CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Governor’s race price tag: $150 million — and it’s only half over – Tina Sfondeles
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/governors-race-price-tag-150-million-and-its-only-half-over/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, who gave Rauner a run for his money in the primary, spent about $12.58 per vote. She garnered 341,836 statewide votes, while spending about $4.3 million since first announcing her run. Ives received $3.926 million in contributions, with $2.5 million from Richard Uihlein and $20,000 from conservative radio host Dan Proft. Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman also contributed $5,000 to Ives’ campaign. The bulk of Ives’ campaign money — $2.74 million — was spent on advertising. She also spent $385,680 on a pamphlet called “The Governor You Don’t Know: The Other Side of Bruce Rauner,” which was published and sent out to voters’ homes.)
— Judges order state to hand over $1.4M in withheld tax revenue to Harvey – Mitchell Armentrout
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/judges-order-state-to-hand-over-1-4m-in-withheld-tax-revenue-to-harvey/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— State legislators pounce on Harvey’s pension woes to push reform, appellate court rules in city’s favor – Zak Koeske
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-harvey-legislative-reform-st-0417-story.html
— Rauner spent four times more than Ives en route to narrow primary victory
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-jb-pritzker-cash-20180417-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent over four times more than state Rep. Jeanne Ives in the months before his narrow primary victory on March 20. The first-term governor spent about $17.7 million in the first quarter, according to campaign records filed late Monday. That’s compared with about $4.3 million spent by Ives, who lost by just three percentage points. And Democrat J.B. Pritzker spent nearly double what Rauner did, reporting $34 million in expenses this year, far more than state Sen. Daniel Biss’ $5.8 million and Kenilworth businessman Chris Kennedy’s $3.9 million. Rauner starts the fall campaign with about $38.5 million in his campaign fund for what some observers predict could be the most expensive governor campaign in history. Pritzker showed about $8.1 million in the bank at the start of the month. He’s given his campaign $7 million since the primary ended, bringing his self-funding total to $76.5 million.)
— Mock Indiana? Think again – Kristen McQueary
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-mcqueary-indiana-finances-illinois-20180416-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats paint Republicans as being White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, and even worse things.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-dahleen-glanton-starbucks-20180416-story.html
— FRONT PAGE: Emanuel plan to get police to buy homes in more violent neighborhoods hasn’t netted many sales yet – John Byrne (DIERSEN: What do you say to Democrats who despise if not hate religious people, conservatives, and/or Republicans, but who hypocritically move into and/or stay in religious, conservative, and/or Republican areas to take advantage of the prosperity and safety that religious principles, conservative principles, and/or Republican principles bring forth?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-police-home-buying-program-20180410-story.html
DAILY HERALD
— Starbucks to train workers on ‘unconscious bias,’ CEO says – AP (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats hint/imply/argue/shout that Republicans are White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20180416/news/304169875/
— Elgin pet food pantry wants to serve veterans, open second location – Elena Ferrarin (DIERSEN: Government is nasty. Politics is nasty. My government and/or political critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) glorify and praise dogs, b) pander to dogs, c) claim that dogs love them, d) own dogs and spend lots of time and money on dogs, e) want to own dogs or own more dogs, and/or d) demonize, denigrate, and condemn those like me who do not glorify and praise dogs, pander to dogs, claim that dogs love them, own dogs and spend lots of time and money on dogs, and/or want to own dogs or own more dogs. They are furious that I have lots more time and lots more money because I have never owned a dog. My parents never owned dogs. My grandparents on my father’s side never owned dogs. I was a mailman 1966-1969. I see and hear far too many dogs that are neglected, mistreated, if not abused by their owners.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180416/elgin-pet-food-pantry-wants-to-serve-veterans-open-second-location
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— The best workplaces for baby boomers – ANNE MOORE (DIERSEN: If you are a baby boomer working for the federal government, your Democrat superiors are doing everything that they can to get rid of you unless you are a Democrat, a minority, a female, or a veteran.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180412/ISSUE01/180419962
EFFINGHAM DAILY NEWS
— OUTSTANDING: Effingham County now a ‘sanctuary’ for gun owners – Graham Milldrum (DIERSEN: Who is leading the effort to make your county, your township/ward, and your municipality a sanctuary for individuals, organizations, and companies that anti-Trumps are doing everything that they can to get rid of including those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)
http://www.effinghamdailynews.com/news/local_news/effingham-county-now-a-sanctuary-for-gun-owners/article_325483da-d0cd-53dc-a983-61abf873834d.html
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pot pushers hint/imply/argue/shout that if pot is legalized, no one would push synthetic pot.
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180416/woman-arrested-for-allegedly-selling-synthetic-marijuana-in-springfield
NORTHWEST HERALD
— State funding to provide additional $7.26M for McHenry County schools
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/04/16/state-funding-to-provide-additional-7-26m-for-mchenry-county-schools/a9y6rnu/
JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL COURIER
— State honors bicentennial farm family – AP (DIERSEN: What is your connection with farming? During the 1950s and early 1960s, I spent lots of time at my mother’s parents’ farm in Grant Park. My father’s mother was raised on a farm in Crete. My ancestors on my father’s side homesteaded a farm in Crete in 1854.)
https://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/State-honors-bicentennial-farm-family-12839796.php
ALTON DAILY NEWS
— Illinois Lawmakers Talk Net-Neutrality – Cole Lauterbach
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=263593#.WtXp1YyKSM8
WSIU
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, Democrats encourage children to engage in LGBTQ activity.
http://news.wsiu.org/post/committee-considering-bill-urge-illinois-schools-note-historic-contributons-lgbtq-people#stream/0
CHICAGO READER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pot promoters promote pot. If you promote pot, you promote destruction. What if Rauner’s advisors succeed in convincing him to promote pot to get reelected?
https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2018/04/17/weed-week-rauners-reefer-madness-rules-despite-overwhelming-support-for-legal-pot
BGA
— Fact-Check: Is Chicago Gun Violence Really ‘Killing’ the City’s Bottom Line? Chicago’s former top cop, now a challenger to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s re-election, says murders and shootings cost city taxpayers more than is spent on all other programs combined. The claim is a wild exaggeration based on a misreading of research. – Kiannah Sepeda-Miller
https://www.bettergov.org/news/fact-check-is-chicago-gun-violence-really-%E2%80%98killing%E2%80%99-the-citys-bottom-line
— Following BGA Analysis, Sen. Cullerton Introduces Plan to Limit Rich Severance Packages Cullerton legislation was prompted by BGA examination of multiple golden parachute cases that cost Illinois taxpayers millions along with research on best practices in other states.
https://www.bettergov.org/news/following-bga-analysis-sen-cullerton-introduces-plan-to-limit-rich-severance-packages
ROBERT FEDER
— Journalism’s would-be savior ends ‘scandalous reign’
http://www.robertfeder.com/2018/04/16/robservations-journalisms-savior-ends-scandalous-reign/
JEANNE IVES
— Taxpayers Beware – House of Cards Begins Epic Collapse
http://www.jeanneives.org/2018/04/taxpayers-beware-house-of-cards-begins.html
CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Police pension fund changes bring questions from GOP House panel members – Angela Underwood
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511392989-police-pension-fund-changes-bring-questions-from-gop-house-panel-members
DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— House backs disconnection measure called unneeded, seen as special deal for one suburb – Angela Underwood
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511390708-house-backs-disconnection-measure-called-unneeded-seen-as-special-deal-for-one-suburb
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— MORE THAN 100 TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENTS FILE IN OPPOSITION TO TOWNSHIP CONSOLIDATION BILL A House bill that would allow communities to consolidate local township governments has earned support from both parties – and the opposition of township officials. – Vincent Caruso (DIERSEN: Did your township file a witness slip?)
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/more-than-100-township-governments-file-in-opposition-to-township-consolidation-bill/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: One common critique of consolidation measures by government officials is that services would be diminished. But HB 3133 provides that the responsibilities and obligations of a dissolved township be transferred to its receiving county, suggesting that residents could expect continued delivery of public services at a reduced cost. This concept is not without precedent: DuPage County has eliminated multiple units of local government, while consolidating the services of others, since the passage of a 2013 consolidation law that only applied to DuPage County. In a 2015 report, Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti held up the DuPage example as a model for fiscal reform for other counties. Sure enough, lawmakers representing Lake and McHenry counties successfully pushed through the General Assembly a similar consolidation bill that extended much of DuPage County’s consolidation powers to both counties.)
— 18 EMPLOYEES MAKE MORE THAN $100K AT PARK DISTRICT OF HIGHLAND PARK Two tennis pros make more than $100,000 in total compensation at Highland Park’s park district. – Brendan Bakala (DIERSEN: Are/were you accused of being overpaid? My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always accused me of being overpaid. In my defense, 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.illinoispolicy.org/18-employees-make-more-than-100k-at-park-district-of-highland-park/
ILLINOIS HOMEPAGE
— State EPA suffering from lack of staff – Raquel Martin (DIERSEN: Those who run the federal government face less scrutiny because Republican U.S. Senators and Republican U.S. Representatives a) successfully led the effort to gut GAO during the 1980s and 1990s and b) continue to assure that GAO continues to be just a shell of what it once was.)
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/news/local-news/state-epa-suffering-from-lack-of-staff/1126233695
ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— The Consequences of Implementing the ERA
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/podcast/the-consequences-of-implementing-the-era-illinois-family-spotlight-090/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— 17TH CD STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEEMAN RACE HEATS UP AS GOP ELECTION NEARS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/17th-cd-state-central-committeeman-race-heats-up-as-gop-election-nears.html
— IVES: PUSHES “B” WORD AS OPTION FOR DEBT-RIDDEN LOCAL ILLINOIS GOVERNMENTS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/ives-pushes-b-word-as-option-for-debt-ridden-local-illinois-governments.html
— LAWSUIT CLAIMS U OF ILLINOIS MUZZLED STUDENT JOURNALISTS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/04/lawsuit-claims-u-of-illinois-muzzled-student-journalists.html
AMERICAN THINKER
— Has Giving Leftists What They Want Made America Better? – Lloyd Marcus (DIERSEN: Which elected officials who represent/represented you have given the most to lefties? Which of them who claim to be religious, conservative, and/or Republican have done the most to promote dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, erosion of First and Second Amendment rights, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and even worse things?)
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/04/has_giving_leftists_what_they_want_made_america_better.html
FEDERALIST
— DISGUSTING, BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS, BEYOND UNACCEPTABLE: Law Students Protest Free Speech Talk With Shouts Of ‘F-ck The Law’ A protestor’s sign put it, ‘Rule of law = white supremacy, violence against [people of color], violence against immigrants.’ These were law students protesting the rule of law. – Ilya Shapiro
http://thefederalist.com/2018/04/17/law-students-protest-free-speech-talk-shouts-f-ck-law/
GOPUSA
— Hogg boycott increased Laura Ingraham’s viewers by 20%
http://www.gopusa.com/hogg-boycott-increased-laura-ingrahams-viewers-by-20/
— Colo. teachers: ‘Weed money’ must go to teacher’s salaries
http://www.gopusa.com/colo-teachers-weed-money-must-go-to-teachers-salaries/
— Kids being used to sue Florida governor over climate change (DIERSEN: How soon will the Democrats have their children wear brown shirts?)
http://www.gopusa.com/kids-being-used-to-sue-florida-governor-over-climate-change/
BLAZE
— DISGUSTING, OUTRAGEOUS, TRAGIC: Canada’s Liberal party to consider making all illicit drugs legal – Breck Dumas
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/04/16/canadas-liberal-party-to-consider-making-all-illicit-drugs-legal
LIFEZETTE
— Big Tech Leading Censorship ‘War’ on Conservatives, Report Says From Google to Facebook to Twitter, social media firms are blocking and diminishing right-leaning views at every turn – Brendan Kirby (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes side with Google, Facebook, and Twitter.)
https://www.lifezette.com/polizette/big-tech-leading-censorship-war-on-conservatives-report-says/
FOX NEWS
— California’s crazy-intrusive politicians can’t keep their hands off anything — Next up? Homeschoolers! – Sam Sorbo
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/17/californias-crazy-intrusive-politicians-cant-keep-their-hands-off-anything-next-up-homeschoolers.html
LUTHERAN CHURCH CHARITIES
— Don’t Try To Please Everybody – Tim Hetzner (DIERSEN: Should I stop trying to please my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes who hint/imply/argue/shout a) that I am a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things, b) that I cause all of their problems, all of your problems, all of my problems, and all of everyone’s problems, and c) that blame me for all defeats that Republicans have suffered in Illinois since 2000?)
http://devotions.lccharities.org/2018/04/17/dont-try-to-please-everybody/
THE HILL
— OUTRAGEOUS: Trump pick Gorsuch casts deciding Supreme Court vote against deporting immigrant Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s selection last year for the Supreme Court, cast the deciding vote in a decision released Tuesday that sided with an immigrant who had fought his deportation. Gorsuch ruled with the court’s four liberal justices in favor of the immigrant, James Garcia Dimaya, who argued that his convictions on two burglary charges did not represent a violent crime. – LUIS SANCHEZ
http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/383512-supreme-court-invalidates-law-requiring-the-deportation-of
NEW YORK TIMES
— No One’s Talking About the New Tax Law Republicans hoped to make their $1.5 trillion overhaul the centerpiece of the 2018 midterm elections. But Americans, including President Trump, have lost interest. – Jim Tankersley and Karl Russell
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/business/economy/tax-law-talking.html
WASHINGTON POST
— Trump fills the job of White House communications director — with himself – James Hohmann
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/04/17/daily-202-trump-fills-the-job-of-white-house-communications-director-with-himself/5ad5664530fb046acf7bccab/
— GAO Report on Scott Pruitt’s Installation of a Secure Phone Booth in His Office In this April 16, 2018 report, the Government Accountability Office found that Environmental Protection Agency violated federal appropriations law and the Antideficiency Act by spending $43,000 to install a secure phone booth in EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s personal office without notifying Congress first. (DIERSEN: Before federal agencies take adverse actions against their employees, they should be required to formally notify the employee’s U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators. My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that since 1966, my Republican U.S. Representatives, my Republican U.S. Representatives, and their staffs have despised me if not hated me and wanted the Post Office, IRS, and GAO to take adverse actions against me.)
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/national/gao-report-on-scott-pruitts-installation-of-a-secure-phone-booth-in-his-office/2903/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Tax Overhaul Remains Unpopular, Poll Shows Overall, 27% view law as good idea, while 36% see it as bad idea; Republicans hoped law would become more popular after enactment – Janet Hook (DIERSEN: Roskam should increase the $10,000 SALT cap to $20,000 for married filing jointly. Those who oppose that a) do not want government to encourage marriage or homeownership, b) are not married or have a spouse who has little or no income, and/or c) pay little or no real estate tax.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tax-overhaul-remains-unpopular-poll-shows-1523912555
— FRONT PAGE: BEYOND OUTRAGEOUS: Yes, It’s Tax Day and You’re Still Doing Returns for Your Adult Children Parents are preparing returns for their grown children even into their 40s, with no plans to hand over the chore – Katherine Bindley (DIERSEN: Do you prepare your own tax returns? Because they make tax laws for all of us, all U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators should be required to prepare their own tax returns, and they if fail/refuse to do that, they should be barred from having anything to do with tax laws. I have prepared my own tax returns since I was 16 years old in 1965. I have filed itemized returns since I was 24 year old in 1973. I worked for IRS 1971-1980, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 levels, currently $81,071-$91,880. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS 1986-1988 at the GS-13 Step 1-3 levels, currently $96,403-$102,830. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979. I earned master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980. I paid less federal income tax 1972-1977 because I itemized and my wife and I have paid less federal income tax since 1978 because we have itemized. However, because of the marriage penalty, my wife and I have paid more federal income tax since 1978. It seems that those who are not married and those whose spouse has little or no income want to keep the marriage penalty or even increase it. It seems that those who pay little or no real estate tax and/or state income tax want those deductions to be capped. I am more than happy to teach U.S. Representatives, U.S. Senators, and their staffs how to use Quicken and Turbotax.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/yes-its-tax-day-and-youre-still-doing-returns-for-your-adult-children-1523891041
— Sean Hannity Was a Client of Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen The Fox News commentator’s name is ordered revealed by a federal judge – Erica Orden and Nicole Hong (DIERSEN: Government is nasty. Politics is nasty. Needless-to-say, if anyone paid me for my consulting services, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) would shout at the rooftops that those clients were White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things and b) would viciously destroy those clients.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/sean-hannity-was-a-client-of-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-1523908997
— FRONT PAGE: Facing Historic Labor Shortages, Companies Snap Up Teenagers – Jennifer Levitz and Eric Morath (DIERSEN: What jobs did you have when you were young? I did yard work and delivered newspapers 1962-1964; washed dishes 1964-1966; cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, and pumped gasoline in 1966; and delivered mail 1966-1969.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facing-historic-labor-shortages-companies-snap-up-teenagers-1523895726
BLOOMBERG
— Hey, Republicans: Whose Party Is This, Anyway? – Jonathan Bernstein (DIERSEN: What do you say to those who believe that Bruce Rauner bought and paid for, that is, owns, the Illinois Republican Party lock, stock, and barrel? He who pays the piper calls the tunes.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-04-17/hey-republicans-whose-party-is-this-anyway
— Democrats’ ‘Civil War’ Is More Civil Than War Forget the talk of a crackup. The party will stick together until Trump is gone. – Francis Wilkinson
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-04-17/democrats-will-be-unified-as-long-as-trump-is-president
— Delivering Your Tax Refund Is the Least of the IRS’s Problems – Ben Steverman (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who have done the most to waste my knowledge of IRS. They include my Democrat and IRS and GAO superiors, Republican U.S. Senators, Republican U.S. Representatives, and their staffs. I worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 levels, currently $81,071-$91,880. I worked for GAO on audits of IRS for 3 years at the GS-13 Step 1-3 levels, currently $96,403-$102,830.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-17/delivering-your-tax-refund-is-the-least-of-the-irs-s-problems
DAILY ADVERTISER
— Steve Scalise is liked and respected. But will he be elected House speaker? – Deborah Barfield Berry (DIERSEN: Needless-to-say, it is all but impossible to be “liked and respected” if those who have the most religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in your state a) hint/imply/argue/shout that you are a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, bigot, and even worse things, b) blame you for all of their problems, for all of your problems, and for all of everyone’s problems, and c) demonize, denigrate, and condemn those who share your demographics.)
https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2018/04/17/steve-scalise-liked-and-respected-but-he-elected-house-speaker/521153002/
NEWS PATROLLING
— Illinois Governor issues Proclamation on Hindu prayers at Illinois Senate & House
http://www.newspatrolling.com/illinois-governor-issues-proclamation-on-hindu-prayers-at-illinois-senate-house/
