Tag: POT

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Evanston man’s Donald Trump sign burned on his front lawn – Lee V. Gaines
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/news/ct-evr-evanston-trump-sign-tl-1102-20161102-story.html
— The freebie party is over, aldermen. Welcome to hoi polloi. – Editorial
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-aldermen-cubs-tickets-ethics-edit-1103-md-20161102-story.html
— Staples offering employees $100/month to help pay off student loans – Gail MarksJarvis  (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, it offered either no reimbursement for tuition for job-related college courses or just a token reimbursement.  My superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government used that non-reimbursement policy to justify their not taking job-related college courses.  Nevertheless, I spent a tremendous amount of my own time and my own money earning a job-related bachelor’s degree in 1970, earning three job-related masters degrees in 1976, 1980, and 1997, and earning two job-related professional certifications in 1979 and 1981.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-staples-student-loan-help-1102-20161102-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Saples has become the latest company trying to attract and keep young workers who are fretting about how they will pay their college student loans. The company announced Wednesday that it will provide $100 a month for up to 36 months to full-time sales associates and “high potential” and “top performing” employees who are paying off student loans or in the process of earning a degree. With unemployment low, many companies are struggling to pull in and retain dedicated young workers with good skills, and increasingly they are eyeing help with student loans as a means to stand out as an employer, said Gary Kushner, president of Kushner & Co. a Michigan-based benefits consulting firm. While large companies such as Fidelity Investments and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have received national attention for providing the new benefit, small and medium-size companies are especially interested in it as a retention tool, he said. “If you are fortunate enough to get skills and the right cultural fit, you want to hold onto the person as long as you can,” said Kushner. He noted that retailers especially face a struggle. About 4 percent of employers have been offering student loan repayment help this year, according to a Society for Human Resource Management survey of employers. Americans have about $1.2 trillion in student loan debt and about half of those with loans have monthly payments that are excessive based on their incomes, according to a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Academic research has shown the pressure of college loans is causing some millennials to delay marriage, children and home purchases. . .The company also is offering a tuition reimbursement program for some employees who pursue education while working and gives 30 college scholarships of $3,000 each to children of employees. Helping employees pursue education while on the job is not a new benefit. In contrast to the new perk aimed at new workers with student loans, the old programs were designed to increase skills of existing employees. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, tuition reimbursement programs for employees who go to undergraduate or master’s programs have been cut back in recent years. In 2012, 58 percent of employers were offering the benefit to employees going to graduate school. In 2016, that had dropped to 52 percent. For undergraduate tuition, 61 percent were giving benefits in 2012, but that had dropped to 55 percent in 2016. Tanya Mulvey, researcher for the human resources group, said that employers have been looking for ways to cut some benefit costs to make up for the extra cost of health insurance. The average tuition reimbursement per employee per year was $4,442 in 2016, she said. Companies offering tuition reiumbursements can receive a tax deduction.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Rahm’s floor leader: Mistake to pick fight with ‘spiteful’ Trump – Fran Spielman  (DIERSEN: Who are the most spiteful people in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois?  I should write a book about the most spiteful people in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois.  They all blame me for their problems, for your problems, for my problems, and for everyone’s problems.)
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/rahms-floor-leader-mistake-to-pick-fight-with-spiteful-trump/

DAILY HERALD
— Why Kane County taxpayers owe $283,000 to IRS – James Fuller
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161102/news/161109717/
— Dold, Schneider divided on Syrian refugees – Russell Lissau
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161102/news/161109756/

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— CPS brags, but new teachers’ deal still whacks taxpayers – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161102/BLOGS02/161109945/cps-brags-but-new-teachers-deal-still-whacks-taxpayers
— Chicago wages up almost 3 percent, Glassdoor report says – JUDITH RUIZ-BRANCH
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161102/NEWS07/161039972/chicago-wages-up-almost-3-percent-glassdoor-report-says
— Illinois’ pension woes are not so bad after all* – Bloomberg
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161102/NEWS02/161109955/illinois-pension-woes-are-not-so-bad-after-all
(FROM THE ARTICLE: New Jersey became the state with the worst-funded public pension system in the U.S. in 2015, followed closely by Kentucky and Illinois. The Garden State had $135.7 billion less than it needs to cover all the benefits that have been promised, a $22.6 billion increase over the prior year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Illinois’s unfunded pension liabilities rose to $119.1 billion from $111.5 billion. The two were among states whose retirement systems slipped further behind as rock-bottom bond yields and lackluster stock-market gains caused investment returns to fall short of targets. The median state pension had 74.5 percent of assets needed to meet promised benefits, down from 75.6 percent the prior year. The decline followed two years of gains. The shortfall for states overall was $1.1 trillion in 2015.)
— Conspiracy theories abound – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161102/BLOGS02/161109949/trump-rauner-madigan-conspiracy-theories-abound
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This being the election year of the conspiracy theory, allow me to let you in on a couple of the better ones floating around the Land of Lincoln. They’re not quite as provocative as tales about who’s really pulling FBI chief James Comey’s strings, or what Vladimir Putin promised Donald Trump. But anything that involves Bruce Rauner, Mike Madigan, zillions of TV ad dollars and hidden income tax returns reaches a certain level of interest. Story No. 1 concerns the big super PAC that state Sen. Dan Biss put together, the one no one had heard of until a couple of weeks ago, when it suddenly started spending big money—now $10 million or so—on ads tying Gov. Rauner to the GOP presidential nominee, who may be popular in some places but not in most of Illinois.)

ABC7
— GOP PLAN FOR A CLINTON PRESIDENCY: BLOCK AND RESIST – AP  (DIERSEN: If Clinton is elected, she will give preference to her supporters, that is, to those individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors, that is, she will discriminate against those who are Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
Legal marijuana may be added to Las Vegas’ list of vices

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— 12 percent of Illinois voters have cast ballots – AP
http://www.fox32chicago.com/politics/215170781-story

WBEZ
— Campaign Cash: How Rauner’s Money Is Spent – Tony Arnold
https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/campaign-cash-how-rauners-money-is-spent/f17e0712-eb89-4b3a-84ae-2bb335140e6f

CHICAGO DEFENDER
— Election 2016: Top Issues Black People Should Consider – Mary L. Datcher  (DIERSEN: What are your demographics?  What issues should those who share your demographics consider?  Those who are anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors vote for those candidates who promise to get rid of those who are Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.)
http://chicagodefender.com/2016/11/02/election-2016-top-issues-black-people-should-consider/

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Crystal Lake City Council sets civil fines for marijuana possession – KEVIN P. CRAVER  (DIERSEN: To promote pot in America is to promote the destruction of America.)
http://www.nwherald.com/2016/11/02/crystal-lake-city-council-sets-civil-fines-for-marijuana-possession/a1vnvor/

ROCK RIVER TIMES
— Endorsements: Vote Mendoza for Comptroller
http://rockrivertimes.com/2016/11/02/endorsements-vote-mendoza-for-comptroller/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Bush family mum on voting for Clinton or Trump  Several members wouldn’t endorse Trump – CNN  (DIERSEN: To not vote for Trump is to vote for Clinton.  Those who do not vote for Trump should be barred from seeking or holding any kind of government or political office as a Republican.)
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/bush-family-mum-on-voting-for-clinton-or-trump

SIU NEWS
— Business college names ‘Emerging Saluki Leader Award’ winners – Christi Mathis  (DIERSEN: GAO promoted me to GS-13 in 1986 when I was 38 years old.  According to FederalPay.org, at https://www.federalpay.org/gs/2016/GS-13,”A GS-13 employee in civilian government is roughly equivalent to an O-5 in the military, in terms of compensation. In the U.S. Army, O-5 is ranked Lieutenant Colonel” and “Most organizations have a limited number of GS-13 and above positions. GS-13 is typically a team lead position with around 10 people directly below them.”)
http://news.siu.edu/2016/11/110216cjm16168.php

NADIG NEWSPAPERS
— Election ‘environment’ portends GOP losses – RUSS STEWART  (DIERSEN: What class are you in? (1) the won’t haves; (2) the entitlement class; (3) the keep what I haves; (4) the haves; or the (5) the wealthy?)
http://nadignewspapers.com/2016/11/02/election-environment-portends-gop-losses/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Instead of having to plow through 1,500 words to ascertain this columnist’s Nov. 8 predictions, here is the list, in the first paragraph: Hillary Clinton, Tammy Duckworth, Susana Mendoza, Brad Schneider, a Democratic U.S. Senate majority, a narrow Republican U.S. House majority, Mike Madigan and a 68-50 House majority, Laura Murphy, a Cook County Democratic tsunami, and, in an oddity, Republican state Representative Mike McAuliffe. The biggest loser will be Bruce Rauner, and the biggest winner will be the status quo. On Nov. 9 the nationwide and Illinois political environment will be barely different from Nov. 8. Environment. In real estate, success in selling famously is determined by location, location, location. In politics, success in winning is determined by environment, environment, environment. The end of the 2016 election campaign is decidedly un-Trump, non-Trump and anti-Trump. Being a Democrat in a Democratic-friendly nation, state or district, is the ticket to victory. That was not always so. The campaign, which began in mid-2015, shaped up as an anti-status quo year. It is ending as a status quo year. There is so much wrong in America and with America — the economy, the political system, the criminal justice system, wealth allocation, the health care system, the education system and the country’s foreign policy. Should not the Obama-Clinton Administration be held accountable? It’s not. It’s all just sound and fury. Up until the 1990s the country was divided between the haves and the have nots. Now it’s schismed between (1) the won’t haves, essentially the Millennial generation, which has maximum debt and minimal job opportunities and which views income redistribution as the solution; (2) the entitlement class, which includes retirees and all those who receive some income from some government source; (3) the keep what I haves, primarily the working class, struggling to pay their bills and affected the most by crime, property taxes and neighborhood change; (4) the haves, those families earning more than $100,000, spending more than they make, worth maybe $1 million, and worried about the future; and (5) the wealthy, the infamous top 1 percent, whose net worth is $10 million and up. Of those demographic sectors, only two in 2016 sought to upset the status quo, the Millennials, who embraced Bernie Sanders’ socialism, and the working class, who embraced Donald Trump’s anti-elitist populism. Each was sending the message no more Clintonism, Obamaism, Bushism, elitism, insiderism and favoritism. Yet, on Nov. 8, all of those “isms” will triumph.)

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Tribune Reports Reick Has Received $1.3 Million, Bartman $305,000 in Race to Replace Franks
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/11/02/tribune-reports-reick-has-received-1-3-million-bartman-305000/
— GOP Letter from Dorr Township Precinct Committeeman
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/11/01/gop-letter-from-dorr-township-precinct-committeeman/
— Lying Jack Franks Makes an Even Bigger False Promise: “No More High Property Taxes in McHenry County”
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/11/01/99312/
— Another Dissatisfied with Huntley Park District Voting Machines
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/10/31/another-dissatisfied-with-huntley-park-district-voting-machines/

REBOOT ILLINOIS
— Rauner’s silence on Trump – Kevin Hoffman
http://rebootillinois.com/2016/11/02/rauner-silence-trump-crains/

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— ILLINOIS CONGRESSWOMAN CALLS FACEBOOK RACIST
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/illinois-congresswoman-calls-facebook-racist.html
— COOK COUNTY TO TAX MINORITIES FOR BEING FAT
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/cook-county-to-tax-minorities-for-being-fat.html
— 9TH CD VOTERS DEMAND INVESTIGATION IN SCHAKOWSKY’S DARK DEALINGS WITH HUSBAND’S FIRM
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/9th-cd-voters-demand-investigation-in-schakowskys-dark-dealings-with-husbands-firm.html
— NEW JERSEY TOPS ILLINOIS AS STATE WITH WORST-OFF PENSION SYSTEM
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/new-jersey-tops-illinois-as-state-with-worst-off-pension-system.html
— PROFESSOR FINDS THAT MOST COLLEGE STUDENTS THINK AMERICA INVENTED SLAVERY  (DIERSEN: How long have your ancestors been in America? Are you White?  Ever-increasingly, Democrats hint/imply/argue/shout that if you are White, the longer that your ancestors have been in America, the more that you benefited from your ancestors’ racism, sexism, bigotry, and even worse things.)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/professor-finds-that-most-college-students-think-america-invented-slavery.html
— THORNER: WOMEN IN POLITICS ‘STAND BY FIRE’ AS LEGISLATORS AND CANDIDATES
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/women-in-politics-who-stand-by-the-fire-as-legislators-and-candidates.html
— TAXPAYERS DON’T REALIZE THEY’RE PAYING BILLIONS TO SERVICE THE NATIONAL DEBT
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2016/11/taxpayers-dont-realize-theyre-paying-billions-to-service-the-national-debt.html

CAPITOL FAX
— Another million for Munger
http://capitolfax.com/2016/11/02/another-million-for-munger/

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Illinois governor, wife to downsize during mansion revamp – AP
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/2/illinois-governor-wife-to-downsize-during-mansion-/

GOPUSA
— The Podesta emails show who runs America – and how they do it
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=16648
— DOJ warns against filing voter challenges
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=16682
— A Fifth Clinton Presidency? Hill, No! – Michelle Malkin
http://www.gopusa.com/a-fifth-clinton-presidency-hill-no/

BREITBART
— Donald Trump Hammers America First Trade Policy in Pennsylvania, Reaches Out to Bernie Sanders Backers – JULIA HAHN
http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/11/02/trump-targets-pennsylvania/
— Starbucks Unveils Cup to Promote Unity During ‘Divisive Time’ in America – JEROME HUDSON  (DIERSEN: Individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries that are anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors WANT TO UNITE EVERYONE AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.)
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/11/02/starbucks-unveils-cup-promote-unity-divisive-time-america/

NEWSMAX
— Poll: Trump Tied With Clinton on Returning Support From Women – Mark Swanson
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Poll-Trump-Tied-Clinton/2016/11/02/id/756578/

FEDERALIST
— Despite Investigations, Obama’s IRS Has Never Stopped Targeting Conservatives  The next Tea Party scandal is not only coming, it may already be happening. When it does, the charade will begin anew, and no one will pay a price. – Paul Jossey
http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/01/despite-investigations-obamas-irs-never-stopped-targeting-conservatives/

DAILY CALLER
— Donald Trump Jumps Ahead Of Hillary Clinton In This Poll For The First Time Since May – Alex Pappas
http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/01/trump-jumps-ahead-of-clinton-in-this-poll-for-the-first-time-since-may/
— Undecideds Fuel Trump’s Rise In Recent Poll – PHILLIP STUCKY
http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/01/undecideds-fuel-trumps-rise-in-recent-poll/

HUFFINGTON POST
—  Illinois Opportunity Project Denies Sitting On People’s Ballot Applications  But state Democrats suspect a voter suppression effort. – Arthur Delaney
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/illinois-ballot-applications_us_581a1a26e4b08f9841aca2d3
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Pat Hughes, the co-founder of the Illinois Opportunity Project, the conservative group that distributed the applications, said the criticism is bogus because the applications have, in fact, been submitted to the clerk. “It’s a red herring,” Hughes said. “It’s a pretext for harassment.” The Illinois attorney general’s office last week warned voters that if they filled out vote-by-mail ballot applications, they should “stay alert and monitor whether they then receive a ballot in the mail.” The office, which is headed by Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, sent several letters last month to the Illinois Opportunity Project demanding information about its vote-by-mail efforts in Rock Island and six other Illinois counties. Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said people were confused because the group’s vote-by-mail solicitation didn’t say who it was coming from. “Because the Illinois Opportunity Project’s mailings do not identify that organization and, instead, are sent from ‘[Name of County] County Vote By Mail Center’, they have led to voter confusion regarding whether they are official documents from the counties,” Possley said in an email. The Illinois Opportunity Project has ties to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican. One of the group’s co-founders, the conservative radio host Dan Proft, also heads up a big-spending political action committee that is funded partly by Rauner. The governor is looking to chip away at Democrats’ supermajority in the state legislature. Madigan’s father, state Rep. Michael Madigan (D), has been speaker of the Illinois House for decades. The Illinois kerfuffle is one of several voting controversies, some more serious than others, unfolding in various states as Election Day nears.)

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— Is Donald Trump a tax criminal? With so many red flags, it’s time for the government to investigate – DAVID CAY JOHNSTON  (DIERSEN: I should write a book about how my Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates treated me because I deducted my graduate business and accounting courses.)
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/david-cay-johnston-donald-trump-tax-criminal-article-1.2855817

SEATTLE TIMES
— Republicans have all but given up on winning over urban voters – EMILY BADGER and QUOCTRUNG BUI  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats shout at urban voters that Republicans are racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things.)
http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/republicans-have-all-but-given-up-on-winning-over-urban-voters/

KOAM TV
— TRAGIC: Legal marijuana may be added to Las Vegas’ list of vices – AP
http://www.koamtv.com/story/33591032/legal-marijuana-may-be-added-to-las-vegas-list-of-vices

MONEY MAGAZINE
— 1.8 Billion People Use Facebook Every Month  And most of them use the social networking app on their phone. – Reuter
http://time.com/money/4555687/facebook-user-growth-q3-earnings/

THE WEEK
— Americans might actually move to Canada after the presidential election
http://theweek.com/speedreads/659248/americans-might-actually-move-canada-after-presidential-election

NEW YORKER
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON AMERICA TIGHTENS: TWO AMERICAS: WHY DONALD TRUMP STILL HAS A LOT OF SUPPORT – John Cassidy
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/two-americas-why-donald-trump-still-has-a-lot-of-support

FEDERAL TIMES
— Something to take for granted on Election Day: Federal employees – Ron Sanders, Booz Allen Hamilton  (DIERSEN: I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and because of my Democrat GAO superiors, I have been a federal retiree for more than 19 years.)
http://www.federaltimes.com/articles/something-to-take-for-granted-on-election-day-feds

FED WEEK
— Pay Gap Little Changed at 34 Percent  (DIERSEN: Are you non-veteran, White, male, and/or older?  Are/were you accused of being overpaid? My critics/opponents have always accused me of being overpaid. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 33.)
http://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/pay-gap-little-changed-34-percent/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The federal-private sector pay gap remains essentially unchanged from a year ago at 34.07 percent, the Federal Salary Council has reported. While that represents the official word, based on BLS data, it likely will have little to no impact on the prospects for the January 2017 federal employee raise, which will be 1.6 percent unless political leaders take up the raise issue. They have shown no sign of interest in doing so this year, similar to the pattern of the prior three years when the council also reported a pay gap in the 34-35 percent range but raises only in the 1-2 percent range were paid—also in each case by default when no figure was enacted. The 1.6 percent raise is to be paid as 1 percentage point across the board and the 0.6 percent divided as locality pay. The largest gaps, and thus the largest locality pay portions to be paid, were found to be in the San Francisco, Washington-Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. However, even in those areas, the raise likely will be only in about the 1.8 percent range. The lowest-paid locality, meanwhile, is the catchall rest of U.S., which covers areas in the contiguous states outside one of the 44 city areas (Alaska and Hawaii are separate localities in their entirety) as well as U.S. territories and possessions. The raise in those areas likely will be around 1.4 percent; exact figures are to be set by a late-year executive order formalizing the raise. Locality rates are paid according to where employees work, not where they live, and reflect comparisons of labor market conditions, not cost of living.)

DAILY KOS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “Trump-incited ‘patriot’ militias could never carry off a coup, but could spread murderous terror.”
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/2/1590177/-Trump-incited-patriot-militias-could-never-carry-off-a-coup-but-could-spread-murderous-terror

AUTO WORLD NEWS
— 10 KEYS WHY FORD MUSTANG IS THE BEST-SELLING SPORTS CAR – Mariechris Felipe
http://www.autoworldnews.com/articles/22317/20161102/10-keys-why-ford-mustang-is-the-best-selling-sports-car.htm