March 24 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— OUTSTANDING: Rauner not a fan of legalizing marijuana – Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-morning-spin-chicago-city-council-member-calls-colleague-chump-alderman-takes-it-back-20170323-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Responding to recently introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana in Illinois, Gov. Bruce Rauner had a less than enthusiastic response but said he’d be willing to study it. “I’m not a believer that legalizing more drugs will help our society so I’m not philosophically enthusiastic about it, but I’m also open to what actually works to make life better to people,” Rauner told the “Roe Conn Show” on WGN-AM 720 on Thursday. “I’m hearing some pretty bad stories. Now, I haven’t studied it. I think we should do a thoughtful analysis of what’s happening in these other states. I’m hearing a lot of trouble,” he said. “My friends in Colorado have told me some pretty terrible things about addiction problems and behavior problems, etc. over there in Denver.” To sum it up, Rauner said, “I just believe we’re conducting a massive human experiment as we legalize these drugs.”  One Democrat running for the right to take on Rauner next year endorsed the legislation. “Legalizing recreational marijuana is a social justice issue,” said Ald. Ameya Pawar in a statement. “It will reduce the amount we spend as a society arresting and jailing people for low-level nonviolent offenses, when our criminal justice system should be focused on reducing violence,” he said.)
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: In a front page top of fold editorial with big color pictures unethically made to look like a news article, anti-Trumps treasonously glorify and praise those who come to America illegally, who stay in America illegally, and who bring others to America illegally.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/immigration/ct-immigrants-mchenry-detention-center-met-20170323-story.html
— Health care workers protest efforts to overhaul Obamacare – Elyssa Cherney
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-health-care-rally-met-20170323-story.html
— Can budget deal ever get done with Rauner, Madigan at the table? – Rich Miller
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-speaker-madigan-illinois-budget-met-20170324-story.html
— American democracy: Not so decadent after all – Charles Krauthammer
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-trump-health-care-congress-immigration-krauthammer-perspec-0324-20170323-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The media. Trump is right. It is the opposition party. Indeed, furiously so, often indulging in appalling overkill. It’s sometimes embarrassing to read the front pages of the major newspapers, festooned as they are with anti-Trump editorializing masquerading as news. Nonetheless, if you take the view from 30,000 feet, better this than a press acquiescing on bended knee, where it spent most of the Obama years in a slavish Pravda-like thrall. Every democracy needs an opposition press. We damn well have one now. Taken together — and suspending judgment on which side is right on any particular issue — it is deeply encouraging that the sinews of institutional resistance to a potentially threatening executive remain quite resilient. James Madison’s genius was to understand that the best bulwark against tyranny was not virtue — virtue helps, but should never be relied upon — but ambition counteracting ambition, faction counteracting faction. You see it even in the confirmation process for Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s supremely qualified and measured Supreme Court nominee. He’s a slam dunk, yet some factions have scraped together a campaign to block him. Their ads are plaintive and pathetic. Yet I find them warmly reassuring. What a country — where even the vacuous have a voice. The anti-Trump opposition flatters itself as “the resistance.” As if this is Vichy France. It’s not. It’s 21st century America. And the good news is that the checks and balances are working just fine.)
— Study finds white working class increasingly dying ‘deaths of despair’ – AP (DIERSEN: Of course, those who are ant-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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors WANT THOSE WHO ARE Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors TO DIE A DEATH OF DISPAIR.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-white-working-class-deaths-of-despair-20170324-story.html
— With the help of the interior secretary, Washington steps in it again – John Kass  (DIERSEN: Government is nasty. Politics is nasty. What do you say to those who demonize, who denigrate, and who condemn those who do not own dogs?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-interior-department-dog-days-kass-0324-20170323-column.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Donald Trump: Touts how health bill defunds Planned Parenthood – Lynn Sweet
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/donald-trump-touts-how-health-bill-defunds-planned-parenthood/
— Chicagoans take triple hit on old Wrigley factory -Tim Novak
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/the-watchdogs-chicagoans-take-triple-hit-on-old-wrigley-factory/amp/

 

DAILY HERALD
— Budget, property taxes key issues in calm COD board race – Robert Sanchez
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170323/news/170329421/
— Worried about getting old? Poll sees optimism grow with age – AP
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170322/news/303229915/
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps demonize, denigrate, and condemn Trump and Trump’s supporters.
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170324/discuss/170329426/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Why I broke up with Facebook – Justin Massa  (DIERSEN: Should I write a book about those who focus on discouraging everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails?  Groupings could include past and present a) Milton Township Republican Central Committee leaders, b) DuPage County Republican Central Committee leaders, c) Illinois Republican Party leaders, d) City of Wheaton leaders and employees, e) Milton Township leaders and employees, f) State of Illinois leaders and employees, g) activists, h) major donors, and i) political consultants.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170324/OPINION/170329955

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Thumbs Down: To the never-ending Mendoza-Rauner blame game – Editorial  (DIERSEN: What do say to those who blame me and my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails for all of their problems, for all of your problems, for all of my problems, and for all of everyone’s problems?)
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20170323/thumbs-down-to-never-ending-mendoza-rauner-blame-game

 

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Thousands of Trump University students want their money back  3,700 file claims on Trump’s lawsuit settlement  (DIERSEN: Should I ask for my money back from IIT, DePaul, Loyola, and NIU?  My Democrat superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates in the federal government had a very opinion of my 1997 master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT, my 1980 master’s degree in accounting from DePaul, my 1976 MBA from Loyola, and my 1970 bachelor’s degree in management from NIU. They stressed that none of the aforesaid universities were Ivy League.  In addition, they had a very low opinion of my 1997 Forsenic Accountant certification, my 1996 Financial Services Auditor certification, my 1994 Government Financial Manager certification, my 1990 Fraud Examiner certification, my 1981 CPA license, my 1981 Certified Internal Auditor certification, and my 1979 CPA certification.  They would not have had such low opinions if I had been a Democrat, a minority, a female, or a veteran.)
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/business/thousands-of-trump-university-students-want-their-money-back/679835423

 

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— Who Should Make Cuts? – Greg Bishop (DIERSEN: In the federal government, when cuts have to be made, employees who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran are cut.)
http://www.altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=239765#.WNUCzRHxZZI

 

LINCOLN COURIER
— Rauner speaks at Logan County Republican Party’s 2017 Lincoln Day Dinner – Jessica Lema  (DIERSEN: How successful was your Republican county party organization’s 2017 Lincoln Day Dinner?)
http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/20170323/rauner-speaks-at-logan-county-republican-partys-2017-lincoln-day-dinner

 

FOX ILLINOIS
— Local Students Speak Out About Trump Administration – Esther Kwon
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/local-students-speak-out-about-trump-administration

 

STATE LINE
— Rick Perry: Texas A&M’s student body election was ‘stolen’  Lead vote getter was disqualified – EMANUELLA GRINBERG AND TONY MARCO
http://www.mystateline.com/news/national/rick-perry-texas-am-election-stolen/679609673

 

ILLINOIS NEWS NETWORK
— Rauner: Democrats say they want to see department cuts only to criticize them – Greg Bishop and Dan McCaleb  (DIERSEN: In the federal government, when cuts have to be made, employees who are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran are cut.)
http://ilnews.org/news/state_politics/rauner-democrats-say-they-want-to-see-department-cuts-only/article_fad6ed8e-0fe1-11e7-9c8e-9f3072b92cd1.html

 

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— EACH ILLINOIS HOUSEHOLD ON THE HOOK FOR $56K IN GOVERNMENT-WORKER RETIREMENT DEBT – Ted Dabrowski
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/each-illinois-household-on-the-hook-for-56k-in-government-worker-retirement-debt/

 

CAPITOL FAX
— OUTSTANDING: Rauner says his Colorado friends are telling him “pretty terrible things” about legal weed
https://capitolfax.com/2017/03/24/rauner-says-his-colorado-friends-are-telling-him-pretty-terrible-things-about-legal-weed/
— Leader Radogno: “No Governor’s spokesman, even Goldberg speaks for the Senate caucus”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/03/24/leader-radogno-no-governors-spokesman-even-goldberg-speaks-for-the-senate-caucus/

 

GOPUSA
— Girl Gets Savagely Assaulted; School District Concerned about Backlash Against Attackers and Other Illegals  (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who ever-increasingly put illegals ahead of citizens of America.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=22261
— Ramming with vehicles marks the new, go-to method of choice of today’s terrorists
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=22244

 

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Ryan unmasks himself as biggest threat to GOP, Trump presidency – Ralph Z. Hallow
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/23/paul-ryan-unmasks-himself-biggest-threat-gop-trump/

 

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
—  IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WON’T COME; AFTER ILLEGAL ALIENS ALLEGEDLY COMMIT BRUTAL CRIME, MARYLAND LAWMAKERS CONSIDER SANCTUARY; MALIBU GIVES SANCTUARY TO ILLEGAL ALIENS (JUST AS LONG AS THEY DON’T TRY TO USE THE BEACH); JUDICIARY WAGES WAR ON TRUMP, JEOPARDIZES NATIONAL SECURITY; NORTH CAROLINA COMMITTEE PASSES ANTI-SANCTUARY ENFORCEMENT BILL
http://view.fairmail.fairus.org/

 

THE HILL
— Your pension could be at the center of America’s next financial crisis – JEFF REEVES
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/finance/325564-the-pension-crisis-will-be-americas-next-financial-crisis

 

POLITICO
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Natasha Korecki reports on what Rich Miller has behind his $500/year paywall at
https://capitolfax.com/.  Dave Diersen does not have any paywalls at https://gopillinois.com.  He who pays the piper calls the tunes. One could argue that Miller should publish the identities of all his $500 paywall subscribers.  No one pays me for what I do for your GOPUSA Illinois Editor.  No one calls my tunes.)
http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/illinois-playbook/2017/03/politico-illinois-playbook-lawmakers-paid-as-state-bleeds-16-shots-16-counts-health-care-vote-local-impact-219394

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— SUPREME COURT BOLSTERS RIGHTS OF LEARNING-DISABLED STUDENTS – AP
http://www.wwaytv3.com/2017/03/23/supreme-court-learning-disabled-students/

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly anti-Trumps promote voter fraud.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/us/election-fraud-voter-ids.html
— Politicians who aren’t real leaders, but play leaders on TV – Paul Krugman (DIERSEN: In Illinois, you should not seek or hold a government or a political office as a Republican if you do not defend and advance the Illinois Republican Party platform.)
— Rep. Nunes Is a Lapdog in a Watchdog Role – Editorial  (DIERSEN: Democrats and RINOs have always wanted GAO to be a lapdog instead of a watchdog.  Democrats and RINOs are overjoyed that GAO forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, did not promote me beyond GS-13, 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 $18,847 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/opinion/rep-nunes-is-a-lapdog-in-a-watchdog-role.html
— Americans Agree on Paid Family Leave, but Not on Who Should Pay – Claire Cain Miller  (DIERSEN: Those pay the “marriage penalty” pay for paid family leave and for many other such benefits.  My wife and I have paid the marriage penalty big time since we got married in 1978.  Virtually none of my critics/opponents, their operatives, or their dupes have ever paid one penny of marriage penalty.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/upshot/americans-agree-on-paid-leave-but-not-on-who-should-pay.html
— The Trump Elite. Like the Old Elite, but Worse! – David Brooks  (DIERSEN: Who are the elites in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois?  Who do they glorify and praise and why and who do they demonize, denigrate, and condemn and why?)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/opinion/the-trump-elite-like-the-old-elite-but-worse.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— Schumer Says He Will Lead Filibuster Of Gorsuch Nomination – Robert Barnes, Ed O’Keefe and Ann E. Marimow  (DIERSEN: Who takes the lead in harming you in your precinct, in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois?  I should write a book about those who have taken the lead in harming me in my precinct, in Wheaton, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/gorsuch-confirmation-hearing-to-focus-today-on-testimony-from-friends-foes/2017/03/23/14d21116-0fc7-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html

 

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PHOTO OF CHAO: Elaine Chao understands ‘being on the outside.’ Why that helps her connect with Trump – Susan Page (DIERSEN: Far too many who want to be on the inside glorify and praise, pander to, serve as an operative for, serve as a dupe for, and/or give money to those who have the most religious, government, political, and/or financial clout.)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/23/exclusive-transportation-secretary-elaine-chao-uses-past-connect-outsider-president/99447410/

 

PACIFIC STANDARD
— What It’s Like When Your Federal Agency Disappears  The latest White House budget calls for the elimination of 19 small federal agencies. Pacific Standard talks to a researcher who lived through that with his own office on the Hill, 28 years ago. – Francie Diep  (DIERSEN: I worked for GAO 1980-1997. I should write a book about how that agency has virtually disappeared.)
https://psmag.com/what-its-like-when-your-federal-agency-disappears-2c66a95749e8#.9sq7rt7f8

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Hawaii Republicans, Down to Five Members in the State Legislature, Try to Regroup  Former Hawaii house minority leader Beth Fukumoto’s decision to join the Democratic Party prompts state GOP officials to re-examine priorities – IAN LOVETT  (DIERSEN: In Illinois, you should not seek or hold a government or a political office as a Republican if you do not defend and advance the Illinois Republican Party platform.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hawaii-republicans-down-to-five-members-in-the-state-legislature-try-to-regroup-hawaii-republicans-down-to-five-members-in-the-state-legislature-try-to-regroup-1490287409
— States Move to Strengthen Laws in Response to Rise in Hate Crimes – JOSEPH DE AVILA and JON KAMP  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, anti-Trumps viciously demonize, viciously denigrate, and viciously condemn members of the following groups as being haters who should be gotten rid of: Trump supporters, Protestants, conservatives, Republicans, Americans, Whites, males, older people, rich people, gun owners, German Americans, draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-move-to-strengthen-laws-in-response-to-rise-in-hate-crimes-1490301718
— A Seminary Snubs a Presbyterian Pastor  Princeton rescinds an honor to Tim Keller over his traditional theological views. – CASE THORP  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, religions act as arms of the Democrat Party.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-seminary-snubs-a-presbyterian-pastor-1490309996
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This unfortunate outcome was not surprising to anyone who has watched seminaries throughout the country embrace and elevate radical “identity theology.” Identity politics have been dividing Americans for decades. Now identity theologies are splitting Christian denominations, colleges and seminaries in similar fashion. Entire theologies have developed from one’s self-orientation in an attempt to denounce patriarchy, sexism, racism and homophobia. Feminist theology and black-liberation theology produced womanist theology. Now queer theology asks, in the words of Marcella Althaus-Reid, “What can sexual stories from fetishism and sadomasochism tell us about our relationship with God, Jesus and Mary?”)
— Amazon Defeats IRS in Tax-Court Case – RICHARD RUBIN and  LAURA STEVENS  (DIERSEN: I won a split-decision against IRS in Tax Court in 1978 when I was a 30-year-old IRS employee.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-defeats-irs-in-tax-court-case-1490298524
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Are you a glaring counter-example?  I am.  Anti-Trumps justify their call for illegal immigration and for mass immigration by shouting that citizens of America will not take bad jobs. I am a glaring counter-example.  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.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fewer-immigrants-higher-prices-lower-profits-1490279355
— Cash Handouts for Everyone  Support for a universal income comes from technophiles like Elon Musk, libertarians like Charles Murray and labor leader Andy Stern. Marc Levinson reviews “Basic Income” by Philippe Van Parijs and Yannick Vanderborght. – MARC LEVINSON  (DIERSEN: If America offered universal income, at what level of that income would you stop working – $20,000/year, $30,000/year, $40,000/year, $50,000/year, $60,000/year, $70,000/year, $80,000/year, $90,000/year, $100,000+/year?)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cash-handouts-for-everyone-1490309807

 

BLOOMBERG
— Trump’s Wall Is 30 Feet of Scary Politics for Builders – Thomas Black  (DIERSEN: QUESTION: Which individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries oppose the wall?  ANSWER: Those that 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 (except Bill Clinton), and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America longer than their ancestors.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-24/trump-s-wall-is-30-feet-of-political-trouble-for-edgy-companies

 

FEDERAL NEWS RADIO
— Ivanka Trump: A White House force, just not an ’employee’ – JULIE BYKOWICZ (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes stress I was just a low level federal employee for almost 30 years.  They stress that the federal government never paid me more than $122,991 in today’s dollars and they shout that I was overpaid.)
http://federalnewsradio.com/government-news/2017/03/ivanka-trump-a-white-house-force-just-not-an-employee/

 

SALON
— The Breitbart fear: Federal employees are scared they’ll be targeted by conservative media  Executive branch staffers right-wing hit jobs will cost them their careers – MATTHEW ROZSA
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/23/the-breitbart-fear-federal-employees-are-scared-theyll-be-targeted-by-conservative-media/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: President Donald Trump has already left the State Department in chaos with his massive layoffs and marginalization of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Now it appears that, because of Trump’s past habit of getting his information from right-wing news outlets, many government staffers across the executive branch are afraid that conservative media hit pieces against them will cost them their careers. The belief that executive branch staffers are insufficiently loyal to Trump and are secretly working to promote the policies of President Barack Obama has inspired a wave of attack articles from right-wing sites like Breitbart and the Conservative Review, according to Politico. Breitbart has even published a list of so-called “Obama loyalist bureaucrats” that it urged Trump to “either fire immediately or remove from their current positions.” Breitbart’s former CEO, Steve Bannon, is currently Trump’s chief strategist.)

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.