Candidates running for the state Legislature in the North Hills' 28th District have very different opinions about how to offer property tax relief for homeowners.

Democrat John Henry is counting on profits from slot machines to provide funds to reduce school taxes.

Republican incumbent Mike Turzai favors dollar-for-dollar tax shifting from real estate levies to a higher sales tax.

Mr. Henry said he would oppose efforts to trim property taxes that require some combination of higher sales and income taxes. Instead, he said, he would rely on the state's anticipated share of profits from gambling.

"Raising the sales tax rate hits lower income people the hardest," he said. "The same goes for charging it on groceries or clothing. Working-class people already have faced higher utility bills and gas prices."

"The idea that gambling dollars will provide money for property tax relief is a fiction," Mr. Turzai said.

A 1 percent increase in the state sales tax would raise about $1.5 billion each year, he said. That money could be distributed among school districts in return for an equal reduction in real-estate taxes.

The money should be allocated on a simple per-pupil basis, he said, making it impossible for the state to play favorites in distributing revenue.

Both candidates agreed on the need for reducing the size of the Legislature and trimming spending. They split on the issue of how much to raise the state's minimum wage.

Mr. Henry said he supported legislation raising the state minimum wage for most workers to $7.15 in July.

Mr. Turzai, who voted against the measure, said he had been willing to back an increase from the current $5.15 to $6.25. Raising the rate to $7.15 would make the state less competitive, he warned.

Mr. Henry disagreed.

"If you had a plan to start a small business, I don't think you would relocate it from the Avonworth area to Ohio over this issue," he said.

At $7.15 an hour, a worker would earn less than $15,000 a year. "You would not be living high on the hog [at that rate]," he said.

Mr. Turzai said his first priority had been to make Pennsylvania more competitive in attracting and keeping businesses and jobs.

While he said the state still does not have a competitive tax system, he pointed to improvements.

Mr. Turzai was one of the sponsors of House Bill 859, which is expected cut business taxes by about $45 million. It was signed by Gov. Ed Rendell in July.

The bill allows companies to deduct more of their losses against future profits and increases research and development tax credits.

The state must do more to halt what he called lawsuit abuse, Mr. Turzai said. He was prime sponsor of a "fair share" bill that would limit the liability of defendants in civil suits to the proportion of damages for which they are found responsible.

While Mr. Rendell vetoed the measure, Mr. Turzai pledged to introduce it again.

Mr. Turzai said his other priorities included showing fiscal responsibility by reducing spending and instituting reforms that will restore confidence in government.

Mr. Turzai opposed the pay raise for legislators and other officials and led efforts to overturn it.

He called for more complete disclosure of lobbyist activities and term limits for the heads of legislative committees.

Mr. Henry said he would favor steps to cut government costs rather than raise taxes.

Reducing the size of the Legislature would be a good first step, he said. "With new technology, including e-mail and cell phones, legislators can more easily be accessible to a larger number of constituents," he said.

WAMs, the "walking around money" that legislators distribute to organizations and agencies in their districts, should be eliminated or distributed with more accountability, he said. The current system provides incumbents with taxpayer-funded campaigning, he said.

"Local fire companies need the money, but a check presentation shouldn't be turned into a campaign stop," he said.

The state has many examples of bloated or parallel bureaucracies that provide political jobs in return for election support, he said. Many of the functions of the state Turnpike Commission and the Department of Transportation could be combined, he said. The result would be savings for taxpayers and drivers, he said.

He called for less federal involvement in education. As a schoolteacher, he said, he has seen the impact of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

"Teaching students how to take tests is not educating children," he said. "I learned the most from science during lab time. I learned the most from social studies during class discussion.

"Time spent preparing for and taking standardized tests is time taken away from learning content," he said.

Mr. Henry described his campaign as a grass-roots effort, based on appearances at community days, parades, picnics and party committee meetings. He also has been campaigning door to door.

A tightening congressional race between U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R- Bradford Woods, and Democrat Jason Altmire has grabbed the interest of many voters in the 28th District, he said. "I hope those Altmire supporters will take a look at me."

Both Mr. Henry and Mr. Turzai were unopposed in their primary contests.

Mr. Henry, 37, lives in Richland.

He and his wife, Jamie, have two children, Jack and Joselyn, with another child on the way.

He received bachelor's degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Point Park University.

A former legislative assistant to the late state Sen. Patrick Stapleton, D-Ind., Mr. Henry has taught freshman civics for seven years in the Penn Hills School District.

Mr. Turzai, 46, lives in Bradford Woods.

He was first elected to the state House in 2001 in a special election, succeeding Jane Orie after she was elected to the state Senate.

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Duke University School of Law.

He and his wife, Lidia, have three children, Andrew, Stephen and Matthew.

The 28th District covers Bradford Woods, Marshall, McCandless, Pine, Richland and the eastern third of Franklin Park.