May 17 Morning Edition

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— OUTSTANDING: GOP lawmakers crafting tough immigration bill that calls for increased prosecutions of immigrants who cross the border illegally – Maria Sacchetti
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/immigration/ct-gop-immigration-bill-20170517-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: In a front page top of fold editorial with a big color picture unethically made to look like a news article, anti-Trumps promote the immigration plank in the Democrat Party platform.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/immigration/ct-immigration-elkhart-indiana-trump-met-20170517-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say in their hardcopy headline “Much of GOP still standing with Trump.  Many shift blame to Dems, media after each crisis.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-republicans-trump-support-20170516-story.html
— Bad times ‘trickle down’ to Ken Griffin, who made just $600 million last year – Kim Janssen  (DIERSEN: Are/were you accused of being overpaid? My critics/opponents have always accused me of being overpaid. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 33.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chicagoinc/ct-ken-griffin-0517-chicago-inc-20170516-story.html
— Driver’s ed teacher at Joliet high school resigns in wake of DUI charge: officials – Alicia Fabbre
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-drivers-ed-teacher-dui-charge-0517-20170516-story.html
— Chicago suburbs buck city on minimum wage – Ed Rensi
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-chicago-minimum-wage-increase-suburbs–perspec-0517-jm-20170516-story.html
— More D204 low-income, minority students taking AP classes thanks to push – Suzanne Baker  (DIERSEN: Few thought that I was “college material” because neither of my parents had attended college, my father was the first of his ancestors to earn a high school diploma, and my mother had never attended high school. What if Affirmative Action was only for those whose parents did not have a college degree?)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-nvs-204-ap-class-equity-st-0517-20170516-story.html
— FRONT PAGE IN THE NAPERVILLE SUN: Lots of ‘help wanted’ signs, and too few applicants, employers say – Erin Hegarty, Rafael Guerrero and David Sharos  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes hint/imply/argue/shout that they never stooped to take “bad” jobs like I did. I did yard work, delivered newspapers, washed dishes, cleaned golf shoes, chipped slag, pumped gasoline, delivered mail, worked on an automobile assemble line, worked as a security guard, sold tires, automotive services, and major appliances, collected delinquent taxes, and audited federal agencies.)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-now-hiring-jobs-st-0517-20170515-story.html
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: An anti-Trump says “Donald Trump’s self-destructive presidency.”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-trump-impeachment-comey-russia-20170517-story.html
— How Emanuel has raised his profile after Trump’s election – John Byrne
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rahm-emanuel-washington-20170516-story.html

 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Kinzinger joins call for outside inquiry into Trump situation – Lynn Sweet  (DIERSEN: The harder that you work against Trump, the more that anti-Trumps will glorify and praise you.)
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/kinzinger-joins-call-for-outside-inquiry-into-trump-situation/
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON CHICAGO TIGHTENS: Huckabee jokes about ‘dodging bullets’ in Chicago, draws criticism
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/huckabee-jokes-about-dodging-bullets-in-chicago-draws-criticism/amp/
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON CHICAGO TIGHTENS: Carjackings rise in Chicago as juveniles target high-end vehicles – Sam Charles
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/sustained-rise-in-carjackings-as-juveniles-target-high-end-vehicles/
— John Daley defends water commissioner who got the ax in email scandal – Fran Spielman  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes not only defend each other, they promote each other.)
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/john-daley-defends-water-commissioner-who-got-the-ax-in-email-scandal/
— Rep. Rodney Davis’ bill would end Jesse Jackson Jr. workers’ comp pay – Lynn Sweet  (DIERSEN: What do your critics/opponents want to end concerning you?  My critics/opponents want to end my $50,856/year Civil Service Retirement System pension, my $17,288/year federal health, dental, and vision insurance subsidy, and my $2,028/year Social Security. If I lost that income, I could not afford to spend 10+ hours a day putting together GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails and sending them out.)
http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/rep-rodney-davis-bill-would-end-jesse-jackson-jr-workers-comp-pay/

 

DAILY HERALD
— OUTSTANDING: Island Lake wise to draw a line on expansion of video gambling – Editorial
http://www.dailyherald.com/discuss/20170516/editorial-island-lake-wise-to-draw-a-line-on-expansion-of-video-gambling
— Sheer lunacy on campus – Walter E. Williams  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasing, colleges focus on cranking out “good little Democrats” who 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.dailyherald.com/discuss/20170517/sheer-lunacy-on-campus
— Preservationists given deadlines to restore McKee House – Robert Sanchez
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170517/preservationists-given-deadlines-to-restore-mckee-house

 

NBC5
— Chicago-Area High Schools Listed on Website Trading Nude Photos  It involves dozens of Chicago-area high schools, former students and hundreds of nude photos. Many of the women have no idea they’re exposed. – Katie Kim
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-area-high-schools-listed-website-trading-nude-photos-422576134.html

 

WBEZ
— AS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY’S STRANGLEHOLD ON CHICAGO TIGHTENS: Gun Violence Hits African Americans Most — And It’s Getting Worse – Chip Mitchell
http://interactive.wbez.org/everyotherhour/80-percent/

 

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “Trump faces deepest crisis of his presidency.”
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170517/NEWS02/170519876/trump-faces-deepest-crisis-of-his-presidency

 

CHAMPAIGN/URBANA NEWS GAZETTE
— Rauner, Dems hold dueling press briefings on state budget impasse – Tom Kacich  (DIERSEN: What do you say to activists, to candidates, to elected officials, to party leaders, to major donors, to political consultants, to etc. who claim to be Republican but do not want Dave Diersen to know about, attend, or report on their press briefings?  Diersen says the aforesaid are Democrat plants, Libertarian plants, Green plants, or RINOs.)
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-05-17/rauner-dems-hold-dueling-press-briefings-state-budget-impasse.html

 

JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL COURIER
— Congressmen challenge pre-existing conditions fears; hundreds of thousands in region living with long-term ailments – Nick Draper
http://myjournalcourier.com/news/109518/congressmen-challenge-pre-existing-conditions-fears-hundreds-of-thousands-in-region-living-with-long-term-ailments

 

WQAD
— IL congressman Rodney Davis wants shaming students for school lunch debt to end – CNN  (DIERSEN: My critics/opponents, their operatives, and the their dupes pride themselves in being experts on shaming people.  They would brag and boast about their success in shaming me at Milton Township Republican Central Committee events, TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois events, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce events, Illinois Center Right Coalition events, etc.  They count on me keeping my policy of forgiving those who trespass against me.  Should I write a book about them?)
http://wqad.com/2017/05/16/il-congressman-wants-shaming-students-for-school-lunch-debt-to-end/

 

NPR ILLINOIS
— It’s Mental Health Month – SEAN CRAWFORD  (DIERSEN: Democrats are moral relativists who believe that their end justifies their means. They are disciples of Saul Alinsky. They hint/imply/argue/shout that if you are not a Democrat, you have mental health problems.)
http://nprillinois.org/post/its-mental-health-month#stream/0

 

  1. LOUIS TODAY
    — Mizzou likely to cut hundreds of positions amid expected 7 percent enrollment drop – Ashley Jost
    http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/mizzou-likely-to-cut-hundreds-of-positions-amid-expected-percent/article_74125e87-a764-505f-872c-a454640d4205.html

 

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— VIDEO: Insider System – J.B. Pritzker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXa2HXUdt38&feature=youtu.be

 

DUPAGE COUNTY
— Employment Opportunity: Administrative/Clerical  Title: Executive Assistant  Department: Election Commission  Closing Date: 5/31/2017
http://www.dupageco.org/HR/Jobs/55071/

 

CAPITOL FAX
— State bill backlog rises by a billion dollars overnight
https://capitolfax.com/2017/05/17/state-bill-backlog-rises-by-a-billion-dollars-overnight/

 

FEDERALIST
— 12 Ways The Southern Poverty Law Center Is A Scam To Profit From Hate-Mongering  The Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘Hate List’ has all the authority of a mean girl’s burn book. Yet it is dangerously provocative. – Stella Morabito  (DIERSEN: Many individuals, organizations, companies, and governments blacklist me because I refuse to carry out their blacklist orders.  Should I write a book about a) those individuals, organizations, companies, and governments that blacklist me and b) those individuals, organizations, companies, and governments that they want me to blacklist?  The book would be extremely lengthy.)
https://thefederalist.com/2017/05/17/12-ways-southern-poverty-law-center-scam-profit-hate-mongering/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: What makes the hate list of the Southern Poverty Law Center different from the “burn book” a high school queen bee keeps in the 2004 movie “Mean Girls”? Answer: not much. The burn book was a compilation of insults, gossip, and rumors intended to repel the diva’s “enemies,” label everybody, and keep herself on top of the heap. The SPLC uses its list of designated hate groups in much the same way: to manipulate the lives of others, smear reputations, control personal relationships, and reap the spoils. The dynamic is the same, whether played on the adolescent scene or in the political arena. Both lists serve mostly as power-mongering tools. In civilized societies, we supposedly grow out of that sort of tribalism. But look around and you’ll see such behaviors proliferating in every sphere: politics, journalism, education. A recent headline in the Washington Examiner nailed it: “The Bret Stephens Freak Out is a Reminder that the Media Is Basically a Massive High School Clique.” Why do so many folks treat the SPLC with undeserved reverence, the way too many high school kids treat a self-appointed nasty queen bee? Why do they accept the Southern Poverty Law Center as the nation’s Grand Inquisitor dictating who may speak and who must shut up? And why are its smears and caricatures so often blindly accepted at face value? What qualifies the SPLC to act as judge, jury, and social executioner of any human being who is not their blind supporter? Those questions have been hanging in the air for decades. As with all vilification campaigns, the SPLC plays a dangerous and cruel game under the guise of defending victims. So let’s take a closer look at some of the SPLC’s history and behavior. Let’s count some ways it’s a con game.)

 

GOPUSA
— Democracy Dies in Anonymous Sourcing – Brent Bozell and Tim Graham  (DIERSEN: When they slander me, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes rely on anonymous sources because they know that I have a history of filing lawsuits.  However, I reserve my right to file FOIA requests.)
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=24487
— Why Do ‘Conservatives’ Publish Fake News? – Cliff Kincaid  (DIERSEN: Unlike any of its competitors, GOPUSA ILLINOIS a) highlights the name of the websites on which articles are posted, b) highlights who wrote the articles, and c) highlights the articles’ unhidden hyperlinks.
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=24481
— Sanctuary Senator Interferes in Deportation Process – AP
http://www.gopusa.com/?p=24345

 

FREEDOM’S JOURNAL
— SHEER LUNACY ON CAMPUS – Walter E. Williams (DIERSEN: Ever-increasing, colleges focus on cranking out “good little Democrats” who 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.)
https://freedomsjournalinstitute.org/latest-news/opinion/sheer-lunacy-on-campus/

 

NATIONAL REVIEW
— Field Workers Suing the DNC as Executives Receive Huge Bonuses – PAUL CROOKSTON
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/447652/democratic-party-sued-low-wages-field-workers-bonuses-executives

 

BREITBART
— Top Private School Brings in Skirts for Boys Amidst ‘Surge’ in ‘Trans Children’ – VIRGINIA HALE
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/15/top-school-skirts-boys-trans-children/

 

AMERICAN FAMILY RADIO
— MATT BARBER AND PETER LABARBERA DISCUSS LGBT ISSUES
https://afr.net/afr-talk/focal-point/2017/may/matt-barber-and-peter-labarbera-discuss-lgbt-issues/

 

LUTHERAN CHURCH CHARITIES
— Unity – Working Together – Tim Hetzner  (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, and in Illinois who work the hardest to unify those who 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 AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German Americans, draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
http://devotions.lccharities.org/2017/05/17/unity-working-together/

 

GATEWAY PUNDIT
— Justice Scalia Believed Supreme Court was Being Surveilled by Obama – Jim Hoft
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/report-justice-scalia-believed-supreme-court-surveilled-obama-video/

 

THE HILL
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “GOP anger at Trump is building.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333739-the-memo-gop-anger-at-trump-is-building

 

CNN
— What is obstruction of justice?  Claim has been used in Nixon, Clinton cases (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors in the federal government were smart enough to not put in writing things that would get them in trouble. My Democrat GAO superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, 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 1980-1997, and forced me to take an $18,847 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.  My Democrat IRS superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they did not promote me beyond GS-12, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and disallowed my partial day per diem claims in 1974.  My Democrat Post Office superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they forced me resign in 1969 and disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.)
http://www.mystateline.com/news/politics/what-is-obstruction-of-justice/715282053

 

NEW YORK TIMES
— Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation – MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT  (DIERSEN: My Democrat superiors in the federal government were smart enough to not put in writing things that would get them in trouble. My Democrat GAO superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they forced me to retire in 1997 when I was 49 years old, 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 1980-1997, and forced me to take an $18,847 pay cut in today’s dollars to transfer from IRS to GAO in 1980.  My Democrat IRS superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they did not promote me beyond GS-12, disallowed my education deductions in 1978, and disallowed my partial day per diem claims in 1974.  My Democrat Post Office superiors did not put in writing their real reasons why they forced me resign in 1969 and disallowed my sick leave requests in 1969 and 1968.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html
— The Gender Pay Gap Is Largely Because of Motherhood – Claire Cain Miller  (DIERSEN: I should write a book about those in Wheaton, in Glen Ellyn, in Milton Township, in DuPage County, and in Illinois who have focused on demonizing, denigrating, and condemning my wife and I for our giving up trying to have children, for our not adopting, and for our not becoming foster parents.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/upshot/the-gender-pay-gap-is-largely-because-of-motherhood.html
— Highway Robbery Targets the Poor – PETER FUNT  (DIERSEN: One reason why my wife and I have more money is that we have always used public transportation to get to and from work. Many, if not most, if not virtually all of my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would never stoop to use public transportation.  They are “above it all.”)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/opinion/california-express-lanes.html
— A Remote Pacific Island Awash in Tons of Trash – AUSTIN RAMZY  (DIERSEN: Trash has not washed onto the Cove Court subdivision in Wheaton, but many tons of storm water and silt have washed onto the Cove Court subdivision in Wheaton.  Both the Cove Court subdivision in Wheaton and the Prairie Path Park in Wheaton are watershed areas.)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/world/australia/henderson-island-plastic-debris-south-pacific.html

 

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— OUTSTANDING: Moves to Ease Gun-Carrying Restrictions Expand  A combination of federal and state legislation could free up limits on carrying concealed firearms – Joe Palazzolo
https://www.wsj.com/articles/moves-to-ease-gun-carrying-restrictions-expand-1494927004
— BEYOND TRAGIC: More American Workers Are Testing Positive for Drugs  More than one in 25 U.S. workers fail their employer’s drug tests; marijuana is on the rise, according to Quest Diagnostics – Lauren Weber  (DIERSEN. Many, if not most of my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes talk and act a) like they drink lots of booze, b) like they sell and/or smoke pot, and/or c) like they want to sell and/or smoke pot legally.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-american-workers-are-testing-positive-for-drugs-1494928980
— Why Northwestern President Morton Schapiro Favors Safe Spaces  It isn’t about coddling students. It’s about creating an environment for learning – Douglas Belkin  (DIERSEN: Ever-increasing, colleges focus on cranking out “good little Democrats” who 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.)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-northwestern-president-morton-schapiro-favors-safe-spaces-1494987120
— HARDCOPY ARTICLE TITLE: Nine Survey Questions for People Who create Survey Questions – Alexandra Samuel  (DIERSEN: What do you know about surveys?  During the last 8 years that I worked for GAO, I worked on major reports that were based on major surveys.  SEE: http://www.gao.gov/assets/160/154342.pdf (FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES: Actions Needed to Protect the Financial System) and at http://www.gao.gov/assets/160/156011.pdf (OTC DERIVATIVES: Additional Oversight Could Reduce Costly Sales Practice Disputes)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/want-people-to-take-your-survey-ask-yourself-these-questions-first-1494986820

 

USA TODAY
— Work and politics: What rights do employees have? – Charisse Jones and Michael Izzo  (DIERSEN: From what I see, employers in America are either anti-Trump or scared to death of anti-Trumps.  Because of the aforesaid, soon, if not already, employers in America will stop hiring members of the following groups and will get rid of their employees who are members of the following groups: Trump supporters, Protestant, conservative, Republican, American, White, male, older, rich, gun owners, German Americans, draft avoiders (except Bill Clinton), and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/05/16/work-and-politics-what-rights-do-employees-have/101753060/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Should your politics outside of work affect your status in the office? A congressman’s letter that helped push a New Jersey attorney to resign after her boss was told she was a grassroots “ringleader,’’ has sparked questions about how much an employer can clamp down on an employee’s activism. The Office of Congressional Ethics has been asked to investigate whether U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-New Jersey) interfered with the workplace standing of Saily Avelenda, a former senior vice president at Lakeland Bank, when he called out her political activities in a letter to a member of the bank’s board. In an era of heightened political tensions, when football players have knelt in protest during the national anthem and many Americans are marching and boycotting for perhaps the first time, the case is showing how politics and the workplace can collide.)

 

NEW YORK POST
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “GOP lawmakers may be turning on Trump.”
http://nypost.com/2017/05/17/gop-lawmakers-might-be-turning-on-trump/

 

LAS VEGAS SUN
— Conway disputes claim she’s in it ‘for the money’ – AP  (DIERSEN: What are you in and are you in it for the money?  Since 2000, my serving as the GOPUSA Illinois Editor has cost me many thousands of dollars.)
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/may/17/conway-disputes-claim-shes-in-it-for-the-money/

 

FED WEEK
— House Takes Step toward Long-Sought Changes in Pay, Benefits (DIERSEN: Are/were you accused of being overpaid?  My critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes have always accused me of being overpaid. In my defense, I earned a) a job-related bachelor’s degree when I was 21 and job-related master’s degrees when I was 27, 31, and 48, b) job-related professional certifications when I was 30, 32, 41, 45, 47, and 48, and c) a job-related professional license when I was 33.)
http://www.fedweek.com/fedweek/house-takes-step-toward-long-sought-changes-pay-benefits/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: One focus will be a recent CBO report finding that on average federal employees are slightly ahead in pay, and well ahead in terms of benefits, compared with private sector employees of similar education levels. However, that report also showed that those differences vary greatly by educational level, with federal workers having the lowest levels the farthest ahead by both measures, while the most-educated employees are slightly behind in benefits and well behind in salary–again, on average.)

 

THINK PROGRESS
— Top Trump official says we shouldn’t take care of someone who ‘eats poorly and gets diabetes’  So much for compassionate conservatism. – Jack Jenkins  (DIERSEN: If I sought a government office or a political office, my critics/opponents, their operatives, and their dupes would a) crow that they spend many hours exercising each and every day and b) viciously demonize me, viciously denigrate me, and viciously condemn me for coming down with type 2 diabetes.  My father fought type 1 diabetes from age 14 and died suddenly from heart failure in 1969 when he was 47 and I was 21.)
https://thinkprogress.org/top-trump-official-says-we-shouldnt-take-care-of-someone-who-eats-poorly-and-gets-diabetes-9388a1ded06b

 

CLASSIC CARS
— Pick of the Day: 1972 Chevrolet Corvette coupe – Andy Reid  (DIERSEN: I have owned my Steel Cities Gray 1972 Corvette with black leather interior since I took delivery of it on October 14, 1971.)
https://news.classiccars.com/pick-day-1972-chevrolet-corvette-coupe/

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.