June 4 Morning Edition

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Do you favor or oppose my reporting the names of Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders who speak at and/or attend Republican events in Wheaton, in Milton Township, and in DuPage County? If you favor my doing that, please let the following know that:

 

DuPage County Republican Central Committee (DCRCC) Chairman Brian Krajewski, DCRCC Secretary Paul Hinds, Milton Township Republican Central Committee Chairman Chris LeVan, the eight other Republican township party chairmen in DuPage County, and Republican candidates on November 6, 2018 ballots including Peter Roskam, Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti, Erika Harold, Jason Helland, Darlene Senger, Jim Dodge, Mike Connelly, Chris Nybo, Amy Grant, Peter Breen, Darlene Ruscitti, Dan Cronin, James Mendrick, Paul Hinds, Gwen Henry, Grant Eckhoff, Chris Zaruba, Joseph Cantore, Karen Wilson, and Jeff Mackay.

 

My critics/opponents have always vehemently opposed my reporting on political events, and especially my reporting who attends them. Should I attend and report on DCRCC’s Lincoln Day Diner with George P. Bush this Wednesday evening in Oak Brook and suffer the punishment that my critics/opponents will heap on me? My critics/opponents do not want me to know about their events or other activities, do not want me to promote their events or other activities, do not want me to attend their events, and do not want me to report on their events or other activities. At best, they paint me as being “too conservative, that is, that I support too many planks in the Illinois Republican Party platform. They focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate.

 

My critics/opponents want all emails that are sent to me to contain the following disclaimer:

 

 “This e-mail contains privileged and confidential information which is the property of the sender, intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s). This email message (including attachments) contains information which may be confidential and/or legally privileged. Unless you are the intended recipient, you may not use, copy or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message or from any attachments that were sent with this email, and if you have received this email message in error, please advise the sender by email, and delete the message. Unauthorized disclosure and/or use of information contained in this email may result in civil and criminal liability. Receipt of this e-mail shall not be deemed a waiver by the sender of any privilege or the confidential nature of the information. The e-mail address of the sender may not be used, copied, sold, disclosed or incorporated into any database or mailing list for spamming and/or other marketing purposes without the prior consent of the sender. The sender of the e-mail, shall not be liable to any party for any direct, indirect or consequential damages, including, without limitation, loss of profit, interruption of business or loss of information, data or software or otherwise. The provisions of Section 11 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 apply to this email notice and make it enforceable and binding on the recipient/addressee.” – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

 

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Facebook is a Democrat website. Ever-increasingly, tragically, the Democrat Facebook is succeeding in getting conservative and Republican activists, candidates, elected officials, and party leaders a) to neglect their websites, if not dump their websites and b) to send out fewer emails, if not stop sending out emails. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Rauner signs full state budget for the first time in his term – Kim Geiger
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-illinois-budget-20180604-story.html
— With Rauner approving budget Monday, ‘we can get into the fun stuff of campaigns,’ Durkin says – Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-morning-spin-monday-edition-20180601-story.html
— Ways to create a mentally strong workplace – Amy Morin (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors in the federal government focused on a) hiring, retaining, and promoting young Democrat minorities and females and b) making way for them by getting rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/success/inc/tca-ways-to-create-a-mentally-strong-workplace-20180525-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Republicans blame Republicans for Mexico’s problems.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-mexico-guns-20180524-story.html
— Evergreen Park school board will allow new principal to address anonymous misconduct accusations – Zak Koeske (DIERSEN: Who makes accusations against you? I should write a book about those who make accusations against me. They stress that I am no longer a TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member, Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster, Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member, GAO employee, etc.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-evergreen-park-principal-controversy-st-0601-story.html
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH COLOR PICTURE: DIERSEN HEADLINE: The more that you encourage immigrants to speak, read, and write English, the more that members of the following groups call you a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things: 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, and/or anti-those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-carpentersville-drops-english-as-official-language-20180601-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Pritzker blasts past $100 million mark in cash kicked into campaign – Zak Koeske
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/pritzker-gives-his-campaign-a-25-million-boost/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— The Illinois pols who can’t say ‘no’ to a TV camera – GREG HINZ (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents do not want me to know about their events or other activities, do not want me to promote their events or other activities, do not want me to attend their events, and do not want me to report on their events. My critic/opponent focus on destroying those like me who they cannot manipulate/dominate.)
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180601/ISSUE05/180609987/metro-chicagos-members-of-congress-with-the-most-tv-appearances
— Durkin: The unsung hero of Illinois’ budget wars – RICH MILLER
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180601/ISSUE11/180539946/illinois-rep-jim-durkin-is-unsung-hero-of-budget-war

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— TRAGIC: Got ink? Springfield sees rise in tattoo studios – Carla Jimenez
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180603/got-ink-springfield-sees-rise-in-tattoo-studios

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Danville officials scramble to pass school pay raises – Noelle McGee
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-06-03/danville-officials-scramble-pass-school-pay-raises.html
— Budget deal hasn’t solved state’s financial woes – Jim Dey
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/2018-06-02/jim-dey-budget-deal-hasnt-solved-states-financial-woes.html

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— Hultgren: Northern Illinois being threatened by Wisconsin
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/06/01/hultgren-northern-illinois-being-threatened-by-wisconsin/aqoq02p/

 

ALTON DAILY NEWS
— New Illinois Budget Has Doubters – Greg Bishop
http://altondailynews.com/news/details.cfm?clientid=17&id=266241

 

OUR QUAD CITIES
— Election year politics at play in Illinois budget deal – Jim Niedelman
http://www.ourquadcities.com/news/4-the-record/election-year-politics-at-play-in-illinois-budget-deal/1217457533

 

ILLINOIS CARRY
— Think Rauner Would Do This At The State Fair Parade?
http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69215

 

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— BUDGET GIMMICKS EXPLAINED: WHY THE NEW ILLINOIS SPENDING PLAN IS NOT BALANCED – Adam Schuster
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/budget-gimmicks-explained-why-the-new-illinois-spending-plan-is-not-balanced/

 

MCHENRY COUNTY BLOG
— Republicans on Parade at Harvard’s Milk Day
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2018/06/03/republicans-parade-harvards-milk-day__trashed-copy/
— Illinois Leaks Criticizes Former Algonquin Township Supervisor, Plus Current Supervisor and One Trustee
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2018/06/03/117418/

 

MCHENRY TIMES
— Despite opposition from Illinois State Rifle Association, gun licensing bill sent to Gov. Rauner’s desk – Angela Underwood
https://mchenrytimes.com/stories/511444912-despite-opposition-from-illinois-state-rifle-association-gun-licensing-bill-sent-to-gov-rauner-s-desk

 

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— US SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS CHRISTIAN BAKER’S RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/06/us-supreme-court-upholds-christian-bakers-religious-freedoms.html
— ILLINOIS TAXPAYERS FUND NEARLY 20,000 RETIRED TEACHERS’ SIX-FIGURE PENSIONS (DIERSEN: How much is or will be your pension? My Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension is $51,864/year. To get that pension, a) I worked for the Post Office for almost 3 years 1966-1969, for IRS almost 9 years 1971-1980, and for GAO for almost 18 years 1980-1997; b) I contributed 7% of my salary to CSRS; c) I got promoted in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1986; and d) I used very few of my sick days.)
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/06/illinois-taxpayers-fund-nearly-20000-teachers-six-figure-pensions-.html
— COOK COUNTY CLERK RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT DECISION WITH PRO-LGBTQ TWEET
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/06/cook-county-clerk-responds-to-supreme-court-decision-with-pro-lgbt-tweet.html
— REP. MCSWEENEY EXPLAINS WHY HE VOTED AGAINST THE STATE BUDGET OTHERS ARE SWOONING OVER
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2018/06/rep-mcsweeney-explains-why-he-voted-against-the-state-budget-others-are-swooning-over.html

 

GOPUSA
— Samantha Bee vs Roseanne: Equal justice matters (DIERSEN: If you have been fired or forced to retire, of course, your critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes will use that against you. Ever-increasingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes hint/imply/argue/shout that GAO forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old because I am a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things. Should I sue my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes?)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=47260

 

WESTERN JOURNAL
— Facebook Replacing ‘Trending News’ with Pre-Approved Publishers – Liz Angarola (DIERSEN: Of course, my critics/opponents want Facebook to reject www.gopillinois.com. They would hint/imply/argue/shout that GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are full of fake news. They would stress that the Illinois Republican Party, DuPage County Republican Central Committee, Milton Township Republican Central Committee, etc. do not manipulate me, dominate me, or approve of me.)
https://www.westernjournal.com/facebook-replacing-trending-news-with-pre-approved-publishers/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In its Friday announcement, Facebook unveiled plans to help users stay informed by testing out a new “Breaking News” label on select news stories. The company has pre-approved 80 “trustworthy and quality” publishers from across the globe to test the feature on their posts in the News Feed. “So we’re exploring new ways to help people stay informed about timely, breaking news that matters to them, while making sure the news they see on Facebook is from trustworthy and quality sources,” Alex Hardiman, Facebook’s head of news products, wrote in the news release. In short, the subtle change will allow news organizations to help users to stay informed about the news they care about most — as long as it’s from one of the organizations Facebook has chosen. While the full list of the 80 publishers currently involved in the test has not been made public, those who have reported their involvement include The Washington Post, ABC News, Recode, The Verge and Vox. In the announcement, Facebook did not disclose the criteria used to choose the 80 publishers, nor did the company reveal whether or not more publishers will be added in the future. “People tell us they want to stay informed about what is happening around them,” Hardiman’s announcement concluded. “We are committed to ensuring the news that people see on Facebook is high quality, and we’re investing in ways to better draw attention to breaking news when it matters most.” Facebook has greatly reduced the distribution of our stories in our readers’ newsfeeds and is instead promoting mainstream media sources. When you share to your friends, however, you greatly help distribute our content. Please take a moment and consider sharing this article with your friends and family. Thank you.)
— Republican Congressman Devin Nunes Claims Drudge Report Is Being Censored by Twitter – CILLIAN ZEAL
https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/republican-congressman-devin-nunes-claims-drudge-report-is-being-censored-by-twitter/

 

FREEDOM’S JOURNAL
— EVERYDAY RACISM? – ERIC M. WALLACE, PHD
https://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/latest-news/opinion/everyday-racism-2/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Sometime during the month of April, I was contacted by WGN and asked to be interviewed for a segment they were doing on Everyday Racism. I was told that WGN wanted another point of view. At that point, I should have asked about the point of view to which WGN was seeking an alternative. I might have learned that a particular narrative was being proffered, and anything expressed contrary to that narrative was not going to be fully or fairly treated. I agreed to do the interview not really knowing much about the segment or how long it would be. WGN reporter Gaynor Hall interviewed me for about a half hour. She asked me questions about my background, my politics, and my experiences with racism. I answered all her questions as my wife listened. I also made it clear that I see the world through a biblical worldview. What I mean by that is we are all sinners, and racism is a sin. It is part of our human nature that can’t be legislated away. Racism is an inward thought about the inferiority of other races or harboring negative stereotypes of those races. The overt act, which I said we must be more concerned about, is discrimination. I also mentioned that racism is a secular construct that is not evidenced in Scripture. There is only one race—the human race.)

 

FOX BUSINESS
— California Republican lawmaker warns Google, other tech giants of hearings if bias continues – Matthew KazinPu
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/california-lawmaker-warns-google-other-tech-giants-of-hearings-if-bias-continues

 

THE HILL
— Supreme Court sides with baker in same-sex wedding case – LYDIA WHEELER
http://thehill.com/homenews/news/390531-supreme-court-sides-with-baker-in-same-sex-wedding-case
— Impartial advisers could help Trump restore civil service accountability – PHILIP K. HOWARD (DIERSEN: 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.)
http://thehill.com/opinion/finance/390358-impartial-advisers-could-help-trump-restore-civil-service-accountability
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Contrary to perceived wisdom about the sanctity of job protection, civil servants did not have tenure until the 1960s. Civil service was designed as a system of neutral hiring; it defanged the spoils system by eliminating political hiring of the rank-and-file. “If the front door [is] properly tended,” as a civil service reformer put it, “the back door [will] take care of itself.” The only protections against termination were a) to guard against politically-motivated firings (the Lloyd-LaFollette Act of 1912) and b) to protect quasi-judicial officers from executive meddling (the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor decision). Otherwise, as the leading Supreme Court decision held, the president had “the exclusive and illimitable power of removal” of executive branch employees. This all changed in 1963 when, as a payback for public union support, President John F. Kennedy in Executive Order 10988 authorized collective bargaining. Congress in 1978 then imposed collective bargaining upon the president as a statutory obligation. The Supreme Court never has been asked to rule on whether Congress had constitutional authority under Article II — which states, “The executive power shall be vested in a President” — to effectively remove executive power over personnel performance. An attorney general’s opinion at the time of original civil service reform stated that Congress could not so restrict the president’s authority. The harm of unaccountable civil service is not lots of shiftless people, but an enervated public culture. No accountability corrodes the spirit of organizations because it eliminates the trust that co-workers will do their share. Energy fades as it becomes clear that it doesn’t matter what you or anyone does. Without accountability, the only other tool for managing personnel is dense rulebooks, so suffocating bureaucracy is layered on top an already-dispirited workplace. By making civil servants “virtually impregnable” to accountability, Congress might as well have put nerve gas into public offices. It didn’t take long for the nerve gas to take effect. A 1989 report by the Volcker Commission on Civil Service found a “quiet crisis” in federal civil service, characterized by “an erosion of performance and morale.” The commission found that seven of 10 federal employees who witnessed fraud, abuse or waste did not even bother to report what they saw. A second Volcker Commission in 2003 found deep resentment at “the protections provided to those poor performers among them who impede their own work and drag down the reputation of all government workers.” The original idea of civil service remains valid — to create a “merit system” where civil servants are hired and retained based of performance. But the current system, as the Partnership for Public Service has concluded, is “a relic of a bygone era.” Attracting good people requires giving them real responsibility, not making them clerks on a bureaucratic assembly line. No one will give officials responsibility, however, unless they can be accountable if they abuse it. Distrust is the main hurdle to reforming civil service. Personnel decisions require judgment, not objective proof. How do you prove who doesn’t work hard, or isn’t cooperative with co-workers, or is mean-spirited? Someone must make those decisions, and Trump’s appointees are unlikely to be trusted. Union officials defend current procedures as being “just a matter of due process.” But due process is an impenetrable barrier because it puts the burden on the supervisor. Can you prove that this person is so much worse than anyone else? In a public service that aspires to A’s, due process protects people who get D’s and F’s. Our quandary is this: No president until Trump has been willing to take on public unions, but Trump lacks the trust to achieve the bold civil service overhaul that’s needed. How do we square this circle?)

 

HUFFINGTON POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: If you claim to be a Republican, but you demonize, denigrate, and condemn, Trump, members of the following groups will glorify you and praise you: 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.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/patti-davis-ronald-reagan-donald-trump_us_5b150127e4b02143b7cddf38

 

NBC NEWS
— California’s GOP is collapsing. Is that a sign for Republicans nationwide? After Tuesday’s primary, the GOP may not even have a candidate in the running for governor or Senate this fall. – Alex Seitz-Wald
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/california-s-gop-collapsing-sign-republicans-nationwide-n879286

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Facebook Tried to Rein In Fake Ads. It Fell Short in a California Race. – Sheera Frenkel
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/technology/california-congressional-race-facebook-election-interference.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Whites are overjoyed about the demise of Whites.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/business/media/advertising-multiracial-families.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump demonizes, denigrates, and condemns Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/opinion/trump-republican-party.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps glorify and praise illegals, so it is surprising that anti-Trumps acknowledge that some illegals are domestic abusers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/us/immigrants-houston-domestic-violence.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps demonize, denigrate, and condemns Trump supporters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/us/politics/chris-mcdaniel-mississippi-trump.html
— FRONT PAGE WITH COLOR PICTURE: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Republicans crow about their success in turning Asians against Republicans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/03/us/democrats-asians-orange-county-california.html

 

WASHINGTON POST
— ‘I will not back down’: Kansas Republican defends displaying replica machine gun in parade – Allyson Chiu
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/06/04/city-apologizes-after-kansas-republican-rides-in-parade-with-replica-machine-gun-mounted-on-his-jeep/

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Donald Trump Asserts ‘Absolute Right’ to Pardon Himself In a Twitter message, the president also says: ‘but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?’ – Daniel Nasaw
https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-asserts-absolute-right-to-pardon-himself-1528116580
— The Canard About Falling Incomes – Andy Kessler (DIERSEN: Has you income fallen? Since 1997, in today’s dollars, my income has fallen $73,461/year or 59%. In today’s dollars, my GAO salary was $125,325/year, but my Civil Service Retirement System pension is only $51,864/year. So far, in today’s dollars, since 1997, my income has fallen $1,524,316.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-canard-about-falling-incomes-1528054223

 

USA TODAY
— FRONT PAGE TOP OF FOLD WITH BIG COLOR PICTURE: DIERSEN HEADLINE: Ever-increasingly, USA TODAY makes it clear that it exists to promote LGBTQ activity.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/06/04/same-sex-marriage-ruling-undermined-gay-parents/650112002/
— Can the 3.8% unemployment rate tumble toward zero? – Paul Davidson (DIERSEN: Are you unemployed? My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes stress that since 1997, when I 49 years old, I have not been able to get a paid job that is appropriate for someone with my education, work experience, professional certifications, and professional license. They use that to demonize me, to denigrate me, and to condemn me as being a White supremacist, Nazi, KKK member, hater, racist, sexist, bigot, and even worse things.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/06/03/unemployment-can-go-lower/664879002/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: But first, before you get too excited, some perspective. A big reason unemployment dropped last month is the portion of Americans working or looking for jobs dipped to 62.7%. That share, known as the labor force participation rate, generally has been falling for years as Baby Boomers retire. Also, many men ages 25 to 54 remain outside the workforce as a result of the opioid crisis and the loss of manufacturing and construction jobs during and after the recession of 2007-09. In other words, many people aren’t officially considered unemployed because they’re not actively looking, although they really would like jobs. “You’re able to pull (the unemployment rate) down because you don’t have as many people participating,” says Diane Swonk, chief economist of Grant Thornton.)

 

DES MOINES REGISTER
— Is Illinois trying to ‘poach’ Iowa teachers with higher pay? – Mackenzie Ryan (DIERSEN: In 1980, when I was 31 years old, I took a $19,203 (26%) pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO – a downgrade from GS-12 Step 5 (currently $91,880) to GS-9 Step 10 (currently $72,677).)
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2018/05/31/could-illinois-poach-iowa-teachers-higher-guaranteed-pay/659867002/

 

NEW JERSEY
— Phil Murphy orders immediate spending, hiring freeze – Samantha Marcus
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/06/phil_murphy_orders_immediate_spending_hiring_freez.html

 

NEWSWEEK
— DETROIT GRAND PRIX: GM EXECUTIVE MARK REUSS CRASHES PACE CAR – DAN CANCIAN
http://www.newsweek.com/detroit-grand-prix-gm-executive-mark-reuss-crashes-pace-car-956194

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.