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PrintThis South Hills district isn't known for volatility, so Rep. Matt Smith of Mt. Lebanon shouldn't have to worry about pandering to angry voters.
PG AUDIOMr. Smith, 38, is a Democrat seeking a third term in the district that includes Green Tree, Thornburg, Rosslyn Farms, Mt. Lebanon and parts of Bethel Park and Scott.
His Republican opponent is Sue Means, 59, a tea party-allied candidate from Bethel Park who insists the "balance between the states and the federal government is out of whack." She has not held government office, but she's been active for years on the local and state Republican committees.
A friendly and driven candidate, Ms. Means was a nurse in the neurosurgical unit of Children's Hospital. She left the job to home-school her five children and eventually became a home-schooling advocate. Ms. Means said her nursing career informs her negative view of "Obamacare," which she would like to see repealed. She fears the United States may implement a dysfunctional health care system.
The candidates have contrasting views. Mr. Smith favors a severance tax on Marcellus Shale drilling, and he voted for the bill passed by the House. Ms. Means opposes a tax and believes government looks at every industry merely as a way to get more revenue.
Mr. Smith wants to raise education spending, especially for early childhood development, while Ms. Means says the dollars for early learning have not paid off. She says better educations can be obtained for less at nonpublic schools and through home-schooling.
To find more transportation funding, Ms. Means would combine PennDOT and the turnpike, go after welfare fraud and crack down on illegal immigration. Mr. Smith wants legislative leaders to give up their $200 million accounts, revisit the tolling of interstates and close the Delaware loophole that lets some companies off the hook on paying taxes.
He opposes selling off the state liquor system, saying it would reap fewer dollars than estimated. Ms. Means says the private sector "always does better" and the state has no place in the liquor business.
Although Mr. Smith has been in the House for only four years, Ms. Means calls him a "career politician." He points out that he has pushed for reform and is sometimes at odds with his party. We like that independent streak, especially in service to the cause of reform. For that and his balanced view of government, Matt Smith has earned the Post-Gazette endorsement.
