July 31 Morning Edition

ABC7
— Monday is deadline for Illinois school funding bill – Jessica D’Onofrio
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/monday-is-deadline-for-illinois-school-funding-bill/2263044/

 

NBC5
— Senate Leader Expected to Send Governor School Funding Bill
http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Senate-Leader-Expected-to-Send-Governor-School-Funding-Bill-437626193.html

 

CBS2
— Governor Expected To Get Education Funding Plan, Issue Prompt Veto
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/07/31/education-funding-senate-bill-1-amendatory-veto-governor-bruce-rauner/

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner expected to finally receive, quickly veto school funding bill today
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-education-funding-20170731-story.html
— FRONT PAGE: CPS buys short-term relief with bonds that will carry costs for decades – Juan Perez Jr. and Peter Matuszak
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/ct-chicago-school-long-term-bond-cost-met-20170731-story.html
— Eligible veterans benefit from the Aid and Attendance pension – Elliot Raphaelson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-201707181556–tms–savingsgctnzy-a20170718-20170718-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The objective of this pension is to provide financial aid to veterans who have served on active duty during war-time, even if only one day was served during their time of duty, to help offset the cost of long-term care. Specifically, veterans who need assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and other activities may be eligible. Veterans who are bed-ridden, or have limited eyesight may also be eligible, as well as veterans who are patients in a nursing homes and/or assisted living facilities for either physical or mental conditions.)
— Want to be happier? It’s going to cost you. – Ashley V. Whillans, Elizabeth W. Dunn  (DIERSEN: When were you happier?  I was happier 1972-1974 when IRS promoted me from GS-7, currently $44,853, to GS-12, currently $79,563; but then, my Democrat IRS superiors got rid of the manager who had promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. I was happier 1986-1988 when GAO assigned me to audits of IRS and promoted to GS-13, currently $94,610; but then, my Democrat GAO superiors got rid of the manager who had hired me, who had gotten me assigned to audits of IRS, and who had promoted me.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-happy-outsource-cooking-cleaning-20170728-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— President Trump convenes Cabinet with new chief of staff – AP
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/donald-trump-swears-in-new-chief-of-staff-john-kelly/
— Donald Trump insists there’s no chaos at White House – Bill Ruminski
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/donald-trump-insists-theres-no-chaos-at-white-house/
— White House to Senate: Pass health bill now or else – AP
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/white-house-pushes-to-pursue-gop-health-care-bill/

 

DAILY HERALD
— New state lawmaker John Curran won’t get third pension – Robert Sanchez  (DIERSEN: When have you suffered big losses of income?  In 1980, when I was 31 years old, the Democrats who ran GAO succeeded in forcing me to suffer an $18,847/year (21%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO. I had been a GS-12 Step 5 (currently $90,173/year) at IRS and became a GS-9 Step 10 at GAO (currently $71,326/year). In 1997, when I was 49 years old, the Democrats who ran GAO succeeded in forcing me to suffer a $72,135 (59%) loss of income for in today’s dollars for the rest of my life by forcing me to take their early retirement “offer.” I had been a GS-13 Step 10 (currently $122,991) at GAO and became a Civil Service Retirement System retiree (currently $50,856/year).  My critics/opponents stress that since 2010, I have gotten Social Security (currently $2,028/year).)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170731/new-state-lawmaker-curran-wont-get-third-pension
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Curran will receive an annual salary of $67,836 as a state senator. Previously, he was being paid roughly $130,000 annually as an assistant state’s attorney and $51,081 a year as a county board member. In addition to changing jobs, Curran chose not to enroll in the pension fund covering the Illinois General Assembly. “I have turned it down,” he said. Curran said he made that decision “because I truly believe that’s what my constituents would want.” Still, he’s going to get two pensions.)
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PHOTOS OF FITZGERALD AND MCCAIN: Fitzgerald praises McCain  Senator ‘stepped into the shoes of the lion’ – Kerry Lester (DIERSEN: GAO works for Congress. All during the time (2000-2005) that Diersen v. GAO (https://gopillinois.com/documents/) was pending in the federal courts in Chicago, Dennis Hastert was the Speaker of the House, Peter Fitzgerald was my U.S. Senator, and Henry Hyde was my U.S. Representative.  One could conclude that Hastert, Fitzgerald, and Hyde sided with the Democrats who ran GAO, that is, that Hastert, Fitzgerald, and Hyde favored patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, and retaliation for complaining about the aforesaid a) because Fitzgerald appointed both the district court judge in the case (Amy St. Eve) and the attorney who represented GAO (Patrick Fitzgerald), b) because GAO never offered to settle, c) because the district court denied my 7th Amendment rights and granted GAO summary judgment, and d) because the appellate court upheld that decision. Hyde may have tried to help me with my lawsuit against GAO because in 1989, he intervened for me, and if he had not done that, the Democrats who ran GAO back then might have succeeded in getting rid of me.  My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always sided with the Democrats who ran/run GAO.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170731/fitzgerald-mccain-stepped-into-the-shoes-of-the-lion
http://e-edition.dailyherald.com/launch.aspx?eid=22ec4a39-29d6-4713-98b5-d53feeb53da3
— Transgender soldier fears life setback after Trump’s tweet – AP  (DIERSEN: What life setbacks have you suffered? In 1971, when I was 22 years old, Oldsmobile withdrew a job offer that I had accepted saying that it had just agreed to stop hiring Whites to settle an EEOC complaint.  In 1997, when I was 49 years old, my Democrat GAO superiors succeeded in forcing me to take their early retirement “offer.” My Democrat GAO superiors were under tremendous pressure from Democrat politicians to get rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170731/news/307319977/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Too soon to wonder about President Pence? Maybe. But . . . – ADAM WREN
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170729/ISSUE01/170729856

 

WBEZ
— Is Notoriously Segregated Chicago Becoming More Integrated? – Adeshina Emmanuel, Carolina Cruz, Reuben Unrau  (DIERSEN: Democrats used to encourage integration, but now they encourage segregation. Democrats want minorities to consolidate and to concentrate their voting power to defeat Republicans.)
https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/is-notoriously-segregated-chicago-becoming-integrated/5dc5045b-6b0d-41c9-81b7-ecc52b76a222

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Algonquin Township Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser preaches unity despite $21,000 in legal fees, ongoing disputes – Jordan J. Wilson
http://www.nwherald.com/2017/07/29/algonquin-township-highway-commissioner-andrew-gasser-preaches-unity-despite-21-000-in-legal-fees-ongoing-disputes/debvpla/

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Senate Bill 1 is needed to end education inequality – Kathi Griffin and Dan Montgomery  (DIERSEN: For Democrats, to end inequality is to use government to take more money away from those who have more money and to give that money to those who have less money.)
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20170730/guest-column-senate-bill-1-is-needed-to-end-education-inequality

 

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Prep, not pep, the focus of Wheaton Tea Party event – Justin Stoltzfus
http://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/511164911-prep-not-pep-the-focus-of-wheaton-tea-party-event

 

ILLINOIS LEAKS
— Bloomington’s Mayor Renner has city pay for girlfriend’s Japan trip – JOHN KRAFT
http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2017/07/bloomingtons-mayor-renner-has-city-pay-for-girlfriends-japan-trip/
— Bloomington’s Mayor Renner threatens suit over exposure of Truth, demands apology – JOHN KRAFT
http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2017/07/bloomington-mayor-renner-threatens-suit-over-exposure-of-truth-demands-apology/

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— DESPITE BEING BROKE, ILLINOIS STILL WANTS TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON ABORTION
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/07/despite-being-broke-illinois-still-wants-to-spend-more-money-on-abortion.html
— REICK: CHICAGO MESSES ITS BED, THEN ASKS US TO CLEAN IT UP
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/07/reick-chicago-messes-its-bed-then-asks-us-to-clean-it-up.html
— BERG: ILLINOIS JOB GROWTH IS….SLOW
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/07/berg-illinois-job-growth-isslow.html
— THORNER: FREE MARKET ROAD SHOW EXAMINES THE WORLD AFTER BREXIT AND TRUMP
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2017/07/thorner-free-market-road-show-examines-the-world-after-brexit-and-trump.html

 

CAPITOL FAX
— Ives denounces suggested school funding deal
https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/31/ives-denounces-suggested-school-funding-deal/
— A comparison of Trump and Rauner, and Pritzker jumps in hard
https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/31/a-comparison-of-trump-and-rauner-and-pritzker-jumps-in-hard/
— Some reliable Madigan haters begin to turn on the governor
https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/31/some-reliable-madigan-haters-begin-to-turn-on-the-governor/
— Rauner vows to “oppose this tax hike until it’s gone”
https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/31/rauner-vows-to-oppose-this-tax-hike-until-it%e2%80%99s-gone/
— The stunning costs of CPS borrowing
https://capitolfax.com/2017/07/31/the-stunning-costs-of-cps-borrowing/

 

GOPUSA
— Trump threatens to halt Obamacare subsidies to Congress and insurance companies
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=27915
— Agitators stage protest in favor of illegal aliens  (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who love illegal aliens as much if more that they hate individuals like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=27924
— Government Waste is Alive and Well  (DIERSEN: GAO is supposed to fight government waste, but the Democrats who ran GAO’s Chicago office 1980-1997 wasted me, wasted my career, and forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=27949

 

FOX NEWS
— Why the media prefer Kelly over Priebus – Howard Kurtz  (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents prefer those who replaced me as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, a GAO employee, etc.  My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout that the aforesaid organizations are doing much better now that they have gotten rid of me.)
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/31/white-house-shakeup-watch-why-media-prefer-kelly-over-priebus.html

 

DAILY CALLER
— Ivanka Wants People To Expect Less Of Her – Alex Pfeiffer  (DIERSEN: While I worked for IRS 1971-1989 and for GAO 1980-1997, extremely few of my superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates earned job-related masters degrees, job-related professional certifications, or job-related professional licenses. Instead, they used the job-related masters degrees that I earned in 1976, 1980, and 1997, the job-related professional certifications that I earned in 1979, 1981, 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997, and the job-related professional license that I earned in 1981 TO EXPECT MUCH MORE OUT OF ME.)
http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/30/report-ivanka-wants-people-to-expect-less-of-her/

 

RED STATE
— Reince Priebus Helped Bring Us Trump, So Good Riddance To Him – Jay Caruso
http://www.redstate.com/jaycaruso/2017/07/30/reince-priebus-helped-bring-us-trump-good-riddance/

 

CONSERVATIVE HQ
— It’s Time To Drain The Swamp In The GOP – George Rasley (DIERSEN: In Illinois, if Republican voters disagree with Trump, disagree with other Republican elected/appointed officials, disagree with the leaders of the Republican Party, disagree with the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), disagree with the leaders of their Republican county party, and/or disagree with the leaders of their Republican township/ward party, THEY TAKE IT OUT ON THEIR REPUBLICAN PRECINCT COMMITTEEMAN/CAPTAIN. THEY HINT/IMPLY/ARGUE/SHOUT THAT REPUBLICAN PRECINCT COMMITTEEMEN/CAPTAINS PUT ALL THE AFORESAID INDIVIDUALS INTO PLACE. In Illinois, Republican voters can stress that they are barred from directly electing members of the IRP State Central Committee. The IRP SCC runs the IRP.)
http://www.conservativehq.com/node/26151

 

THE HILL
— Trump fuels doubts over GOP’s agenda – ALEXANDER BOLTON (DIERSEN: What is your agenda? My agenda is to defend and advance the Republican Party platform, the Illinois Republican Party platform, and the Milton Township Republican Central Committee resolution against video gambling.  My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes cast many doubts over that agenda. They stress that I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, a Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, etc.)
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/344548-trump-fuels-doubts-over-gops-agenda

 

POLITICO
— Lawsuits could force feds to pay Obamacare insurers  The companies claim the federal government owes them billions from a program meant to stabilize Obamacare marketplaces. – PAUL DEMKO
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/30/lawsuits-obamacare-insurers-241112
— Hackers descend on Las Vegas to expose voting machine flaws – KEVIN COLLIER (DIERSEN: How many attempts have been to hack your election commission?  How many of those hacks were successful?  According to the DuPage County Election Commission (DCEC), only 137 in my precinct voted for Trump, but 211 voted for Clinton.  That is inconsistent with the precinct’s voting history. I am considering asking the DCEC to allow me to look at the actual ballots to verify the 137 and 211 numbers.)
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/30/hackers-voting-machines-las-vegas-241130
— McCain Once Almost Left the GOP. What About Now?  Years ago, he seriously considered defecting. Would he do it again? – PHILIP SHENON  (DIERSEN: If you are not going to defend and advance the Republican Party platform, you should leave the party.  Political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform.)
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/07/30/mccain-once-almost-left-the-gop-what-about-now-215437

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS
— SESSIONS INTENDS TO HOLD ON TO THE JOB HE LOVES (DIERSEN: I “loved” my job working for GAO notwithstanding the fact that my Democrat GAO superiors always ranked me in the bottom half of my coworkers for pay-for-performance purposes, 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.)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_SESSIONS_DIGS_IN?SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-07-30-10-33-21

 

REUTERS
— Republicans call on new Trump chief of staff to fix White House chaos  (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents prefer those who replaced me as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, a GAO employee, etc.  My critics/opponents hint/imply/argue/shout that the aforesaid organizations are doing much better now that they have gotten rid of me.)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-idUSKBN1AF0S7?il=0
— Putin bans VPNs to stop Russians accessing prohibited websites  (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents a) want to stop everyone from reading GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails and from visiting www.gopillinois.com and b) want to force everyone to read their emails and to visit their websites.)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-internet-idUSKBN1AF0QI

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Trump Goes Rogue  He was always an outsider. But now he’s cut all ties to the establishment. – MATTHEW CONTINETTI
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/opinion/donald-trump-reince-priebus-firing.html
— What the ‘Government Schools’ Critics Really Mean – KATHERINE STEWART  (DIERSEN: Democrat educators focus on cranking out “good little Democrats.”)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/opinion/donald-trump-school-choice-criticism.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Republican asks “Who Ate Republicans’ Brains?”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/opinion/republicans-trumpcare-obamacare-lies.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— Trump’s warped view of loyalty and the conceit of ‘the Oct. 8th coalition’ – James Hohmann
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2017/07/31/daily-202-trump-s-warped-view-of-loyalty-and-the-conceit-of-the-oct-8th-coalition/597ea60230fb045fdaef100e/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD: Donald Trump Deepens GOP Divide  President’s turbulent week fuels frustration in his party, though core supporters remain loyal – Siobhan Hughes and  Thomas M. Burton
https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-deepens-gop-divide-1501458066
— Hacker Cracks Voting Machine in Less Than 2 Hours  At demonstration to test security of election technology, a computer specialist exploits an old Windows XP flaw – Robert McMillan and  Byron Tau  (DIERSEN: How many attempts have been to hack your election commission?  How many of those hacks were successful?  According to the DuPage County Election Commission (DCEC), only 137 in my precinct voted for Trump, but 211 voted for Clinton.  That is inconsistent with the precinct’s voting history. I am considering asking the DCEC to allow me to look at the actual ballots to verify the 137 and 211 numbers.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hacker-cracks-voting-machine-in-less-than-2-hours-1501357973

 

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE: Can a president at war with both Republicans and Democrats govern? – Susan Page
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/30/analysis-can-president-without-party-govern/523535001/
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR GRAPHIC: Marijuana’s legalization fuels black market in other states – Trevor Hughes  (DIERSEN: The more that pot is pushed legally, the more that pot is pushed illegally.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/07/31/marijuana-black-market/507417001/
— What’s the big deal with legal pot? No one knows yet – Trevor Hughes  (DIERSEN: If you push pot, you push destruction.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/07/31/marijuana-social-consequences/507384001/
— Tired of the corporate grind? A welder’s torch may be your ticket – Paul Davidson  (DIERSEN: Democrats run the federal government. The more of the following that you are, the more that working for the federal government is a grind: Trump supporter, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owner, German American, draft avoider (except Bill Clinton), and/or if your ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/07/31/tired-corporate-grind-welders-torch-may-your-ticket/518006001/

 

DAILY BEAST
— How Mexican Cartels Prey on Chicago’s Chaos  As Mexico’s cartels manage to get more and more heroin into the U.S. each year, Chicago’s gangs are scrambling to be the ones to distribute it. – Jeremy Kryt
http://www.thedailybeast.com/how-mexican-cartels-prey-on-chicagos-chaos

 

INC.
— Let’s Align Habits To Organizational Values  Companies spend a lot of time and energy developing statements of purpose and values for their people to live by. Yet often these efforts don’t bring about any change in behaviors. – Adam Fridman  (DIERSEN: Democrats run the federal government. If you do not promote the Democrat Party platform, they try to not hire you, but if you get hired anyway like I did, they do everything that they can to get rid of you including getting rid of those who hired and/or promoted you, always having you under investigation, not promoting you, forcing you to take a big pay cut to transfer between federal agencies, giving you unrealistic performance expectations, giving you bad assignments, giving you bad superiors, giving you bad supervisors, giving you bad coworkers, giving you bad subordinates, giving you unfair performance appraisals, always ranking you low for pay-for-performance purposes, and forcing you to take their early retirement “offer.”)
https://www.inc.com/adam-fridman/lets-align-habits-to-organizational-values.html

 

FED SMITH
— Bill Would Prevent VA From Rehiring Previously Fired Employees – Ian Smith  (DIERSEN: GAO hired me in 1980 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, younger person, or veteran who would take the job.  IRS hired me in 1971 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job.  The Post Office hired me in 1966 because it could not find a qualified Democrat, minority, female, or veteran who would take the job.  My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always promoted patronage. Because I have always been a Republican, were it not for federal civil service protections, a) the Post Office would NOT have hired me in 1966 or let me work there for almost 3 years, b) IRS would NOT have hired me in 1971 or let me work there for almost 9 years, c) IRS would NOT have promoted me in 1972, 1973, or 1974, d) GAO would NOT have hired me in 1980 or let me work there for almost 18 years, and e) GAO would NOT have promoted me in 1986.)
https://www.fedsmith.com/2017/07/30/bill-prevent-va-rehiring-previously-fired-employees/

 

RUSMUSSEN REPORTS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: QUESTION: Which individuals, organizations, companies, governments, and countries oppose the Border 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.)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/july_2017/most_voters_say_no_to_border_wall
— Most Democrats, GOP Voters Don’t Agree With Party Leaders  (DIERSEN: In Illinois, if Republican voters disagree with Trump, disagree with other Republican elected/appointed officials, disagree with the leaders of the Republican Party, disagree with the leaders of the Illinois Republican Party (IRP), disagree with the leaders of their Republican county party, and/or disagree with the leaders of their Republican township/ward party, THEY TAKE IT OUT ON THEIR REPUBLICAN PRECINCT COMMITTEEMAN/CAPTAIN. THEY HINT/IMPLY/ARGUE/SHOUT THAT REPUBLICAN PRECINCT COMMITTEEMEN/CAPTAINS ELECTED/APPOINTED THE AFORESAID PARTY LEADERS. In Illinois, Republican voters can stress that they are barred from directly electing members of the IRP State Central Committee. The IRP SCC runs the IRP.)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/july_2017/most_democrats_gop_voters_don_t_agree_with_party_leaders

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.