March 18 Morning Edition

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Rauner wants state’s top court to decide AFSCME dispute – AP
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/rauner-wants-states-top-court-to-decide-afscme-dispute/amp/
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Cook County Board member cashes in on video gambling boom – BGA
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/cook-county-board-member-cashes-in-on-video-gambling-boom/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON CHICAGO TIGHTENS: Group of men robbing people walking in Loop, on Red Line
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-loop-red-line-robberies-20170317-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly Democrats are succeeding in getting religious leaders to act as operatives or as dupes for the Democrat Party.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-naperville-churches-politics-st-0310-20170317-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— Town hall ‘protests’ beneath our dignity – Mary Plunkett, Wheaton
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170318/discuss/170318885/
— Endorsements: Delgado, Nagel, Saake, Yackey for West Chicago District 94 school board
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170317/discuss/170319062/

 

WGN RADIO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps ask “Does President Trump’s budget proposal put pressure on Illinois?”
http://wgnradio.com/2017/03/17/does-president-trumps-budget-proposal-put-pressure-on-illinois/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— 5 places where Chicago will feel Trump budget cuts – BGA
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170317/NEWS02/170319876/poor-in-chicago-and-illinois-targeted-in-trump-budget-cuts

 

JOURNAL GAZETTE TIMES COURIER
— ‘Kicking the can’ not the best government budget strategy – Editorial
http://jg-tc.com/news/opinion/our-view-kicking-the-can-not-the-best-government-budget/article_f2577baa-2903-54bf-b8d1-35192ee0f8bd.html

 

QUAD CITIES ONLINE
— To turn corner, Illinois must reform itself today – Bill Bloom
http://www.qconline.com/opinion/to-turn-corner-illinois-must-reform-itself-today/article_a26d21a1-1e97-54f0-be88-37d31c842085.html

 

WHEATON RECORD
— Paul Ryan plans fundraiser at The Chicago Club March 23 – MADDY PRESTON
http://www.wheatonrecord.com/news/paul-ryan-plans-fundraiser-chicago-club/

 

FOX NEWS
— Make no mistake, disclosing Trump’s tax returns (and anyone else’s) is a felony – Hans A. von Spakovsky
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/17/make-no-mistake-disclosing-trumps-tax-returns-and-anyone-elses-is-felony.html

 

FREEDOM’S JOURNAL
— WHY ARE BLACK REPUBLICANS AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT? – Raynard Jackson
https://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/latest-news/opinion/why-are-black-republicans-afraid-to-speak-out/

 

AMERICAN THINKER
— The Left’s Descent into Fascism – Shari Goodman  (DIERSEN: If you are a Trump supporter, where are you no longer welcome?  What year is it in America – 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936?)
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/03/the_lefts_descent_into_fascism.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Long before the creation of ghettos and concentration camps, the demonization of Jews began in 1933 when Germany elected Adolf Hitler as Chancellor.  Following his election, Hitler created a fascist dictatorship which eventually led to the Holocaust and the extermination of six million Jews whose only crime was their Jewish identity. The dehumanization of Jews was a necessary requirement for Hitler and his fellow Nazis and they did so with a campaign of demonization, ridicule, and blame.  Hitler’s election provided Germans a daily dose of anti-Semitism and gave it legitimacy while providing a rationalization for the extermination of six million Jews. The persecution of European Jewry was gradual.  At first Jews were no longer welcome at schools and universities.  Later, they were no longer able to own their businesses and homes. With time, public transportation was unavailable to them, public restrooms were forbidden, hospitals excluded them and eventually they were no longer able to use public streets or go outdoors.  They were complete outcasts in a land they called home.  By the time the crematoriums were running, Jews were no longer viewed as humans, but as vermin to be stamped out for the good of humanity. Today, the election of Donald Trump to the Presidency has provoked the fascist Left to reject the election results.  Taking a page from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radials, in which Alinsky advised his followers in Rule 13 to “pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it,” the Left is now resorting to the fascist tactics of targeting Conservatives much like the Nazis who targeted European Jewry for their economic and social ills.  Conservatives and Trump supporters are reluctant to identify themselves and conceal their support for fear of a backlash from the Leftist elites. From the Berkeley riots to Black Lives Matters marches it is not safe to be a conservative Trump supporter on American streets and college campuses.)
— ‘Ending Jewish Privilege’ flyers distributed at University of Illinois, Chicago – Thomas Lifson  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes hint/imply/argue/shout that members of the following groups are privileged and that it should end: Trump supporter, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owner, German American, draft avoider, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.  Ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes make it clear that they want to get rid of those who are members of the aforesaid groups. Ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes make it clear that they want to curry favor with those who are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, anti-White, anti-male, anti-older people, anti-rich people, anti-gun owners, anti-German Americans, anti-draft avoiders, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/03/ending_jewish_privilege_flyers_distributed_at_university_of_illinois_chicago.html

 

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— ISIS Could Eradicate Christians From Middle East – Adam Kredo  (DIERSEN: Of course, anti-Christians have no problem with that.)
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/isis-eradicate-christians-middle-east/
— Brazile Defends Her Decision to Leak Questions to Clinton – Nick Bolger  (DIERSEN: Democrats are moral relativists who believe that their end justifies their means.)
http://freebeacon.com/politics/brazile-defends-her-decision-to-leak-questions-to-clinton/

 

HUFFINGTON POST
— Berkeley Becomes First City To Divest From Border Wall Companies – Mary Papenfuss  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps make it clear that they hate America and that they hate Americans.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/berkeley-border-wall-contractors_us_58cc7f57e4b0be71dcf50d7b

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Depressed by Politics? Just Let Go – Arthur C. Brooks  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents a) want you to know only what they want you to know and b) know that they cannot manipulate/dominate me.  That is why since 2000, they have had their operatives and their dupes do everything that they can to stop me from sending GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails out.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/opinion/depressed-by-politics-just-let-go.html
— HARDCOPY SUBTITLE: Resisting a president who believes the arts are worthless – Roger Cohen  (DIERSEN: Who believes that what you do is worthless?  I should write a book about those who hint/imply/argue/shout that my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are not only worthless, but that they have caused all the defeats that Republicans have suffered since 2000 in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/opinion/christo-wraps-donald-trump.html

 

LOS ANGELES TIMES
— What does the NEA’s $148 million budget buy? 7,789,473 taco bowls but not even one mile of the 405 Freeway – Carolina A. Miranda
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-nea-index-trump-budget-20170318-story.html

 

LAS VEGAS SUN
— States could make work a Medicaid requirement under Republican deal – Thomas Kaplan and Robert Pear  (DIERSEN: But what if you have medical problems that are so severe that no one will hire you?)
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/mar/18/states-could-make-work-a-medicaid-requirement-unde/

 

USA TODAY
— Military nude photo investigation expands into gay porn websites – Tom Vanden Brook
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/17/marine-corps-commandant-robert-neller-marines-united-pornography/99306778/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Mere Budgetary Christianity  What would Jesus say about big government? – JAMES FREEMAN  (DIERSEN: What do you say to religious leaders who ever increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout that God hates those who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?  My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes in Wheaton and in Glen Ellyn are extremely judgmental and hint/imply/argue/shout that God loves them but God hates me and God is going to send me straight to Hell mainly because I spend Sunday mornings putting GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and sending them out instead of attending church services.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mere-budgetary-christianity-1489780327
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times is having fun implying that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s effort to replace ObamaCare is at odds with Mr. Ryan’s Catholic faith. The column is of a piece with the “Jesus was a socialist” arguments that bounce around the left half of the social media universe. Without wrestling with any difficult questions of faith or logic, Mr. Kristof simply casts the federal bureaucracy in the role of Jesus. Then the Timesman proceeds to suggest through satire that by seeking to reduce outlays and improve incentives in federal programs, Mr. Ryan is defying the will of his God. Of course if federal agencies were ever actually given the statutory mission to do as Jesus would do, Mr. Kristof would be as horrified as anyone. But this seems to be a political season when people who spend much of the year driving religion out of public life abruptly drag it back in as they attempt to justify big government. It’s not necessarily persuasive. The ancient book has numerous admonitions to perform charity and various condemnations of greed, but it’s not easy to find a passage in which Jesus says that government is the best vehicle to provide aid, or that anyone should force others to donate. Even casual readers of the Bible may notice that Jesus doesn’t get along all that well with the political authorities of his time and (spoiler alert!) his relationship with government ends rather badly. Back then, tax collectors were not presumed to be the dedicated public servants that we appreciate so much today. And in our own time, social conservatives who think the U.S. Government has become hostile to religion—Christianity in particular—should consider what Jesus had to put up with.)
— Thomas Sowell discusses his own rise from poverty and the country’s ‘degeneration’ into ‘grievance culture.’ – TUNKU VARADARAJAN  (DIERSEN: When my subordinates in the federal government who were Democrat, minority, female, and/or younger grieved that they were not getting promoted fast enough, my Democrat superiors and supervisors hinted/implied/argued/shouted that they were doing everything that they could to get rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.  During almost all of the almost 18 years that I worked for GAO 1980-1997, the agency was under a promotion freeze.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-education-of-an-american-sage-1489791759

 

HERALD MAIL
— Who would replace immigrant workers? – Tim Rowland  (DIERSEN: What bad jobs did you have that many, if not most people would refuse to take?  I did yard work, delivered newspapers, washed dishes, cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, pumped gasoline, delivered mail, worked on an automobile assemble line, worked as a security guard, sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances, collected delinquent taxes, and audited federal agencies.)
http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/opinion/tim_rowland/who-would-replace-immigrant-workers/article_00b065ae-a5a5-5e00-ac5c-a6b3b42b48bf.html

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.