January 25 Evening Edition

ABC7
— President Trump, Congress agree to end longest government shutdown – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/trump-congress-agree-to-end-longest-government-shutdown/5106488/

 

NBC5
— Trump, Congress Leaders Reach Deal to End Shutdown Without Wall Funding “I have a very powerful alternative but I didn’t want use it at this time and hopefully it won’t be necessary,” Trump said – Danielle Abreu
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/Government-Shutdown-Solutions-Urgency-Senate-White-House-504867681.html

 

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— Congress, Trump reach temporary deal to end government shutdown – AP
http://www.fox32chicago.com/facebook-instant/president-trump-to-make-announcement-regarding-government-shutdown

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Senate passes deal to temporarily reopen government after longest shutdown in U.S. history – AP
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-government-shutdown-20190125-story.html
— Illinois lawmakers demand answers about monitoring for cancer-causing chemical during government shutdown – Michael Hawthorne
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-sterigenics-medline-vantage-epa-letter-20190125-story.html
— As shutdown ends, federal workers have little faith about future – AP (DIERSEN: With budget cuts, soon, if not already, the Democrats who run the federal government will have gotten rid of all their employees who are Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who they did not promote to GS-13 (currently $96,403) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $113,920) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $134,000) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $164,200) by age 40. Soon, if not already, they will have to get rid of their employees who are Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran.)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-government-shutdown-workers-20190125-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Trump-hater says “The wall, the shutdown and the make-believe presidency.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-shutdown-wall-trump-crime-20190125-story.html
— The end of the shutdown, and what comes next – Editorial
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-shutdown-end-trump-pelosi-20190125-story.html
— Early voting starts Tuesday
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-early-voting-money-mayors-race-ig-ferguson-code-silence-20190124-story.html
— Watchdog: CTA staffer tied to state senator likely hired for political reasons, didn’t work full shift most days – Mike Riopell
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-cta-hiring-illinois-senate-20190125-story.html

— Can Pritzker keep promise to stop Illinois gerrymandering? – Austin Berg
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-berg-column-st-0127-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Increase in ‘sick leave’ causing flight delays at LaGuardia – AP (DIERSEN: While I worked part-time for the Park Forest Post Office 1966-1969, I worked many more hours because my coworkers had called in sick.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/increase-in-sick-leave-causing-flight-delays-at-laguardia/
— Leaving Legislature lucrative for Ed Burke brother now drawing $160K in pensions – Robert Herguth
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/burke-daniel-dan-edward-pensions-legislative-chicago-city-hall/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Trump tried to burn down the house and he got burned.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/federal-shutdown-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi/
— Illinois GOP facing dire financial straits – Rich Miller
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/jb-pritzker-campaign-spending-democrats-illinois-republicans-dire-financial-straits/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Democratic Party of Illinois ended the year with about $1.4 million in the bank. The Illinois Republican Party finished with $313,000. The IL GOP is going to have to be frugal for a while until they can raise some dough. Rauner has been the state GOP’s most reliable donor. The former governor contributed $36.9 million to the state party since June 13th of 2014. The party raised another $20 million or so on top of that since that same date, but a large chunk of that money was pass-through cash from the two legislative caucuses for direct mail costs. The unofficial leader of the Republican Party’s wealthy Chicago-area “donor class” was Ron Gidwitz. He helped raise a ton of money for his party over the years. But Gidwitz is now the US Ambassador to Belgium, so he can’t do them any good. Bottom line: The Republican Party in this state is in very dire straits.)

 

DAILY HERALD
— Staffing shortages that slowed flights could have been ‘final straw’ to end shutdown – Marni Pyke
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20190125/staffing-shortages-that-slowed-flights-could-have-been-final-straw-to-end-shutdown-
— Report: Financial incentives needed to get data centers in Illinois – Susan Sarkauskas
https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20190125/report-financial-incentives-needed-to-get-data-centers-in-illinois

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Trump announces deal to reopen government for 3 weeks The stopgap measure includes no money for a border wall, sources say, but the accord would set up a period of negotiations on border security measures, and the president added he will make sure federal workers get back pay quickly. – Bloomberg
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/government/trump-announces-deal-reopen-government-3-weeks

 

BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— As shutdown dragged on, and Trump’s polling went down, Bost stuck with president – JOSEPH BUSTOS
https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article225077090.html

 

WPSD
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Pot pushers push pot.
https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2019/01/24/medical-marijuana-to-be-available-to-more-illinoisans-under-new-program/

 

DEERFIELD PATCH
— Assault Weapons Ban, Gun Buyer Social Media Search Proposed Democrats introduced new legislation to ban certain semi-automatic firearms and add restrictions on who can legally buy a gun in Illinois. – Jonah Meadows
https://patch.com/illinois/deerfield/assault-weapons-ban-gun-buyer-social-media-search-proposed

 

WEST COOK NEWS
— Underwood, Casten did not sign letter to Pelosi about shutdown – Glenn Minnis
https://westcooknews.com/stories/511740722-underwood-casten-did-not-sign-letter-to-pelosi-about-shutdown

 

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Wheaton Bowl owner Sal Falbo says he was targeted by Council candidate Bray-Parker – Glenn Minnis (DIERSEN: In 2002, I succeeded in getting the Milton Township Republican Central Committee (MTRCC) to hold its monthly meetings in the Wheaton Bowl Banquet Hall and the MTRCC has held its monthly meetings there ever since.)
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511739295-wheaton-bowl-owner-says-he-was-targeted-by-council-candidate-bray-parker
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Sal Falbo thinks Erica Bray-Parker could use a new lesson plan. “I don’t think her actions were the right thing to be teaching her students,” Falbo told the DuPage Policy Journal as rumors of Bray-Parker’s attempting to bully him and other business owners in Wheaton into removing signs from their properties that were for political candidates she doesn’t agree with continue to swirl. “We all have a right to freedom of speech, and as a teacher you would think she would know and understand that,” he added. According to local business owner Jane Shaw, all the drama began when Bray-Parker, who teaches at Glenbard North and is an instructor at the Civics Club, penned a letter to Falbo and other local business owners demanding that they remove posters of former state Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Republican of Wheaton, from in front of their businesses, vowing never to return to their establishments if they failed to comply. Bray-Parker, who is running for Wheaton City Council in District 4, is also accused of using her students as part of her “bullying” campaign, Shaw added. “I don’t live in Wheaton but if I did there’s no way I would vote for her,” said Faldo, part owner of Wheaton Bowl. “She’s obviously an activist, but part of the responsibility in that is understanding that everyone has the same free speech rights that you do. On top of that, the signs she was complaining about weren’t even on my property; they were in front. She’s really made an issue out of a nonissue.” Meanwhile, Ives, who relinquished her seat in Springfield with the start of the legislative session, has been adamant in expressing her opinion that she doesn’t think what she calls Bray-Parker’s brand of politics is right for Wheaton. “Erica Bray-Parker should not be elected; make sure she isn’t,” she told the DuPage Policy Journal. “She is unfit to represent business owners and the respectful, hard-working taxpayers of Wheaton. She is a civics teacher who is not civil.” Bray-Parker also raised eyebrows in May 2018, when she penned a letter in the Daily Herald assailing Peter Breen, a Republican of Lombard who was a state representative at the time, over what she perceived to be his inadequate stance on the issue of gun control.)

 

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— McGlasson discouraged by lack of response to meeting request – W.J. Kennedy (DIERSEN: What do the following have to say about this: your Republican Precinct Committeeman/Captain, the officers of your Republican township, ward, and/or county party organizations, your representative on the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee, the IRP officers, the IRP National Committeeman, and the IRP National Committeewoman?)
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511740588-mcglasson-discouraged-by-lack-of-response-to-meeting-request
(FROM THE ARTICLE: All that Republican Committeeman John McGlasson says he is likely to get out of his call for a special meeting of the state GOP after the shellacking the party took in November is a chance to speak his mind at the party’s regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 9 in Bolingbrook. If he can make his way onto the agenda. “Never heard back from anyone,” McGlasson, referring to his request for a special meeting, told Prairie State Wire. “I’m completely discouraged. I’ll try to give my viewpoints at the regular party meeting, if I get a chance.” The conservative McGlasson, committeeman from the 16th Congressional District, seconded fellow Committeeman’s Sean Morrison’s call for a special meeting after the embarrassing revelation in mid-December that Bruce Rauner sought someone to take his place on the ballot soon after his near loss to former State Rep. Jeanne Ives, a Republican of Wheaton, in the March primary. Again, he heard nothing. “We should be out looking hard for someone to challenge (U.S. Senator Dick) Durbin in 2020,” he said. “A good, enthusiastic candidate will help other candidates in down-ticket races. Maybe we could take a few of the House seats back. But they seem to be content with the way things are.” McGlasson needs five of the 18 Republican Central Committee members to call a special meeting of the party. He says with Bob Winchester’s legal claim for his Committee spot in the 15th Congressional District still in legal limbo, he doesn’t have them. “It is my opinion that the party needs to return to its roots as expressed in our party platform,” he said. “And we need to search for a leader that will lead us back to the basics of conservatism.” McGlasson said that a move is on to have Ives speak in Bolingbrook, but she told the Prairie State Wire that she has yet to receive an invitation. “I would tell them that they are disorganized and rudderless,” Ives said. “We need a fiscal contract with Illinoisans and a strategy to carry it out.” “We need new leadership,” she added, “after that bloodbath in November, and (the) revelation about Rauner. They (party leaders) can’t claim ignorance about that. He’s been funding the party for years.”)

 

ILLINOIS TIMES
— Anti-Muslim post appears on clerk’s Facebook page Circuit clerk says it was hack job – Bruce Rushton
https://illinoistimes.com/article-20874-anti-muslim-post-appears-on-clerks-facebook-page.html

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY ACTION
— A Crisis When It Suits Their Purpose – Robert Knight
https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/01/a-crisis-when-it-suits-their-purpose/

 

TOWNHALL
— Trump Announces a Deal to Reopen the Government – Katie Pavlich
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2019/01/25/breaking-trump-announces-a-deal-to-reopen-the-government-n2540272

 

BREITBART
— NewsGuard’s Advisory Board Has History of Fake News, Unethical Journalism – Charlie Nash
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2019/01/25/newsguards-advisory-board-has-history-of-fake-news-unethical-journalism/

 

DAILY CALLER
— NEW YORK TO SPEND MILLIONS PUTTING DREAMERS THROUGH COLLEGE – Jason Hopkins
https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/25/new-york-college-dreamers/

 

GOPUSA
— Trump flinched … and Pelosi will dig in
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=64041
— Do you ‘have it coming’ if you wear a MAGA hat? (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that “I had it coming” a) because I avoided the draft, b) because I refused to become a Democrat, and c) because I refused to help them get rid of federal employees because they were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran and who had not made GS-13 (currently $96,403) by age 25, GS-14 (currently $113,920) by age 30, GS-15 (currently $134,000) by age 35, and Senior Executive Service (currently $164,200) by age 40.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=64081
— Europe is failing because it’s been hijacked by activists determined to impose a socialist agenda
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=63961

 

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Trump Agrees to Three-Week Spending Bill Without Wall Funding to End Shutdown – JACK CROWE
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/donald-trump-agrees-to-three-week-spending-bill-with-no-wall-funding-to-end-shutdown/

 

THE HILL
— Trump agrees to end shutdown without getting wall funding – JORDAN FABIAN AND BRETT SAMUELS
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427004-trump-agrees-to-end-shutdown
— Senate votes to reopen government after Trump agrees to end shutdown – JORDAIN CARNEY
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/427041-senate-votes-to-reopen-government-after-trump-agrees-to-end-shutdown

 

POLITICO MAGAZINE
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Why 2019 Could Be Marijuana’s Biggest Year Yet A green tide in Congress raises hopes that pot could be legal under federal law by year’s end. – JAMES HIGDON
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/21/marijuana-legalization-congress-224031

 

CBS NEWS
— Trump says he’ll sign bill to reopen government for 3 weeks – live updates – GRACE SEGERS
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-deal-reached-trump-speech-announcement-opens-government-shutdown-over-today-live-updates-2019-01-25/

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Announces Deal to Reopen Government, in Surprise Retreat From Wall – Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Nicholas Fandos and Peter Baker
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/us/politics/trump-shutdown-deal.html
— ‘We Didn’t Get Ph.D.s Just to Sit Around’: Civil Servants’ Good Will Erodes – Campbell Robertson
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/us/civil-servants-government-work.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— At least 14,000 unpaid IRS workers did not show up for work as broad shutdown disruption hits tax agency, according to House aides – Jeff Stein and Danielle Paquette (DIERSEN: I worked for IRS 1971-1980 and I worked for GAO on audits of IRS 1986-1988.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/25/least-unpaid-irs-workers-did-not-show-up-work-broad-shutdown-disruption-hits-tax-agency-according-house-aides/
— Trump announces deal for government to reopen for three weeks, ending longest shutdown; no money for his border wall – Erica Werner and Mike DeBonis and John Wagner
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-leaders-continue-to-seek-a-deal-to-end-shutdown-that-will-satisfy-trump/2019/01/25/09c898dc-20ad-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Trump-haters say “Trump disapproval swells as president, Republicans face lopsided blame for shutdown.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-majority-of-americans-hold-trump-and-republicans-responsible-for-shutdown/2019/01/25/e7a2e7b8-20b0-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html
— Rep. Wittman, a Virginia Republican, wants to stop members of Congress from flying first class – Jenna Portnoy (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, overwhelmingly, my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates painted themselves and painted all federal employees as being underpaid and as having financial problems. They did not like it at all, and some were furious, when I a) bought a new 1968 Oldsmobile 442 in 1967, b) bought a new 1969 Dodge Charger SE in 1968, c) bought a new 1972 Corvette in 1971, d) bought a new town home in University Park in 1972, e) bought a studio condo in the Outer Drive East building in 1974, f) bought a one bedroom condo in that building in 1976, g) bought a home in Wheaton with my wife in 1978, h) had a home built with my wife in Wheaton in 1984, i) bought a 1962 Chevy Impala SS collector car in 1989, j) bought a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T collector car in 1994, k) paid for tuition and books to earn 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, and l) paid for tuition and books to earn job-related professional certifications when I was 30 and 32.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/rep-wittman-a-virginia-republican-wants-to-stop-members-of-congress-from-flying-first-class/2019/01/24/78b2508e-2013-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “I don’t think [flying first class] sets the right example,” he said in an interview. “I think members of Congress ought to be held to the same standard as others flying on government business.”)

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-considering-agreeing-to-sign-three-week-spending-bill-as-early-as-friday-11548439078
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-considering-agreeing-to-sign-three-week-spending-bill-as-early-as-friday-11548439078

 

NEWSBUG
— Illinois Republican Party in dire straits – Rich Miller
http://www.newsbug.info/illinois-republican-party-in-dire-straits/article_2590b6ef-c671-5b89-879e-5e09a973dc06.html

 

FED SMITH
— Short-Term Agreement Reached to Re-Open Government – Ralph R. Smith
https://www.fedsmith.com/2019/01/25/short-term-agreement-reached-re-open-government/

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.