lake Forest city manager: Nearly $200K spent lobbying without council OK – Daniel I. Dorfman
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-forest/news/ct-lfr-city-manager-lobbying-money-tl-1221-20171215-story.html
— The balance challenge Diversity helps the workplace, but many companies still aren’t making it happen – Rhett Power (DIERSEN: Rhett Power should write a book about the success that Democrats had during the 1980s and 1990s in promoting diversity at GAO, that is, the success that they had in wasting the careers of and getting rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they had not promoted to GS-13 (currently $94,610) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $111,801) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $131,508) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $161,900) by age 40.)
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20171218/281822874154835

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Doug Jones: Trump shouldn’t resign over misconduct allegations – AP
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/doug-jones-trump-shouldnt-resign-over-misconduct-allegations/

 

DAILY HERALD
— Don’t move backward on marijuana policy – Dr. Aaron Weiner, clinical psychologist and director of addiction services at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health in Naperville.
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171218/dont-move-backward-on-marijuana-policy
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Recently, two of our state legislators announced they would push for marijuana legalization as a solution to the state’s fiscal crisis when they return to Springfield in January. While quick to tout the potential for increased tax revenue, these politicians are ignoring the long-term, well-documented costs increased marijuana use would bring to our communities. As the director of an addiction service line and clinical psychologist with firsthand experience treating addiction, I know the public health consequences of promoting the sale of another addictive drug in Illinois will far outweigh any temporary benefit. Marijuana policies deserve a robust and informed debate, but that discussion should be driven by science and facts, not the motives of for-profit special interest groups (read: addiction profiteers) lobbying our elected officials. And when it comes to the negative health implications of marijuana use, the science is crystal clear. According to the CDC, one in 10 adults will develop an addiction when using marijuana regularly, and new research has even indicated that one in every three current marijuana users has a diagnosable marijuana use disorder. This is something I see in my clinics often. I treat patients suffering from marijuana addiction — a problem that, according to both my own experiences and published research, undermines my patients’ ability to complete school, achieve their maximum earning potential, hold their jobs, function in a healthy marriage, and find overall life satisfaction. Perhaps most concerning is the disproportionate impact legalizing marijuana would have on our young people. We now know Colorado leads the country in past-month marijuana use by youth. And the Centennial State isn’t an outlier in this trend: Oregon and Washington State, which have also legalized the drug, each rank in the top six states nationwide for past-month marijuana use by adolescents. Making matters worse, marijuana-related emergency room visits by young people in Colorado more than quadrupled since the state legalized marijuana. In fact, more Coloradans in drug treatment are self-reporting heavy use of marijuana than ever before. Moreover, states with legal marijuana are proving the impact of legalization stretches far beyond harms to the individual. A study conducted by the AAA in Washington State showed a doubling in the number of fatal drug-impaired car crashes after legalization. Adding insult to injury, Colorado still faces a $700 million state budget shortfall that it must compensate for through increased taxes or budget cuts elsewhere. Years ago, we realized that exposure to lead created significant adverse public health consequences. In response, we removed lead from nearly everything we could: paint, pencils, window blinds, glass, and so on. Like lead, the greater marijuana’s exposure to the public, the greater the negative health impact. Why move backward? There are far better ways for our state to make money than selling a new intoxicating, addictive substance to our residents. Marijuana commercialization will drive more kids to smoke pot, increase treatment admissions for addiction, and become a significant setback for public health and safety. The answer to criminal justice reform and our state’s financial crisis does not require creating a new industry that preys on our youngest and most vulnerable by marketing pot gummy bears, pot lollipops, and 93 percent THC concentrates. It’s time for politicians in Springfield to stand up to special interest groups campaigning for laws that would create a new for-profit addiction industry — the next Big Tobacco — and choose to promote healthy lifestyles instead. The residents of Illinois are depending on you.)
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: How limit on property, state tax deduction could hurt suburbs – AP (DIERSEN: Do you pay high real estate taxes? Under this “tax overhaul,” the more real estate tax that you pay, the more federal income tax that you will pay.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171218/how-limit-on-property-state-tax-deduction-could-hurt-suburbs
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The sweeping tax overhaul embraced by President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers would impose a $10,000 limit on the combined sum of property and state and local income taxes that a household could deduct. And that’s even if taxpayers would have an incentive to itemize anymore. The $10,000 cap will help pay for corporate and personal tax cuts totaling $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Conservatives have argued that unlimited state and local deductions amount to a federal subsidy for the wealthy in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, California and Illinois with their prosperous suburbs. But many middle-class families in those states face disproportionately high housing costs and depend on deducting their state and local taxes. These households could soon pressure states and localities to ease their burden by cutting taxes — which would likely force cuts to social programs and public services.)

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Rauner keeping public in the dark about rates in Medicaid reboot – KRISTEN SCHORSCH
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171218/NEWS03/171219899

 

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Some Illinois Lawmakers Think It’s Too Soon To Pass Sexual Harassment Policies – DAISY CONTRERAS
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/some-illinois-lawmakers-think-its-too-soon-pass-sexual-harassment-policies

 

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Kasich: GOP is ‘losing future’ by ‘turning off millennials’ Gov. says he can’t support party if it isn’t fixed – MAEGAN VAZQUEZ (DIERSEN: Obviously, Kasich and his supporters want the Republican Party to pander to members of Group A and to dump members of Group B. Members of Group A 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and members of Group B are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/kasich-gop-is-losing-future-by-turning-off-millennials/882485890

 

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
— Hey, Rahm — Lay Off Trump and Start Fixing Chicago – Steve Cortes
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/12/15/hey_rahm_–_lay_off_trump_and_start_fixing_chicago_135807.html

 

BLAZE
— The effect that California’s $15 minimum wage will have was just revealed — and it’s devastating – Chris Enloe
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/12/17/the-effect-that-californias-15-minimum-wage-will-have-was-just-revealed-and-its-devastating

 

BREITBART
— Congress: Illegals-Only Households Will Birth at Least 600,000 Children in Next Decade – NEIL MUNRO (DIERSEN: QUESTION: Which employers prefer hiring illegals instead of citizens of America? ANSWER: Employers that 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.)
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/17/cbo-illegals-only-households-will-birth-600000-children-next-decade/
— GAO Audit: TSA Inspectors Only Spend ‘Half Their Working Hours’ on Work amid ‘Increased’ Terror Threat – EDWIN MORA
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/12/17/audit-tsa-inspectors-only-spend-half-their-working-hours-fulfilling-work-amid-increased-terror-theat/

 

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Republicans fear Trump’s ‘nonexistent’ political team will flop in 2020 – David M. Drucker
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/republicans-fear-trumps-nonexistent-political-team-will-flop-in-2020/article/2643713

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Rebelling Republican Suburbs Offer Democrats Path to House Control – Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/us/politics/house-control-2018-suburbs-trump-republicans-democrats.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The new president, Mr. Russell said, has accelerated things: “They were Republicans for fiscal reasons, and Trump has alienated them from the party they used to belong to.” It is not hard to find such voters in the Illinois district of Representative Peter Roskam, which favored Mrs. Clinton by seven points and has a median income over $90,000. Mr. Roskam is bracing for perhaps his most difficult race since his first election to the House in 2006. Seven Democrats are jockeying to challenge Mr. Roskam in the western suburbs of Chicago, and they have largely gravitated toward a single message. Kelly Mazeski, a planning commissioner in Barrington Hills and a leading Democratic contender, rebuked Mr. Roskam for his positions on health care and taxes, but for one transgression most of all. “Most of the time, I talk about Peter Roskam — that’s who my opponent is,” Ms. Mazeski said. “But to be clear, his voting record is 97 percent of the Trump agenda.” That rebuke resonates with voters like Pat Robinson, a retired teacher inclined to vote for a Democrat in 2018 but waiting to see who will emerge as the nominee. Ms. Robinson, who said she voted for Mrs. Clinton last year as the “lesser of two evils,” said she would not reward a lawmaker allied with the White House. “He’s certainly following Trump’s platform, and I can’t go along with that at all,” Ms. Robinson said of Mr. Roskam.)
— A Tax Plan to Turbocharge Inequality, in 3 Charts – David Leonhardt
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/17/opinion/taxes-inequality-charts.html
— FRONT PAGE: In One New Jersey Town, Pending Tax Changes Create Anxiety – Patrick McGeehan (DIERSEN: How similar is your municipality to Livingston? How similar is your county to Essex County?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/17/nyregion/livingston-new-jersey-tax-bill.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Politically speaking, Livingston is not the bluest of the suburbs surrounding New York City. But there are few places where people are feeling any more anxious about the potential impact of the federal tax bill proposed by Republican leaders in Washington. “They’re crippling us,” said Walter Levine, who has lived in this New Jersey community since 1976. As Mr. Levine sees it, Livingston, a fairly affluent town with a population of about 30,000, could become even less affordable as residents face rising tax bills and falling home values. They could be left with less disposable income to spend in the local stores, setting off a “domino effect” that could derail the town’s economy. It is a dire forecast, but not a radical one. Livingston sits on the western edge of Essex County, which Moody’s Analytics, a company that provides economic research, placed at the top of its list of places whose housing markets would suffer the most under the Republicans’ plan. According to Moody’s, the tax proposal could carve as much as 10.5 percent off the projected value of homes in Essex County in two years. Six other New Jersey counties made the top 10 on Moody’s list. Livingston’s Republican representative in Congress, Rodney Frelinghuysen, voted against the House version of the tax bill because, he said, of the “very negative impacts it would have on so many of my fellow New Jerseyans.”)
— FRONT PAGE: Champion of the ‘Little Guy’? Trump’s Actions Tell Another Story – Michael Tackett and Jim Tankersley
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/17/us/politics/trump-working-class.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Deduction Rollback Hurts High-Tax States, But Exodus Isn’t Assured Taxes look to be just one of many factors in Americans’ decisions about where to live – Ben Leubsdorf
https://www.wsj.com/articles/deduction-rollback-hurts-high-tax-states-but-exodus-isnt-assured-1513526894
— Democrats Against Tax Reform Unlike the past, the GOP has had no help passing these tax cuts. – Editorial
https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-against-tax-reform-1513552419
— How to Get American Men Back Into the Workforce Rethink unemployment insurance and increase public investment in improving skills. – Jason Furman (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.wsj.com/articles/how-to-get-american-men-back-into-the-workforce-1513538496

 

USA TODAY
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Ways to save (or splurge!) on vacations – Larry Bleiberg (DIERSEN: Vacations are expensive. Your GOPUSA Illinois Editor and his wife are not planning any kind of vacation. My $50,856/year pension is only 41% of the $122,991/year salary that I earned in 1997 in today’s dollars. Because my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” in 1997 when I was 49 years old, we have at least $72,135 less each year or $6,011 less each month or $1,387 less each week or $198 less each day to spend on vacations. I went on vacations in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977. My wife and I went on many vacations, typically four each year, 1978-1992 in connection with her business trips to luxury resorts all across America. Of course, my Democrat IRS and GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were beyond furious about that.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/12/18/save-splurge-europe-beach-and-cruise-options-spender-and-budget-conscious/953201001/
— Retirement tips: 4 steps to a happier retirement – Ken Fisher (DIERSEN: Are you retired? What do you do with your time? Needless-to-say, spending 10+ hours each and every day putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out is NOT fun, but it does give my life purpose.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2017/12/17/retirement-tips-4-steps-happier-retirement/954763001/

(FROM THE ARTICLE: 4. Fill your time with fun. Did you know retirement can cause depression? Even if your job was a drag, it gave you purpose. Beat back the boredom blues with hobbies, volunteering or even a part-time job. Check out community college course catalogues for art classes or anything striking your fancy. Offer to teach classes in your specialty. Think about part-timing at some retail boutique you like. To keep fit, find groups for biking, hiking, jogging, tennis or dancing. If volunteering, ponder the most fun way to spend that time — with children, in nature, with animals, at museums, the library — abundant choices. You’ll make friends, too, which reduces depression. Fun is the most important of these four. It affects your attitude, which drives your body. Start now. Have the Merriest Christmas possible by offering extra-fun kindness to those around you. It will pay you back immediately, boosting your psyche heading into 2018. And I’ll see you Jan. 2, when my next column appears.)

December 9 Evening Edition

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— ‘I’m not in charge’: Illinois governor’s words may haunt bid – Sara Burnett
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/im-charge-illinois-governors-words-haunt-bid-51688655
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-bc-us–illinois-governor-2018-rauner-20171209-story.html
http://www.fox32chicago.com/politics/im-not-in-charge-rauners-words-may-haunt-bid
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171209/not-in-charge-rauners-foes-pounce-on-his-remark
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171209/rauners-im-not-in-charge-may-haunt-bid
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2017/12/09/challengers-may-seek-to-use-gov-rauners-words-against-him/
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article188944374.html
http://www.startribune.com/i-m-not-in-charge-illinois-governor-s-words-may-haunt-bid/463016213/
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/business/article188944374.html
http://www.wral.com/-i-m-not-in-charge-illinois-governor-s-words-may-haunt-bid/17172612/
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/im-not-in-charge-illinois-governors-words-may-haunt-bid/
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article188944374.html
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/politics/article/I-m-not-in-charge-Illinois-governor-s-words-12418368.php
http://945theanswer.com/news/politics/im-not-in-charge-illinois-governors-words-may-haunt-bid

 

NBC5
— Democratic Candidates for Illinois Governor Take Part in Women’s Forum – Carol Marin and Mary Ann Ahern
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-women-take-action-governor-candidates-forum-463027213.html

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democratic governor candidate Pritzker wins major teacher union endorsement – Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-jb-pritzker-teacher-union-endorsement-20171209-story.html
— Trump visits Mississippi civil rights museum as protesters rally outside – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-mississippi-20171209-story.html
— Student Civics Club to host 6th Congressional District candidate forum – Peg Mannion
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/downers-grove/community/chi-ugc-article-student-civics-club-to-host-6th-congressional-2017-12-09-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— Blue high-tax states fund red low-tax states – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20171209/business/312099960/

 

PEORIA JOURNAL STAR
— Rauner not a take charge kind of guy – Doug Finke
http://www.pjstar.com/news/20171209/statehouse-insider-rauner-not-take-charge-kind-of-guy

 

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— Video gaming tax not a bell-ringer – Lee Provost
http://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/video-gaming-tax-not-a-bell-ringer/article_e90e339c-1e82-53e0-864d-5ddc35704188.html

 

COOK COUNTY RECORDER
— Cook Co. judge ends bid by Dotty’s, other ‘gaming cafes’ to challenge rules over video gambling take – Scott Holland
https://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/511289200-cook-co-judge-ends-bid-by-dotty-s-other-gaming-cafes-to-challenge-rules-over-video-gambling-take

 

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— MADIGAN FIRM THE BIGGEST PLAYER IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX APPEALS – Austin Berg
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/investigation-madigan-firm-the-biggest-player-in-commercial-property-tax-appeals/

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— A Return to Virtue in the Wake of Scandal? – Eric Metaxas
https://illinoisfamily.org/marriage/return-virtue-wake-scandal/

 

GATEWAY PUNDIT
— Facebook Picks Sides in Alabama Senate Race=> Shuts Down Gateway Pundit and Breitbart Reports on Discredited Allred Accuser – Jim Hoft
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/12/facebook-picks-sides-alabama-senate-race-shuts-gateway-pundit-breitbart-reports-discredited-allred-accuser/

 

DAILY CALLER
— Reporter: Democrats ‘Were Peddling’ Salacious Trump Dossier Allegation To Journalists – Chuck Ross
http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/09/reporter-democrats-were-peddling-salacious-trump-dossier-allegation-to-journalists/

 

FOX NEWS
— Trump, Mattis turn military loose on ISIS, leaving terror caliphate in tatters – Hollie McKay
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/08/trump-mattis-turn-military-loose-on-isis-leaving-terror-caliphate-in-tatters.html

 

NEWSMAX
— Trump Visits Civil Rights Museum Amid Protests (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps promote hatred of Whites.)
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/us-trump-civil-rights-the-latest/2017/12/09/id/830825/

 

GOPUSA
— How Trump turned tide of illegal immigration in first year: Border crossing hits 45-year low
http://www.gopusa.com/how-trump-turned-tide-of-illegal-immigration-in-first-year-border-crossing-hits-45-year-low/
— Lesbian’s campaign based on anatomy
http://www.gopusa.com/lesbians-campaign-based-on-anatomy/
— Survey: Snowflakes too fragile to be labeled
http://www.gopusa.com/survey-snowflakes-too-fragile-to-be-labeled/

 

CNS NEWS
— Pelosi Says ‘God is With Us’ in Wanting Amnesty (DIERSEN: What do you say to politicians who hint/imply/argue/shout that Jesus is a liberal Democrat/Libertarian/Green who promotes dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, race and gender based preference giving, age discrimination, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, and even worse things?)
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/cnsnewscom-staff/pelosi-says-god-us-democrats-wanting-amnesty

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Tax Plans May Give Your Co-Worker a Better Deal Than You – Patricia Cohen
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/business/economy/tax-plans-may-give-your-co-worker-a-better-deal-than-you.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “Nearly 9 in 10 black Americans think Trump respects people of color less than whites.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/12/09/nearly-9-in-10-black-americans-think-trump-respects-people-of-color-less-than-whites/

 

DES MOINES REGISTER
— Dems call on Reynolds to remove King from staff after ‘Diversity is not our strength’ tweet – Luke Nozicka
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/08/dems-ask-reynolds-remove-king-staff-diversity-not-our-strength/936999001/

 

HARRISON DAILY
— Giving veterans preference in hiring – Editorial (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted a) that instead of me, the Post Office should have hired a veteran in 1966, b) that the Post Office should gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a veteran could have my job, c) that instead of me, IRS should have hired a veteran in 1971, d) that instead of me, IRS should have promoted veterans in 1972, 1973, and 1974, e) that instead of me, GAO should have hired a veteran in 1980, f) that instead of me, GAO should have promoted a veteran in 1986, and g) that GAO should have gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a veteran could have my job and my preferred corner office. They stress that I sought and obtained a) student draft deferments 1966-1970 and b) a financial hardship draft deferment 1970-1971.)
http://harrisondaily.com/opinion/editorial-giving-veterans-preference-in-hiring/article_2f3830ba-dc47-11e7-87a1-37ff376b43b1.html
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: Finding work as a police officer or firefighter isn’t always easy. Openings in local departments can be scarce. Still, it’s an area where it helps to have served in the military, as many government hiring managers give preference when filling those jobs to veterans. Many do, but not all. The advantage is fading these days as more mayors and town managers look to bypass old rules for government hiring, including ones that demand preferential treatment for vets. It’s not a positive development. Not only are veterans often uniquely qualified for public safety jobs, our national government has put up hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of taxpayer dollars for their training and education. It’s a shame, and simply wasteful, not to leverage that resource. In Massachusetts, the process of filling jobs with the state and local governments have extended similar preferential treatment to those who’ve served, through the civil service system. Currently 145 of 351 cities and towns in the state subscribe to that system. The problem emerging is a trend away from civil service. Local governments are seeking and getting the state’s blessing to bypass the rules, which local officials claim constrain their hiring decisions. Diversity is among the top reasons cited by mayors and town managers seeking flexibility. Civil service rules hamstring urban departments, for instance, in efforts to land minority candidates, in part because veterans who march to the top of hiring lists aren’t always minorities. A report earlier this year by the Pew Research Center suggests the military is nearly as diverse as the rest of the country. Racial and ethnic minorities represent 40 percent of the 1.3 million members of the active-duty military — and about 44 percent of the broader population ages 18 to 44. African Americans are more represented in the military — about 17 percent of the active-duty service — than in the population as a whole. That’s not to say the applicant pool for local police and fire jobs is always diverse, but it does suggest that members of the military can give city and town halls options to diversity. What cannot be overlooked in that effort is a qualified labor pool ready to sign up for some of the most taxing, stressful jobs in government. Nor can we forget our obligation to those who have dutifully served this country.)

 

SPECTRUM NEWS
— CUOMO BLASTING SALT DEDUCTION REMOVAL – Nick Reisman
http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/politics/2017/12/09/cuomo-blasting-salt-deduction-removal

 

BLOOMBERG
— What Happens When the Government Uses Facebook as a Weapon?
It’s social media in the age of “patriotic trolling” in the Philippines, where the government is waging a campaign to destroy a critic—with a little help from Facebook itself. – Lauren Etter (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, beyond tragically, activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, etc. a) talk and act like they believe that Facebook is the Internet and b) abandon websites and abandon emails. Those who run Facebook do not want Republican candidates to win elections.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-07/how-rodrigo-duterte-turned-facebook-into-a-weapon-with-a-little-help-from-facebook

 

YAHOO FINANCE
— The Average 55-Plus Worker Doesn’t Have Enough Retirement Savings to Live On — Do You? – Wendy Connick
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/average-55-plus-worker-doesn-121900603.html

 

CHEAT SHEET
— Trump Tax Plan: 8 New Changes That Almost Everyone Hates – Barri Segal
https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/trump-tax-plan-new-changes-that-almost-everyone-hates.html/

(FROM THE ARTICLE: 2. Mortgage interest rate deduction — reduced . . . 3. Itemized deductions — gone The new tax plan limits itemized deductions, which might increase your federal taxes, according to Business Insider. Because approximately 70% of U.S. filers claim the deduction, this could affect a lot of people. You might think those who itemize typically make a lot of money, but 86.8% of taxpayers who itemize have adjusted gross incomes below $200,000.)

December 6 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Democratic candidates for Illinois governor to debate March 2 (DIERSEN: When will Ives and Rauner debate? If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, the organization would be hosting debates between a) Rauner and Ives, b) Sanguinetti and Morthland, c) Harold and Grasso, d) Diganvker and Jhingan, e) Stella and Vlakancic, f) Minor, Grant, Byrne, and Augustynowicz, g) Kinzler and Orozco, h) Mazzochi and Arendt, i) Zito and Khouri, j) Mendrick and Bibbiano, k) Tornatore, DeMichele, Fichtner, and Gavanes, l) Hart, Abbott, Tully, and Broline, m) McGowen, Almiron, Eckhoff, Zaruba, Tatro, and Chinchilla, n) Wiley, Zay, and McQuade, o) Russo and MacKay, p) Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee candidates, q) etc.)
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/democratic-candidates-for-illinois-governor-to-debate-march-2-/2748719/
— Gay man denied marriage license by Kim Davis now running against her – AP
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/gay-man-denied-marriage-license-by-kim-davis-now-running-against-her/2748203/

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 3 QUESTIONS FOR THE IL GOP ABOUT WHO GETS WHAT FUNDS AND WHO DECIDES
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/12/3-questions-for-the-il-gop-about-who-gets-what-funds-and-who-decides-.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Review has asked, but has not heard yet from IL GOP Spokesperson Aaron DeGroot three preliminary questions: How does the IL GOP determine where the checks are going? Who is involved in that decision making? How much does the IL GOP expect to be distributed and to whom in the upcoming days before the March primary? We will report the responses as soon as we hear back from the IL GOP. If you have other questions you’d like to be asked of the IL GOP, please offer in the comment section below. UPDATE: State Representative David McSweeney (R-Barrington) called for IL GOP Party Chairman Tim Schneider to step down Wednesday afternoon: “Political insider Tim Schneider is a lapdog for failed Governor Rauner, the Worst Republican Governor in America,” McSweeney said in a text message to Illinois Review. “Incredibly Governor Rauner just admitted that he’s not in charge of the state. Schneider, who was the chief Rauner cheerleader for the Capitol Compromise tax hike and sanctuary state bill, should immediately resign as GOP Chairman.”)

 

NBC5
— Durbin, Duckworth Among Senate Dems Calling for Franken to Resign Several fellow Democrats are calling for the senator to step down as he already faces a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into previous claims by several other women that he groped or sought to forcibly kiss them – Mary Ann Ahern
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Durbin-Among-Senate-Dems-Calling-for-Franken-to-Resign-462341993.html
— GOP-Led House Passes NRA-Backed Gun Bill Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., called the bill an attempt to undermine states’ rights, “hamstring law enforcement and allow dangerous criminals to walk around with hidden guns anywhere and at any time” – Matthew Daly and Richard Lardner
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/House-to-Vote-on-Concealed-Carry-Bill-Easing-Gun-Restriction-462294333.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Senate GOP leader OK with deducting local income, property taxes – AP
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/senate-gop-leader-ok-with-deducting-local-income-property-taxes/
— Sorry, Tribune, but this tax ‘reform’ is awful for Chicago – Editorial
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/editorial-sorry-tribune-tax-reform-awful-for-chicago/
— FDA approves once-a-week diabetes shot that also aids weight loss – AP
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/fda-approves-once-a-week-diabetes-shot-that-also-aids-weight-loss/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— With candidate filings, ’18 campaigns begin in earnest – Charles Selle
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/opinion/ct-lns-selle-2018-candidate-filings-st-1207-20171206-story.html
— Police: Charges filed after Tribune reporter carjacked – Rosemary Regina Sobol
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-charges-tribune-carjacking-20171206-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— March primary likely for Kane circuit judge seat: Associate judge enters race – Harry Hitzeman
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171206/march-primary-likely-for-kane-circuit-judge-seat-associate-judge-enters-race
— Count the ways: How GOP tax plans would reward rich families – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20171206/business/312069871/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— What’s the real reason government pensions are suffering? – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161205/BLOGS02/161209938
— Duckworth, Durbin urge Franken to quit – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171206/BLOGS02/171209917/duckworth-durbin-urge-franken-to-quit
— A new year means higher electricity rates in northern Illinois – STEVE DANIELS
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171206/NEWS07/171209912/a-new-year-means-higher-electricity-rates-in-northern-illinois

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps want GOP to act on immigration. “Act on immigration” is code for giving Dreamers amnesty.
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171206/rodney-davis-other-house-republicans-press-gop-leader-on-immigration
— Illinois sets ‘blended’ tax rates for 2017 income – Tim Landis (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes are beyond furious that my $50,856/year Civil Service Retirement System pension and my $2,028/year Social Security are not subject to state income tax.)
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171206/illinois-sets-blended-tax-rates-for-2017-income

 

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— Primary races now set – Allison Shapiro
http://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/primary-races-now-set/article_fb3f139c-4396-5b2d-976b-90e48ade8989.html

 

  1. LOUIS TODAY
    — Illinois governor’s race headed toward battle of fortunes – Pat Gauen
    http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illinois/gauen-illinois-governor-s-race-headed-toward-battle-of-fortunes/article_55dc6a01-8cec-5212-a749-02f38f624a7d.html

 

WTAD
— IVES: “RAUNER HAS FAILED AT DOING HIS JOB” – Scott Hardy
http://www.wtad.com/ives-rauner-has-failed-at-doing-his-job.html

 

WILL COUNTY GAZETTE
— Balich seeking re-election to Will County Board to ‘make a difference’ – Angela Underwood
https://willcountygazette.com/stories/511282705-balich-seeking-re-election-to-will-county-board-to-make-a-difference

 

CAPITOL FAX
— Biss, Kennedy slam *** Pritzker to skip a Downstate debate, which will be carried statewide (DIERSEN: If I was still the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, the organization would be hosting debates between a) Rauner and Ives, b) Sanguinetti and Morthland, c) Harold and Grasso, d) Diganvker and Jhingan, e) Stella and Vlakancic, f) Minor, Grant, Byrne, and Augustynowicz, g) Kinzler and Orozco, h) Mazzochi and Arendt, i) Zito and Khouri, j) Mendrick and Bibbiano, k) Tornatore, DeMichele, Fichtner, and Gavanes, l) Hart, Abbott, Tully, and Broline, m) McGowen, Almiron, Eckhoff, Zaruba, Tatro, and Chinchilla, n) Wiley, Zay, and McQuade, o) Russo and MacKay, p) Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee candidates, q) etc.)
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/pritzker-to-skip-a-downstate-debate/
— Ives kicks off campaign tour
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/ives-kicks-off-campaign-tour/
— Rate Rauner’s new digital ad attacking Pritzker on taxes
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/rate-rauners-new-digital-ad-attacking-pritzker-on-taxes/
— Cullerton says Rauner needs to “take charge” of budget, threatens to “work without him”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/cullerton-says-rauner-needs-to-take-charge-of-budget-threatens-to-work-without-him/
— Dems attack Rauner
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/dems-attack-rauner/
— Rauner’s new digital ad attacking Pritzker on taxes (DIERSEN: If you sought a government office or a political office, what would your critics/opponents attack you on concerning federal income tax? Mine would attack my itemizing my deductions. They would stress all the mortgage interest, real estate tax, state income tax, medical and dental expenses, 501(c)(3) contributions, and job-related education that I have deducted since 1972.)
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/06/rate-rauners-new-digital-ad-attacking-pritzker-on-taxes/

 

GOPUSA
— Separate but Equal: Segregation alive and well at University of Colorado-Boulder
http://www.gopusa.com/separate-but-equal-segregation-alive-and-well-at-cu-boulder/
— Concealed carry reciprocity would make America safer
http://www.gopusa.com/concealed-carry-reciprocity-would-make-america-safer/

 

BREITBART
— Shell Group Used by Obama Campaigners Spends $2.9 Million to Defeat Roy Moore in Alabama – MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/06/shell-group-used-by-obama-campaigners-spends-2-9-million-to-defeat-roy-moore-in-alabama/

 

BLAZE
— See just how much Trump has slashed refugee resettlement in U.S. — the numbers are astounding – Chris Enloe
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/12/06/see-just-how-much-trump-has-slashed-refugee-resettlement-in-u-s-the-numbers-are-astounding

 

DAILY CALLER
— Rep Luis Gutierrez Arrested In Capitol Hill Protest – PHILLIP STUCKY
http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/06/rep-luis-gutierrez-arrested-in-capitol-hill-protest-video/

 

FEDERALIST
— GOP Tax Bills Would Preserve Billions In Cash Transfers To Illegal Immigrants – Amalia Halikias
https://thefederalist.com/2017/12/06/gop-tax-bills-preserve-billions-cash-transfers-illegal-immigrants/

 

THE HILL
— House rejects Democrat’s resolution to impeach Trump – CRISTINA MARCOS
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/363544-house-rejects-democratic-resolution-to-impeach-trump
— Avalanche of Democratic senators say Franken should resign – JORDAIN CARNEY AND REBECCA SAVRANSKY
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/363543-women-in-senate-call-for-franken-to-resign

 

POLITICO
— House passes concealed carry gun bill – JOHN BRESNAHAN
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/house-passes-concealed-carry-gun-bill-283768

 

NBC NEWS
— ‘Do the right thing’: Thousands rally in D.C. for Dream Act to protect young immigrants ‘We’re facing a real deadline — these are real lives at stake,” urged one supporter. – Patricia Guadalupe and Marissa Armas
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/do-right-thing-thousands-rally-d-c-dream-act-protect-n827131

 

MEDIAITE
— Kinzinger Trashes GOP’s Support of Roy Moore: ‘I Don’t Want to Be That Party’ – Lawrence Bonk
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/republican-congressman-trashes-gops-support-of-roy-moore-i-dont-want-to-be-that-party/

 

GAO
— GAO Again Named one of the “Best Places to Work” (DIERSEN: Among mid-sized agencies, GAO is ranked second overall and first for “support of diversity.” The Democrats who ran GAO during the 1980s and 1990s could stress the great success that they had in getting rid of the agency’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who had not made GS-13 (currently $94,610) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $111,801) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $131,508) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $161,900) by age 40.)
https://www.gao.gov/press/2017bestplaces.htm
https://blog.gao.gov/2017/12/06/its-official-gao-is-a-great-place-to-work/

December 5 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Senate’s tax plan approval is news to Rauner – Kim Geiger (DIERSEN: Obviously, beyond tragically, Rauner does not read GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. Beyond obviously, if he has asked his wife, his staff, his volunteers, or anyone else to monitor GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails for him, he should immediately fire them.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-congress-taxes-20171205-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The governor, however, was a few days behind on his news. Over a packed weekend welcoming Illinois National Guard troops home from Puerto Rico, riding his Harley in a Toys for Tots motorcycle run and attending the Illinois Bicentennial bash at Navy Pier, Rauner might have missed that Republican senators had voted for a sweeping tax bill early Saturday morning. “First of all, the Senate hasn’t passed anything,” Rauner said on Monday when asked to explain what he thought Congress needed to do to get the tax code right. “And what the Senate is talking about is very different than what the House is working on. They have a long, long way to go.” Indeed, distance remains between the House and Senate tax bills. But Senate Republicans’ approval of their own version was a big step forward and a sign they are willing to approve a tax overhaul even if it adds to the deficit. Rauner often has avoided talking about national issues, dismissing questions about activity in Congress as not relevant to his role as governor. And Monday wasn’t the first time that Rauner appeared out of the loop on the news.)
— History foretells a tough road: State Rep. Jeanne Ives’ decision to take on an incumbent governor in the March primary is unusual but not uncommon. In 2014, then-Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn bested anti-violence activist Tio Hardiman, 72 percent to 28 percent. In 2006, then-Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich defeated former Ald. Edwin Eisendrath 71 percent to 29 percent. And in 1994, then-Republican Gov. Jim Edgar won over the late-conservative businessman Jack Roeser, 75 percent to 25 percent. – Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-congress-taxes-20171205-story.html
— Roskam on sidelines in governor race: Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam hasn’t taken sides in the GOP primary for governor. Asked by Chicago Tribune’s Editorial Board Monday if he eventually would, the Wheaton Republican said: “We’ll see.” Roskam lives in state Rep. Ives’ district and had signed a letter from Illinois’ Republican congressmen slamming Rauner for signing legislation expanding taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women covered by Medicaid or state employee health insurance. Roskam said there’s a parallel between the governor and Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Donald Trump. The two presidents came to Washington with “massive personalities” they thought were enough to get their agendas through, Roskam said. Likewise, Rauner, based on “incredible success in the private sector,” has run into roadblocks with the Illinois legislature, he said. “It’s a hard lesson for anybody to learn, particularly people who have been very successful in other walks of life,” he said. – Katherine Skiba
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-congress-taxes-20171205-story.html
— Silverstein accuser gets into House race: The only person to publicly accuse a sitting state lawmaker of sexual harassment amid the ongoing scandal in Springfield filed to run for Illinois House on Monday. Denise Rotheimer filed as a Republican to run for a central Lake County seat now held by Democratic state Rep. Sam Yingling of Grayslake. Rotheimer accused Democratic state Sen. Ira Silverstein of sexual harassment at a public hearing. He has disputed the allegations and said he apologized “if I made her uncomfortable.” He has since resigned his leadership post and filed to seek re-election.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-congress-taxes-20171205-story.html
— Foster criticizes Trump administration on health care – Linda Girardi
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-health-care-st-1205-20171204-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Roskam, Shimkus tapped by Speaker Ryan to negotiate tax overhaul bill – Lynn Sweet (DIERSEN: Hopefully, they will argue to keep all the itemized deductions, to keep the personal exemption, and to eliminate the marriage penalty.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/roskam-shimkus-tapped-by-speaker-ryan-to-negotiate-tax-overhaul-bill/
— ‘Unborn children’ in tax bill an anti-abortion ploy – Lynn Sweet
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sweet-unborn-children-in-tax-bill-an-anti-abortion-ploy/
— Trump science job nominees missing advanced science degrees – AP (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, extremely few of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates took job-related college courses, earned job-related professional certifications, or earned job-related professional licenses. 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://chicago.suntimes.com/news/trump-nominees-health-science-degrees-obama-785846/

 

DAILY HERALD
— Be an educated voter and build a better government – Editorial (DIERSEN: What do you say to my critics/opponents, to their operatives, and to their dupes who do everything that they can to stop everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails?)
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171204/editorial-be-an-educated-voter-and-build-a-better-government

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Illinois: Land of Laggards – ORPHE PIERRE DIVOUNGUY
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171205/OPINION/171209955

 

ABC7
— Wisconsin food stamp users to be drug tested – AP
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/wisconsin-food-stamp-users-to-be-drug-tested/2741350/
— Legal sports gambling in Illinois, Indiana hinges on Supreme Court decision – Chuck Goudie and Christine Tressel (DIERSEN: As everyone has always known, I do not follow sports. Virtually all my Democrat male GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates followed sports big time and they painted themselves as being sports experts. They were outraged when I beat all of them and won (by pure chance) the first and only time that they asked me to place a sports bet in their office pool.)
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/legal-sports-gambling-in-illinois-indiana-hinges-on-supreme-court-decision/2738005/

 

WTTW
— Gov. Rauner Seeking Re-election: ‘I Am Not in Charge’ – Amanda Vinicky
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/12/04/gov-rauner-seeking-re-election-i-am-not-charge

 

WBEZ
— How The Republican Tax Overhaul Would Affect You – Danielle Kurtzleben, Scott Horsley
https://www.wbez.org/shows/npr/chart-how-the-republican-tax-overhaul-would-affect-you/f2eff1dc-33ae-4adb-b8d9-af04b3206d03

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Wounded Rauner on run vs. angry Dems, alienated GOP – Jim Dey
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-12-05/jim-dey-wounded-rauner-run-vs-angry-dems-alienated-gop.html
— Two surprises in last day of candidate filings for March primary – Tom Kacich
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-12-05/two-surprises-last-day-candidate-filings-march-primary.html

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Ives joins governor’s race, says Rauner has ‘betrayed our party’ – Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171204/ives-joins-governors-race-says-rauner-has-betrayed-our-party

 

KANKAKEE DAILY JOURNAL
— City, video gambling owners at odds – Lee Provost
http://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/city-video-gambling-owners-at-odds/article_44dbe6da-7bc4-567d-95eb-98413221fa11.html

 

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Normal approves property tax levy hike – Derek Beigh
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/government-and-politics/normal-approves-property-tax-levy-hike/article_ddb9fe86-0db6-5c0e-b4c6-a418d08dd020.html

 

JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL COURIER
— Senator McCann won’t seek re-election, cites party views – Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree (DIERSEN: Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can/will defend/advance their platform. The Illinois Republican Party (IRP) should remove “Republican” candidates, elected officials, and party leaders who fail/refuse to defend/advance the IRP platform.)
http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/116730/senator-wont-seek-re-election-cites-party-views-2

 

FOX ILLINOIS
— People protest Republican tax plan outside Congressman Lahood’s office
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/people-protest-republican-tax-plan-outside-congressman-lahoods-office

 

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Car dealers get a big, last-minute tax break in Senate reform bill New interest deduction cap won’t apply – CHRIS ISIDORE
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/car-dealers-get-a-big-lastminute-tax-break-in-senate-reform-bill/874856251

 

NORTH COOK NEWS
— Morrison calls student access bill ‘bad policy’ – Glenn Minnis
https://northcooknews.com/stories/511268420-morrison-calls-student-access-bill-bad-policy

 

WILL COUNTY GAZETTE
— Burr Ridge mayor Mickey Straub says state is ‘on the wrong path’ – Glenn Minnis
https://willcountygazette.com/stories/511279582-burr-ridge-mayor-says-state-is-on-the-wrong-path

 

WIRE POINTS
— Tax hike fail: Illinois politicians to overspend again in 2019 – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
http://www.wirepoints.com/tax-hike-fail-illinois-politicians-to-overspend-again-in-2019-wirepoints-original/

 

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— National Review slams Rauner, praises Ives as alternative – Robert Hadley
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511281881-national-review-slams-rauner-praises-ives-as-alternative
— Gov. Rauner found sexual harassment bill flawed but signed it anyway – Angela Underwood
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511271477-gov-rauner-found-sexual-harassment-bill-flawed-but-signed-it-anyway

 

CHICAGO NOW
— WVON’s Charles Thomas w/Berkowitz on Speaker Madigan’s plantation & JB Pritzker’s endorsement by racists
http://www.chicagonow.com/public-affairs-with-jeff-berkowitz/2017/12/watch-wvons-charles-thomas-wberkowitz-on-speaker-madigans-plantation-jb-pritzkers-endorsement-by-racists-cable-web/

 

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— IRS DATA: ILLINOIS LOST PEOPLE AND INCOME TO EVERY NEIGHBORING STATE ON NET New data from the IRS show Illinois lost $720 million and 21,800 people on net to neighboring states from 2015-2016. – Austin Berg
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/irs-data-illinois-lost-people-and-income-to-every-neighboring-state-on-net/

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— Pro-Choicers Choose Live Dismemberment – Laurie Higgins
https://illinoisfamily.org/life/pro-choicers-choose-live-dismemberment/

 

CAPITOL FAX
— Ives says she’s “ready to lead the charge”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/05/ives-says-shes-ready-to-lead-the-charge/

 

GOPUSA
— Men wonder if hugging women still OK (DIERSEN: Government is nasty. Politics is nasty. Because my demographics are so terrible, if my critics/opponents, their operatives, or their dupes ever got a picture of me hugging anyone other than my wife, they would immediately charge me with being a sexual harasser and even worse things.)
http://www.gopusa.com/men-wonder-if-hugging-women-still-ok/
— The NFL signs on with George Soros
http://www.gopusa.com/the-nfl-signs-on-with-george-soros/

 

BLAZE
— Poll: Republicans see a dip in party affiliation – Kate Scanlon (DIERSEN: Should I write a book Democrat plant, Libertarian plant, Green plant, and RINO activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, etc. in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who have done the most to drive Republicans out of the Republican Party since 2000?)
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/12/04/poll-republicans-see-a-dip-in-party-affiliation
— Illegal immigration is extremely costly — see how much your state is paying for it this year (Illinois will spend $3,220,767,517) – Chris Enloe (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes reject the immigration planks in Republican Party platform and in the Illinois Republican Party platform.)
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/12/04/illegal-immigration-is-extremely-costly-see-how-much-your-state-is-paying-for-it-this-year

 

DAILY WIRE
— Group At University Of Chicago Demands School Pay Reparations For Slavery “National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America” held a rally demanding to be repaid for the school’s ties to the founder’s plantation. – EMILY ZANOTTI (DIERSEN: Who should pay reparations, that is, who should pay the price of Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion?)
http://www.dailywire.com/news/24283/group-university-chicago-demands-school-pay-emily-zanotti#

 

DAILY CALLER
— Apple CEO Tim Cook Brushes Off Senators, Taunts Activists On Chinese Censorship – Peter Flaherty
http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/05/apple-ceo-tim-cook-brushes-off-senators-taunts-activists-on-chinese-censorship/

 

POLITICO
— Women Rule Summit (DIERSEN: Individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that reject the equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) plank in the Republican Party platform and those who promote age discrimination have always worked extremely hard against me. They have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted a) that instead of me, the Post Office should have hired a woman in 1966, b) that the Post Office should gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a woman could have my job, c) that instead of me, IRS should have hired a woman in 1971, d) that instead of me, IRS should have promoted women in 1972, 1973, and 1974, e) that instead of me, GAO should have hired a woman in 1980, f) that instead of me, GAO should have promoted a woman in 1986, and g) that GAO should have gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a woman could have my job and my preferred corner office.)
https://www.politico.com/womenrulesummit17
https://www.politico.com/live-events/about/womenrule/agenda
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/05/women-rule-summit-highlights-278447
— Trump’s Threat to Take Down the GOP Still Stands Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie don’t know if Donald Trump will remain a Republican, but they believe Republicans owe him their loyalty. – EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/12/05/donald-trump-inside-campaign-corey-lewandowski-david-bossie-interview-podcast-216010

 

INTERCEPT
— HOUSE REPUBLICANS WANT TO END STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR PUBLIC INTEREST JOBS – Zaid Jilani (DIERSEN: I held public interest jobs for almost 30 years – almost 3 years working for the Post Office, almost 9 years working for IRS, and almost 18 years working for GAO.)
https://theintercept.com/2017/12/04/prosper-act-student-debt-college-funding-higher-education/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Cocktails Rise and Shine While Beer and Wine Sales Slip – Saabira Chaudhuri and Jennifer Maloney (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always talked and/or acted like they a) drink lots of booze, b) want to drink lots of booze, and/or c) want to make lots of money selling booze.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cocktails-win-liquor-consumption-around-the-world-outpaces-wine-and-beer-1497519008

 

USA TODAY
— Trump and GOP promised America an anti-Washington party. Where is it? – Andrew Cline
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/12/05/trump-republicans-promised-america-anti-washington-party-where-andrew-cline-column/902290001/

 

HERALD SUN
— How D.C. political assassins use media to oust Rex Tillerson – ANDREW MALCOLM (DIERSEN: I should write a book about past and present political assassins in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois.)
http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/article188001274.html

 

NEW YORK MAGAZINE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “On Second Thought, the RNC Would Like to Elect Alleged Sex Predator Roy Moore.”
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/12/on-second-thought-rnc-will-back-alleged-predator-roy-moore.html

 

FEDERAL TIMES
— GAO: More can be done to increase minority representation in tech – Jessie Bur (DIERSEN: The tech sector should consider hiring Charles Bowsher. During the 1980s and 1990s, Bowsher had great success in getting rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who did not make GS-13 (currently $94,610) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $111,801) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $131,508) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $161,900) by age 40.)
https://www.federaltimes.com/federal-oversight/2017/12/04/gao-more-can-be-done-to-increase-minority-representation-in-tech/

 

DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND
— Rauner repeatedly lashes out at reporters over Madigan: “You’re playing games and you’re not reporting the truth to the people of Illinois” (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have “lashed out” at me since 2000 because of articles that I have included links to in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. According to them, the only “true” articles are the articles that they put out.)
https://www.democraticunderground.org/10493515

 

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Top reasons why “Republican” activists, candidates, elected officials, party leaders, major donors, political consultants, etc. in Illinois, in DuPage County, in Milton Township, and in Wheaton refuse to keep diersen@aol.com on their press advisory and press release lists and do not want Diersen to a) know about their events and other activities, b) promote their events and other activities, c) attend their events, or d) report on their events and other activities.
https://gopillinois.com

– they are Democrat plants, Libertarian plants, Green plants, or RINOs
– they are anti-Trump
– they reject the traditional family plank
– they reject the right to life plank
– they reject the immigration plank
– they reject the Second Amendment plank
– they reject the equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) plank
– they promote age discrimination
– they promote patronage and political affiliation discrimination
– they promote booze, gambling, pot, and other vices
– they want to curry favor with Democrat plants, Libertarian plants, Green plants, and/or RINOs
– they want to curry favor with Rich Miller and the rest of the Democrat news media in Illinois
– they want to curry favor with certain major donors
– they focus on destroying those who they cannot manipulate or dominate
– they know that they cannot manipulate or dominate me
– they want someone who they can manipulate or dominate to be the GOPUSA Illinois Editor
– they disapprove of one or more of my demographics

December 1 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Democrats must revisit the ‘deplorables’ if they want to stem Trumpism – Ron Grossman (DIERSEN: From what I see, ever-increasingly, Democrats do not want to revisit deplorables, they want to destroy deplorables. Deplorables are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-met-trumpism-deplorables-20171121-story.html
— Cover star: We’re imagining the conversation in the governor’s office this morning went something like this: Gov. Rauner, first the good news: You made the cover of a national conservative magazine. Now, the bad news: National Review’s headline was “The Worst Republican Governor in America.” And, well, the cover is, um, quite something. They drew you with a large cartoon head, and you’re wearing a leather jacket after just crashing your trademark motorcycle. You can read the piece here, but it’ll cost you two bucks unless you’re a subscriber (in which case you probably already knew about it). For the too long, didn’t read crowd: It’s your standard-issue coastal clip job. One tidbit: Rep. Jeanne Ives is called a “credible conservative challenger and wonky state representative.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-cook-county-soda-pop-tax-20171201-story.html
— Radio talk show host Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC put out a Speaker Madigan-themed attack mailer hitting House Republican leader Jim Durkin as he battles a primary challenge from Burr Ridge Village President Mickey Straub. Check it out here.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-cook-county-soda-pop-tax-20171201-story.html
— Supreme Court could let states allow sports bets – Phil Rosenthal (DIERSEN: Gambling is a vice. Democrats and Democrat plants, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs promote vice. Republicans oppose vice.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-spt-sports-gambling-supreme-court-rosenthal-20171130-story.html
— The Taxpayer Hush Money Fund protects sex abusers in Congress – Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-congress-sexual-harassment-hush-money-20171128-story.html
— Tax issues could become royal pain – Adam Taylor (DIERSEN: My wife and I have paid the marriage penalty big time since got married in 1978.SEE: https://www.fool.com/taxes/2017/11/25/will-tax-reform-get-rid-of-the-marriage-penalty.aspx)
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20171201/281827169089198
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURE IN THE NAPERVILLE SUN: Dan Rather warns Naperville audience of ‘dark’ times, need to heal country’s rift – David Sharos (DIERSEN: Anti-Trumps do not want to heal any kind of rift. They want to get rid of individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dan-rather-naperville-st-1201-20171130-story.html
— GOP leader says they have enough votes to pass tax bill – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-senate-tax-bill-20171201-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— Teaching and enforcing civility among public officials – Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171130/editorial-teaching-and-enforcing-civility-among-public-officials
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURES: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Those who are anti-men crow over their success in turning women against men. Those who promote LGBTQ activity are overjoyed.
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171201/suburban-women-fired-up-about-new-wave-of-female-candidates

 

WTTW
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: DePaul glorifies and praises a) those who come to America illegally, b) those who stay in America illegally, and c) those who bring others to America illegally.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/11/30/daca-repeal-puts-med-students-murky-waters

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— LGBT advocates seek to scuttle a vital Constitutional right – Travis Weber
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20171130/counterpoint-lgbt-advocates-seek-to-scuttle-vital-constitutional-right

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— McHenry County lawmakers, anti-abortion groups sue state over taxpayer-funded abortion measure – DAN McCALEB
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/11/30/mchenry-county-lawmakers-anti-abortion-groups-sue-state-over-taxpayer-funded-abortion-measure/aaw3tse/

 

SOUTHERN
— Once a skeptic, Sen. Durbin says he’s ‘impressed’ by HUD Secretary Carson’s early performance – MOLLY PARKER
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/acha/once-a-skeptic-sen-durbin-says-he-s-impressed-by/article_b9b11294-a5b5-5f66-be7a-fa873b9ea1bf.html

 

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Gov. Rauner Pitches Cutting Taxes And Slashing Regulation In DeKalb Speech – SUSAN STEPHENS
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/gov-rauner-pitches-cutting-taxes-and-slashing-regulation-dekalb-speech

 

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Three Local State Legislators Join Pro-Life Groups to Delay Implementation of Tax Paid Abortions
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/12/01/three-local-state-legislators-join-pro-life-groups-to-delay-implementation-of-tax-paid-abortions/

 

CAPITOL FAX
— Another one of those weeks for Gov. Rauner
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/01/another-one-of-those-weeks-for-gov-rauner/

 

GOPUSA
— Hush Fund: Make Congress’ harassment settlements public
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=34258

 

NEWSMAX
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps are overjoyed that Kinzinger says “Trump’s Anti-Muslim Retweets Didn’t Help Fight Terrorism.”
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/muslim-retweets-adam-kinzinger-terrorism/2017/11/30/id/829110/

 

DAILY CALLER
— Congress Paid Out $100K Of Taxpayer Money To Settle Male Staffers’ Harassment Claims Against Disgraced Democrat – Peter Hasson
http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/30/report-congress-paid-out-100k-of-taxpayer-money-to-settle-male-staffers-harassment-claims-against-disgraced-democrat/

 

THE HILL
— White House maintenance orders reveal cockroaches, ants and mice infestations – JOHN BOWDEN
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/362644-white-house-maintenance-orders-reveal-mice-infestations

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Republican Tax Bill Hits Snag Over Deficit Concerns – Thomas Kaplan, Alan Rappeport and Jim Tankersley
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/us/politics/republican-tax-bill-moves-closer-to-senate-passage.html
— Generation Grumpy: Why You May Be Unhappy if You’re Around 50 The generation of people born 1962 to 1971, now in what are typically peak earning years, are finding they are not doing as well as they might have expected. – Robert Gebeloff (DIERSEN: How much money a) do you expect to earn, b) are you earning, or c) did you earn during your “peak earning years?” Since 1997 when I was 49 years old and my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer,” I have earned $1,454,723 less in today’s dollars, that is, my GAO salary would have been $2,480,319, but my Civil Service Retirement System pension has been only $1,025,596, or $1,454,723 less.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/upshot/income-us-generations-survey-satisfaction-wealth.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: As people get older, they tend to become more at peace with their finances, survey research shows. But not the current crop of middle-aged Americans. Let’s call them the Grumpy Middle. They are unhappier than previous generations. And they’ve been this way for years. Typically, people 45 to 54 are more likely than others to say they are “pretty well satisfied” with their financial situation, according to the University of Chicago’s General Social Survey. Then the generation born between 1962 and 1971 started to reach their current age range — and bring their longstanding economic dissatisfaction with them. By 2016, as middle-aged Americans, they were 12 percent less likely to say they were satisfied financially, and 18 percent more likely to say they were unhappy.)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps focus on turning Britain against Trump, that is, against America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/opinion/britain-trump-tweets-visit.html
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: After Prejudice in Russia, Hope and Home in U.S. – Emily Palmer (DIERSEN: In the U.S., Illinois, DuPage County, Milton Township, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and my precinct, members of Group A promote prejudice against members of Group B. Members of Group A 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and members of Group B are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German Americans, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/nyregion/after-fleeing-anti-semitism-in-russia-finding-hope-and-a-home-in-the-us.html
— Without Obamacare Mandate, ‘You Open the Floodgates’ for Skimpy Health Plans – Reed Abelson (DIERSEN: Unless you are extremely wealthy, the less health, dental, and vision insurance that you have, the more that you force others to pay your major medical bills.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/health/health-insurance-obamacare-mandate.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Think of Tax Reform as the Trump Family’s Christmas List Billionaires will find extravagant goodies in their stockings. Everyone else gets lumps of coal. – Alan S. Blinder (DIERSEN: Are you going to get an extravagant goodie or a lump of coal?)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/think-of-tax-reform-as-the-trump-familys-christmas-list-1512086885
— FRONT PAGE: China’s Tech Giants Have a Second Job: Helping Beijing Spy on Its People Tencent and Alibaba are among the firms that assist authorities in hunting down criminal suspects, silencing dissent and creating surveillance cities – Liza Lin and Josh Chin (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents want to “silence dissent.” They have lots of religious, government, political, and financial clout. They dominate the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois, etc.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-tech-giants-have-a-second-job-helping-the-government-see-everything-1512056284

 

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Sexual harassment went unchecked for decades as payouts silenced accusers – Nathan Bomey and Marco della Cava
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/12/01/sexual-harassment-went-unchecked-decades-payouts-silenced-accusers/881070001/

 

FED SMITH
— House Votes to Double Probationary Period for New Feds – Ian Smith (DIERSEN: My Democrat GAO superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were furious that when I transferred from IRS to GAO in 1980 when I was 31 years old, that because I had been under a probationary period at IRS, I was not under a probationary period at GAO. Nevertheless, they did everything that they could to get rid of me. They forced me to take an $18,847 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer. GAO audits IRS. They kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO. They gave me unfair performance expectations and unfair performance appraisals. They assigned me to work for, to work with, and to supervise the office’s most problematic employees. They did not promote me beyond GS-13. They always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes. They forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, and even worse things. In my defense, I completed the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, became a licensed CPA in 1981, a Certified Fraud Examiner in 1990, a Certified Government Financial Manager in 1994, a Certified Financial Services Auditor in 1996, and a Forensic Accountant in 1997. In addition, I completed the requirements for a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2017/11/30/house-votes-double-probationary-period-new-feds/

 

MOTLEY FOOL
— Will Tax Reform Get Rid of the Marriage Penalty? Married couples with two working spouses often have to pay a higher tax rate than if they were single. – Matthew Frankel (DIERSEN: My wife and I have paid the marriage penalty big time since got married in 1978.)
https://www.fool.com/taxes/2017/11/25/will-tax-reform-get-rid-of-the-marriage-penalty.aspx

November 29 Morning Edition

CBS2
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal? Travel Expert Rick Steves Pushes For Legalization
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/11/28/recreational-marijuana-rick-steves-legalization/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Gutierrez federal pension estimated at $62,000 a year – Katherine Skiba
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-luis-gutierrez-pension-20171129-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: When U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez moves on from Congress to whatever is next for him, he could qualify for a federal pension of about $62,000 per year, a Washington group estimates. Federal pension details aren’t made public as they are for state officials and teachers. The estimate comes from the National Taxpayers Union, which since the late 1970s has calculated congressional pensions based on available data. Pete Sepp, the organization’s president, said the estimate assumes Gutierrez elected for his wife to be paid an annuity upon his death. His annual payout would be higher if he didn’t. Members of Congress also may receive a 401(k)-style supplement to their pensions if they made contributions, Sepp said. The calculation takes into account how long a lawmaker was in office. When Gutierrez entered Congress in 1993, the annual pay was $133,600. He has been paid $174,000 a year since 2009, when members of Congress last had a raise, according to the Congressional Research Service. In announcing he won’t run for re-election, Gutierrez said his plans included traveling the country with his wife, Soraida. Since 2010, Gutierrez has paid her a total of nearly $400,000 from his campaign war chest for help on his re-election campaigns, Federal Election Commission records show. The figure does not include reimbursements for office supplies and other expenses. During the first nine months of this year, he paid her a total of $42,000 in seven increments of $6,000 each. Reports show she has been paid for acting as his treasurer or account manager and for management and fundraising.)
— Gutierrez tries to anoint Garcia successor in Chicago politics shake-up – Rick Pearson and Hal Dardick
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-luis-gutierrez-congress-politics-20171128-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Tax reform: ‘Middle class’ is in eye of beholder – Lynn Sweet and Ashlee Rezin (DIERSEN: From what I see, outrageously, under proposed “tax reform,” the more that your itemized deductions have been, the more federal income tax that you will pay. My and my wife’s 2016 federal income tax return shows that we had $30,890 in itemized deductions. We paid $21,433 in medical and dental expenses and we were able to deduct $13,859 of that, we paid $12,835 in real estate taxes, we paid $1,468 in state income taxes, and we made $2,728 in 501(c)(3) contributions. From what I see, outrageously, the proposed “tax reform” is designed to a) punish those who have high medical and dental expenses, b) discourage homeownership, and c) discourage taking job-related graduate courses. Government should encourage homeownership. The deductibility of mortgage interest and real estate taxes a) encouraged me to buy a new town home in 1972 when I was 24 years old, a studio condo in 1974, and a one bedroom condo in 1976 and b) encouraged my wife and I to buy a home in 1978 and to have one built in 1984. Further, government should encourage getting job-related education. The deductibility of job-related education encouraged me to take job-related graduate courses 1972-1983 and 1992-1997.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/tax-reform-middle-class-eye-beholder/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Complicating matters: For all the talk about giving the middle class tax breaks, Democrats are skeptical that repealing a variety of popular deductions — such as for state taxes, a big one for Illinois — will yield the promised relief. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in CNN on Sunday, “the tax breaks for working families, half of them will see a tax increase, half a tax break. Those disappear, as Senator Graham just mentioned,” a Durbin reference to a provision that expires in 2027. “But the tax cuts for wealthiest people are permanent. That’s just unfair, and that’s why half of the American people are skeptical about this Trump tax plan,” Durbin said. . .Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., is on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and in a recent Sun-Times interview was asked what he considered middle-class income. He had no specific number. Neither did Trump White House Council of Economic Advisers chair Kevin Hassett when asked several weeks ago. “This is so fascinating because when you talk about middle income, it’s a very broad description,” Roskam said. “When you talk about who is wealthy, it is generally people saying, well, ‘I’m not wealthy, it’s somebody else.’” “And, we’ve had a wide range of opinions,” with places in the country “where $80,000 of household income is a whole lot of money and you have other areas around the country where $80,000 is not a whole lot of money. So it really is in the eyes of the beholder.”)
— Gutierrez: From chopping up ‘pig innards’ to owning $1.1M second home – Dan Mihalopoulos
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/gutierrez-from-chopping-up-pig-innards-to-owning-1-1m-second-home/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Gutierrez, who turns 64 next month, reported investments worth a total of between $1,325,022 and $2,975,000 at the end of 2015. That amount — which did not include his home in his 4th Congressional District — ranked 147th among the 435 House members, the Center for Responsive Politics said. He cashed in more than $1 million of those assets in 2016, lowering his total investments to somewhere between about $662,000 and $1.56 million, according to his most recent disclosure statement, which was filed in August. Gutierrez said that money went toward the June 2016 purchase of the new house in Puerto Rico for $1.1 million. “It cost us another couple hundred thousand dollars to rehab,” he said. “I bought a house that was then under construction for all of 2016.” . . . Gutierrez — who is paid $174,000 a year as a congressman — said he’s been smart with his personal finances but always acted appropriately as an elected official. “I’ve been fighting for people, doing my job, and ain’t nobody ever questioned my integrity,” he said, predicting that this article would be a “negative story.” For years, Gutierrez invested heavily in Chicago’s residential real estate market, moving repeatedly as he made hundreds of thousands of dollars buying and selling homes in the city. Although he described himself as a “walking open book,” he added, “It’s not important to look at what somebody is doing and what they’re buying. Big deal.” Assuming Gutierrez completes this final term in Congress in January 2019, he would have served 25 years in Washington and be eligible for a full pension of about $67,860 per year. Gutierrez also is eligible for Social Security. His payment would depend on the age he decided to start drawing a Social Security check, with maximum benefits reached by waiting until the age of 70. Before becoming a congressman, Gutierrez was an alderman representing the 26th Ward, the heart of the city’s Puerto Rican community. Chicago pension fund officials wouldn’t immediately say if he’s getting retirement benefits from the city or what those payments would be. His Gutierrez for Congress political committee has paid his wife, Soraida, nearly $400,000 for fundraising and for serving as treasurer and manager for the campaign fund during the past eight years, according to Federal Election Commission records. She was paid $42,000 by the campaign between the start of this year and Sept. 30. From 2003 and 2009, Soraida Gutierrez lobbied state government. The couple’s 37-year-old daughter Omaira Figueroa worked as a staffer for the Chicago City Council and now is on the state of Illinois payroll, with a $68,208-a-year salary as a “consumer counselor” for the Illinois Commerce Commission. Gutierrez often has highlighted the long road between his humble origins and where he ended up as a political power player. “After all, I’m the Puerto Rican son of a cabdriver and a factory worker, a kid who chopped up pig innards and swept the floor of an unsuccessful restaurant, a guy who had to drive a cab on the night shift to make ends meet,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill.”)

 

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR GRAPHIC: Suburban schools losing students but adding teachers – Jake Griffin (DIERSEN: As fewer and fewer and fewer students come from traditional families, it is harder and harder and harder to teach them.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171129/suburban-schools-losing-students-but-adding-teachers
— Palatine Township wants expert to referee board meetings – Bob Susnjara
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171129/palatine-township-wants-expert-to-referee-board-meetings

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Rauner finalizes $15 billion Medicaid overhaul – KRISTEN SCHORSCH
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171129/NEWS03/171129897

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Feds sue Springfield over group home ordinance – Crystal Thomas
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171128/feds-sue-springfield-over-group-home-ordinance
— Candidates should release full tax returns – Editorial
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20171128/our-view-candidates-should-release-full-tax-returns

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Big-bucks Dems bare some income sources, but not all – Jim Dey (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes talk and act like they get lots of money from individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and/or from those that a) reject planks in the Republican Party platform and/or the Illinois Republican Party platform and work against those like me who support those planks, b) reject the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling and work against those like me who support that resolution, c) focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate, d) were defendants in lawsuits that I have filed, and/or e) are operatives or dupes for the aforesaid.)
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-11-29/jim-dey-big-bucks-dems-bare-some-income-sources-not-all.html

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Taxing bodies should follow McHenry County Board in cutting property tax levies by 10 percent – Editorial
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/11/16/our-view-taxing-bodies-should-follow-mchenry-county-board-in-cutting-property-tax-levies-by-10-percent/atvnxlw/

 

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— CEO’s Dislike Illinois – Cole Lauterbach
http://www.altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=255971#.Wh6U0svR-M8

 

STATELINE
— New Campaign Ads, New Opponents for Illinois Governor Rauner in Gubernatorial Race Governor Rauner target of new Gubernatorial Campaign Ad – Jerrica Valtierra
http://www.mystateline.com/news/new-campaign-ads-new-opponents-for-illinois-governor-rauner-in-gubernatorial-race/866752332

 

SAUK VALLEY
— In search of honesty among public servants With the example of an honest retired city clerk and the perseverance of an ancient philosopher as inspiration, voters should accept the challenge of finding honest men and women to vote for in the March primary. – Editorial (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents do not want honest people. They want people who they can manipulate/dominate, and yes, who will do dishonest things for them. I am overjoyed when my critics/opponents say about me that “You cannot tell him what to do.”)
http://www.saukvalley.com/2017/11/22/svm-editorial-in-search-of-honesty-among-public-servants/akv2n4/

 

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— People want alternative to Rauner, Ives says – Glenn Minnis
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511278535-people-want-alternative-to-rauner-ives-says

 

ILLINOIS HOMEPAGE
— Roy Moore scandal divides Illinois GOP Moore’s mega-donor revealed – Mark Maxwell
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/moore-scandal-divides-illinois-gop/868194166

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— CHICAGO BAKERY LOSES $21M AFTER 800 WORKERS CAUGHT UP IN IMMIGRATION RAIDS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/11/chicago-bakery-loses-800-illegal-aliens-from-workforce.html
— THORNER: BACHMANN IN CHICAGO TO RAISE ABSTINENCE EDUCATION FUNDS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/11/thorner-michelle-bachman-touts-the-beauty-of-marriage-as-priority-view-in-todays-society.html
— CEO SURVEY: ILLINOIS THIRD-WORST STATE TO DO BUSINESS IN SINCE GREAT RECESSION
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/11/ceo-survey-illinois-third-worst-state-to-do-business-in-since-great-recession.html
— ILLINOIS ON UNSUSTAINABLE PATH, 113TH DISTRICT CANDIDATE SAYS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/11/illinois-on-unsustainable-path-113th-district-candidate-says.html

 

GOPUSA
— Chuck & Nancy boycott WH meeting; Trump shames them with empty chairs
http://www.gopusa.com/chuck-trump-shames-them-with-empty-chairs/

 

DAILY CALLER
— CNN Boycotts The White House Christmas Party — Sarah Sanders’ Response Is FIRE – Benny Johnson (DIERSEN: Who has boycotted your events? Members of the following groups boycotted TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois events while I served as the organization’s chairman 2005-2012: 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and those who a) reject planks in the Republican Party platform and/or the Illinois Republican Party platform and work against those like me who support those planks, b) reject the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling and work against those like me who support that resolution, c) focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate, d) were defendants in lawsuits that I have filed, and/or e) are operatives or dupes for the aforesaid. The aforesaid also boycotted Wheaton’s 2004 and 2005 Patriot Day events that I organized.)
http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/28/cnn-boycotts-the-white-house-christmas-party-sarah-sanders-response-is-fire/

 

BLAZE
— Schumer and Pelosi skipped a meeting with Trump because of this tweet – Aaron Colen (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who punish me for including links in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails to articles that they disapprove of. They punish me rather than punishing the authors of those articles. What do you think about that?)
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/11/28/schumer-and-pelosi-skipped-a-meeting-with-trump-because-of-this-tweet

 

POLITICO
— Luis Gutiérrez’s totally abnormal retirement ploy The abruptness and timing of the congressman’s announcement raises questions about his motives. – NATASHA KORECKI
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/28/luis-gutierrez-retirement-chicago-illinois-267821

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— What the Tax Bill Would Look Like for 25,000 Middle-Class Families – QUOCTRUNG BUI and BEN CASSELMAN (FROM THE ARTICLE: The story is very different for the roughly one-quarter of middle-class families that itemize deductions. The Senate bill would eliminate some popular tax breaks, including deductions for state and local taxes. As a result, households that take those deductions now could lose out. In total, about 40 percent of households that itemize their deductions would pay more in 2018 under the Senate bill — in some cases a lot more.)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/28/upshot/what-the-tax-bill-would-look-like-for-25000-middle-class-families.html
— Senate Considers Making a Terrible Tax Bill Even Worse Dragging its abysmal standards lower, it may throw more money at billionaires to win two crucial votes. – Editorial
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/opinion/senate-tax-bill.html
— Millions Pay the Obamacare Penalty Instead of Buying Insurance. Who Are They? – K.K. REBECCA LAI and ALICIA PARLAPIANO (DIERSEN: During my lifetime, I have paid lots of money for insurance including life insurance, health, dental, and vision insurance, home insurance, and car insurance.)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/28/us/politics/obamacare-individual-mandate-penalty-maps.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “Trump Shares Inflammatory Anti-Muslim Videos.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/us/politics/trump-anti-muslim-videos-jayda-fransen.html
— Retail Jobs Don’t Need to Be Bad. Here’s Proof. – Eduardo Porter (DIERSEN: What bad jobs have you had? According to my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes, all the jobs that I had were bad. But nevertheless, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that instead of me, Democrats, minorities, women, younger people, and veterans should have had the jobs that I had. I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; delivered mail 1966-1969; worked on an automobile assembly line and as a security guard in 1970; sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances 1970-1971; pumped gasoline 1971-1972; collected delinquent taxes 1971-1980; and audited federal agencies 1980-1997.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/business/economy/retail-work.html
— FRONT PAGE WITH COLOR PICTURE: HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Pushed to Fringes, Needy New Yorkers Face a Long Slog to Work – Jim Dwyer (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, my Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates were beyond furious a) when I got promoted to a GS-12 (currently $79,563) job in the Loop in 1974, b) when I bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building in 1974 and walked to work and to graduate business classes at Loyola, and c) when I bought a one bedroom condo in that building in 1976 and walked to work and to graduate accounting classes at DePaul.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/nyregion/new-york-subway-funding-real-estate.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: “Trump retweets inflammatory and unverified anti-Muslim videos.” (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, my critics/opponents want me to “verify” all articles before I include links to them in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails, that is, they want me to only include links to articles that they like.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/29/trump-retweets-inflammatory-and-unverified-anti-muslim-videos/
— Republicans had a big idea to give tax relief to the poor. Then it disappeared. – Jeff Stein (DIERSEN: If you are “poor,” you do not pay federal income tax.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/29/republicans-had-a-big-idea-to-give-tax-relief-to-the-poor-then-it-disappeared/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Where Chicago Isn’t the Second City Trains arrive on time, and the subway has 4G. This is the power of public investment. – William A. Galston
https://www.wsj.com/articles/where-chicago-isnt-the-second-city-1511913175
— Companies Foster Collaboration – Sue Shellenbarger (DIERSEN: The federal government fosters collaboration. It wants its employees to collaborate to get rid of their superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates who are Republican, and especially those who are White, male, non-veteran and who failed to make GS-13 (currently $94,610) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $111,801) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $131,508) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $161,900) by age 40.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/taking-one-for-the-team-companies-foster-collaboration-1511885844

 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES
— Who Funds Conservative Campus Group Turning Point USA? Donors Revealed – ALEX KOTCH (DIERSEN: Who funds you? No one funds me. To discredit me and my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails, my critics/opponent stress that Ed Bachrach, Henry Bradley, Richard DeVos, William Dixon, Stephen Einhorn, Vince Foglia, Foster Friess, Peter Huizenga, Vince Kolber, Mike Leven, Bernie Marcus, Virginia McCaskey, Mike Miller, Gary Rabine, Bruce Rauner, Richard Uihlein, Elizabeth Weiss, etc. HAVE NOT GIVEN ME ANY MONEY. They further stress that Bachrach, Kolber, McCaskey, and Rabine did not want to know about, to promote, to attend, or to report on their November 20 fundraiser for Ives.)
http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/who-funds-conservative-campus-group-turning-point-usa-donors-revealed-2620325

 

MOTLEY FOOL
— Will Tax Reform Get Rid of the Marriage Penalty? Married couples with two working spouses often have to pay a higher tax rate than if they were single. – Matthew Frankel (DIERSEN: My wife and I have paid the marriage penalty big time ever since we got married in 1978.)
https://www.fool.com/taxes/2017/11/25/will-tax-reform-get-rid-of-the-marriage-penalty.aspx

 

PILOT ONLINE
— Too late for training – Anamae Leon, Norfolk (DIERSEN: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years.)
https://pilotonline.com/opinion/letters/letter-too-late-for-training/article_349b45d2-70d2-5d48-9cdd-1206acb8bdfa.html

(FROM THE LETTER: I am a retired federal employee. I attended annual required classes on the prevention of sexual harassment for many years. The last few years I worked, an additional course on the prevention of sexual assault was required. Apparently, our esteemed members of Congress were exempt from this training and now must pass a bill so that they will be required to get such training. People in such positions know how to behave in the workplace. These men know exactly what they are doing. Years ago, when I was a teenager, my mother told me that it’s a man’s world. I protested at the time, but now, sadly, I know what she meant. We must do better as a nation. Our girls deserve better.)

November 23 Morning Edition

NBC5
— What Happens Once ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules Bite the Dust? The FCC’s move would allow companies like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to charge internet companies for speedier access to consumers and to block outside services they don’t like – Tali Arbel (DIERSEN: Which individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries “don’t like” you? Those that are members of the following groups “don’t like” me or my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails: 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and/or those that a) reject planks in the Republican Party platform and/or the Illinois Republican Party platform and work against those like me who support those planks, b) reject the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling and work against those like me who support that resolution, c) focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate, d) were defendants in lawsuits that I have filed, and/or e) are operatives or dupes for the aforesaid.)
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/What-Happens-Once-Net-Neutrality-Rules-Bite-the-Dust-459517313.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Stand up to the government and protect your internet rights – Editorial (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents want FCC to scrap net neutrality rules. My critics/opponents want you to see only what they want you to see. My critics/opponents want to stop me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out and they want to stop everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. But failing that, they want to stop me from including links in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails to articles that they disapprove of. I should write a book about how my critics/opponents punish me for including links in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails to articles that they disapprove of. They fail/refuse to include diersen@aol.com on their press advisory and press release lists. They do everything that they can to a) stop me from learning about their events and other activities, b) stop me from promoting their events and other activities, c) stop me from attending their events and other activities, and d) stop me from reporting on their events and other activities. They demonize, denigrate, and condemn my judgment, my intelligence, my motives, my abilities, and my accomplishments. They stress that I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, etc. They stress that they almost succeeded in getting ICRC to censure me at its 2006 Annual Convention. They stress that they will have their operatives and their dupes viciously destroy any individual, any organization, any company, and any government that might support me.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/editorial-stand-up-to-the-government-and-protect-your-internet-rights/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For that matter, would you be troubled if news and information about some controversial matter became tougher to find online because the major providers of internet service would just as soon you didn’t hear of it? The Federal Communications Commission wants to usher in that world. FCC Chairman Ajit V. Pai has a plan to scrap nearly every rule on the books that protects “net neutrality,” the idea that the companies that deliver internet service can’t pick and choose what you get to see or charge you extra for, say, applying for a job or watching a movie.)
— Wheaton-based marketing agency Ivor Andrew urges new license plates to replace ‘ugly, illegible mess’ – Mark Brown
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/brown-firm-urges-new-license-plates-to-replace-ugly-illegible-mess/
— Roskam’s tax bill in Congress would hurt the middle class – Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, Downers Grove
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/letters-tax-bill-in-congress-would-hurt-the-middle-class/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rep. Joe Barton told woman he would report her to Capitol Police if she exposed his secret sex life – Mike Debonis and Elise Viebeck (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents have not threatened me with reporting my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails to the police; they know that many law enforcement officials read the emails. Instead, they do everything that they can to stop me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out and to stop everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. Instead, they fail/refuse to include diersen@aol.com on their press advisory and press release lists. They do everything that they can to a) stop me from learning about their events and other activities, b) stop me from promoting their events and other activities, c) stop me from attending their events and other activities, and d) stop me from reporting on their events and other activities. They demonize, denigrate, and condemn my judgment, my intelligence, my motives, my abilities, and my accomplishments. They stress that I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, etc. They stress that they almost succeeded in getting ICRC to censure me at its 2006 Annual Convention. They stress that they will have their operatives and their dupes viciously destroy any individual, any organization, any company, and any government that might support me.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-joe-barton-nude-photo-20171122-story.html
— Tips for saving money on rent – Leslie Mann (DIERSEN: Government should encourage homeownership. The deductibility of mortgage interest and real estate taxes a) encouraged me to buy a new town home in 1972 when I was 24 years old, a studio condo in 1974, and a one bedroom condo in 1976 and b) encouraged my wife and I to buy a home in 1978 and to have one built in 1984.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/success/tca-tips-to-save-some-money-on-rent-20171122-story.html
— Sexual harassment lawsuit against former state Treasurer Dan Rutherford dismissed – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rutherford-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-20171122-story.html
— For the doughboys: How to preserve World War I memorials in Illinois – Editorial (DIERSEN: My outstanding grandfather on my father’s side fought the Germans in WWI.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-world-war-memorials-20171121-story.html
— 2018 ballots to start taking shape in the Southland – Mike Nolan
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-southland-candidate-filing-preview-st-1126-20171125-story.html
— I like to imagine I’d be much more generous, if I only had more to spare – Amy Koss (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those nasty churchgoers in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who viciously demonize me, who viciously denigrate me, and who viciously condemn me as being someone who is not generous enough. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am undeservedly filthy rich and that I should be extremely thankful a) that they have not yet stopped me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out, b) that they have not yet stopped everyone from reading those emails, c) that they have not yet ended my service as a Republican Precinct Committeeman, and d) that they let me serve as a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004, GAO employee 1980-1997, IRS employee 1971-1980, Post Office employee 1966-1969, etc.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-godmother-rich-wealthy-generous-brewery-artwalk-1123-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: I’m reminded of a joke: One guy says to another: “If you had two houses, would you give one to the poor?” The second guy esponds: “Yes, definitely.” First fellow: “If you had two cars, would you give one to the poor?” “Sure.” Finally, the first guy asks, “If you had two shirts, would you give one to the poor?” The second guy scoffs, “No way, that’s ridiculous.” “But why?” Answer: “Because I have two shirts!”)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: In an editorial with a big picture unethically made to look like a news article, anti-Trumps glorify and praise those who come to America illegally, those who stay in America illegally, and those who bring others to America illegally.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-bc-us–immigrant-medical-students-20171020-story.html

 

QUAD CITY TIMES
— Middle-class seniors lose in tax reform – Rex Hutchison, Davenport (DIERSEN: I certainly hope that Bost, Davis, Hultgren, Kinzinger, LaHood, Roskam, and Shimkus will work hard in conference with the Senate to keep all the current itemized deductions and the personal exemption.)
http://qctimes.com/opinion/letters/letter-middle-class-seniors-lose-in-tax-reform/article_68a3c5cc-f95b-5bfa-90bf-5517df1ebd78.html
(FROM THE LETTER: If you are retired, own your home, have a decent retirement income, and itemize your federal taxes, get ready to pay more to support the tax reform bills being debated in Congress. It is obvious that for many, particularly for retired seniors, these proposals will result in a considerable tax increase for those who can least afford it. If you’ve been frugal, don’t have a mortgage, have no dependent children, and itemize your federal income taxes, you can expect your tax bill to increase. The math is simple. Taking away the ability to deduct Iowa income taxes, property taxes, and losing the personal exemptions may very well result in significant tax increases of $1,200 a year or more. An additional $1.5 trillion added to the national debt has to be paid for. You can expect that an all-out effort to cut social programs such as Medicare will be launched to the detriment of retired couples. My wife and I believe in giving back to the community and donate regularly to charitable organizations. We can partially alleviate this increase in federal taxes by no longer supporting organizations that do so much good in our community. Make no mistake, while this may be a boon to corporations and the very wealthy, it is not a “great gift” to many middle-class seniors who have worked hard and have been fiscally responsible to provide a decent retirement. I encourage everyone to do the math and determine if this is really such a great gift.)

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Lineup for 2018 to get going with filing – Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20171122/bernard-schoenburg-lineup-for-2018-to-get-going-with-filing

 

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Operative in Mexican drug cartel appears in Chicago court – AP (DIERSEN: Should I write a book about the operatives and the dupes who work for my critics/opponents? They do everything that they can to stop me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out and to stop everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. They fail/refuse to include diersen@aol.com on their press advisory and press release lists. They do everything that they can to a) stop me from learning about conservative and Republican events and other activities, b) stop me from promoting conservative and Republican events and other activities, c) stop me from attending conservative and Republican events and other activities, and d) stop me from reporting on conservative and Republican events and other activities. They demonize, denigrate, and condemn my judgment, my intelligence, my motives, my abilities, and my accomplishments. They stress that I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, etc. They stress that they almost succeeded in getting ICRC to censure me at its 2006 Annual Convention. They stress that they will viciously destroy any individual, any organization, any company, and any government that might support me.)
http://www.bnd.com/news/state/illinois/article186182223.html

 

BENTON EVENING NEWS
— Strange bedfellows, as union, Proft line up against Durkin – Rich Miller (DIERSEN: Those who line up against me are not strange bedfellows, they 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors and/or they a) reject planks in the Republican Party platform and/or the Illinois Republican Party platform and work against those like me who support those planks, b) reject the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling and work against those like me who support that resolution, c) focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate, d) were defendants in lawsuits that I have filed, and/or e) are operatives or dupes for the aforesaid.)
http://www.bentoneveningnews.com/opinion/20171122/rich-miller-strange-bedfellows-as-union-proft-line-up-against-durkin

 

NPR ILLINOIS
— Senior Republican Congressman John Shimkus Declines To Endorse Gov. Rauner – BRIAN MACKEY
http://nprillinois.org/post/senior-republican-congressman-declines-endorse-gov-rauner
— Third Party Candidates Want Rules Eased To Get On Ballot – MARY HANSEN (DIERSEN: Democrats and Democrat plants, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs want Republicans who support the Republican Party platform, the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform, and/or the Milton Township Republican Central Committee (MTRCC) resolution against video gambling to leave the MTRCC, to leave the DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC), and to leave the IRP and form a third party. I should write a book about Democrat plants, Libertarian plants, Green plants, and RINOs in the MTRCC, DCRCC, and IRP.)
http://nprillinois.org/post/third-party-candidates-want-rules-eased-get-ballot

 

WJBD RADIO
— Six Benefits of Being Thankful (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those nasty churchgoers in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who viciously demonize me, who viciously denigrate me, and who viciously condemn me as being someone who is not thankful enough. They hint/imply/argue/shout that I am undeservedly filthy rich and that I should be extremely thankful a) that they have not yet stopped me from putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out, b) that they have not yet stopped everyone from reading those emails, c) that they have not yet ended my service as a Republican Precinct Committeeman, and d) that they let me serve as a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004, GAO employee 1980-1997, IRS employee 1971-1980, Post Office employee 1966-1969, etc.)
http://www.wjbdradio.com/afternoon-show-blog/2017/11/22/six-benefits-of-being-thankful
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Thanksgiving is all about food and football for a lot of us. But it’s also about being grateful. Here are six reasons to reflect and be thankful for what you’ve got tomorrow. And why you should try to do it every day, not just on Thanksgiving . . .It makes you more patient. A study last year gave people the option of getting a small amount of money immediately, or MORE money at a later date. The one’s who’d shown more gratitude in earlier tests were more likely to wait for the bigger payout. It’s good for relationships. A 2010 study found taking time to be grateful toward your partner makes you more connected, and boosts your overall satisfaction as a couple. You take better care of yourself. A study in 2013 showed that when you’re grateful, you’re also more likely to exercise, eat healthy, and go to the doctor on a regular basis. It can help you sleep. A 2009 study found a connection between gratitude and sleeping well. Possibly because it makes you more positive, which relaxes your nervous system. And you don’t lie in bed worrying so much. It gives you more willpower to make better decisions. It even works with food. For example, if you eat dinner tomorrow and then write a list of things you’re thankful for, you’ll be less likely to go back for seconds. It makes you happier. There’s something called the “Three Good Things” exercise, where you have to think of three good things that happened each day. Studies have shown it can help with depression, and boost your overall happiness.)

 

CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Illinois GOP calls on Durbin, Duckworth to give away Franken contributions – Caitlin Nordah
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511274506-illinois-gop-calls-on-durbin-duckworth-to-give-away-franken-contributions

 

KANE COUNTY REPORTER
— Kane County Board member finds opposition to property tax freeze ‘comical’ – Christopher Mobley
https://kanecountyreporter.com/stories/511274523-kane-county-board-member-finds-opposition-to-property-tax-freeze-comical

 

MCHENRY TIMES
— Prairie Grove trustee calls property tax freeze ‘a sham’ – Karen Kidd
https://mchenrytimes.com/stories/511270156-prairie-grove-trustee-calls-property-tax-freeze-a-sham

 

CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN NEWS
— 7 OUT OF TOP 10 RICHEST IN CONGRESS ARE DEMOCRATS – Alex Cameron
http://conservativerepublicannews.com/2017/11/22/7-out-of-top-10-richest-in-congress-are-democrats/

 

LIFE SITE NEWS
— Trump’s State Department recognizes ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’ – Lisa Bourne
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/u.s.-state-department-recognizes-transgender-day-of-remembrance
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Conservative activist Peter LaBarbera said the Tillerson transgender day statement was a “huge strategic and policy error.” “What’s wrong with these people?” he asked. “This is so bizarre. What do they hope to gain?” LaBarbera, president of Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality, criticized any maintenance of the previous administration’s overseas activism in regard the LGBT agenda, something not necessarily appreciated by many foreign countries. “This is typical of what people resented all over the world under Obama,” he said. “You are siding with homosexual advocacy, which is opposed all over the world.” “Other countries don’t share our recognition and even celebration of immorality,” continued LaBarbera. He concurred that support for so-called gay rights isn’t necessarily synonymous with human rights, and in fact often means taking away rights from those who aren’t on board with gay marriage. He pointed to the various U.S. small business owners who have been sued or otherwise persecuted for declining to take part in homosexual weddings. “You can respect and defend and celebrate human rights without celebrating LGBT identities and activism,” LaBarbera said. “We know that homosexual activists are very aggressive overseas, and for the U.S. to some on board with this as just another human right is ridiculous.” “We would have thought that these official acknowledgments would have ended with the Obama administration,” he continued, “and the fact that they are continuing under Trump is deeply troubling.”)

 

THE HILL
— Non-profits and charities can’t afford to lose grassroots donors due to tax reform – PAULA SCHNEIDER (DIERSEN: A major reason why my wife and I contribute more money to 501(c)(3) organizations is that the contributions are deductible. The contributions are deductible because we have large medical and dental, real estate, and state income tax deductions.)
http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/361556-non-profits-and-charities-cant-afford-to-lose-grassroots-donors-due-to-tax

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Real Estate Agents Mobilize to Shield Homeowners on Tax Plan – Conor Dougherty and Ben Casselman (DIERSEN: Limiting or eliminating any of the itemized deductions will drive home values down.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/business/economy/tax-real-estate.html
— States Warn of Budget Crunch Under Republican Tax Plan – Alan Rappeport (DIERSEN: Limiting or eliminating any of the itemized deductions will drive home values down.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/us/politics/states-warn-of-budget-crunch-under-republican-tax-plan.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, if you do not promote LGBTQ activity, anti-Trumps demonize you, denigrate you, and condemn you.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/us/politics/alliance-defending-freedom-gay-rights.html

 

FORTUNE
— J.P. Morgan’s Jamie Dimon (WHO PROMOTES THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER) Says He’d Bet Trump Will Be a One-Term President – Reuters (DIERSEN: To promote the SPLC is to reject all the religion of the world and to promote LGBTQ activity.)
http://fortune.com/2017/11/22/jamie-dimon-trump-one-term/

 

FORBES
— Nine In Ten Will Claim The Standard Deduction Under Tax Reform According To New White House Study – Ryan Ellis (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, if you itemize your deductions, you are viciously demonized, viciously denigrated, and viciously condemned as being undeservedly filthy rich by members of the following groups: 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors. My and my wife’s 2016 federal income tax return shows that we had $30,890 in itemized deductions. We paid $21,433 in medical and dental expenses and we were able to deduct $13,859 of that, we paid $12,835 in real estate taxes, we paid $1,468 in state income taxes, and we made $2,728 in 501(c)(3) contributions. To support the GOP tax bill is to say that a) you want those who take the standard deduction to pay less federal income tax and b) you want those who itemize their deductions to pay more federal income tax. Overwhelmingly, a) those who take the standard deduction are renters and younger and are more likely to vote for Democrats and b) those who itemize their deductions are homeowners and older and are more likely to vote for Republicans. From what I see, Republican leaders want those who itemize their deductions to take the biggest tax hit. I itemized 1972-1977 and my wife and I have itemized since 1978. Government should encourage homeownership and taking job-related graduate courses. The deductibility of mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and job-related education a) encouraged me to take job-related graduate courses 1972-1983 and 1992-1997, b) encouraged me to buy a new town home in 1972, a studio condo in 1974, and a one bedroom condo in 1976, and c) encouraged my wife and I to buy a home in 1978 and to have one built in 1984.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanellis/2017/11/22/nine-in-ten-will-claim-the-standard-deduction-under-tax-reform-according-to-new-white-house-study/#22cbf0e2172d

November 5 Evening Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Illinois’ first fracking permit returned by Kansas company, citing ‘costly’ regulations – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-illinois-fracking-permit-returned-20171103-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps crow over their success in driving down Trump’s approval rating.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-approval-rating-poll-20171105-story.htm
— OUTSTANDING: More border crossers prosecuted in ‘new era’ of enforcement – AP
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-border-crossing-prosecutions-20171105-story.html
— ‘Bullies’ and boiling points: How Bob Corker left President Trump, and why it may not be over – Sean Sullivan (DIERSEN: Who are the biggest bullies in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois? Which individuals, organizations, companies, and governments do they bully and why?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-bob-corker-trump-20171105-story.html
— Amid Chicago gun violence, public campaign aims to help keep victims from bleeding to death – Robert McCoppin
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-stop-bleeding-training-20171018-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— NFL is paying the price for selling patriotism – Rick Morrissey
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/nfl-anthem-kaepernick-patriotism-mcnair/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “Government tries to blind Chicago to grim gun statistics.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/gun-sales-information-atf-trace-report/

DAILY HERALD
— 26 killed in church attack in Texas’ deadliest mass shooting – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171105/26-killed-in-church-attack-in-texas-deadliest-mass-shooting
— Rand Paul recovering from 5 broken ribs – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20171105/news/311059902/
— Elgin area school officials admit disparity in black male education – James Fuller (DIERSEN: What percent of black male students are from non-traditional families? The Democrat Party platform destroys traditional families and promotes LGBTQ activity.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171104/elgin-area-school-officials-admit-disparity-in-black-male-education
— AP counts 5 players protesting during anthems – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20171105/sports/311059936/

KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
— Panel encourages women to consider careers in manufacturing – BRENDA SCHORY (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, my superiors were always frustrated in their efforts to hire and to retain women because qualified women could always get better jobs in the private sector. Many millions have not and will not seek a job with the federal government a) because the pay and benefits are terrible, b) because the advancement opportunities are terrible, c) because they lack required education, work experience, professional certifications, and/or professional licenses, d) because they cannot pass an employment examination, e) because they cannot pass a background investigation, f) because they cannot pass a physical examination, g) because they cannot take the demonization, denigration, and condemnation that comes with being a federal employee or federal retiree, and/or h) because they are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and they know that the federal government discriminates against the aforesaid.)
http://www.kcchronicle.com/2017/10/31/panel-encourages-women-to-consider-careers-in-manufacturing/a9wkrdp/

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— Sex-harassment bill puts Illinois leaders on the defensive – AP (DIERSEN: The federal government requires all its employees to take lots of anti-discrimination training. The training presupposes that all a) men discriminate against women, b) Whites discriminate against non-Whites, c) older people discriminate against younger people, d) non-LGBTQ people discriminate against LGBTQ people, e) Protestants discriminate against non-Protestants, f) German Americans discriminate against non-German Americans, g) Republicans discriminate against non-Republicans, h) conservatives discriminate against non-conservatives, i) patriotic people discriminate against non-patriotic people, j) Americans discriminate against non-Americans, k) rich people discriminate against non-rich people, and l) those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time discriminate against those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time. Consequently, federal employees are overwhelmingly a) anti-men, b) anti-White, c) anti-older people, d) anti-non-LGBTQ people, e) anti-Protestant, f) anti-German American, g) anti-Republican, h) anti-conservative, i) anti-patriotic people, j) anti-American, k) anti-rich people, and l) anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://www.bnd.com/news/state/illinois/article182888391.html

SOUTHERN
— Attorney general race in Illinois is one to watch – LENORE SOBOTA
http://thesouthern.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/attorney-general-race-in-illinois-is-one-to-watch/article_aba50e7f-107c-5304-824e-4f5d4bc03dd0.html

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— In Tokyo, Trump calls Texas shooting an ‘act of evil’ President makes first remarks since 26 killed – JEREMY DIAMOND
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/in-tokyo-trump-calls-texas-shooting-an-act-of-evil/851729246

CHICAGO NOW
— Chicago’s long downhill slide – Peter Bella (DIERSEN: QUESTION: Have you lived in Chicago? ANSWER: I lived in Chicago part-time for 3 months in 1971 and 1974-1976 and then full-time 1976-1978. QUESTION: Have you worked in Chicago? ANSWER: I worked in Chicago for 6 months in 1971 and then 1973-1997. QUESTION: Have you attended classes at universities in Chicago? ANSWER: I attended classes at universities in Chicago 1966-1968, 1971-1983, and 1992-1997. QUESTION: Where did you get married? ANSWER: I got married in Chicago in 1978.)
http://www.chicagonow.com/interesting-chicago/2017/10/chicagos-long-down-hill-slide/

NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
— Sleep Out Saturday 2017 (DIERSEN: What do you say to those individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that demonize, denigrate, and condemn other individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries for not doing more to help the homeless?)
https://www.nctv17.com/news/sleep-out-saturday-2017/

NORTH COOK NEWS
— Taxpayer-funded abortion, ‘sanctuary’ laws turned House candidate Katie Miller against Rauner – Angela Underwood
https://northcooknews.com/stories/511259060-taxpayer-funded-abortion-sanctuary-laws-turned-house-hopeful-against-rauner

FEDERALIST
— The Research Proves The No. 1 Social Justice Imperative Is Marriage For the last 20 years, marital status has increasingly become the central factor in whether our neighbors rise above, remain, or descend into poverty. The research is astounding. – Glenn T. Stanton
http://thefederalist.com/2017/11/03/research-proves-no-1-social-justice-imperative-marriage/

DAILY CALLER
— Liberal Columnists Attack Sarah Sanders For Her Weight, Southern Accent – Peter Hasson
http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/03/liberal-columnists-attack-sarah-sanders-for-her-weight-southern-accent/?utm_source=site-share

BLAZE
— The FBI has confirmed the motive behind the assault on Sen. Rand Paul (DIERSEN: Are you a Republican? What percent of your neighbors are anti-Republican?)
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/11/05/the-fbi-has-confirmed-the-motive-behind-the-assault-on-sen-rand-paul/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The FBI has confirmed the motive behind the assault on Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). What do they believe? According to local Kentucky news station WNKY-TV, the FBI launched an investigation into the attack shortly after it happened. They believe the attack, which occurred Friday afternoon, was politically motivated. The Daily Caller revealed Saturday evening that the assailant, 59-year-old Rene Boucher, is a registered Democrat whose Facebook page was riddled with posts voicing his opposition to President Donald Trump and the GOP. What happened? Boucher allegedly assaulted Paul while he was mowing his lawn around 3:20 p.m. Friday afternoon. According to reports, the two are neighbors and have had an ongoing feud, though it’s not clear what the disagreement is.)

POLITICO
— Sexual misconduct allegations rock statehouses In state after state, officials are scrambling to deal with a deluge of disturbing revelations. – NATASHA KORECKI, CARLA MARINUCCI and JIMMY VIELKIND
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/05/sexual-misconduct-allegations-statehouses-244555

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— OUTSTANDING: More border crossers prosecuted in ‘new era’ of enforcement
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/nov/05/more-border-crossers-prosecuted-in-new-era-of-enfo/

NEW YORK TIMES
— Texas Church Shooting Leaves at Least 26 Dead, Officials Say – David Montgomery and Christopher Mele
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/us/church-shooting-texas.html

WASHINGTON POST
— At least 26 dead in South Texas church shooting, officials say – Peter Holley, Kristine Phillips and Wesley Lowery
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/11/05/reports-multiple-people-shot-at-texas-church/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— At Least 26 Dead in South Texas Church Shooting Authorities identify shooter as Devin Patrick Kelley – Melissa Korn, Alejandro Lazo and Russell Gold
https://www.wsj.com/articles/multiple-people-shot-at-baptist-church-in-south-texas-1509910614

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
— Chicago Fund Means More Immigrants Getting Legal Help A study shows that a $1.3 million fund set up by Chicago to beef up legal services for immigrants facing deportation is working. – AP (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats encourage people a) to come to America illegally, b) to stay in America illegally, and c) to bring others to America illegally.)
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2017-11-05/study-chicago-fund-means-more-immigrants-getting-legal-help

FED SMITH
— Federal Employees and Marijuana – Ralph R. Smith (DIERSEN: If you use pot, you should not be hired. If you are an employee and you use pot, you should be fired.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2017/11/05/federal-employees-marijuana/

THINK PROGRESS
— The problem with Paul Ryan’s call for sexual harassment training for members of Congress The people who can do something to address sexual harassment won’t do it. – KIRA LERNER ((DIERSEN: The federal government requires all its employees to take lots of anti-discrimination training. The training presupposes that all a) men discriminate against women, b) Whites discriminate against non-Whites, c) older people discriminate against younger people, d) non-LGBTQ people discriminate against LGBTQ people, e) Protestants discriminate against non-Protestants, f) German Americans discriminate against non-German Americans, g) Republicans discriminate against non-Republicans, h) conservatives discriminate against non-conservatives, i) patriotic people discriminate against non-patriotic people, j) Americans discriminate against non-Americans, k) rich people discriminate against non-rich people, and l) those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time discriminate against those whose ancestors have not been in America for a long time. Consequently, federal employees are overwhelmingly a) anti-men, b) anti-White, c) anti-older people, d) anti-non-LGBTQ people, e) anti-Protestant, f) anti-German American, g) anti-Republican, h) anti-conservative, i) anti-patriotic people, j) anti-American, k) anti-rich people, and l) anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://thinkprogress.org/paul-ryan-harassment-training-8e88a6990021/

SALON
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Carol Anderson demonizes, denigrates, and condemns Trump and his supporters.
https://www.salon.com/2017/11/05/white-spite-education-is-at-the-center-of-trumps-politics_partner/