Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, financial support, and your votes. I have enjoyed the last 5 months going door to door visiting with you. I have met a lot of wonderful people. Thank you for being so nice!

Even though I wish my campaign had been successful, I am proud that Cass County has elected a solid slate of Christian, conservative Republicans to the local offices.

Thanks to the volunteers who served as my treasurer, prepared and maintained my website, helped put up signs and walked in the parades. It was a real joy having you with me.

Thanks also to those who let me put up signs in yards and fields. I have spent two days picking up the large signs and a few of the small ones. I hope those of you that still have signs will dispose of them in your trash. If that is a problem, I will come and pick them up if you call 816-779-7543.

God Bless America & Jim Danner!

This biography will give those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Jim Danner in person a chance to get to know the man who is running for the House of Representative for the great State of Missouri, in the 124^th District.  Jim Danner is a man of strong principles and convictions, with the courage to do the right things and stand up for the people of his district.

I was born on a farm near Urbana, Iowa where my father was a migrant farm worker picking corn by hand to provide for his family. He worked on construction for a few years building Camp Crowder. He then bought 80 acres near Atlanta, Missouri and bought an old saw mill. I started helping at the saw mill around the age of 6 and continued until I was old enough to join the army.

My father always worked very hard during six days of the week. He said the Bible told him to rest on Sunday. I and the other 4 of the oldest would hitch a ride with neighbors and went to an Assembly of God Church in Elmer, MO. I was first baptized in the Tequa Baptist Church in El Paso, Texas while in the military. My wife and I have since been baptized in the Jordan River in Israel. We are currently members of the Church of The Resurrection in Overland Park, Kansas. I have helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity sponsored by the church. I am also a financial coach at the church helping people with strategies to overcome their financial struggles

We did not have electricity until I was in the 6^th grade and we carried water from a well until I graduated from high school and joined the army. We were what would now be considered below the poverty level. My father was a very hard worker but having only an 8^th grade education, he had little business knowledge. He did no advertising and depended on customers’ needs and word of mouth. His business had many ups and downs. To supplement we farmed about 200 acres of corn and or beans.

I was the second child and first son. There were 5 under 7 years old and then two late arrivals. We never went hungry as we always had a large garden for vegetables, chickens for eggs and meat, and cows for milk, butter and meat.

We also hunted squirrel, rabbit, and quail for additional food. I received my first rifle on my 13^th birthday. It was a used Stephens Crack Shot 22 caliber. It was a single shot so I had to learn to make my first shot count. I still have the rifle. My folks always had at least one rifle and one shotgun in the house. They were never locked up nor had trigger guards. We were taught to respect then and we never had a serious accident.

Growing up on a farm I was always interested in how things worked. As a result I took all the science and math courses the small town school offered. I then joined the army on the condition that I would go to an 8 months radar repair school in Ft. Monmouth, NJ.

I was then stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas to repair radar for military schools. I also worked evenings and weekends as a radio and TV repairman. After 3 years in the military I went to work for Bendix in Kansas City as an electronic technician. I was allowed to go on night shift so I could go to college in the daytime.

I graduated from Metropolitan Kansas City Junior College with an associate degree in engineering. I went to work for Smith & Loveless as a field engineer. Smith & Loveless make water and wastewater pumping and treatment equipment. My job was to hire outside fabricators and erectors and to inspect and approve their work. I would travel two weeks and be back home one week day and weekend. I traveled throughout the continental U.S. and Hawaii. After 2 years with Smith & Loveless, I went to work for Hydro-Mech, their Hawaiian representative as a sales engineer. I stayed in Hawaii 3 years and then decided it would be better to be closer to family returning to Kansas City. I went to work for Ray Lindsey Co., a similar representative to Hydro-Mech. They represented some of the same companies. I had an arrangement with Ray Lindsey where I would take a full schedule of classes and work fulltime as well. I would schedule my classes at UMKC so they would fall on the same 2 or 3 days a week. Then I worked long hours and Saturday to fulfill the work schedule. I was able to finish my degree and get my professional engineers license in 2 years.

In 1982 Tom Collins and I purchased Ray Lindsey Co. from Ray Lindsey. Tom retired in 1998 and I became the sole owner. I turned the company into an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) and sold it to the employees in 2003.

Both Hydro-Mech and Ray Lindsey Company represented companies that make products to pump and treat water, wastewater, and air. These products are for all sizes of systems from small towns to large cities and for all types of industries.

My positions with the TV shop, Smith & Loveless, Hydro-Mech and Ray Lindsey Company all involved the responsibility of helping solve customers’ problems. As a TV repairman I only worked with the owner. All the other careers involved the ultimate owner, usually a city, county or industry as well as their consulting engineers, and contractors—in many cases someone from Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The knowledge gained from these experiences will be very beneficial for a state representative. My engineering education and my knowledge of water treatment and wastewater and air clean up are also valuable assets.

Since retiring I have traveled to England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, China, Israel, Panama, Costa Rico, and Ecuador. In these travels I did not find any of the European countries happy with their government supplied health insurance. They pay extremely high taxes to finance this type of insurance and have to wait in line in order to receive health care. It was quite common for them to say free health care is good ‘if you live long enough to get it’. The socialist policies of these countries have raised their taxes to the point that they choke the businesses and unemployment is normally over 20%.

Here are the assets I would bring to the House if I am elected:

1. Dedicated Christian, WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?)

2. Worked my way to a comfortable lifestyle

3. 3 years military experience

4. 9 years working for a large corporation

5. Small farm background

6. Successful small business owner

7. Licensed professional engineer (retired)

8. College degree in engineering

9. Traveled throughout the U.S.

10. Traveled to many countries outside the U.S.

11. Experience in environmental fields

12. Experience in dealing with municipal, county, and state governments

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE