Jan Kinner
for Congress
Fighting for Ohio's 10th District
Building a stronger future for working families, small businesses, and our communities. Together, we can create real change that matters.
Fighting for Ohio's 10th District
Building a stronger future for working families, small businesses, and our communities. Together, we can create real change that matters.
Jan is a Democratic candidate for Ohio’s 10th Congressional District.
He is a retired Air Force Colonel with many assignments at Wright-Patterson AFB. Following his military service he worked in the private sector for five years as a Senior Consultant, Vice-President and Director before returning to the public sector as a professor at the Defense Acquisition University in Kettering where he helped prepare senior government personnel who manage large, complex programs for the Department of Defense. His expertise is in the areas of Information Technology, Program Management, Contracting and Critical Thinking. He has three Masters degrees and insatiable quest to learn something new everyday. He is a certified volunteer Senior Health Insurance Information Program counselor for Ohio in which he helps people navigate the Medicare maze and he also volunteers at a local thrift shop which donates all of its proceeds to local charities. He and his wife, Susan, live in Kettering and have a son, Ian, who lives in Beavercreek and a daughter, Margaret, who lives with her husband, Brian, in Xenia.
Jan is seeking to win the May 5th Democratic primary so he can restore trust in government by serving all constituents with integrity, courage, and a commitment to addressing the needs of working families
In a healthy democracy power is divided among different branches of government, leaders follow the law, and people are free to speak, protest and vote. Recent actions by the federal government such as stifling dissent and speech, using the military for domestic control, persecuting political opponents, defying court orders, manipulating the law to stay in power, declaring national emergencies on false pretense, marginalizing minority groups, and controlling information and media are all flashing warning signs our democracy is sliding toward an autocracy. Click here to learn more about this problem and Jan's plan of action.
Today, America is divided not just by party lines, but by economic fault lines that have shattered communities across Greene, Montgomery, and Butler counties. While some point to record stock market highs as proof of a booming economy, those gains don't reflect the reality for working families in our district. For them the economy isn't measured by the S&P 500, but by their bank balances. Click here to learn more about this problem and Jan's plan of action.
Our country, America, the bastion of democracy, the land of hopes and dreams, was built by strangers that became known as Americans. Today, immigration is a "hot button" subject perpetuated by those who want to blame people that don't talk or look like them for many of their troubles or the troubles of others. And we've seen the result: Federal para-military forces deployed to Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland against the objections of state and local officials; American citizens illegally detained and arrested; American citizens killed. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
Since ChatGPT launched in 2022, AI capabilities have advanced dramatically across nearly every dimension with new capabilities being delivered monthly. AI companies have moved beyond Generative AI and are now deploying AI agents (Agentic AI) that don't require human intervention. Concerns about AI safety, usage, deployment, and job displacement are being raised. Click here to learn more about AI and Jan's plan of action.
This is a problem most politicians don't like to talk about and few citizens have even heard or read about. It's a problem that has been around for decades, that both parties have perpetuated, and it's getting worse every day. The longer Congress waits to act - to rebalance spending and revenue - the more drastic the action will have to be, and the greater the negative impact on economic growth and our capacity to allocate our resources to modern needs and opportunities. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
For millions of working Americans, the fear of getting sick isn't just about health — it's about financial survival. Despite being employed, millions of workers find themselves caught in a widening gap between what they earn and what it costs to stay healthy. Two forces are squeezing them from both sides: wages that have barely budged in real terms, and health insurance premiums that seem to climb every single year. The result is a quiet crisis playing out in kitchen-table conversations, the constant juggling of bills, skipped doctor visits, and the fear of falling further and further behind across the country. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
Social Security provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to nearly 75 million Americans, including approximately 166,000 in Ohio's 10th Congressional District. The trust fund faces insolvency by 2034, which would trigger an automatic 20% cut in benefits. With over half of Americans having no retirement savings, Social Security is the only guaranteed income many retirees have. Congress must act now to protect it. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
Since his election in 2003, Mike Turner has been missing in action when it matters most. Voters and local media have criticized his lack of accessibility and unwillingness to engage with anyone outside his base. He has NEVER held a town hall in 23 years. Instead, he hides behind scripted telephone calls, press clips, and ticketed fundraisers.
How can Mike represent you if he refuses to hear you? Public service means listening to the needs of all constituents—not just donors, party loyalists, or those who nod along to everything you say.
I will lead differently. I will hold regular in-person and virtual town halls, submit to open surveys and forums, and make myself available to Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike. Because real representation starts with listening, not hiding.
If elected, these are the decision criteria I will use for any legislative action that requires my vote:
Does the proposed legislation support/provide for a widely shared and sustainable standard of living for ALL people in the 10th Congressional District?
Does the proposed legislation provide for training and education so people within the 10th Congressional District can continue to have or get new jobs for those that can work and are prepared to do so?
Does the proposed legislation provide for equality of opportunity? Equality here means everyone benefits from some kind of support. Examples include policy that would push incomes up from the bottom (reducing income inequality); provide for high quality day care; provide for best education possible; provide resources all children need to succeed (e.g. broadband internet for rural areas for education).
Does the proposed legislation provide a social safety net or continue to provide a social safety net (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security) for those that need it? The nation, the state of Ohio are the insurers of last resort for those that need help due to income inequality - who are asset poor, income constrained, employed or what is known as ALICE status.
I'm very concerned about:
Does the proposed legislation end special privileges for the few? In our country everyone is supposed to be equal before the law. Our slide toward autocracy/plutocracy is due to the fact that wealthy, well-connected insiders and corporations have been granted special benefits or favors which have, in turn led to "the few" having special privileges within our political and legal system.
This is a direct threat to democracy since democracy is supposed to assure equality of status to all citizens, not just a select few.
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Jan Kinner's Social Security Policy
×Protecting Social Security for Current and Future Retirees
Americans overwhelmingly value Social Security and view it as the cornerstone of retirement security. The message to politicians is clear: hands off our Social Security benefits.
Social Security (officially the Old Age, Survivors & Disability Insurance program) provides retirement, disability, survivor, dependent, and spousal benefits to almost 75 million Americans — approximately 166,000 of whom live in Ohio's 10th Congressional District.
The Problem: Insolvency by 2034
The Social Security Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent by 2034. At that point, beneficiaries would face an automatic 20% cut in benefits, with the shortfall growing each year. If you are 67 or older in 2034 and receiving benefits, your check gets cut 20%. If you're younger and planning to retire in the future, the amount you expected to receive will be at least 20% less — and likely more.
Consider this alongside the fact that just over 50% of Americans have no retirement savings at all. Social Security provides a safety net — a guaranteed income stream — and for many it is the only income stream they have. This is why protecting it is so critical.
Politicians who promise "not to touch Social Security" during campaigns are really saying: "I'm not going to do anything to fix the impending insolvency crisis — that's someone else's problem." That's unacceptable.
Why Is the Trust Fund in Trouble?
Social Security was designed to be self-sustaining: payroll tax revenue plus interest on the trust fund balance was meant to equal or exceed monthly benefit payments. But today, more people are receiving benefits than there are workers funding the system. Three factors drive this:
Possible Solutions
1. Increase Revenue
Raise FICA taxes: The current FICA tax rate is 15.3% of wages, split evenly between employers and employees (7.65% each — 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare). Raising FICA taxes by 2.5% would extend the trust fund's viability to 2052, but would cost a worker earning $65,000/year an additional $812 annually — about $16 more per week, meaning less money for groceries, utilities, and other essentials.
Raise the tax cap: Currently, FICA taxes only apply to the first $184,500 of earnings (about 83% of all wages). Raising the cap to $350,000 (90% of wages) would extend viability to 2038. Eliminating the cap entirely would extend it to 2055 — but would represent a significant tax increase for high earners, making it politically difficult for both parties.
Broaden the tax base: Many state and government employees are currently exempt from FICA taxes. Applying FICA to currently exempt earnings — such as flexible savings plans, daycare premiums, and group health insurance premiums — could extend viability by two to six years.
Tax Social Security benefits: Rather than eliminating federal income taxes on SS benefits under a certain amount (as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" temporarily does until 2028), taxing all benefits in excess of worker payroll contributions would add at most a year or two of viability.
2. Cut Benefits
Reduce initial benefits: Directly cutting benefit amounts. Even a deep 30% cut now would still require an additional 11% cut by 2036 to maintain viability. No one on Social Security — especially those on fixed incomes — wants to see their benefits reduced.
Phase out benefits for the wealthy: Using different formulas to calculate benefits based on average lifetime earnings. Higher earners would see reductions while lower earners would be largely protected. This doesn't solve the viability problem but reduces how deep future cuts need to be.
Increase the retirement age: The current full retirement age is 67. Proposals range from raising it to 68, 69, or 70, or indexing it to life expectancy. Recall the mass protests and violent clashes in France when the retirement age was raised from 62 to 64 — this is politically explosive.
Modify Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA): Using a different price index instead of the current Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners would reduce benefit growth, but cuts would still occur — and would be unwelcome to beneficiaries.
3. A Combination Approach
This is likely the most realistic political solution and the one most palatable to current and future beneficiaries — combining modest revenue increases with targeted adjustments.
4. Use General Tax Revenues
Using general tax revenues to fill trust fund deficits is problematic. Congress has engaged in deficit spending for years, pushing the national debt past $38 trillion. Interest on that debt now costs more annually than Medicare — and will soon exceed Social Security spending itself. This approach would worsen our fiscal condition, not improve it.
5. Privatize Social Security
This approach — giving everyone their contributions back to invest on their own — is frequently pitched by Wall Street and private equity firms. While it might work for the financially savvy, it could spell financial ruin for many others and eliminate the guaranteed income that retirees depend on.
The Stakes for District 10
One of government's fundamental roles is to protect and assist its people. Today, many retirees on fixed incomes in the 10th Congressional District are just one bill, one emergency away from financial ruin. Private charity sources are inadequate. If Social Security benefits are reduced due to continued Congressional inaction, many current and future retirees in our district would face incredibly difficult situations. We don't need to eliminate Social Security — we need to fix it. Congress was aware of this problem in 1983 and made changes, but they weren't fully implemented until 2022.
Jan's Plan of Action
If elected to Congress, my goal is to keep Social Security viable and sustainable for the future and avoid any sudden changes that would adversely affect beneficiaries. I will: