Meridian, Idaho -  Independent gubernatorial candidate Jana Kemp established a 2010 campaign office in the VengaWorks complex on Overland Road in Meridian. Kemp chose this location because of VengaWorks' green business model and their support of small business growth, both priorities in the candidate's vision for Idaho.  

The VengaWorks' innovative, technologically-sophisticated platform enables people and businesses to enhance productivity, support collaboration, reduce costs, and provide a healthy, adaptable environment for new businesses.  From the natural light bays in each hallway to low-impact/non-toxic building materials to the flow of private offices and communal space, this LEED Gold Certified space allows people to freely work, think, create and breathe freely.  VengaWorks is perfectly suited to the entrepreneurs who are building the businesses and enterprises of Idaho's future, and who will recognize the same qualities of independence, innovation, and adaptability that Jana Kemp is demonstrating in her gubernatorial campaign. 

The Vote Kemp space will serve as the office and meeting location for volunteers working on the campaign team.  Town Hall meetings are in the works and will be announced as they are scheduled.

For more information about Jana Kemp the candidate: www.VoteKemp.com  and for more information about the space: www.VengaWorks.com.

Governor Otter proposed cutting 400 positions from the state’s payroll during his State of the State address last week. My years in the legislature made me a firm believer in thorough research. The Governor has in fact added jobs and expenses during the first three years of his term.   

For instance, during his fiscal years, 37 jobs have been added to the Governor’s Executive Staff line item alone.  In total, my research shows Otter added an additional 344 to 971 Full-Time Positions over a three year period (depending on how you slice the data, so see the calculations below). All the information is available from the Division of Financial Management, at:

http://dfm.idaho.gov/Publications/BB/ExecBudget/EB2010/sectiona/FTP.pdf

Now, if you figure an average $40,000 annual salary and benefit package (which is likely low), the ADDED payroll costs range from $13,760,000 to $38,840,000 per year. No matter how you slice this, it is bigger government after a promise of smaller government.

In any event, Governor Otter has caused Idaho’s payroll to grow by millions of dollars, even as he has asked state employees to take pay-cuts or days off and directs all agencies not to fill open positions.  Like in the 2010 State of the State speech, the math is not adding up.

Of course, feel free to do your own analysis. The bottom line is the current governor has grown the size of Idaho government while telling us, the citizens and taxpayers of the state that he was for small government.

A  Governor’s job includes leadership by example. And just as we all saw in the 2010 State of the State speech, the math is not adding up and visionary leadership is not being provided.

The Calculations:
Here are three ways of calculating the state payroll additions (you can see the DFM document online above):

Calculation 1: 699 added FTPs

Calculation 2: 971 FTPs added

Calculation 3: 724 FTPs added

Jana Kemp, a businesswoman and former state legislator, announced her candidacy for governor Tuesday, January 5, on a platform of jobs, education, energy, fairness and responsibility.

“In my business and my public life, my passion is to help organizations succeed by establishing clear goals, empowering the people who do the work, and replacing failed leadership,” said Kemp, speaking to a crowd of supporters and the media at the Nampa Civic Center.  “In Idaho, we have the intelligence, the creativity and the work ethic to overcome our temporary challenges.  I want to empower all of us to use our gifts, apply them where they will do the most good, and contribute to the bright and exciting future of Idaho.”

Kemp, 44, moved from Minnesota to Idaho in 1994 and has a lengthy resume as a business owner, author, speaker, and volunteer; see her Web site and Facebook page for details.

Kemp is an independent candidate and not affiliated with any political party. She was a Republican state legislator from 2006-2006 representing Northwest Boise. But, paraphrasing Ronald Reagan when he shifted his alignment from the Democratic Party in 1962, Kemp says “I didn't leave the party; the party left me.”

Kemp says neither party is able to represent Americans well, a point that most Americans already know. According to a September 2009 Rasmussen poll, 60 percent believe neither Republican nor Democratic political leaders have an understanding of what is needed today. More than 70 percent of Republicans and unaffiliated voters say the neither party has the answers; Democrats are more evenly divided.

“This is the perfect time for an independent to run for governor in Idaho and the need has never been greater,” Kemp said. “We know the popularity of the Democratic Party isn’t high in Idaho and the infighting in the Republican party has created a lack of leadership and many pro-business, pro-entrepreneurial and very religious people feel the Republican Party has left them. “

Kemp said there is a strong likelihood the national sentiment toward getting rid of incumbents from either party will lend itself, in Idaho, to people not voting for either party.

Kemp also said the nuts and bolts of good governance are best kept free from partisan influences and she has outlined a five-point platform regarding jobs, education, energy, fairness and responsibility.

A former Republican House member who in July announced she would run in 2010 for Idaho governor as an independent says she'll hold her official campaign kickoff next Tuesday.

Jana M. Kemp served one term in the state Legislature before losing in 2006 to Democrat Les Bock.

Kemp, who has said her voting record in the state House reflected her independent streak, said Wednesday she will hold a press conference at the Nampa Civic Center at 2 p.m. to officially launch her candidacy.

Jana Kemp kicked off her independent campaign for Idaho governor Tuesday by assuring supporters they could win if they work hard enough.

Kemp, a former Idaho Republican state legislator, gathered 1,400 signatures from 32 counties and has raised $60,000 already. She is running, she said, to make Idaho "as great a state to work in as it is to live in."

She said the Republican Party left her when it turned far right in Idaho and she rejected the Democratic Party because of what she called its "far left" elements. She's planning on appealing to the 400,000 voters who identify themselves as independents, voters who like her believe the party system has failed.

"The party machinery is not serving Idaho and it's not serving the country," said Kemp. More...

Independent Jana Kemp says she has signatures to make the 2010 gubernatorial ballot

Former GOP lawmaker Jana Kemp said Monday that she's collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot as an independent candidate for governor in 2010.

Kemp, a moderate who represented District 16 in northwest Boise and Garden City from 2004 to 2006, plans a Jan. 5 press conference to officially launch her campaign.

"Chronologically, I will be the first person to qualify for the ballot," said Kemp, 44, of Garden City. Kemp said her signature gathering is complete before that of the other announced independent, Pro-Life, formerly known as Marvin Richardson. More...

Jana Kemp is one of those politicians the Idaho GOP hardliners call a RINO - a "Republican In Name Only."

Nowadays, Kemp doesn't even call herself a Republican.

The former one-term legislator is running for governor as an independent. In the inevitable Twitterization of Idaho elections, the Boisean is spreading the word on a page that goes by the handle "TheresAChoice." More...

Jana Kemp is one of those politicians the Idaho GOP hardliners call a RINO — a "Republican In Name Only." Kemp doesn't even call herself a Republican these days. The former one-term legislator is running for governor as an independent. more...

Garden City businesswoman Jana Kemp is still collecting the 1,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot as an independent, she said Monday. more...

Former GOP state legislator Jana Kemp, a Garden City business consultant, has filed the preliminary paperwork with the Secretary of State to run for governor as an independent. Last week she launched a Web site, www.votekemp.com. The official filing is in March. more...

TREASURE VALLEY - Former Republican Idaho House member Jana Kemp has announced she will run for governor. Kemp entered elected public service for the first time in 2004 after being elected to the Idaho House in District 16, which includes all of Garden City and parts of Northwest Boise. more...

Former GOP state Rep. Jana Kemp has filed to run for governor of Idaho in 2010 as an independent. Kemp, who served a single term in the state House from 2004 to 2006, was an active and outspoken lawmaker who staked out moderate positions. more...

BOISE -- A former Republican Idaho House member is running for governor in 2010 as an independent after filing fundraising paperwork with the secretary of state's office. more...

Early childhood education, stronger universities, technological infrastructure and support for "the people who do the work" are Kemp's themes. more...

On Betsy Russell’s (Spokesman-Review) blog, new independent gubernatorial candidate Jana Kemp deals with Issue 1 in this way: “Because the Kentucky Derby winner this year was a 50-1 long shot. Because we have the Boise State Broncos who weren’t supposed to win the Fiesta Bowl. Because we have a president of the United States who wasn’t supposed to make it through the primary process. Long shots can win.” more...