CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, pot pushers push pot.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/pot-topics-cannabis-weed-medical-marijuana-hemp-cbd-thc/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “Trump’s big worry: People will know his fortune is a house of cards.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/president-donald-trump-special-counsel-robert-mueller-russia-vladimir-putin-linda-chavez/
— Mark Janus quits state job for conservative think tank gig after landmark ruling – Mitchell Armentrout (DIERSEN: If you have ever left a job, what were the reasons for that? In 1997, when I was 49 years old, my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer.” They had made it clear to me, that if I did not take their “offer,” they would constructively demote me and even worse things. They made it clear to me that they would get rid of me long before I would be eligible for regular retirement in 2003. Previously they a) had given me unfair performance expectations and appraisals, b) had always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, c) had not promoted me beyond GS-13, d) had gotten rid of my mentor in 1987, e) had kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and f) had forced me to take an $19,203 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980. Previously, my Democrat IRS superiors a) had not promoted me beyond GS-12, b) had disallowed my education deductions in 1978, c) had gotten rid of my mentor in 1975, and d) had disallowed my partial day per diem claims in 1974. Previously, my Democrat Post Office superiors a) had forced me resign in 1969 and b) had disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968. My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes who state that they are religious, conservative, and/or Republican side with my Democrat federal superiors against me. So of course, they have never offered me a job.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/janus-afscme-illinois-policy-institute-job-ruling-fair-share-union-dues/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Janus, 65, had worked as a $71,000-per-year child support specialist at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services in Springfield. “I love my job,” Janus had said in statements before the ruling. “Serving others is part of who I am. But in order to do this type of work, I am forced to check my First Amendment rights at the door.”)
— America’s political divide could become a wall in our own country – Mel Novit, Morton Grove (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and RINOs divide those who oppose Trump against those who support Trump.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/trump-border-wall-politics-letters/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “Faced with real thug, blowhard Trump crumbled.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/putintrump-helsinki-nato-europe/
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Residents say Crete-Monee district’s plan to shutter 4 schools is racist – Mike Nolan (DIERSEN: My outstanding parents saved Crete-Monee School District 201-U (http://www.cm201u.org/) lots of money during the 1950s and 1960s by sending my brother and me to Trinity Lutheran Grade School in Crete and then to Hope Lutheran Grade School in Park Forest to stay with the Missouri Synod.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-school-district-consolidation-st-0722-story.html
— Chase Bank wouldn’t deposit wrongfully convicted man’s check from the state for 23 years in prison – Gregory Pratt
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-chase-wrongful-conviction-check-20180719-story.html
— As use of overdose antidotes spreads, is extreme empathy for addicts normalizing the opioid culture? – Dahleen Glanton
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/glanton/ct-met-dahleen-glanton-opioids-tough-love-20180720-story.html
NBC5
— Body Found in Marquette Park Dumpster Identified as Missing Naperville Man
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Body-Found-in-Marquette-Park-Dumpster-Identified-as-Missing-Naperville-Man-488776521.html
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Marginal amounts of legionella detected in Stratton Building – Brenden Moore
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180719/marginal-amounts-of-legionella-detected-in-stratton-building
SAUK VALLEY
— Term limits: Beware of unintended consequences The unintended consequences of a term-limits pledge being promoted by Illinois Republicans should not be taken lightly. Statewide officials and lawmakers are already governed by term limits; they’re called elections. – Editorial (DIERSEN: I should write a book about my critics/opponents who want term limits. They stress how much better off without me the following are: TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee website, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter, GAO, IRS, Post Office, etc.)
http://www.saukvalley.com/2018/07/20/svm-editorial-term-limits-beware-of-unintended-consequences/aqrk3sk/
BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT
— OUTRAGEOUS: Judge rejects US efforts to strip terrorist of citizenship – AP
https://www.bnd.com/news/nation-world/national/article215285075.html
ILLINOIS BUSINESS DAILY
— Northwestern University tops in Illinois for men’s athletic student aid
https://ilbusinessdaily.com/stories/511485470-northwestern-university-tops-in-illinois-for-men-s-athletic-student-aid
— 12,480 borrowers in default on student loans after attending four-year universities in Illinois
https://ilbusinessdaily.com/stories/511488968-12-480-borrowers-in-default-on-student-loans-after-attending-four-year-universities-in-illinois
ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Rep. Rodney Davis calls Sen. Durbin hypocrite over Trump-Russia criticism – Greg Bishop
https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/rep-davis-calls-sen-durbin-hypocrite-over-trump-russia-criticism/article_de965604-8aca-11e8-ba7c-ef51935a8efa.html
GOPUSA
— Obama Urges Women to Grow More Involved in Politics: ‘Men Have Been Getting on My Nerves Lately’ (DIERSEN: What do you say to men who pander to women? What do you say to men who use women? Ever increasingly, Democrats shout at women that Republican men are White supremacists, Nazis, KKK members, haters, racists, sexists, bigots, and even worse things who should be gotten rid of.)
http://www.gopusa.com/obama-urges-women-to-grow-more-involved-in-politics-men-have-been-getting-on-my-nerves-lately/
NEW YORK TIMES
— At Least Online, Interest Rates on Savings Finally Move Up – Ann Carrns (DIERSEN: Beyond outrageously, for many years now, interest rates have been far less than inflation. Of course, that harms savers.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/your-money/online-interest-rates-savings.html
WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “House provides no 2019 pay raise for federal employees; conflicts with Senate.” How strongly will my critics/opponent, their operatives, and their dupes in the Milton Township Republican Central Committee, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, and the Illinois Republican Party hint/imply/argue/shout that those who voted for Trump a) want Trump to get rid of past, present, and future federal employees once and for all and b) especially want Trump to get rid of me? I was a federal employee for almost 30 years and I have been a federal retiree for almost 21 years.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/07/20/house-provides-no-2019-pay-raise-for-feds-conflicts-with-senate/
(FROM THE EDITORIAL: It’s been a tough week for federal employees. On Monday, there was yet another display that their top boss is hopelessly unsuited for the White House with President Trump’s obsequious behavior in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump undermined federal employees who reported Putin’s attack on the 2016 presidential election. On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved two measures that would speed the firing of feds by weakening civil service protections. On Thursday, the House effectively dumped on raising pay for federal employees in 2019 by passing an appropriations bill that included no increase. While the workforce and the rest of us are stuck with Trump for at least two more years, the House actions are not the final word on pay and disciplinary measures. . .House Republicans also don’t care for the current level of federal employees’ civil service protections. Two bills approved by the Oversight Committee with party-line votes would allow management to fire feds faster by weakening their workplace due-process rights. The measures require full House and Senate action before becoming law. One bill would accelerate disciplinary procedures, including termination, by cutting time allowed for appeals. The general probationary period for feds would double to two years, allowing more time to take disciplinary action against new employees who have fewer rights. Another piece of legislation would lower the burden of proof that managers need to fire workers, among other provisions. “Working for the United States federal government is an honor and a privilege, and most federal employees value the opportunity and work hard to serve the American people,” Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) said following the committee vote. “However, some federal employees have learned they can use the system to protect their jobs regardless of their poor performance or bad behavior.” He called the committee’s action “a huge step to creating a more efficient and effective government that works for the people, streamlining the process and lessening the time it takes to dismiss poor performing or negligent employees.” Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.) the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, disagreed. The legislation “raises serious concerns about fairness and due process,” he said, adding it “will weaken merit system principles and politicize the federal workforce.”)
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION
— Days after announcing new hire, Atlanta mayor takes back job offer – Stephen Deere Vanessa McCray (DIERSEN: Have you ever had a job offer withdrawn after you had accepted it? In 1971, when I was 22 years old, Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted saying that Oldsmobile had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint. That directly resulted in my accepting a job offer from IRS.)
https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/days-after-announcing-new-hire-atlanta-mayor-takes-back-job-offer/XQEVvMfxABJyZ67yHd6z0O/
WPSU
— How Underemployment Is Affecting The Job Market – LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO (DIERSEN: I argue that I was underemployed my entire life, but of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes disagree with me. 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. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981.)
http://radio.wpsu.org/post/how-underemployment-affecting-job-market
TIME
— Democratic Centrists See a ‘Silent Majority’ Ready to Rebuild – Philip Elliott (DIERSEN: In Republican areas, Democrats paint themselves as being centrists, but then, if elected, they promote the Democrat Party platform, that is, they promote a) dependency on government, b) dependency on charity, c) LGBTQ activity, d) abortion, e) mass/illegal immigration, f) abolition of the First and Second Amendments, g) booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, h) patronage, i) political affiliation discrimination, j) reverse discrimination, k) age discrimination, l) retaliation, and m) hatred of individuals, organizations, companies, and governments that 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://time.com/5344879/democratic-party-silent-majority/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— You’re Not as Smart as You Think: Perils and Benefits of Overconfidence New research shows that most people think they’re smarter than average; how gender and education play a role. – Patrick Heck and Christopher Chabris (DIERSEN: Each and every one of my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) paint themselves as being extremely smart and b) demonize me, denigrate me, and condemn me as being extremely dumb. They dismiss/belittle/badmouth/demonize/denigrate/condemn the fact that a) I earned 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) I earned job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, c) I earned a job-related professional license when I was 32, d) I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, and e) I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I should write a book about my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/youre-not-as-smart-as-you-think-perils-and-benefits-of-overconfidence-1532100629
It’s Time to Kick the Bucket List
— Americans have become obsessed with supposedly transformative experiences. But is bungee-jumping in Madagascar what will really make life complete? – Joe Queenan
https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-time-to-kick-the-bucket-list-1532098448
— Is President Trump Illegitimate? – Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always painted me as being illegitimate. Should I write a book about them?)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-president-trump-illegitimate-1532126338
— FRONT PAGE WITH COLOR GRAPHIC: America Is Running Out of Family Caregivers, Just When It Needs Them Most – Clare Ansberry (DIERSEN: My father’s sister, my mother’s sister, and my wife’s sister never married, never had children, and have serious health problems. They are all using their life savings to pay caregivers well over $200 a day.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/america-is-running-out-of-family-caregivers-just-when-it-needs-them-most-1532094538
— Shine a Light on Media Accountability – David Cutbill
https://deloitte.wsj.com/cmo/2018/04/05/shine-a-light-on-media-accountability/
FORBES
— Don’t Chase The Money! There Are More Important Things To Look For In A Job – Michael B. Arthur (DIERSEN: Have you taken a pay cut? I have. In 1980, when I was 31 years old, I took a $19,203 (26%) pay cut in today’s dollars (from GS-12 Step 5 down to GS-9 Step 10) to transfer from IRS to GAO. QUESTION: Why did I do that? ANSWER: GAO claimed to be nonpartisan and independent. My Democrat IRS superiors and Money Magazine had ruined my IRS career. GAO employees are somewhat less demonized, denigrated, and condemned than IRS employees are. Because GAO audits IRS, I could use my knowledge of IRS on audits of IRS. I had worked for IRS for almost 9 years, the last 5 1/2 years of which at the GS-12 Step 1-5 levels, currently $81,071-$91,880. The GAO staff manager who hired me was confident that he could a) promptly get me assigned to audits of IRS and b) promptly promote me to GS-11 Step 10, currently $87,933, to GS-12 Step 5, currently $91,880, and to GS-13 Step 1, currently $96,403. But soon after I transferred to GAO, that GAO manager was deposed and he was not able to promote me to GS-11 Step 10 until 1981, to GS-12 Step 5 salary until 1982, and to GS-13 Step 1 until 1986. In 1986, he finally succeeded in getting me assigned to audits of IRS. In 1987, his Democrat superiors succeeded in forcing him to retire. To justify their forcing me to take a pay cut to transfer from IRS to GAO, my Democrat GAO superiors dismissed/belittled/badmouthed/demonized/denigrated/condemned a) my knowledge of IRS, b) my passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979, c) my almost completing the requirements for a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul and then my earning that degree in 1980, and d) my earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, a minority, a female, or a veteran. Money Magazine, my Democrat superiors, GAO, IRS, and Post Office supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates, and the rest of my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always viciously demonized me, viciously denigrated me, and viciously condemned me as being overpaid.)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbarthur/2018/07/17/dont-chase-the-money-there-are-better-ways-to-look-for-a-new-job/
BUSINESS TIMES
— Degrees of underemployment – RACHEL MUI (DIERSEN: I argue that I was underemployed my entire life, but of course, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes disagree with me. 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. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and I passed the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981.)
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/brunch/degrees-of-underemployment-fresh-grads-stuck-in-a-bind
FED SMITH
— GAO: VA Whistleblowers 10x More Likely to Be Disciplined Than Peers – Ian Smith (DIERSEN: Because I was a whistleblower, a) my Democrat GAO superiors forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, gave me unfair performance expectations and appraisals, always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, did not promote me beyond GS-13, got rid of my mentor in 1987, kept me off audits of IRS for all but 3 of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO, and forced me to take an $19,203 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980; b) my Democrat IRS superiors did not promote me beyond GS-12, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, got rid of my mentor in 1975, and disallowed my partial day per diem claims in 1974; and c) my Democrat Post Office superiors forced me resign in 1969 and disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2018/07/20/gao-va-whistleblowers-10x-likely-disciplined-peers/
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE
— ‘Chaos’ as VA Implements Executive Order Limiting Union Official Time – Erich Wagner (DIERSEN: If I sought a government office or a political office, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would stress all the “union official time” that was spent winning Diersen v. IRS. SEE: https://www.gao.gov/products/463866. Just kidding, but not completely.)
https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/07/union-calls-va-implementation-official-time-order-chaos/149924/
