CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE WITH COLOR PHOTO: Rauner lays out how second term will be different, blames Emanuel for first-term failures – Rick Pearson and Bill Ruthhart
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-emanuel-sacks-madigan-20171219-story.html
— Rauner on messaging woes: ‘Very, very difficult’ to explain complex issues to 12.5 million people (DIERSEN: It would be great if Rauner would read GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. Reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails helps you keep up to date with Illinois government and political news and commentary that is put out by television stations, newspapers, radio stations, political organizations, activists, etc. GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails go out each and every morning and each and every evening; their format allows for quick reading, they contain no advertising, and they are free.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-messaging-20171220-story.html
— FRONT PAGE: Strategist Christopher Robling touted volunteer work for College of DuPage while chairwoman secretly paid his son’s tuition to Georgetown – Stacy St. Clair and Christy Gutowski
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/cod/ct-met-college-of-dupage-consultant-20171204-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: When former College of DuPage board Chairwoman Kathy Hamilton ordered the school to hire her political strategist as a special assistant to the president, she and the strategist repeatedly described him as a volunteer and promised he would donate his salary to charity. But here’s what they didn’t disclose: He was getting money all along. Newly filed court documents show Hamilton was secretly paying the college tuition of strategist Christopher Robling’s son while Robling was employed at the state’s largest community college — payment that experts say may run counter to the state’s ethics and election laws. The private payment became public as part of Hamilton’s divorce case in DuPage County, where she and her estranged husband, John, have been battling over a $45 million estate for more than a year, according to court records. The divorce case explains Hamilton’s departure from the college’s board of trustees for “personal reasons” just months after she became its chairwoman, and it also contains allegations she used marital assets to, among other things, help pay for Robling’s son to attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The exact amount wasn’t included in the court documents, but sources say she paid Georgetown about $20,000 between June 2015 and November 2015. During that six-month period Robling served as special assistant to then-college President Joseph Collins, earning and then donating roughly the same amount that Hamilton paid to Georgetown. This wasn’t an unusual arrangement for the Hamiltons, their divorce case shows. The couple paid one year of American University tuition for John Hamilton’s assistant’s daughter, according to records. Robling, who owns a strategic communications firm and serves as a political commentator on local television and radio, acknowledged the money paid to Georgetown during a recent deposition. “I am an alum of Georgetown and he happens to attend Georgetown and I’m very proud of that,” Robling said in the deposition. In portions of the deposition filed as part of the divorce case, Robling declined to say whether he paid taxes on the tuition paid to Georgetown or whether it was considered a gift. Though John Hamilton refers to Robling as his wife’s “paramour” in court filings, Robling declined to answer questions about his personal relationship with Kathy Hamilton during his deposition. Attorney Aldo Botti, who represents both Kathy Hamilton and Robling in the divorce proceedings, says the allegation is false and meant to embarrass Kathy Hamilton. Both Hamilton and Robling declined interview requests through Botti. “She’s a woman of integrity who’s going through a very difficult divorce and who is seeking her fair share of the marital estate,” Botti said. “She’s been through a lot.” One day after the Tribune asked Botti about Hamilton’s tuition arrangement with Robling, Hamilton petitioned the court to seal her divorce file. DuPage County Judge Neal Cerne refused the request, siding with the Tribune after it intervened and asked that the case remain open for public viewing. The divorce proceeding is scheduled to go to trial Wednesday. Before Robling worked for COD, Hamilton personally paid him $2,500 a month between August 2014 and June 2015 for crisis management and to protect her political image, according to Robling’s deposition.)
— The risk of speaking up – Alexandra Olson (DIERSEN: If I had never spoken out against political affiliation discrimination, against reverse discrimination, or against age discrimination, the federal government would have promoted me into its Senior Executive Service long before I was 40 years old in 1988 notwithstanding the fact that I am Republican, White, male, and non-veteran.)
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20171220/281865823832319
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Gov. Rauner wages war with … WBEZ? – Tina Sfondeles (DIERSEN: GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are put together from a Republican perspective. That is why Democrats and Democrats, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs do not like them.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/gov-rauner-wages-war-on-wbez/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday accused Chicago public radio station WBEZ of discontinuing an “Ask the Governor” segment with him because “it’s really more of a Democrat station” — a charge the station is adamantly denying. The remarks were made during a Chicago Tribune editorial board meeting. Columnist Eric Zorn tweeted that the governor complained to the board that WBEZ discontinued the segment for political reasons. “Some of the powers that be didn’t want me goin’ on there, it’s really more of a Democrat station,” the governor said, per Zorn’s tweet. That accusation didn’t gel well for the public radio station, which offers extensive local and national political coverage. “WBEZ and Governor Rauner’s team agreed that the ‘Ask the Governor’ segment would have a limited run and end by Labor Day, as it would not be fair to gubernatorial candidates of all parties to allow the governor an hour of airtime each month during the election campaign,” Goli Sheikholeslami, WBEZ’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “WBEZ is committed to providing voters with fair coverage of all candidates, and we look forward to having Governor Rauner join us for our upcoming GOP primary candidate forum in 2018.”)
— Chicago area households may likely lose under GOP tax plan – Lynn Sweet
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sweet-chicago-area-households-may-likely-lose-under-gop-tax-plan/
DAILY HERALD
— Former DuPage sheriff’s supervisor being investigated in wake of firing – Justin Kmitch
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20171219/former-dupage-sheriffs-supervisor-being-investigated-in-wake-of-firing
— GOP tax bill would usher in a bleak future – Fareed Zakaria
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171220/gop-tax-bill-would-usher-in-a-bleak-future
— Vernon Township harassment probe shows need for outsider’s credibility – Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20171219/editorial-township-harassment-probe-shows-need-for-outsiders-credibility
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— ‘Implicit racial bias’ training is coming to your school, for better or worse – MARK GLENNON
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171220/OPINION/171229999
— GOP House hopeful Shah admits to taking improper tax breaks – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20171219/BLOGS02/171219867/gop-house-hopeful-shah-got-tax-breaks-for-two-homes-at-the-same-time
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Rauner administration to appeal AFSCME step pay ruling – Doug Finke (DIERSEN: Have you gotten step increases? My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always been beyond furious that I got step increases and COLAs while I worked for the federal government. They have also always been beyond furious a) that the Post Office hired me in 1966 and let me work there for almost 3 years, b) that IRS hired me in 1971 and let me work there for almost 9 years, c) that IRS promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974, d) that GAO hired me in 1980 and let me work there for almost 18 years, and e) that GAO promoted me in 1986.)
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171219/rauner-administration-to-appeal-afscme-step-pay-ruling
CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Request period open for voting by mail in Illinois Primary – Carol Vorel
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-12-20/request-period-open-voting-mail-illinois-primary.html
MADISON RECORD
— Local governments challenged by underfunded pension plans; Ives calls for amending constitution – Ann Maher
https://madisonrecord.com/stories/511301780-local-governments-challenged-by-underfunded-pension-plans-candidate-for-governor-calls-for-amending-constitution
JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL COURIER
— Ives makes campaign stop – Greg Olson
http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/117249/ives-makes-campaign-stop
FOX NEWS ILLINOIS
— Representative Jeanne Ives hosts meet and greet in Jacksonville
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/representative-jeanne-ives-hosts-meet-and-greet-in-jacksonville
NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Ives Wants State Pension Changes – BRIAN MACKEY
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/gubernatorial-challenger-wants-state-pension-changes
NPR ILLINOIS
— 3 Trump Judicial Nominees Withdraw, Raising Some Questions About Vetting – NINA TOTENBERG (DIERSEN: Who vettes Republican candidates in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois? Are they a) the officers of your township/ward Republican party organization, b) the officers of your Republican county party organization, c) your representative on the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee, d) the IRP offices, and/or e) those who have the most religious, government, political, and/or financial clout? Because Rauner dominates everything that is Republican in Illinois, one could paint Rauner as being responsible for vetting all Republican candidates in Illinois.)
http://nprillinois.org/post/three-trump-judicial-nominees-withdraw-raising-some-questions-about-vetting#stream/0
NEWS CHANNEL 20
— Representative Jeanne Ives hosts meet and greet in Jacksonville
http://newschannel20.com/news/local/representative-jeanne-ives-hosts-meet-and-greet-in-jacksonville-12-20-2017
WJBC
— Congressional candidate’s views shaped by his religious faith, sees tax bill as morally ‘awful’ – Howard Packowitz
http://www.wjbc.com/2017/12/20/congressional-candidates-views-shaped-by-his-religious-faith-sees-tax-bill-as-morally-awful/
OAK LAWN PATCH
— Dist. 218 Knew Employee Was An Alleged ‘Peeping Tom:’ LAWSUIT New lawsuit claims Dist. 218 had received earlier complaints about an employee being an alleged locker room peeper before his 2015 arrest. – Lorraine Swanson
https://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/dist-218-knew-employee-was-alleged-peeping-tom-lawsuit
CHICAGO REPORTER
— Thousands of black students leave Chicago for other segregated districts – Kalyn Belsha (DIERSEN: Democrats run Illinois and they especially Cook County and Chicago. Democrats used to promote integration, but now they promote segregation.)
http://chicagoreporter.com/black-cps-student-migration/#new_tab
INJUSTICE WATCH
— Rauner appointee to Illinois board accused of racial slurs, ethics violations – Emily Hoerner and Jeanne Kuang
http://www.injusticewatch.org/news/2017/rauner-prisoner-review-board-ethics-racial-slur/
WIREPOINTS
— Chicago’s Pension And Debt Load Worse Than Puerto Rico’s, And A New Moody’s Report Zaps Chicago – Mark Glennon
http://www.wirepoints.com/chicagos-pension-and-debt-load-worse-than-puerto-ricos-and-a-new-moodys-report-zaps-chicago-wirepoints-original/
— Squeezed out, fed up: Property tax hikes from Wilmette to Danville threaten Illinois’ tax base – Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
http://www.wirepoints.com/squeezed-out-fed-up-more-property-tax-hikes-from-wilmette-to-danville-means-illinois-risks-losing-its-tax-base-wirepoints-original/
NORTH COOK NEWS
— Rauner loses big in Palatine straw poll – W.J. Kennedy (DIERSEN: In your township/ward and county, which candidates would win straw polls in the following races: a) Rauner/Sanguinetti v. Ives/Morthland and b) Harold v. Grasso? In DuPage County, which candidates would win straw polls in the following races: a) Diganvker v. Jhingan, b) Stella v. Vlakancic, c) Minor v. Grant v. Byrne v. Augustynowicz, d) Kinzler v. Orozco, e) Zito v. Khouri, f) Mendrick v. Bibbiano, g) Tornatore v. DeMichele v. Fichtner v. Gavanes, h) Hart v. Abbott v. Tully v. Broline, i) McGowen v. Almiron v. Eckhoff v. Zaruba v. Tatro v. Chinchilla, j) Wiley v. Zay v. McQuade, k) Russo v. MacKay, l) Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee candidates, m) etc.?)
https://northcooknews.com/stories/511301118-rauner-loses-big-in-palatine-straw-poll
DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Wheaton Chamber of Commerce to honor members’ efforts at Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon – C. M. Schmidlkofer (DIERSEN: What do those who dominate your Chamber of Commerce think of you? Sadly, those who dominate the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce have an extremely low opinion a) of me, b) of my conservatism, c) of my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails, d) of my opposition to video gambling, and e) of what I do each year to promote Wheaton’s Independence Day parades. They blame me for their problems. They blame me for your problems. They blame me for my problems. They blame me for everyone’s problems. They blame me for the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce’s problems. They blame me for Wheaton’s problems. In 2011, they abolished the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee to get rid of me, the committee’s senior member.)
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511301116-wheaton-chamber-of-commerce-to-honor-members-efforts-at-volunteer-appreciation-luncheon
PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— Rauner’s “betrayal” could be costing him endorsements from Illinois congressmen – W.J. Kennedy
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511299891-rauner-s-betrayal-could-be-costing-him-endorsements-from-illinois-congressmen
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— STATE LAWMAKER PLANS TO INTRODUCE TOWNSHIP CONSOLIDATION BILL State Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, is working on the framework for a bill that would dramatically improve taxpayers’ ability to eliminate township governments, of which Illinois has about 1,400. – Joe Kaiser
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/state-lawmaker-plans-to-introduce-township-consolidation-bill/
ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Views differ on importance of Cook County’s non-binding pot legalization question – Greg Bishop (DIERSEN: If you promote pot, you promote destruction.)
https://www.ilnews.org/news/statewide/views-differ-on-importance-of-cook-county-s-non-binding/article_f830ea08-e439-11e7-b113-6336b50453ca.html
ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Illinois Prisoner Review Board Member – Use of racial slur found in member records – JOHN KRAFT
http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2017/12/illinois-prisoner-review-board-member-use-of-racial-slur-found-in-member-records/
ILLINOIS REVIEW
— THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF THE IRS (DIERSEN: IRS does what politicians tell it to do. If you do not like what IRS does, you should be mad at the politicians who tell IRS what to do. Did you vote for politicians who told IRS to do things that you do not like?)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/12/the-unbearable-weight-of-the-irs.html
— HOLLYWOOD WANTS YOUR MONEY…AND YOUR MIND
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/12/hollywood-wants-your-moneyand-your-mind.html
CAPITOL FAX
— Rauner: “We had the possibility of a transformation for the state with the crisis that we had”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/20/rauner-we-had-the-possibility-of-a-transformation-for-the-state-with-the-crisis-that-we-had/
— Rauner now says his second term will be successful because the courts will let him bypass Madigan
https://capitolfax.com/2017/12/20/rauner-now-says-his-second-term-will-be-successful-because-the-courts-will-let-him-bypass-madigan/
FOX NEWS
— Half of Americans Think Their Taxes Will Go Up Under GOP Plan, Poll Shows
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/12/19/half-americans-think-their-taxes-will-go-under-gop-plan-poll-says
DAILY CALLER
— It’s Time For Jeff Sessions To Bring Hate Crime Charges Against Chicago’s Facebook Live Torture Suspects – William J. Kelly
http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/19/its-time-for-jeff-sessions-to-bring-hate-crime-charges-against-chicagos-facebook-live-torture-suspects/
WESTERN FREE PRESS
— Immigration: E-Verify A Must For American Workers – JOHN WALKER
http://westernfreepress.com/2017/12/19/immigration-e-verify-a-must-for-american-workers/
LIFE SITE NEWS
— Dear Cosmopolitan: Your evil sexual advice is literally destroying countless women
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/dear-cosmopolitan-your-evil-sexual-advice-is-literally-destroying-countless
CNN
— A fractured GOP unified to pass a landmark tax plan: Here’s how it came together – Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/politics/republican-tax-bill-behind-the-scenes/index.html
— GOP borrows ‘Obamacare’ playbook to defend tax bill: You’ll like it once you see it – Stephen Collinson
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/politics/republicans-tax-reform-democrats-obamacare/index.html
NEW YORK TIMES
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH THREE BIG COLOR PICTURES: How Tough Is It to Change a Culture of Harassment? Ask Women at Ford Decades after the company tried to tackle sexual misconduct at two Chicago plants, continued abuse raises questions about the possibility of change. – SUSAN CHIRA and CATRIN EINHORN
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/19/us/ford-chicago-sexual-harassment.html
WASHINGTON POST
— With this tax bill, the GOP has finally killed family-friendly conservatism – Jonathan Coppage
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/12/20/with-this-tax-bill-the-gop-has-finally-killed-family-friendly-conservatism/
— Federal agency reports show ‘continuum of harm’ from workplace sexual misconduct – Joe Davidson (DIERSEN: I saw no sexual misconduct while I worked for the Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997. What I did see was that my Democrat superiors and supervisors always gave preference to their employees who were Democrat, and especially to their employees who were female, minority, and/or younger, that is, I saw that they discriminated against their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/12/20/federal-agency-reports-show-continuum-of-harm-from-workplace-sexual-misconduct/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— What the Tax Bill Does to Homeowners The Republican tax-code overhaul would reduce or eliminate some of the benefits of homeownership that Americans have come to expect. – Christina Rexrode (DIERSEN: Government should encourage homeownership. I have been a homeowner since I was 24 years old in 1972, and my wife and I have been homeowners since we got married in 1978. Government should encourage homeownership.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-the-tax-bill-does-to-homeowners-1513737287
— Tax Reform Means Your Paycheck Will Grow – Paul Ryan (DIERSEN: What do growing paychecks mean for you? Growing paychecks mean nothing for me because the last time I got a paycheck was in 1997 when I was 49 years old. My $50,856/year Civil Service Retirement System pension is only 41% of what my $122,991 GAO salary was in 1997 in today’s dollars.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tax-reform-means-your-paycheck-will-grow-1513728131
— Republican Tax Bill Has Grown More Unpopular, Poll Shows Overall, 41% of Americans in the survey said the tax plan was a bad idea, up from 35% in October. – Janet Hook
https://www.wsj.com/articles/republican-tax-bill-has-grown-more-unpopular-poll-shows-1513720886
— Sexual-Harassment Training Gets a Revamp – Sue Shellenbarger (DIERSEN: Employees who take such training will be even more 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.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/sexual-harassment-training-gets-a-revamp-1513696545
MOTLEY FOOL
— Why You’ll Need More Retirement Savings Than You Think (and What to Do About it) If retirement savings will be your main source of retirement income, you’ll need to have way more than the typical saver manages. – Wendy Connick (DIERSEN: Where you live in retirement is extremely important. If you live in DuPage County, the cost of living is very high.)
https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/12/20/why-youll-need-more-retirement-savings-than-you-th.aspx
