ABC7
— Trump renews government shutdown threat if no border wall funding – JOHN PARKINSON
https://abc7chicago.com/trump-renews-government-shutdown-threat-if-no-border-wall-funding/3849921/
NBC5
— Chicago Making Changes to Issue More City ID Cards
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/chicago-making-changes-to-issue-more-city-id-cards-489611671.html
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rep. Keith Wheeler appointed GOP Conference Chairman
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/community/chi-ugc-article-rep-keith-wheeler-appointed-gop-conference-c-2018-07-31-story.html
— Even if you loathe Trump, vote Republican – Hugh Hewitt
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-votegop-midterms-democrats-disaster-pelosi-schumer-0801-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Electing Democrats to a majority in the House or the Senate at the height of the party’s lurch left would be a disaster: Impeachment, demands for massive income tax hikes and the effort to abolish ICE would follow, while also throwing the military rebuild into reverse and the economy into paralysis because of the inability of business to predict the future with anything like certainty. A radicalized Democratic Party puffed by a Trump-loathing Manhattan-Beltway elite wouldn’t bring us a political environment as fraught as 1861 or even 1968, but the Clinton impeachment and the Watergate scandal eras are fair parallels to the atmosphere that would follow if Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., returns to power or Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., gets his wish to run the Senate. So even if you loathe the president, vote Republican. The downside of Democratic majorities in either house of Congress is so much larger than another two years like the last two. Both 2017 and 2018 have been polarizing and stressful for sure, but very productive for national security and economic vitality. Are most voters going to choose venting over their pocketbooks and their security? I hope not.)
— Lake County Board chairman’s political future unclear as he gets treatment for drug addiction – Frank Abderholden
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-county-news-sun/news/ct-lns-county-board-chairman-followup-st-0801-story.html
— Odd Kane County board race features a Democrat recruited by Republicans and independent candidate linked to Democrats – Sarah Freishtat
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-kane-county-board-candidate-st-0801-story.html
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Tally to taxpayers for Dan Ryan shutdown reaches $323,000 — and still climbing – Michael McDevitt
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/dan-ryan-shutdown-tally-323000-chicago-illinois-state-police-pfleger/
— Employees of bedbug infested state office take letter of demands to Gov. Rauner – Rachel Hinton
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/employees-of-bed-bug-infested-dhs-office-take-letter-of-demands-to-gov-rauner/
DAILY HERALD
— Rauner, Sanguinetti honor examples of efficient local governments – Eric Peterson (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes honor Charles Bowsher for his success in getting rid of GAO’s employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who GAO had not promoted 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.)
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180731/rauner-sanguinetti-honor-examples-of-efficient-local-governments
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Pensions sucking up half of property-tax hikes – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180731/BLOGS02/180739969/pensions-sucking-up-half-of-property-tax-hikes-report
— DuPage pushes fight for O’Hare western terminal – GREG HINZ
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180731/BLOGS02/180739959/dupage-pushes-fight-for-ohare-western-terminal
SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Rauner signs bill to ban payroll ‘off-shoring’ by governors – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180731/rauner-signs-bill-to-ban-payroll-off-shoring-by-governors
— Union says Gov. Rauner is dragging feet on step raises – Doug Finke (DIERSEN: What pay increases have you received? Because of cost of living adjustments, step increases, and promotions, my pay increased every year that I worked for Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, except 1980 when I took a $19,203 (26%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO. In today’s dollars, my pay increased from $15.85/hour to $16.91/hour while I worked for the Post Office; from $45,703/year to $91,880/year while I worked for IRS; and from $72,677/year to $125,325/year while worked for GAO. My critics/opponents argue that those increases prove that my Democrat superiors in the federal government do not discriminate against me or retaliate against me. But I argue that if they had not discriminated or retaliated against me, they would have promoted me 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. 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.)
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180731/union-says-gov-rauner-is-dragging-feet-on-step-raises
— Double the love: Union picks both Pritzker, McCann in governor’s race – Rick Pearson
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180731/double-love-union-picks-both-pritzker-mccann-in-governors-race
BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— B-N congressmen oppose shutting government over immigration – DEREK BEIGH
https://www.pantagraph.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/b-n-congressmen-oppose-shutting-government-over-immigration/article_5258e7b1-0290-545e-b2b0-be8fe1867fbe.html
FOX ILLINOIS
— Vermilion Republican County Board nominates Larry Baughn new chairman
https://foxillinois.com/news/local/vermilion-republican-county-board-nominates-new-chairman
UPSTREAM IDEAS
— Political Ruling Class Destroying Your Home Value
http://upstream-ideas.com/upstream-ideas/ideas/political-ruling-class-destroying-your-home-value
CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Ives calls for Chicago Public Schools to be ‘broken up into smaller districts’ following another sex assault report – W.J. Kennedy
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511508374-ives-calls-for-chicago-public-schools-to-be-broken-up-into-smaller-districts-following-another-sex-assault-report
ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Measure to return spiking threshold to six percent called pure politics – Greg Bishop
https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/measure-to-return-spiking-threshold-to-six-percent-called-pure/article_cc3b07f8-942e-11e8-8864-7321d674fc66.html
CAPITOL FAX
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Republicans promote Arthur Jones
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/31/nazi-tries-to-rehabilitate-his-image/
— College Hunger Bill (DIERSEN: Where did the money come from to pay for the food that you ate while you were in college? My outstanding parents provided me with room and board while I attended UIC 1966-1968, weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and the summer of 1969. I paid for room and board at NIU during 1969 and 1970 with money that I earned/saved working part-time for the Park Forest Post Office in 1969 and for Chrysler and University Plaza Dormitory in 1970.)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/31/its-just-a-bill-113/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: An estimated 40,000 low-income community college students in Illinois are now assured access to food security through SNAP, thanks to Senate Bill 351, which was signed into law July 20 by Gov. Bruce Rauner. CCH advocated for this eligibility for more than five years, through its statewide No Youth Alone campaign. CCH worked with Heartland Alliance and the Sargent Shriver National Poverty Law Center through two legislative sessions to enact the College Hunger Bill.)
— Should elected officials be prohibited from blocking their constituents on social media? (DIERSEN: I have never blocked anyone, including my most vicious critics/opponents, their operatives, or their dupes, from getting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails. I should write a book about those who read my emails solely to get information to use against me. They would love it.)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/31/question-of-the-day-2715/
— Fairgrounds Foundation chairman blames fund sweeps, mansion renovation for horrible fundraising (DIERSEN: I raise $2,500 each year from Republican candidates and Republican elected officials to help sponsor Wheaton’s Independence Day parades. I should write a book about those who discourage Republican candidates and Republican elected officials a) from helping sponsor the parade and b) from participating in the parade.)
https://capitolfax.com/2018/07/31/fairgrounds-foundation-chairman-blames-fund-sweeps-mansion-renovation-for-horrible-fundraising/
FOX NEWS
— Chicago activists demand Rahm Emanuel resign ahead of anti-violence rally – Adam Shaw
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/31/chicago-activists-demand-rahm-emanuel-resign-ahead-anti-violence-rally.html
THE HILL
— GOP rep says Trump ‘posturing’ in government shutdown threat – JOHN BOWDEN
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/399686-gop-rep-labels-trump-shutdown-threat-posturing
NEW YORK TIMES
— After Doctors Cut Their Opioids, Patients Turn to a Risky Treatment for Back Pain – Sheila Kaplan
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/31/health/opioids-spinal-injections.html