May 24 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Chicago churches stand in solidarity with President Trump, plan Sunday services despite stay-at-home order Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she does not answer to the president – Jesse Kirsch
https://abc7chicago.com/religion/chicago-churches-stand-with-trump-plan-services/6208087/
— Illinois House passes $40 billion budget relying heavily on federal funding – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/illinois-house-passes-$40b-budget-relying-on-federal-funding/6208063/
— Illinois House passes casino legislation pushed by Mayor Lightfoot – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/new-casino-legislation-passed-by-illinois-house/6207120/
— New York Times devotes front page to COVID-19 victims as US deaths near 100K – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/society/ny-times-publishes-names-of-1000-covid-19-victims-on-front-page/6208188/

CBS2
— South Side Churches Praising President Trump’s Call For Churches To Reopen, Plan To Hold Services Sunday
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/05/23/south-side-churches-praising-president-trumps-call-for-churches-to-reopen-plan-to-hold-services-sunday/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Lawmakers’ historic pandemic-driven special session focuses on new budget and Chicago casino – RICK PEARSON, JAMIE MUNKS and DAN PETRELLA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-legislature-special-session-roundup-20200523-twl7cgkeknefpp2bf44g2aof4e-story.html
— When we have a coronavirus vaccine, will we want to use it? – Clarence Page (DIERSEN: Will the following be forced to be vaccinated: Old people, obese people, and those who have health problems including diabetes?)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/clarence-page/ct-column-vaccine-coronavirus-polio-salk-page-20200522-6v4hng2izjeqjcub4n4g2ud6ji-story.html
— Yes, we’re all ready for life to return to normal, but what price are you willing to pay? – DAVID MCGRATH
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/opinion/ct-nvs-mcgrath-column-st-0524-20200522-gpkbe3rp3bcxzo5wcvufs57gmy-story.html
— Struggling with severely reduced ridership, Metra offers a new $10 daily pass – MARY WISNIEWSKI
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-chicago-metra-10-pass-ridership-20200520-cdcsclyflrhvxgkcy2a4wgbfma-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— No more remote reporting during crunch time in Springfield for me This experience has shown me that a representative democracy is impossible to maintain without including the public. – Rich Miller
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2020/5/22/21268052/no-more-remote-reporting-during-crunch-time-in-springfield-for-me

DAILY HERALD
— House OKs $40 billion state budget
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200523/house-oks-40-billion-state-budget
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Two young men died fighting in Vietnam, and their high school class has never forgotten – Burt Constable
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200523/constable-two-young-men-died-fighting-in-vietnam-and-their-high-school-class-has-never-forgotten
— Wheaton Municipal Band cancels June and July concerts – Gail Sonkin
https://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20200523/wheaton-municipal-band-cancels-june-and-july-concerts

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Some highlights from the state spending plan – Doug Finke
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200523/some-highlights-from-state-spending-plan
— Lawsuit: ‘Property seizure’ violates U.S., Illinois constitutions – Rebecca Anzel (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who are/were similarly situated to me. I would focus on those who are/were Republican Precinct Committeemen, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois members, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce members, Illinois Center Right Coalition members, American Association of Political Consultants members, GAO employees, Association of Government Accountants members, IRS employees, Firestone Stores employees, Post Office employees, etc. I would focus on how they view/viewed me and how they treat/treated me. I would focus on those who disapprove/disapproved of my being Protestant (baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran), conservative, Republican, White, male, old (born in 1948), non-poor, gun owner, draft avoider, 100% German American, Crete resident 1948-1972, Wheaton resident since 1978, federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, union member 1966-1969 and 1971-1980, federal retiree since 1997, and/or that my ancestors have been in America since 1844.)
https://www.sj-r.com/news/20200523/lawsuit-property-seizure-violates-us-illinois-constitutions
(FROM THE ARTICLE: They are asking a judge to order the state to pay all “similarly situated persons, companies and entities … just compensation.”)

HERALD NEWS
— Republicans rally with open-up supporters in Shorewood – BOB OKON
https://www.theherald-news.com/2020/05/23/republicans-rally-with-open-up-supporters-in-shorewood/dh0aqa1/

GALESBURG REGISTER MAIL
— Gun owners won’t like Senate Bill 1966 – Al Hayden
https://www.galesburg.com/sports/20200523/outdoors-gun-owners-wont-like-senate-bill-1966

ALTON TELEGRAPH
— All the loopholes states have to ‘balance’ their budgets – Brandon Kochkodin
https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/All-the-loopholes-states-have-to-balance-their-15288748.php

SUBURBAN LIFE
— DuPage sheriff, Milton Township forge partnership
https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2020/05/22/dupage-sheriff-milton-township-forge-partnership/ajdy55e/

CAPITOL FAX
— Senate President Don Harmon talks to reporters
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/24/senate-president-don-harmon-talks-to-reporters/
— Madigan’s closing statement
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/24/madigans-closing-statement/
— Gaming bill passes Senate 42-14 *** Sen. Martwick is in town to vote for the Chicago casino bill
https://capitolfax.com/2020/05/23/sen-martwick-is-in-town/

NATIONAL REVIEW
— The Return of Exclusivity – MICHAEL BRENDAN DOUGHERTY (DIERSEN: Since 2000 when I was 52 years old, my critics/opponents have been beyond furious that I have had the time and the money needed to put GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails together and to send them out free of charge and without any advertising or forced survey questions. I have that time and that money because my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer” in 1997 when I was 49 years old. Why was I eligible to take early retirement? I had worked for the federal government for almost 30 years – almost 18 years working for GAO 1980-1997, almost 9 years working for IRS 1971-1980, and almost 3 years working for the Post Office 1966-1969. The last 11 years that I worked for GAO was at the GS-13 Step 1-10 levels, currently $101,176-$131,532/year. My critics/opponents paint my Civil Service Retirement System pension and my federal health, dental, and vision insurance subsidy as being an “unfair advantage.” My critics/opponents would never stoop to take the federal jobs that I did. I should write a book about my critics/opponents who have not and would 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, and/or f) because they cannot pass a physical examination.)
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-return-of-exclusivity/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The New York Times has succeeded in the digital era in part because it was the first to introduce an effective paywall model to generate digital subscription revenue. The model is so effective at generating needed revenue that National Review Online has implemented something like it.)

EPOCH TIMES
— 5 Things New Graduates Should Do to Plan Their Careers – ERIC D. JOHNSON AND REBECCA COOK (DIERSEN: I wanted a career in the automotive industry. That all ended in 1971 when I was 22 years old when Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted saying that it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/5-things-new-graduates-should-do-to-plan-their-careers_3354171.html

NEW YORK TIMES
— Inequality Has Been Laid Bare by the Outbreak. Now What? We’re seeing how what we have compares with what others have, and the differences can matter a lot. – Jay Caspian Kang (DIERSEN: Trump-haters use the pandemic to promote class warfare.)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/20/magazine/covid-quarantine-inequality.html
— What if We All Vacationed at Home Again? – Henry Wismayer (DIERSEN: My wife and I have been married since 1978. We have never taken a real vacation. We took short vacations four times each year 1978-1992 after her business trips. But her income dropped in 1992 when she lost her job working for the U.S. League of Savings Institutions and my income dropped much more in 1997 when I lost my job working for GAO. I went on short vacations in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-travel-summer-vacation.html
— Crumbs for the Hungry but Windfalls for the Rich Billions are going to zillionaires under the guise of pandemic relief. – Nicholas Kristof
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-economic-response.html
— Why Does the U.S. Military Celebrate White Supremacy? It is time to rename bases for American heroes — not racist traitors. – Editorial
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/opinion/sunday/army-base-names-confederacy-racism.html
— Contact Tracing Is Harder Than It Sounds An elite cadre of 20th-century syphilis hunters can teach us a lot about what it takes to stop infections. – Kate Murphy
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/sunday-review/coronavirus-contact-tracing.html
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Why the tests instituted to lift college diversity are falling out of favor – Shawn Hubler (DIERSEN: What tests have you passed? The tests that I have passed include a) the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 when I was 30 years old, b) the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981, c) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997, d) all the tests necessary to earn a master’s degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, e) all the tests necessary to earn an MBA from Loyola in 1976, f) all the tests necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree in management from NIU in 1970, g) the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970, and h) the Post Office employment examination in 1966.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/SAT-ACT-abolish-debate-california.html
— ALL OF THE FRONT PAGE: Remembering the Nearly 100,000 Lives Lost to Coronavirus in America As the U.S. approaches a grim milestone in the outbreak, The New York Times gathered names of the dead and memories of their lives from obituaries across the country. – Dan Barry, Larry Buchanan, Clinton Cargill, Annie Daniel, Alain Delaquérière, Lazaro Gamio, Gabriel Gianordoli, Richard Harris, Barbara Harvey, John Haskins, Jon Huang, Simone Landon, Juliette Love, Grace Maalouf, Alex Matthews, Farah Mohamed, Steven Moity, Destinée-Charisse Royal, Matt Ruby and Eden Weingart
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/24/us/us-coronavirus-deaths-100000.html

NEW YORK POST
— During coronavirus pandemic, essentials are the new protected class – Michael Goodwin (DIERSEN: Democrats promote dependency on government. Republicans are supposed to promote individual responsibility.)
https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/coronavirus-is-boom-time-for-socialists-goodwin/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: For socialists and those who lean that way, pandemic time is boom time. Washington is printing and spending money like never before and both parties support sending cash to businesses and the unemployed. Rent and mortgage payments are being deferred, Medicare-for-all is getting a second look and support is growing for a program that would take the nation across the economic Rubicon — a guaranteed basic income. Seldom is heard those cautionary words of yesteryear, “moral hazard.” A time of great need and fear is shattering any stigma about being on the dole. A logical conclusion is that politics will follow culture and Bernie Sanders- and AOC-types will call the shots in America. Unless ­Republicans and conservatives get on board, they will be consigned to history’s dustbin. Perhaps. But pay attention to another potential reaction to the pandemic. Think of it as the revenge of the nonessentials.)

POLITICUS USA
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A Republican-hater says “The GOP’s Hypocritical Assault on States and the American People.”
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/05/23/opinion-the-gops-hypocritical-assault-on-states-and-the-american-people.html

SHARON MELNICK, PHD
— SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 FLASHBACK: DO YOU CAUSE YOUR OWN PROBLEMS? (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those who hint/imply/argue/shout that I cause/caused all my own problems. I would focus on those who are/were Republican Precinct Committeemen, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois members, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce members, Illinois Center Right Coalition members, American Association of Political Consultants members, GAO employees, Association of Government Accountants members, IRS employees, Firestone Stores employees, Post Office employees, etc. I would focus on how they view/viewed me and how they treat/treated me. I would focus on those who disapprove/disapproved of my being Protestant (baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran), conservative, Republican, White, male, old (born in 1948), non-poor, gun owner, draft avoider, 100% German American, Crete resident 1948-1972, Wheaton resident since 1978, federal employee 1966-1969 and 1971-1997, union member 1966-1969 and 1971-1980, federal retiree since 1997, and/or that my ancestors have been in America since 1844.)
https://www.sharonmelnick.com/do-cause-your-own-problems/

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.