February 27 Evening Edition

ABC7
— GOV. RAUNER NO-SHOW AT TRUMP’S GOVERNORS’ EVENTS – Charles Thomas
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/gov-rauner-no-show-at-trumps-governors-events/1776292/
— CHANCE THE RAPPER TO MEET WITH GOV. RAUNER: ‘I’M EAGER TO HEAR HIS IDEAS’ – CNN  (DIERSEN: If you were fortunate enough to meet with Rauner, what would you bring up?  I would stress the importance of a) helping Trump succeed and b) defending and advancing the Republican Party platform, the Illinois Republican Party platform, and the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling.)
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/chance-the-rapper-to-meet-with-gov-rauner-im-eager-to-hear-his-ideas/1776026/
— TRUMP MEETS WITH GOVERNORS BEFORE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ADDRESS – AP
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/trump-meets-with-governors-before-congressional-budget-address/1776237/

 

CBS2
— Gov. Rauner Says He’s Working With White House To Curb Violence – Derrick Blakley  (DIERSEN: Yes, but what about also working with the White House to create good jobs in Illinois; to end the promotion of dependency on government and on charity in Illinois; to end sanctuary cities in Illinois; to send the illegals in Illinois back to their motherlands; to end abortion in Illinois; to end the promotion of LGBTQ activity in Illinois, that is, end the destruction of the traditional family in Illinois; to end the promotion of vices in Illinois including booze, pot, and gambling; to end patronage in Illinois, that is, end political affiliation discrimination in Illinois; to end race and gender based preference giving in Illinois, that is, end reverse discrimination in Illinois; to end age discrimination in Illinois; to end further erosion of the Second Amendment in Illinois; etc.?)
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/02/27/gov-rauner-says-hes-working-with-white-house-on-violence-in-illinois/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Gov. Bruce Rauner contends he’s working with the Trump White House to attack crime in Illinois.  Just who he’s working with he won’t say, and Rauner continues to try to distance himself from the new administration. CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley has more. President Trump met with at least 46 of the nation’s governor’s today, fellow Republican Rauner wasn’t there. Rauner returned to Chicago Sunday night, after spending the weekend huddling with other Republican governors. “I have personally been in communication with members of the Trump administration on the violence issue — the folks who are developing the policy,” he says. Unclear is what policy that is. Rauner would not elaborate, nor say who he met from the Trump administration. What’s clear is Rauner still hasn’t met with President Trump, unlike Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a host of other governors. Because he wasn’t with Trump on Monday, Rauner missed another trump verbal barrage directed at the state’s biggest city. It’s no secret Rauner is not exactly fond of the president. He didn’t endorse him, skipped the inauguration, and refuses to even use the words “President” and “Trump” together. It’s fair to ask if avoiding Trump is helping Rauner. A new poll shows Rauner losing in 2018, to an un-named generic Democrat by about 15 points.)
— Chicago Public Schools May Close Early Without State Funding Boost
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/02/27/chicago-public-schools-may-close-3-weeks-early-without-state-funding-boost/

 

NBC5
— Trump Targets Chicago Crime After Rauner Skips Gov’s Meetings  “You look what’s happening in Chicago,” Trump told members of the National Governors Association. ” What’s going on in Chicago?” – Tom Schuba
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Rauner-Skips-Governors-Meetings-Trump-Slams-Chicago-Violence-414908673.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— No Trump time on trip, but Rauner says he can visit him ‘anytime’ – Tina Sfondeles and Lynn Sweet
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/no-trump-time-on-trip-but-rauner-says-he-can-visit-him-anytime/
— CPS could end school year on June 1 if state money doesn’t come – Lauren FitzPatrick
http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/cps-could-end-school-year-on-june-1-if-state-money-doesnt-come/
— A ‘bit of certainty’ key to stronger Illinois economy – Madeleine Doubek  (DIERSEN: From what I see, it is all but certain that those who run Illinois will forever increase their efforts to dive out of Illinois those individuals, organizations, and companies that are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.  Of course, that guarantees that Illinois, Cook County, and Chicago will all file for bankruptcy.)
http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/doubek-a-bit-of-certainty-key-to-stronger-illinois-economy/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner skips dinner with Trump in D.C., is ‘in conversations’ with administration about violence – Kim Geiger
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-trump-violence-met-20170227-story.html
— Let’s ‘ILexit’ — for the good of America – Tom Bevan, Real Clear Politics
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-illinois-failed-state-ilexit-perspec-0228-20170227-story.html
— Kane Democrats say election of Trump has energized party – Linda Girardi  (DIERSEN: The more planks in the Republican Party platform that you promote, the harder that Democrats and Democrat plants, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs work against you.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-kane-democrat-st-0228-20170227-story.html

 

DAILY HERALD
— Naperville council candidates’ views vary on consolidation – Marie Wilson
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170227/news/170229008/
— Primaries sending some DuPage voters back to the polls
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170227/news/170229002/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— CPS might end school year weeks early
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170227/NEWS13/170229895/cps-might-end-school-year-weeks-early-reports
— Rauner on a quest for more Medicaid savings – KRISTEN SCHORSCH
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170227/NEWS03/170229908/illinois-gov-rauners-medicaid-savings-move

 

WBEZ
— Pastors, Savvy Connections and Chicago Schools: How One Private Company Raked In $50 Million – Sarah Karp
https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/holy-alliances-how-one-school-company-learned-the-chicago-way/949a1a9f-8d92-464c-a3c6-38d04d89e768

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— One more step toward a strike – Editorial
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017-02-27/one-more-step-toward-strike.html

 

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— Proposed casino legislation dictates more bankruptcy, education losses for Illinois – John Kindt
http://www.rrstar.com/opinion/20170225/my-view-proposed-casino-legislation-dictates-more-bankruptcy-education-losses-for-illinois

 

QUAD CITY TIMES
— AFSCME wouldn’t work with us – Dennis Murashko, General Counsel, Illinois Office of the Governor
http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/guest/guest-view-afscme-wouldn-t-work-with-us/article_7729d299-14a5-5827-8a63-178adc298002.html

 

QUINCY HERALD WHIG
— GAO: Medicaid paid out $36.3 billion improperly in fiscal 2016
http://www.whig.com/20170227/medicaid-paid-out-363-billion-improperly-in-fiscal-2016#

 

NORTHERN PUBLIC RADIO
— Illinois Legislature Expected To Vote On Budget Deal – BRIAN MACKEY
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/illinois-legislature-expected-vote-budget-deal
— Chicago-Area Lawmaker Says He Was Stopped By Police Over Get-Out-The-Vote Message – TOM LISI
http://northernpublicradio.org/post/chicago-area-lawmaker-says-he-was-stopped-police-over-get-out-vote-message

 

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Trump to propose $54 billion in cuts to ‘most federal agencies’  President speaks to nation’s governors – DAN MERICA
http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/trump-to-propose-54-billion-in-cuts-to-most-federal-agencies/663532011

 

CHICAGOIST
— Gov. Rauner Is Meeting With Chance The Rapper This Week To Talk ‘Important Issues’ (DIERSEN: If you were fortunate enough to meet with Rauner, what “important issues” would you bring up?  I would stress the importance of helping Trump succeed and defending and advancing the Republican Party platform, the Illinois Republican Party platform, and the Milton Township resolution against video gambling.)
http://chicagoist.com/2017/02/27/rauner_chance_the_rapper_to_meet_th.php

 

DEPAULIA
— Three DePaul professors on Turning Point USA watchlist – Jack Chelsky
http://depauliaonline.com/2017/02/27/three-depaul-professors-watchlist/

 

CHICAGO PATCH
— House Speaker Paul Ryan Plans Massive GOP Fundraiser In Chicago  Donors will need to contribute at least $1,000 to attend the event in March. – Joe Vince
http://patch.com/illinois/chicago/house-speaker-paul-ryan-plans-massive-gop-fundraiser-chicago

 

NORTH COOK NEWS
— Veering left, education advocacy group pushes identity politics at New Trier
http://northcooknews.com/stories/511085486-veering-left-education-advocacy-group-pushes-identity-politics-at-new-trier

 

WILL COUNTY GAZETTE
— Naperville’s Ossyra touts fiscal responsibility, restraint – Robert Hadley
http://willcountygazette.com/stories/511085429-naperville-s-ossyra-touts-fiscal-responsibility-restraint

 

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— “Spirit of America” Woodstock Square Rally Planned for March 4th Featuring Joe Walsh
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/27/spirit-of-america-woodstock-square-rally-planned-for-march-4th/
— Al Jourdan, RIP
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/27/al-jourdan-rip/
— Rauner Speaking at $100 GOP Lincoln Day Dinner
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/27/rauner-speaking-at-100-gop-lincoln-day-dinner/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Sandra Salgado has informed McHenry County Blog that Governor Bruce Rauner will speak at the this year’s Lincoln Day Dinner at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn on Saturday, March 11th. He will join Captain, Rtd., Thomas Frosch, Blue Angels Captain and pilot. Reservations may be made by calling 815-276-2317.)
— Pro-Life PAC Emails Endorsements
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/27/pro-life-pac-emails-endorsements/
— Liberty PAC Goes Local, Opposing Bob Miller for Algonquin Township Road Commissioner
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2017/02/27/liberty-pac-goes-local-endorsing-andrew-gasser-for-algonquin-township-road-commissioner/

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— RAUNER’S BOYCOTT OF WHITE HOUSE EVENT DOESN’T SET WELL WITH TRUMP SUPPORTERS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/02/rauner-.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Governor Rauner’s actions were noticed by Macoupin County’s GOP Chairman Terri Koyne, who said Rauner not attending the White House event was disrespectful, but not surprising. “Trump won Illinois in the Primary election – the Republican voters spoke,” she told Illinois Review. “If Rauner chooses to disrespect the voters, that is his choice.” In Koyne’s Macoupin County, more votes were cast for Trump in the General Election than any other presidential candidate – Republican or Democrat – in decades. “It seems by his actions that counties like mine don’t matter to the governor in his re-election strategy,” Koyne said. “It will be interesting to see if Rauner can help the lower offices in their races in Central/Southern Illinois in the next election as much as Trump did in this past election.” To be noted, those statewide races in November where GOP candidates were more closely aligned with Rauner than Trump didn’t turn out so well.)
— DOES RAUNER PLAN TO “PATCO” STATE EMPLOYEES?
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/02/does-rauner-plan-to-patco-state-employees.html
— WEYERMULLER: SETTING POSSIBLE NEW SELFIE RECORD AT CPAC 2017
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/02/weyermuller-setting-possible-new-selfie-record-at-cpac-2017.html
— RAUNER TO MEET WITH CHANCE THE RAPPER
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/02/rauner-to-meet-with-chance-the-rapper-.html

 

BREITBART
— President Trump: Oscars ‘Were Focused so Hard on Politics’ They Could Not Get the Basics of the Ceremony Right – MATTHEW BOYLE
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/27/exclusive-president-trump-oscar-fail-focused-hard-politics-not-get-basics-right/
— Marco Rubio on Why He Skips Town Halls: Activists Will ‘Heckle and Scream at Me’ – KATHERINE RODRIGUEZ
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/26/marco-rubio-skips-town-halls-heckle/

 

ONE NEWS NOW
— University of Wisconsin-Madison ‘educates’ students about white privilege – Bob Kellogg  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted that I have always benefited immensely from White privilege. They hint/imply/argue/shout that were it not for White privilege, I never would have gotten the jobs that I did doing yard work, delivering newspapers, washing dishes, cleaning golf shoes, chipping slag, pumping gasoline, delivering mail, working on an automobile assembly line, working as a security guard, selling tires, automotive services, and major appliances, collecting delinquent federal taxes, and auditing federal agencies. But wait, they demonize, denigrate, and condemn all the aforesaid jobs as being so “bad” a) that they themselves would never take those jobs and b) that no minority, no female, no younger person, and no veteran should ever have to take.)
https://www.onenewsnow.com/education/2017/02/27/university-educates-students-about-white-privilege

 

NEWSMAX
— Ex-NAACP Leader Dolezal Says She Is on Food Stamps, Nearly Homeless – Rachel Dolezal  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always hinted/implied/argued/shouted a) that instead of me, the Post Office should have hired a Black in 1966, b) that the Post Office should gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a Black could have my job, c) that instead of me, IRS should have hired a Black in 1971, d) that instead of me, IRS should have promoted Blacks in 1972, 1973, and 1974, e) that instead of me, GAO should have hired a Black in 1980, f) that instead of me, GAO should have promoted a Black in 1986, and g) that GAO should gotten rid of me much sooner than it did so that a Black could have my job and my preferred corner office.)
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Rachel-Dolezal/2017/02/27/id/775764/

 

CONSERVATIVE HQ
— Radical Democrats Rebranding Themselves Into Permanent Minority – Richard A. Viguerie
http://www.conservativehq.com/node/25178

 

DAILY CALLER
— Trump Ends National Governors Association Presser By Jabbing The Media – CHRISTIAN DATOC
http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/27/trump-ends-national-governors-association-presser-by-jabbing-the-media-video/
— George W. Bush Favors A ‘Welcoming’ Immigration Policy, Says Media Is ‘Indispensable’ To Democracy – Kaitlan Collins  (DIERSEN: How many millions have come to America illegally since 2000 because of Bush’s “welcoming” immigration policy?”)
http://dailycaller.com/2017/02/27/george-w-bush-favors-a-welcoming-immigration-policy-says-media-is-indispensable-to-democracy/

 

FOX NEWS CHANNEL
— Rosie O’Donnell to Headline WH Rally Before Trump’s Speech to Congress
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/27/rosie-odonnell-leads-white-house-protest-donald-trump-congress-speech
— OUTSTANDING: Veterans Group Blasts Sen. Warren for Support of Undocumented Immigrants
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/26/veterans-assisting-veterans-elizabeth-warren-immigration-policies

 

GOPUSA
— White House cracks down on press leaks
http://www.gopusa.com/white-house-cracks-down-on-press-leaks/
— NAACP Calls for Economic Boycott of North Carolina  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always boycotted me.  Should I boycott them?  Should I call for others to boycott them?)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=21205?omhide=true

 

TOWNHALL
— Unreal: Chicago Names City Street After Terrorist – Leah Barkoukis
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2017/02/26/chicago-to-name-city-streets-after-terrorist-n2289531

 

CHRISTIAN POST
— Republicans Should Pass Laws to Protect Conservative Student Speech, CPAC Panelist Says – Samuel Smith
http://www.christianpost.com/news/republicans-should-pass-laws-to-protect-conservative-student-speech-cpac-panelist-says-175929/

 

WORLD NET DAILY
— ‘CENTURIES OF RELIGIOUS CONFLICT’ NOW ON U.S. SOIL ‘To leave would be like giving up on our Constitution’ – LEO HOHMANN  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats make it clear that if you do not promote Islam, they will get rid of you.)
http://www.wnd.com/2017/02/centuries-of-religious-conflict-now-on-u-s-soil/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: After the Sterling Heights City Council agreed to settle a lawsuit with the U.S. Justice Department and allow a third mosque to be built in the city, this time right in the midst of a neighborhood populated by Christian refugees who escaped persecution from Islam, some residents said they planned to move out of the city. Sterling Heights, Michigan, is home to the nation’s second largest community of Chaldean and Assyrian Christians, many of them coming directly from Iraq where their families were the victims of a genocide by ISIS, al-Qaida and other Islamic militants over the past 50 years. While understandable, picking up and moving in the wake of a mosque approval is exactly the wrong response, say Michigan activists. “This is our city and our country and our community,” said Tom Mitchell, a 52-year resident of Sterling Heights who says the council’s vote gave him renewed determination to help support his Chaldean neighbors. “To leave would be like giving up on our Constitution, giving up to a culture that doesn’t believe in our Constitution and our laws. I tell people to stick it out, get more active but don’t move out.” Mitchell is a former member of the Army’s 82nd Airborne unit. “I never surrender. I’m a veteran,” he said. “God, family, country, that’s where I stand.” But real-estate transactions are often a fact of life when a mosque gets built in a previously non-Muslim area. The newly released book, “Stealth Invasion,” documents homes being snatched up by Middle-Eastern buyers in certain neighborhoods of Idaho and Minnesota after the U.S. State Department began sending heavy numbers of Islamic refugees to those areas. The same trend has been seen in Warren, which borders Sterling Heights in Macomb County, Michigan.)

 

THE HILL
— Congress should ensure background screens truly protect the public – MELISSA SORENSON  (DIERSEN: Many millions have not and will not seek federal jobs because they know that they cannot pass a background investigation.)
https://origin-nyi.thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/321280-congress-should-ensure-background-screens-truly-protect-the

 

CNN
— Chance the Rapper to meet with Illinois governor: ‘I’m eager to hear his ideas’ – Deena Zaru  (DIERSEN: If you were fortunate enough to meet with Rauner, what “important issues” would you bring up?  I would stress the importance of helping Trump succeed and defending and advancing the Republican Party platform, the Illinois Republican Party platform, and the Milton Township resolution against video gambling.)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/politics/chance-the-rapper-meeting-illinois-governor-rauner/

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Protesters Gather to Support the Press, From Fox News to The New York Times – SARAH MASLIN NIR
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/26/nyregion/protest-new-york-times-support-press-freedom-media.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— North Carolina needed 6,500 farm workers. Only 7 Americans stuck it out. – Dylan Matthews  (DIERSEN: I washed dishes part-time for the minimum wage in the basement of the S.S. Kresges in Chicago Heights 1964-1966.  My understanding is a) that I was first and only White male who held that job and b) I held that job longer than anyone else.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/15/north-carolina-needed-6500-farm-workers-only-7-americans-stuck-it-out/
— Hundreds allege sex harassment, discrimination at Kay and Jared jewelry company – Drew Harwell
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/hundreds-allege-sex-harassment-discrimination-at-kay-and-jared-jewelry-company/2017/02/27/8dcc9574-f6b7-11e6-bf01-d47f8cf9b643_story.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— As Donald Trump Heads to Congress, a New Polarization Is Hardenin  An inability to find common ground could test the president’s agenda – GERALD F. SEIB  (DIERSEN: QUESTION: Which individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries oppose Trump?  ANSWER: Those that are 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 longer than their ancestors.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-donald-trump-heads-to-congress-a-new-polarization-is-hardening-1488212273

 

NBC WASHINGTON
— Dozens of Federal Employees Watched Abundance of Porn on the Job in Recent Years  Almost 100 employees have admitted or been caught in the past five years – Scott MacFarlane, Rick Yarborough and Jeff Piper
http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Dozens-of-Federal-Employees-Watched-Abundance-of-Porn-on-the-Job-in-Recent-Years-414743293.html

 

NEW REPUBLIC
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Those who hate Trump blame Trump for hate.
https://newrepublic.com/article/140110/hate-age-trump-photo-essay-van-jones-johnny-milano

 

INQUISITR
— WHO DID TRUMP BAN FROM HIS PRESS CONFERENCE? REPORTERS NOT ONLY ONES BARRED
http://www.inquisitr.com/4018637/donald-trump-press-conference-approval-rating-polls-democratic-party-failed-obamacare-governors/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: On Friday, the Donald Trump White House barred several media organizations that have published stories critical of Trump from an official press briefing. On Monday, the press conference ban hit another group — Democratic governors, who were at the White House to attend a meeting with Trump, followed by a question-and-answer session with the press outside the West Wing.)
— Caitlyn Jenner Calls Trump Bathroom Policy Change A Disaster
http://www.inquisitr.com/4016214/caitlyn-jenner-calls-trump-bathroom-policy-change-a-disaster-drama-ensues/

 

DAILY BEAST
— ‘Moonlight’ and the Oscars’ Middle Finger to Trumpism  Don’t let the shock over the Best Picture snafu drown out the importance of ‘Moonlight’s’ win, and the power of a terrific, political, fiercely anti-Trump Oscars telecast. – Kevin Fallon
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/27/moonlight-and-the-oscars-middle-finger-to-trumpism.html

 

FED SMITH
— Is a Law Needed to Prevent Federal Employees From Watching Porn at Work? – Ian Smith
http://www.fedsmith.com/2017/02/27/is-a-law-needed-to-prevent-federal-employees-from-watching-porn-at-work/

 

MARKET WATCH
— College loans are making it harder for parents to retire – JILLIAN BERMAN  (DIERSEN: Were you a burden on your parents?  So far, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have NOT accused me of being a burden on my parents. All I asked of them was to provide me with room and board in their home in Crete during a) 1966-1968 while I attended UIC, b) weekends during my first semester at NIU in 1969, and c) the summer of 1969.)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/college-loans-are-making-it-harder-for-parents-to-retire-2017-02-27

 

WASHINGTON BLADE
— Human Rights Campaign targets closeted Republicans at CPAC – Mariah Cooper  (DIERSEN: Because I have always opposed the promotion of LGBTQ activity, closeted Republicans, their operatives, and their dupes have always worked very hard against me.)
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2017/02/27/human-rights-campaign-targets-closeted-republicans-cpac/

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.