Business experience, childrens' futures motivate McGeachin

COEUR d’ALENE — After serving in the state House of Representatives for 10 years, in 2012 Janice McGeachin returned to the private sector in Idaho Falls. Along with her husband, she has spent the last six years managing a regional auto repair shop, a wholesale parts distribution company, a small machine shop, and opening an Idaho Falls pub and grill called The Celt.

McGeachin said she wanted to run for lieutenant governor because of her experience starting a new business in Idaho.

“It was an eye-opener,” she said, as to “how difficult it is for younger people to realize the American dream because of taxes, regulations, and the level of expertise you need in business.”

McGeachin said she’s concerned with how those obstacles have stifled Idaho’s growth, and opportunities for Idaho kids. Add in the massive state dependency on federal funds, which tallies about one-third of the state budget annually, and McGeachin said she felt like she had to return to the political arena to bring more freedom, less taxes, and fewer regulations to Idaho.

McGeachin distinguished her approach to economic development from others.

“Too much of what we focused on in the past few years are incentives and grants to special interests rather than applying lower regulations, lower taxes, and better services which would benefit all industries, big or small,” she said. McGeachin said North Idaho and the tech sector would benefit from focusing on transparency and good government.

She said her experience in the legislative branch, plus her business experience, gives her an advantage over her Democratic opponent, Kristin Collum.

“I understand how to get good, sound policy through the system,” said McGeachin. She added, “My support of traditional values and solid, conservative principles is diametrically opposed to my opponent’s, who has been endorsed by some of the most liberal, socialist organizations in the country.“

The Republican candidate said her top three priorities if elected would be changing the education system, recommending great people for board and agency appointments, and improving the role of the Idaho National Laboratory.

McGeachin said she would be “a strong advocate for changing the way we teach kids in school” by helping kids develop their skills in apprenticeships, internships, and getting excited about hands-on jobs. As an employer, McGeachin said it’s hard to find people for open positions, and that can hamper the growth of businesses. She would also help the future governor appoint people to state agencies with solid, customer service-oriented backgrounds, and would like to see INL be a part of Idaho leading the nation to solve its energy problems.

Regarding this year’s hot-button propositions, McGeachin said she is neutral on Prop 1, and is opposed to Prop 2. In McGeachin’s estimation, Obamacare created the “gap” that Prop 2 professes to close, and yet Prop 2 is itself “an expansion of Obamacare for the population that law created.”

Given the fact that Washington, D.C. can renegotiate the terms of massive deals like NAFTA, McGeachin said she’s concerned that Idaho’s 10 percent Medicaid match rate may balloon in future years. Also, McGeachin supports a federal solution to what she calls “a broken immigration policy” “... so that American industry can access the workers they need to make their business successful.” She supports admitting refugees as long as they “can be vetted and assimilated.”

On education, McGeachin noted her appreciation for Idaho taxpayers, who have committed over half a billion dollars to K-12 education in each of the last four years.

McGeachin supports current Lt. Gov. Brad Little in his campaign for governor, but said her independent streak will set her apart from her predecessor’s record of service as lieutenant governor. During her legislative service she stood up against her party on occasion to do what she thought was best for the taxpayer. “I will always do what’s right for the taxpayer,” said McGeachin.