May 10 Morning Edition

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— The Illinois State Board of Elections is scheduled to certify the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee election results at 3:00 PM today. – Dave Diersen
https://gopillinois.com

 

ILLINOIS HOMEPAGE
— Ives: “We’ve got a fight going on” – Mark Maxwell (DIERSEN: Who in your precinct, in your municipality, in your township/ward, in your county, and in Illinois represents Republicans, that is, who represents those who support the traditional family, right to life, immigration, and the rest of the planks in Illinois Republican Party (IRP) platform? Those who reject the aforesaid planks voted for Rauner in the March 20, 2018 Republican primary. However, political parties exist to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. What if Rauner promised that from now on, he would defend and advance all the planks in the IRP platform?)
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/capitol-connection/ives-weve-got-a-fight-going-on/1170723791
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “They want all controversy to go away, which would make sense from their standpoint,” Ives said with an air of defiance. “They are trying to pretend like there is a unified party and the truth is that they have dismissed the conservative voters who came out in droves to vote for me in the primary. They essentially want to have what looks like a unified party and not any controversy, but the truth is that we will not, our voices will be heard one way or the other.” . . . The Illinois Republican Party, which currently receives most of its funding from Rauner, is poised to declare an initial — if not premature — victory on Thursday when the Illinois State Board of Elections “certifies” the election results from the State Central Committee contest. Sources close to the party and the Rauner campaign predict the final results will secure enough votes to guarantee a re-election victory for Chairman Schneider. However, according to Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections, the certification process is more of a formality and bears no actual legal weight. “If there is a dispute within the Republican party about the conduct of the county conventions, that will have to be litigated in court. We have nothing to do with rules and procedures within the parties,” Dietrich said in an email. Shaw argues Thursday’s announcement party will make little difference in the outcome of his race, and says a judge will make the final determination. He says the party, even as a private entity, is “heavily regulated by the Illinois state election code.” . . . If Ives gets her way, party unity will have to wait for a judge’s gavel. “I think it is going to be up to the courts to determine this in the end,” she said. “From what we were told, there was some inappropriate voting going on.” “I don’t think that [Rose] will be certified as the winner of the 15th,” Shaw said. “It’s not totally clear who gets to make that decision. I do not agree that he is the winner of the 15th.” Party bylaws provide very few specifics to determine the election process of the chair and its members. Winchester hired corporate attorney Steve Boulton to challenge the voting procedures. Boulton works for Peraica and Associates, a firm with longstanding ties to conservative radio talk show host and political schemer Dan Proft. Peraica and Proft, both strident tea party conservatives who have long yearned for a smaller state government, are hardly strangers to losing elections and then swiftly protesting the results. Neither Proft nor Winchester returned messages seeking a comment for this story, but both are working to thwart Rose’s victory and elect Shaw to the party chair position. While he may stand to benefit from Proft’s behind-the-scenes machinations, Shaw sought to distance himself from the provocative radio host on Wednesday, choosing rather to embrace an embattled governor — and the party’s top donor — in pursuit of his own narrow election win. “I don’t really know Dan that well,” Shaw claimed. “I know he’s a radio personality. I’ve seen him at a few events.” Operatives aligned with Rauner and Schneider have privately suggested Proft and Ives are backing Shaw’s candidacy to settle a political score from a bitter primary. “If I’m such a big fan of Dan Proft, why did I have choice words with him?” Shaw said, referring to a December shouting match between the two men at a Republican event. “He came in and gave a speech and I thought unfairly criticized precinct organizing efforts,” Shaw said. “I got up and questioned his credentials to have a position like that.” Sources close to Ives believe Rauner’s general election loss to billionaire Democrat J.B. Pritzker is inevitable. They are seeking a statewide reset at the party level, which includes a plan to purge Rauner’s allies from the controls over the upcoming four-year term and realign the party closer to the nationalist themes from President Trump’s 2016 campaign. . . “As long as they want to paint a rosy picture, I’d ask them to keep thinking that way because they’re in for a surprise in November,” Shaw predicted. “Bruce Rauner is a fighter. I predict Bruce Rauner gets re-elected governor and I’m going to be there standing by his side as his chairman. He’s my governor and he’s going to be my governor another four years.”)
— VIDEO: Ives gears up for fight over control of ILGOP
http://www.illinoishomepage.net/video/ives-gears-up-for-fight-over-control-of-ilgop_20180510053720/1170721724

 

JOURNAL & TOPICS
— Tim Schneider Faces Challenge For State Party Leadership Post Mark Shaw Backed By Ives, McSweeney; Schneider Backed By Rauner, GOP Leaders – Tom Robb
https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/tim-schneider-faces-challenge-for-state-party-leadership-post/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Schneider said he has the support of Ryan Higgins, 8th District state central committeeman and Schaumburg Township committeeman, and Sean Morrison, 6th District state central committeeman, Cook County GOP chairman and a fellow Cook County commissioner. Locally, some state central committeemen in the Northwest suburbs are playing it closer to the vest. “I know them both and hold them both in high regard,” Rosemont resident Jack Dorgan, 5th Congressional District state central committeeman and former Illinois GOP chairman, told the Journal. “Mark’s a good guy and Tim’s been a good leader.” Dorgan would not say who he would vote for. Dorgan said Republican leaders need to focus on the governor’s race and look ahead to redistricting after the 2020 U.S. Census. The party in power in Springfield after the Census will have control over drawing state and federal legislative district boundaries. The Journal was unable to reach Char Foss-Eggemann, 9th District state central committeeman and Maine Township Republican committeeman. Several who know Foss-Eggemann say she is on the fence over who to support. She was appointed to the Illinois Human Rights Commission in May 2017 by Rauner.)

 

CAPITOL FAX
— The Circular Firing Squad goes to the mattresses
https://capitolfax.com/2018/05/10/the-circular-firing-squad-goes-to-the-mattresses/
— Once again, it’s all or nothing for Gov. Rauner
https://capitolfax.com/2018/05/10/once-again-its-all-or-nothing-for-gov-rauner/

 

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— The Milton Township Republican Central Committee held an outstanding meeting Wednesday evening, May 9, 2018, at the Wheaton Bowl Banquet Hall. The many speakers included Darlene Senger and Jay Kinzler. Meeting attendees included Almiron, Carlson, Caruso, Cherry, Cooper, Crane, Eckhoff, Elliott, Falbo, Fitzpatrick, Grant, Keller, A. & C. LeVan, Lofgren, MacKay, McCluskey, McGowen, Mollitor, Monino, Muehlfelt, A. Murphy, Nathwani, Rash, Romano, Ryan, Thomas, Wehling, Wiley, and Wilson. – Dave Diersen
https://gopillinois.com

 

NBC5
— Rauner Urges Democrats’ Agreement on Revenue Estimate for Budget – John O’Connor
https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/rauner-urges-democrats-agreement-on-revenue-for-budget-482179651.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Emerging earlier from the same meeting, Senate President John Cullerton said there’s “a general understanding about how much money we have coming in” while he obliquely mentioned a “gap that needs to be closed” without specifics. The Chicago Democrat downplayed Republicans’ call for a revenue estimate. “I wouldn’t be hung up on that,” Cullerton said. “That gets into somewhat of a ‘gotcha’ game and a political fight. That’s not what’s holding us up.” The Legislature’s bipartisan financial analyst, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, estimated in February that state revenue — more than half from income taxes, but also sales taxes, transfers from other state sources and federal grants — would be $37.964 billion in the 2019 fiscal year. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget’s estimate was $37.865 billion, $99 million less. Most of that money is already spoken for, because of obligated state spending for Medicaid, pensions, and other programs.)

 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Republicans want Rauner to get Republicans to support the Equal Rights Amendment
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-equal-rights-amendment-20180510-story.html
— Flower and gifting business FTD to move HQ from Downers Grove to Chicago – Corilyn Shropshire
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-ftd-moves-headquarters-downtown-20180508-story.html
— Bill Brady wants McCann complaint dismissed – Monique Garcia
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-equal-rights-amendment-20180510-story.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Attorneys for Brady countered in court documents filed Wednesday that he has “legislative immunity” to make decisions about how staff and resources are distributed within his caucus. They argued the lawsuit “opens the door for a federal court to engage in extraordinary micromanaging of the internal affairs of elected state legislators.”)
— Mayors’ coalition fights cuts in local share of tax revenue – Rick Pearson
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-bruce-rauner-equal-rights-amendment-20180510-story.html
— Sen. Duckworth, 12 Dems call for Nicholson to apologize for comments about veterans – AP (DIERSEN: Democrats and Democrat plants, Libertarians and Libertarian plants, Greens and Green plants, and RINOs routinely hint/imply/argue/shout that Republicans have mental problems.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-duckworth-nicholson-apology-20180509-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Rauner’s own administration critical of Legionnaires’ notification: documents – Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/gov-bruce-rauner-quincy-veterans-home-legionnaires-notification-critical-documents/
— FRONT PAGE WITH VERY BIG PICTURE: McCarthy fires back at Lightfoot for saying he never should have been hired – Fran Spielman (DIERSEN: 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://chicago.suntimes.com/news/mccarthy-fires-back-lightfoot-hired-emanuel-laquan/

 

DAILY HERALD
— FRONT PAGE: After election night debacle, DuPage officials cut ties with voting machine vendor – Robert Sanchez
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20180509/after-election-night-debacle-dupage-officials-cut-ties-with-voting-machine-vendor
— The power of the press – and its limits – Jim Slusher (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, a) if news can be spun to promote the Democrat, Libertarian, and/or Green party platforms, the press promotes it and b) if news promotes the Republican Party platform, the press buries it.)
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20180510/slusher-the-power-of-the-press—and-its-limits
— Schools are right to teach dangers of vaping – Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20180509/editorial-schools-are-right-to-teach-dangers-of-vaping

 

SPRINGFIELD STATE JOURNAL REGISTER
— Democrats: Rauner needs to introduce cost-saving bills – Doug Finke
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180509/democrats-rauner-needs-to-introduce-cost-saving-bills
— Clark alleges conflict; Bourne calls foul – Bernard Schoenburg
http://www.sj-r.com/opinion/20180509/bernard-schoenburg-clark-alleges-conflict-bourne-calls-foul
— University of Illinois graduating first class of online MBAs – AP (DIERSEN: While I worked for IRS as a Revenue Officer, I completed 16 graduate business courses at Loyola and earned an MBA from Loyola in 1976. Back then, IRS encouraged its Revenue Officers to take graduate business, accounting, and law courses, but IRS did not provide any reimbursement for tuition or books. I paid for the courses with my IRS salary and deducted the tuition and books. My Democrat IRS superiors, supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates hinted/implied/argued/shouted that the courses as well as and the graduate accounting courses that I had taken at DePaul a) were not job-related, b) did not help me carry out my job duties, c) were taken by me to get a job in the private sector, and d) were a distraction. In 1978, Money Magazine and IRS disallowed my education deductions. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, a minority, a female, or a veteran.)
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20180509/university-of-illinois-graduating-first-class-of-online-mbas

 

NORTHWEST HERALD
— McHenry County Board gives letter to Rauner opposing McSweeney’s township consolidation bill 21 of 24 County Board members against measure – ED KOMENDA
http://www.nwherald.com/2018/05/09/mchenry-county-board-gives-letter-to-rauner-opposing-mcsweeneys-township-consolidation-bill/a986r87/

 

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
— Democrats say Rauner is stalling new state budget
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180509/democrats-say-rauner-is-stalling-new-state-budget

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: University of Illinois professors demonize, denigrate, and condemn “right-wing groups and publications such as Turning Point USA and the Campus Reform website.”
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-05-09/ui-professors-tackle-targeting.html

 

BENTON EVENING NEWS
— All talk, no action; politicians fail to put end to gerrymandering – Editorial (DIERSEN: If you are an elected official, you should assume that your critics/opponents are always trying to gerrymander you out of office. I should write a book about my critics/opponents who in 2015 gerrymandered my DuPage County Milton Township Precinct 9 to gerrymander me out of office. They drew me into Ives’ precinct.)
http://www.bentoneveningnews.com/opinion/20180509/our-view-all-talk-no-action-politicians-fail-to-put-end-to-gerrymandering

 

FOX ILLINOIS
— 7th Annual Latino Unity Day – Nikki McGee (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, Democrats and RINOs work to unify Latinos against Republicans. Democrats and RINOs work especially hard to unify Latinos against Republicans who are Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, non-poor, gun owners, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://foxillinois.com/news/local/latino-unity-day-05-10-2018

 

WMAY
— McSweeney Speaks Out on Rauner’s Meeting With Evertsen
http://www.wmay.com/2018/05/09/mcsweeney-speaks-out-on-rauners-meeting-with-evertsen/

 

DUPAGE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
— Lincoln Day Dinner 2018 SPECIAL GUEST Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush
https://mailchi.mp/dupagegop/save-the-date-lincoln-day-dinner-with-tx-land-commissioner-george-p-bush?e=a628291559
(FROM THE ANNOUNCEMENT: Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 6:00 – 9:00pm, Marriott Hotel, Oak Brook)

 

WIRE POINTS
— Chicago Fed’s Answer For Illinois Pension Crisis Is A Statewide Property Tax! – Mark Glennon
http://www.wirepoints.com/chicago-feds-answer-for-illinois-pension-crisis-is-a-statewide-property-tax-wirepoints-original/
— “Nobody is winning; everybody is losing” Wirepoints testifies before the House Committee on Cities and Villages – Video
http://www.wirepoints.com/nobody-is-winning-everybody-is-losing-wirepoints-testifies-before-the-house-committee-on-cities-and-villages-video/

 

CHICAGO CITY WIRE
— Former Utah lawmaker has no further comment on Preckwinkle’s remark about self-employment – Karen Kidd (DIERSEN: Overwhelmingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes are either self-employed or unemployed. Overwhelmingly, they belittle, badmouth, demonize, denigrate, and/or condemn wage earners. I was a lowly wage earner 1964-1997.)
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/511408912-former-utah-lawmaker-has-no-further-comment-on-preckwinkle-s-remark-about-self-employment
(FROM THE ARTICLE: In that brief exchange, Preckwinkle reportedly told Liljenquist that she was opposed to self-employment because it gave people false hope that they could support themselves.)

 

PRAIRIE STATE WIRE
— Ives foretells bleak bankruptcy future for Illinois municipalities – Angela Underwood
https://prairiestatewire.com/stories/511411896-ives-foretells-bleak-bankruptcy-future-for-illinois-municipalities

 

WILL COUNTY GAZETTE
— DuPage Township embroiled in financial, legal battles – W.J. Kennedy
https://willcountygazette.com/stories/511412441-dupage-township-embroiled-in-financial-legal-battles

 

ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE
— SENATE PRESIDENT JOHN CULLERTON SAYS ILLINOIS DOESN’T NEED A REVENUE ESTIMATE – Adam Schuster
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/senate-president-john-cullerton-says-illinois-doesnt-need-a-revenue-estimate/

 

ILLINOIS FAMILY INSTITUTE
— National Review Online Demagogue Taunts Conservatives – Laurie Higgins
https://illinoisfamily.org/homosexuality/national-review-online-demagogue-taunts-conservatives/

 

DAILY CALLER
— Sarah Sanders Goes Off On Reporter Who Asked About Pulling The Press Credentials For ‘Fake News’ – Benny Johnson (DIERSEN: Should I write a book about those who falsely claim to be conservative and/or Republican who have worked the hardest since 2000 to get everyone to pull my GOPUSA press credentials?)
http://dailycaller.com/2018/05/09/sarah-sanders-pulling-press-credentials-fake-news-video/

 

ONE NEWS NOW
— Is your state covering for lazy slackers? A new report highlights abuse of work requirement waivers for food stamps. – Chris Woodward
https://www.onenewsnow.com/politics-govt/2018/05/10/is-your-state-covering-for-lazy-slackers

 

LIFE SITE NEWS
— TRAGIC: With great ‘Pride,’ 23 Major League Baseball teams to host pro-homosexual nights – Calvin Freiburger
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/with-great-pride-23-major-league-baseball-teams-to-host-pro-homosexual-nigh

 

REUTERS
— Trump says will go forward with border wall plans in California
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-sandiego/trump-says-will-go-forward-with-border-wall-plans-in-california-idUSKBN1IA2NT

 

WASHINGTON POST
— Trump is trying to strong-arm the news media – Callum Borchers (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in Illinois who claim to be conservative and/or Republican, but who request/demand that others a) do not include diersen@aol.com on their press advisory or press release lists, b) do not tell Diersen anything, and c) do not return Diersen’s phone calls. I should also write a book about those in Illinois who claim to be conservative and/or Republican, but who succumb/agree to those requests/demands. The aforesaid glorify and praise, pander to, give news scoops to, return phone calls from, and/or give money a) to my competitors who claim to be conservative and/or Republican and/or b) to Rich Miller and to the rest of the Democrat news media in Illinois.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/05/09/trump-is-trying-to-strong-arm-the-news-media/
— The White House Correspondents’ Association gets a spine – Erik Wemple (DIERSEN: Should I get a spine? Should I write a book about those who have worked the hardest since 2000 a) to destroy me and my GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails, b) to destroy those who fail/refuse to destroy me, and c) to destroy those who read my emails?)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/05/09/the-white-house-correspondents-association-gets-a-spine/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: This time, the WHCA followed with a statement from President Margaret Talev: “Some may excuse the president’s inflammatory rhetoric about the media, but just because the president does not like news coverage does not make it fake. A free press must be able to report on the good, the bad, the momentous and the mundane, without fear or favor. And a president preventing a free and independent press from covering the workings of our republic would be an unconscionable assault on the First Amendment.” Strong verbs, simple sentences, a constitutional reference and an unmistakable message: Have we heard anything so fiery from the WHCA during the Trump presidency? It doesn’t appear that way.)

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— The Unresolved IRS Scandal Congress should take tax collectors out of the business of regulating political activity. – Bradley A. Smith

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-unresolved-irs-scandal-1525905500
— Brewers’ Dry Patch: Americans Turn From Beer to Harder Drinks AB InBev’s volumes fall in U.S.; Molson Coors and Heineken face weakness, too – Saabira Chaudhuri and Nick Kostov (DIERSEN: Overwhelmingly, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes a) drink lots of booze, b) want to drink even more booze, and/or c) want others to drink lots of booze.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ab-inbev-stumbles-in-u-s-but-profits-rise-elsewhere-1525860679
— Discontent Among Female Execs at Visa Leads to CEO Meeting Female executives at card giant are concerned about advancement opportunities – AnnaMaria Andriotis (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors in the federal government talked and acted like their employees who were Democrat, minority, female, and/or younger had demanded that they use Affirmative Action, Diversity, Inclusion to get rid of their employees who were Republican, White, male, older, and/or non-veteran.)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/visa-ceo-confronts-women-s-issues-at-the-card-giant-1525867323

 

BUSINESS INSIDER
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Kim seeks a promise from the United States that its military will not invade North Korea. When will Trump seek a promise from Mexico and from all the other countries of the world that their militaries will not invade the United States? Already, ever-increasingly, Mexico and all the other countries of the world are illegally sending more and more and more of their citizens into the United States illegally.)
http://www.businessinsider.com/south-koreas-usb-drive-to-north-korea-could-be-kim-jong-uns-death-2018-5

 

NBC BAY AREA
— Data Points to Wide Gap in Asylum Approval Rates at Nation’s Immigration Courts – Stephen Stock, Rachel Witte and Jeremy Carroll (DIERSEN: What if Democrats who want flee the crime and poverty in Democrat areas had to officially file asylum requests and get those requests approved by Republicans before they could move to Republican areas? What do you say to Democrats who flee the crime and poverty in Democrat areas and move to Republican areas, but who continue to demonize, denigrate, and condemn Republicans? These asylum seekers blame Republicans for the crime and poverty in Democrat areas.)
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Data-Points-to-Wide-Gap-in-Asylum-Approval-Rates-at-Nations-Immigration-Courts-482182911.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: From 2016 through the first part of 2018, immigration courts in Los Angeles and San Francisco consistently ranked in the nation’s top 15 courts when it comes to the number of asylum requests granted. Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, New York and Boston were also in the top 15 each year. Court data show each of those courts grants asylum requests more than 50 percent of the time. On the opposite end of the spectrum, U.S. immigration courts that are vastly less likely to approve asylum petitions include Atlanta, Lumpkin, Georgia, Charlotte, Dallas and Houston. In some of those courts, asylum is granted around 20 percent of the time. In other jurisdictions, like the court in Lumpkin, judges grant asylum only 10 percent of the time.)

 

GAO
— Recognizing the Federal Workforce
https://blog.gao.gov/2018/05/09/recognizing-the-federal-workforce/

(FROM THE ARTICLE: The most vital resource at any federal agency is its workforce. During Public Service Recognition Week, we’re celebrating the contributions of federal employees. This year is especially noteworthy because it’s the 40th anniversary of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which established the basis for our modern federal workforce, including the creation of the Office of Personnel Management. Today’s WatchBlog continues our tradition of celebrating federal employees.)

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.