Lake County Gazette

Ken “Kenny” Idstein knows more than he sometimes cares to about the devastation he sees the mounting taxes in Illinois causing his Grayslake neighbors.

“Friends and neighbors tell me all the time that they might be forced to leave Illinois if something doesn’t change with this tax situation,” Idstein told the Lake County Gazette. “I just know that things can’t stay the way they’ve been for too long.”

With that in mind, Idstein, a career mortgage professional, recently announced his decision to run for state representative in 62nd District in the 2018 Republican primary. He hopes to knock out incumbent Sam Yingling (D-Round Lake Beach).

“There needs to be some fixes,” Idstein said. “Springfield is still broken, and my primary goals will be getting taxes under control. There should be no tax increases to the budget without other reforms to offset the increases.”

A lifelong Grayslake resident and former small-business owner, Idstein says he knows personally just how much harm the new state budget and its 32 percent income tax will do to families in his community.

“All these people that are leaving Lake County or thinking about it love the area; they just can’t afford any more of the taxing,” he said. “This is a fight to save our community.”

Idstein said the $36.1 billion state budget will mean $443 million in added state income tax payments for Lake County. Illinois residents already pay some of the highest taxes in the country.

Idstein wonders where the additional money will come from.

“It has to stop,” he said. “We can’t afford to send any more of our money to Springfield.”

Though he’s never held elected office, Idstein served 17 years on the Grayslake Chamber board and 10 years with the Planning Zoning Commission.

“There needs to be major change in Springfield, and I’m ready to be a part of that,” he said.

Idstein lives with his wife, Ania, a longtime Chicago Public School teacher.  

Idstein will face Adam Solano in the March 20 primary.