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
Swipe or use the arrows to explore the issues that matter most to Ohio's 10th District.
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.
Deficit spending is a problem that has been around for decades that few people in Congress seem interested in fixing. When Congressman Turner entered Congress in 2003 the national debt was $6.3 trillion. Today it's over $39 trillion – and going up. The longer Congress waits to act, the more drastic the rebalancing will have to be. 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.
The Old Age & Survivors Trust Fund provides retirement, survivor, dependent and spousal benefits for almost 58 million Americans – approximately 166,000 in Ohio's 10th Congressional District. The CBO now projects the Trust Fund will be depleted by 2032, triggering an automatic 23% cut in benefits. With over half of Americans having no retirement savings, Congress must act now. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
I believe in the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens have the right to own firearms, and I will protect that right. But as a parent and grandparent, I also believe our elected officials have a responsibility to help keep our schools, streets, and communities safe. These two things are not in conflict. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's plan of action.
Trump campaigned on ending "endless wars" and promised "no new wars." Yet on February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces began joint military strikes on Iran — without a Congressional declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force. Over five weeks in, Congress has still not acted, and this conflict has no clearly defined objectives, no exit strategy, and no public support. Click here to learn more about this issue and Jan's position.
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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"When we all got elected this last November, the United States sovereign debt [held by the public] was around $28 trillion. When we finish this 10-year cycle, we're going to add another $28 trillion ... The current debt took us 240 years to build up, we're going to double it in the next ten budget years ... For those of us in the House, who give these beautiful speeches about how it's immoral to do this to our kids and crush people's future retirements... what are we going to do? Are we going to step up and say, 'Look, Republicans have priorities. The White House has priorities. We just have to find ways to finance them.' Are we that terrified to tell the truth?" - Representative David Schweikert, Republican, Arizona 1st District, April 2025
Deficit spending is a problem that has been around for decades that few people in Congress seem interested in fixing. When the government spends more than it collects in tax revenues it engages in a practice called deficit spending – a practice both parties are guilty of since the federal budget was last balanced in 2002. To make up the difference the Treasury Department borrows money from investors by issuing securities in the forms of notes, bonds, and bills, which are essentially IOUs, to investors, foreign governments (even China), and other government agencies.
The sum of all these IOUs, over the years, is our national debt – and it's getting worse every day. Before reading any further go here to see for yourselves: https://www.usdebtclock.org/
On Congressman Turner's website is this statement, "During his time as Mayor of Dayton, Congressman Turner successfully balanced the city's budget, demonstrating that economic growth is possible by setting clear priorities and managing out-of-control spending." What the website fails to tell you is the City of Dayton is required to have a balanced budget. Congress does not.
When Congressman Turner first entered Congress in January 2003 the national debt was approximately $6.3 trillion. As I write this in April 2026 it is $39.07 trillion – and going up. I'm not suggesting Congressman Turner is solely responsible for this entire debt – both parties are at fault, but Congressman Turner's voting record doesn't match his rhetoric. In 2017 he wrote on his website, "Reining in out-of-control spending is critical to economic growth and reducing our national debt," but that didn't stop him from voting in favor of the next seven of nine appropriations bills – none of them balanced.
Just as you have to pay interest on your credit card debt the government has to pay interest on its debt. In 2025 the government's interest on its debt was $1.2 trillion. That is more money than the government spent on Medicare, Medicaid or National Defense – or more than the government spent on transportation, education and veterans combined. The only thing costing more was Social Security which cost $1.6 trillion.
In July 2025 Turner voted in favor of the "Big Beautiful Bill" (Fiscal Year 2026 budget) which raised the nation's statutory debt ceiling to $41.1 trillion and which will add another $4.1 trillion to the national debt by 2034. But those numbers don't take into account the cost associated with Trump's quagmire in Iran.
Recent estimates show the war has cost the military somewhere between $23 billion and $34 billion for the first four weeks of operations. As the war continues – and it will as there are no clear objectives or known desired end state, the price will continue to go up. Secretary of War Hegseth has already hinted a $200 billion emergency war appropriation may be in the works. Congress will likely, using the justification of "national defense" or "national security" or "supporting the troops," pass the emergency supplemental defense appropriation which will add to our national debt – and the interest payment.
In addition to emergency appropriations there are lots of underlying reasons for our growing debt, but it can be summed up in one short sentence: Government spending exceeds revenues.
This problem is not going away. It will get worse and will cause problems for the people and the businesses in the 10th Congressional District, as well as across the nation:
As the government borrows more money, it competes with people and businesses for loans (i.e., "listen government I can buy a bond that gives me 5% interest right now elsewhere, if you want me to buy your bond you've got to give me 5.5%"). This drives up interest rates, making mortgages, car loans, and student loans more expensive.
The more the government borrows, the less money there is for businesses to invest and grow. This can lead to fewer job opportunities and lower or stagnant wages (which already are not keeping up with inflation).
When a large part of the budget goes to paying interest on the debt, there's less money for important services like Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP benefits, education, agriculture programs, etc.
If investors that buy treasury securities lose trust in the government's ability to manage its debt, they will demand higher interest rates, which could lead to cuts in government programs (see #3 above) and even a recession.
It is a hidden tax on our kids and grandkids who will be faced with higher taxes to pay off this debt, reducing their standard of living.
Large debts can lead to inflation, making everyday goods more expensive. This has been a growing issue, with your dollar's purchasing power falling nearly 50% since 2000.
High debt makes it harder for the government to respond to emergencies, like recessions or pandemics, because Congress has to pass emergency appropriations for additional funding – which adds to the debt and size of the interest payments.
Our debt situation is serious and needs immediate attention. ALL economic forecasts show the amount of debt will continue to grow – even before Trump attacked Iran. The total amount of money coming into the government in the form of tax revenues is projected to remain well below spending levels and growth in such programs as Medicare, Social Security and interest on the debt – BY THEMSELVES – will exceed any growth in revenues derived from ASSUMED economic growth (GDP).
A day of reckoning is coming. Congress, which is responsible for Fiscal Policy, at some point is going to have to drastically rebalance how much it's spending and how much tax revenue is being generated. In a showy attempt to cut spending Trump unleashed Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE claiming they would save the Government all kinds of money. It didn't happen, instead havoc and chaos resulted.
The "Big Beautiful Bill" passed by a Republican-led Congress in 2025 made cuts to Medicaid and SNAP and gutted the budgets of agencies that provide services to taxpayers (e.g. Social Security, IRS, CDC, NIH, National Center for Atmospheric Research, etc) claiming all kinds of savings, but in the meantime it also gave tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations. There was no rebalancing of our national debt, instead it almost doubled it.
The longer Congress waits to act the more drastic that rebalancing 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. As I write this we are now weeks into a regional conflict in the Middle East – started unilaterally by Trump. It will be additional debt already piled onto our existing debt.
Tough and unfavorable choices will be necessary to ensure a healthy economy for future generations, but that requires courage to make the hard decisions – which I have done in my AF career and in my private and public sector experience and which I will continue to do if elected.
I won't buy into the myth that we can avoid difficult policy choices by getting rid of wasteful spending and tackling fraud.
Educate and keep constituents informed about the problem, its implications and consequences at town hall meetings, newsletters, web postings, etc.
NOTE: Click on the Social Security Issue area to read about how I would work to fix and protect Social Security – benefits will be reduced in 2034 unless something is done by Congress.
Enforce use of the PAYGO law, which requires Congress to find ways to pay for any new spending or tax cuts, preventing further debt increases. This is a law Congress has waived, ignored, let expire, reestablished, repealed, and reinstated since it was first enacted in 1990.
Although unpopular with politicians because it can invoke sequestration, it is one way to ensure budget discipline and ensure the bills Congress passes do not increase our national debt.
Consider the establishment of an independent fiscal commission similar to the Bowles-Simpson Commission used in 2010 which provided credible debt/deficit reduction plans, which unfortunately were never implemented due to a lack of political will.
Jan Kinner's Social Security Policy
×Social Security
A recent study shows Americans value Social Security (SS) and see it as the "cornerstone of retirement security." In short the message to politicians is "hands off our Social Security" benefits.
The Old Age & Survivors Trust Fund – one of two Trust Funds in Social Security (SS), the other being the Disability Insurance Trust Fund, provides retirement, survivor, dependent and spousal benefits for almost 58 million Americans – approximately 166,000 of whom live within the 10th Congressional District.
The Problem: The SS System Is in Financial Trouble
Last year the SS Trustees said they expect the SS Trust Fund to be depleted by 2033 which would trigger an automatic 23% reduction in benefits. A recent update by the Congressional Budget Office projects the SS Trust Fund will now be depleted by 2032 – a full year sooner than the SS Trustees' projection.
A scenario: It's 2032, you're on SS collecting $2,000/month, but then the automatic reductions kick in. You just went from collecting $2,000/month to $1,520/month – a loss of $480/month in income.
Now consider just over 50% of Americans don't have ANY retirement savings and one quickly understands why SS is so important – it provides a safety net – a stream of guaranteed income and in some cases the only stream of income to those with limited to no retirement savings.
Politicians who make a promise of "not touching SS" during a campaign are really telling you "I'm not going to do anything to fix the impending insolvency crisis – that's someone else's problem to fix."
How Social Security Works
SS was meant to be self-sustaining meaning the money coming in to the SS trust fund from payroll taxes every month plus any interest on the existing trust fund balance would equal or exceed the amount of money going out every month to Social Security beneficiaries.
Think of SS like a bucket with a hole in it. Workers, through their taxes, pour money into the bucket and that same money flows out in the form of SS checks to beneficiaries. It is not an individual account. All the taxes you paid, while working, didn't go into some personal savings account with your name on it. Workers today are essentially paying for current retirees' benefits with the expectation that future workers will pay your benefits when you retire.
What's Causing the Problem?
There is more money flowing out of the bucket every month than is being put into it so the bucket is starting to run dry.
The solution seems simple: Raise the amount of money going into the SS Trust Fund each month OR reduce the amount each beneficiary receives each month OR a combination of the two. While this seems easy and logical ANY solution is considered political suicide because someone – usually a block of voters – loses out.
Possible Solutions
1. Increase Revenue
[warning – the following gets a little geeky]
a) Raise FICA taxes: The current FICA tax rate is 15.3% of wages, split between employers and employees. Employees pay 7.65% (6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare), while employers match this 7.65%. Increasing the FICA tax rate would increase the amount of money in the trust fund extending its viability – the higher the tax, the longer the fund's viability. For example, raising the FICA taxes by 2.5%, without doing anything else, would make the trust fund viable until 2052, but someone making $65K/year would end up paying an additional $812 in FICA taxes each year or approximately $16 more a week – in short, less money for other things... like groceries, utilities, health insurance, etc.
b) Raise the tax cap: FICA taxes only apply to the first $184,500 – none after that. That equates to about 83% of all wages today. Just raising the cap, without doing anything else, to $350,000 (90% of all wages today) would increase the amount of money going into the SS trust fund and keep it viable until 2038. Eliminating the cap altogether (100% of all wages) would keep the fund viable until 2055. For high earners this would be a massive tax hike unacceptable to Republicans who want to keep top-end tax rates low as well as for Democrats who rely on upper middle income earners for support who would also be hit with a tax increase.
c) Broaden the tax base: This means making people pay FICA taxes who currently do not have to pay this tax. Many state and government employees fall into this category. Another option to increase the tax base is to apply FICA taxes to that portion of an employee's earnings that are currently exempt from paying the tax on, such as for flexible savings plans, daycare premiums, and group health insurance premium payments. Broadening the tax base would increase SS' viability from two to six years (out to 2042).
d) Tax Social Security benefits: Instead of eliminating federal income taxes on SS benefits under a certain amount as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" temporarily does until 2028 (hmmm... after the 2028 Presidential election) this would tax all SS benefits in excess of worker payroll tax contributions. Doing this option adds, at most, a year or two to SS' viability.
e) Combine the OASI Trust Fund with the Disability Trust Fund: Both Trust Funds are funded through the same 12.4% payroll tax split between employee and employer, but they are legally separate Trust Funds and cannot be combined or used to finance the other without an act from Congress. The Disability Trust Fund is in much better shape. This solution adds two years to SS solvency, then automatic reductions in benefits would kick in.
2. Cut Benefits
a) Reduce initial benefits: Just tell beneficiaries their benefits are being cut by some number (e.g. a 5% cut). The deeper the cut the longer the SS Trust Fund remains viable. For example a deep cut now of 30% still results in another needed 11% cut in 2036 to keep the fund viable. No one on SS would like to see their benefits cut – especially those on fixed incomes.
b) Slow initial benefits or phase out benefits to the wealthy: This involves using different formulas and percentages for calculating the amount of benefits someone is entitled to based on their average lifetime earnings [BTW if you want to see your lifetime earnings set up a My Social Security Account on the web]. Those making a lot of money over their lifetimes would see a reduction in their benefits while those with lower lifetime earnings wouldn't see a significant loss in benefits. This does not resolve the SS Trust Fund's viability but does reduce how deep the cuts will have to be.
c) Increase the retirement age: Now here is a real hot potato. Does anyone recall the mass protests, widespread strikes, and violent clashes that occurred in France after the President raised the retirement age from 62 to 64? It got ugly. The current "Full Retirement Age" in the USA is 67. Yes, you can retire earlier, but of course the amount of money each month would be substantially less. Proposals range from raising the full retirement age from its current 67 to 68, 69 or 70 or indexing it based on life expectancy. Of course those currently in the workforce don't want to wait longer to retire with full benefits.
d) Modify the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA): Instead of providing an annual increase to premiums based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers use some other Index. Using a different index reduces the amount of benefits cut in 2034, but there are still cuts which are unpalatable to beneficiaries.
3. A Combination Approach
This is likely the best political solution and the one most palatable to beneficiaries and soon-to-be beneficiaries.
4. Use General Tax Revenues
This is not a very good solution either as Congress has engaged in deficit spending for years causing the current national debt to exceed $39T, with interest on that debt now costing the nation more each year than it is paying for Medicare – and soon, unless action is taken, more than the government is paying for Social Security. Using general tax revenues would worsen our fiscal condition, not make it better.
5. Privatize Social Security
Just give everyone all the money they put into Social Security over the years and let each person invest it themselves – get the government out of providing old age and survivors benefits altogether. This is a solution that is always being pitched by Wall Street and Private Equity firms. They'd love to get their hands on your money. Such a solution might work for those that are financially savvy, but for many others it could spell financial ruin and a loss of a guaranteed income for retirees.
The Stakes for District 10
One of the roles of Government is to protect and provide assistance to its people. Today many retirees on fixed incomes in the 10th US District are just one bill, one emergency away from ruin. Private charity sources are inadequate for their needs. If Social Security benefits are reduced, a result of Congress' continued inaction, many current and future retirees in the 10th Congressional District would face incredibly difficult situations. We don't need to eliminate Social Security, we need to fix it – Congress was aware of the problem in 1983 and made changes to the program, but were not 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 have an adverse effect on beneficiaries. I will: