Dupage Policy Journal

Jay Kinzler wants to put his foot down to stop the accelerating amount of taxes Illinoisans are paying. His latest target is an increase in gas taxes soon to be considered by legislators.

“This is one of the most regressive taxes I have seen,” Kinzler, a Republican who has entered the race to unseat Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park) in the 46th District, told the DuPage Policy Journal. “It would hurt working people the most because even though everyone would be forced to pay it, they are the ones who can least afford it.”

Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) is sponsoring the bill with a stated goal of raising new revenue for capital projects across the state. Brady said it isn’t a question of if lawmakers should raise gas taxes but by how much.

Dr. Jay Kinzler

“No matter what they propose, it’ll be a huge increase when you consider Illinois residents already pay the highest property taxes in the country,” Kinzler said. “A lot of people don’t realize how high the gas tax here already is until they travel to other states and make a stop at the pump.”

The 58-year-old Kinzler laments that he doesn't see anything changing until something momentous happens.

“We have to get rid of [House Speaker Michael] Madigan,” he said. “Democrats have had a stranglehold on government for too long. This isn’t a monarchy, and one group should not be left to run everything. My winning can be the start of changing things.”

A physician in Glen Ellyn, Kinzler isn’t new to politics, having served as president of the Glen Ellyn Park District Board and challenging U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) in the 2016 primary. He also serves as the medical staff president at Elmhurst Hospital.

“I’m known as a Mr. fix-it, and I want to help get the state back on track,” he said. “To all those now moving away from the state, I would say Illinois is too priceless to give up on.”