May 21 Morning Edition

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— On Monday, May 14, 2018, in Hardin County, Robert Winchester filed a lawsuit (18-CH-4) against the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), IRP State Central Committee members, and the Illinois State Board of Election. I first learned of the filing late Saturday evening, March 19, 2018, and I was only able to get a copy of the 18-page complaint this morning. A copy of the complaint is at https://gopillinois.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/18-CH-4.pdf or https://gopillinois.com/documents/ – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Schneider says that while the GOP has its differences “there is much more that brings us together than separates us.” Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. Trump has promised to defend and advance the Republican Party platform. QUESTION: In Illinois, what separates Republicans? ANSWER: It is the traditional family, right to life, and immigration planks in the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform. Those who reject the aforesaid planks dominate the IRP. They focus on driving out of the IRP those who support the aforesaid planks, that is, they focus on destroying the IRP. QUESTION: In Illinois, what further separates Republicans? ANSWER: It is support for Trump. Those who reject Trump dominate the IRP. They focus on driving out of the IRP those who support Trump, that is, they focus on destroying the IRP.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-death-penalty-opponents-20180520-story.html
— On Tuesday, the City Club will host the “Future of the Republican Party in Illinois” panel, including former state party Chairman Pat Brady, former House Republican leader Tom Cross and conservative radio host Dan Proft. (DIERSEN: Who speaks for you at this event? What do Cross, Proft, and Brady think of you?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-morning-spin-lightfoot-chicago-violence-20180520-story.html
— Lightfoot says mass shootings shouldn’t take focus off Chicago violence – Rick Pearson (DIERSEN: Democrats always blame Republicans for violence.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-morning-spin-lightfoot-chicago-violence-20180520-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Those who oppose the death penalty promote those who oppose the death penalty.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-death-penalty-opponents-20180520-story.html
— Graduate students are carrying a picket sign for the middle class – Ron Grossman (DIERSEN: While you took graduate courses, what jobs did you have? While I took a graduate business course at UIC in 1971 and graduate business courses at Loyola 1972-1976, I sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances and pumped gasoline for Firestone Stores and collected delinquent taxes for IRS. While I took graduate accounting courses at DePaul 1976-1980, I collected delinquent taxes for IRS and audited federal agencies for GAO. While I took graduate finance courses at IIT 1992-1997, I audited federal agencies for GAO.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-met-grossman-picketing-grad-students-20180513-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Theoretically, graduate assistants are apprentices — graduate students in training to become the next generation of professors. In reality, they’re a pool of cheap labor. They teach the undergraduates and staff the laboratories for a fraction of the salaries professors command. Once, they were content to do so, knowing that when they’d earned a Ph.D., they’d make a respectable living. But those days are gone, as one of the strike’s organizers explained while handing me a union button, a strike poster and a plastic poncho donated by the United Automobile Workers, the graduate assistants’ union affiliate. “For many of us, an assistantship is as far as we’re going to get,” she said. “We want a decent paycheck for our limited time in the academic world.” There simply are no longer enough faculty openings for graduate assistants to move up to. Some will survive as the Ivory Tower’s equivalent of office temps — “non-tenure track” lecturers who never know how long their low-paying gig will last. Together the temps and graduate assistants comprise 80 percent of college instructors. Fifty years ago, they comprised 20 percent — and therein lies the difference between what it meant to be a graduate student in my day and the experience of those I stood beside on Columbia’s campus.)
— Chicagoland renters and buyers are itching for walkable suburbs. Enter ‘surban.’ – Danielle Braff (DIERSEN: In 1984, my wife and I paid lots more for 915 Cove Court in Wheaton because we could walk to many things, including a grade school, middle school, high school, commuter train station, downtown Wheaton, the Illinois Prairie Path, etc.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-re-0520-walkable-suburbs-20180515-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— One way to crack down on shops that sell guns used in crimes – Editorial
https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/crack-down-shops-sell-guns-crimes-every-day-and-a-half-31-bullets/

 

DAILY HERALD
— Yingling wants voters to elect Lake County assessment chief – Jake Griffin
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180521/yingling-wants-voters-to-elect-lake-county-assessment-chief
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR GRAPHIC: Who’s on contractor selection committee? Tollway won’t say – Marni Pyke (DIERSEN: While I worked for the federal government for almost 30 years, my Democrat superiors always wanted credit a) for hiring, retaining, and promoting young Democrat minorities and young Democrat females and b) for getting rid of employees who were Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran who did not make 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.dailyherald.com/news/20180521/whos-on-contractor-selection-committee-tollway-wont-say

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Chicago’s HQ2 bid and the Trump effect – GREG HINZ (DIERSEN: Which of those who have lots of religious, government, political, and/or financial clout in Illinois have worked the hardest to paint themselves as being a Trump-hater?)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180518/BLOGS02/180519850/president-trump-effect-on-amazon-hq2-process
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Pot pushers push pot. If you promote pot, you promote destruction.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180518/ISSUE01/180519885

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Battling campus oppression of the freedom of expression – George Will (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents want to stop me from sending out GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails, but failing that, they want to a) stop me from including links in the emails to articles that PROMOTE the traditional family, right to life, and immigration planks in the Illinois Republican Party platform, b) stop me from including links in the emails to articles that OPPOSE the promotion of dependency on government, dependency on charity, LGBTQ activity, abortion, mass/illegal immigration, abolition of the First and Second Amendments, booze, gambling, pot, and other vices, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation. My critics/opponents are anti-Trump, anti-Protestant, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic, 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.sj-r.com/opinion/20180520/george-will-battling-campus-oppression-of-freedom-of-expression
— Illinois can’t afford Rauner’s budget ‘savings’ rhetoric – Ralph Martire
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20180519/ralph-martire-illinois-cant-afford-rauners-budget-savings-rhetoric

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Gov. Bruce Rauner nominates Chemung Township for federal investment program
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/05/17/gov-bruce-rauner-nominates-chemung-township-for-federal-investment-program/ayjurjd/

 

NORTH BY NORTHWESTERN
— Big money is ruling Illinois politics – Shreyas Iyer
http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/story/analysis-big-money-is-ruling-illinois-politics/

 

TIMES
— Bill aims to modernize Illinois election rules Barickman sponsors legislation
http://www.mywebtimes.com/2018/05/20/bill-aims-to-modernize-illinois-election-rules/a3wvk4l/

 

MADISON
— State DNR data shows Illinois brings bulk of Wisconsin air pollution
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/roundup/morning-briefing-state-dnr-data-shows-illinois-brings-bulk-of/article_11f02f30-5cee-11e8-9e42-57d569f41431.html

 

POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Roskam’s Koch Money under fire – Natasha Korecki
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2018/05/21/roskams-koch-money-under-fire-gidwitzs-trump-gambit-pays-off-era-politics-271249

 

REPUBLICAN NEWS WATCH
— Illinois GOP Chair Must Step Up for President Trump or Step Down – DOUG IBENDAHL
http://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=14488
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The Illinois Republican Party held its reorganizational meeting on Saturday in downstate Springfield. Every four years after the 18 members of the state central committee are picked around the state, that committee convenes to choose the state party chairman. Apart from some minor deckchair rearranging on Saturday, the status-quo prevailed. Governor Bruce Rauner’s hand-picked state party chairman Tim Schneider was unanimously rewarded with another 4-year term as chair by the state central committee. Schneider must have looked around the room and saw no Chicago press amongst the small choir of Republicans, because near the end of the meeting he actually had a few kind words for President Trump. The local Springfield paper was the only outlet I saw which reported his short remarks on that score. This is noteworthy because I live in Cook County, same as Schneider, and not once have I ever heard Schneider stand-up for our President in Chicago media. Schneider has a unique platform as party chairman. If he had the desire, he could easily get in Chicago radio, television, and newspaper coverage pretty much any time he chose, just by virtue of the big title he holds. And you won’t be surprised to hear that our President gets hammered constantly on Chicago radio and television, and in the two daily newspapers which are both viciously anti-Trump. But safely ensconced in a room with only Republicans, 200 miles away from Chicago, Chairman Schneider managed to voice exactly one sentence in support of our President. We’re all supposed to rejoice. Preaching to the choir at a small GOP meeting is easy. Taking the message to the unconverted is not so easy, but that’s the duty you sign-on for if you say you want a party title.)

 

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Rauner Announces Treasury Department Approval of Opportunity Zones – One in NW McHenry County – Cal Skinner
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2018/05/20/rauner-announces-treasurer-department-approval-opportunity-zones-one-nw-mchenry-county/

 

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— GOP-sponsored disability-related bill passes House, but dies in Senate – Angela Underwood
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511423034-gop-sponsored-disability-related-bill-passes-house-but-dies-in-senate

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— PLANNED PARENTHOOD ORGANIZES MOB TO PROTEST REP. BREEN FUNDRAISER
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/05/planned-parenthood-organizes-mob-to-protest-rep-breen-fundraiser.html
— WASSERMAN SCHULTZ CALLS FIVE MILLION AMERICANS ‘TERRORISTS’
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/05/wasserman-schultz-calls-five-million-americans-terrorists.html
— THORNER: ANDRZEJEWSKI BRINGS OPEN GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT TO CITY CLUB EVENT
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/05/thorner-andrzejewski-brings-open-government-movement-to-city-club-event.html

 

GOPUSA
— Public schools find no easy way to educate immigrant teens
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=46136

 

WASHINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps blame Trump for opioid abuse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/05/21/trumps-opioid-strategy-missing-in-action-as-115-people-die-every-day/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— How Women Can Build Their Professional Networks Networking is tougher for women for several reasons, but there are ways to make it work – Herminia Ibarra (DIERSEN: From I can tell, proportionally, of those who are interested in Illinois Republican politics, more women than men read GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-women-can-build-their-professional-networks-1526868480

 

CONCORD MONITOR
— Jennifer Horn reaffirms push to drop ‘traditional’ marriage from New Hampshire GOP platform – PAUL STEINHAUSER (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats do everything that they can a) to destroy the traditional family plank in the Republican Party platform and b) destroy the Republican Party. What do you say to Democrat plants like Pat Brady who do everything that they can to a) to destroy the traditional family plank in the Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform and b) destroy the IRP? In Illinois, if are not going to defend and advance the IRP platform, you should not seek of hold any kind of government or political office as a Republican.)
http://www.concordmonitor.com/Jennifer-Horn-will-continue-to-fight-to-drop-traditional-marriage-definition-from-NHGOP-platform-17533406

 

FED SMITH
— Will Proposed Compensation Changes Help or Hurt Federal Hiring? – Jeff Neal (DIERSEN: Many millions have not and will not seek a job with the federal government a) because the pay and benefits are terrible, b) because the advancement opportunities are terrible, c) because they lack required education, work experience, professional certifications, and/or professional licenses, d) because they cannot pass an employment examination, e) because they cannot pass a background investigation, f) because they cannot pass a physical examination, g) because they cannot take the demonization, denigration, and condemnation that comes with being a federal employee or federal retiree, and/or h) because they are Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran and they know that the federal government discriminates against the aforesaid.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2018/05/20/will-proposed-compensation-changes-help-hurt-federal-hiring/

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.