The questions were as tough as the crowd was polite: Raise taxes or cut services?

Sixteen legislative and one Lewis and Clark County Commission candidate stumped for votes in front of a lunch crowd of nearly 100 Friday afternoon at the Rocky Mountain Development Council's Neighborhood Center.

The AARP-sponsored session gave a crowd of mostly seniors a rare look at primary candidates with just weeks until the June 8 election day. The newcomers were a bit nervous, the incumbents more polished and every candidate a bit hurried because of a four-minute speaking limit. All hopefuls emphasized their Montana and area ties at the 2-½ hour session.

Seven area contests will be on the June 8 ballot -- one county commission and six Legislative races.

Candidates said there have been few public forums in advance of the upcoming primary. Some said they have been vetted at invitation-only events hosted by political parties, unions and smoking-ban supporters. But not all candidates were on hand Friday.

Caferro vs. Hollenbaugh

Democrats Mary Caferro and Galen Hollenbaugh are vying for the "new" House District 80 seat, which includes parts of Helena and the central Helena Valley.

Both covered roughly the same ground: the need for cheaper energy, property-tax relief and more money for health care.

Caferro, a low-income and women's issues lobbyist, said she supported the "Buy Back the Dams" initiative last election cycle, as a way to reduce energy costs. The tax burden should be shifted off property owners and back to corporations, she added. And despite recent cuts to social programs, it shouldn't be hard to find revenue to build them back up, she said.

After the "disaster of deregulation," out-of-state energy companies don't deserve the tax breaks they've been given, said Hollenbaugh, a top staffer for Attorney General Mike McGrath. Hollenbaugh promised to work hard to make sure homeowners get deserved tax breaks. More uninsured Montanans ultimately results in higher costs for everybody, he said.

Ward vs. Dooling

Republican candidates for House District 84 said the state needs to better develop its natural resources. The rural district encompasses the area between Deer Lodge, Highway 200 and the Helena Valley's northeast corner, including Canyon Creek, Craig, Wolf Creek and eastern Powell County.

Montana's coal tax is too high, said Joe Dooling, who runs a noxious weed-control business. Responsible resource development is key to Montana's future economy, he said.

"I think history is going to judge us poorly if we don't lower that tax," Dooling said. "The more coal we harvest the more money that goes into the trust fund."

John Ward, a retired Helena Valley businessman, took aim at lawsuits that block timber and energy development.

"You can't keep shooting yourself in the foot on income and expect to take care of your needs," he said.

Ward, an ex-smoker, said he supports a hike in the tobacco tax.

"Only a club works with tobacco," he said. Ward said he admires other states that have said "the hell with" federal regulators and drug companies and want to import lower-cost prescription drugs.

No-show candidates

Bob Leach, who is running for the GOP nod in House District 81, said his former appliance repair business allowed him to know "what it means to struggle in a small business." Being chief custodian chief at Red Lion Colonial Hotel gives him a chance to work with a budget, he said.

"If they're not making enough money, you don't get to spend it," Leach said. "We need to quit throwing money at problems."

House District 81 includes downtown, the neighborhoods surrounding Carroll College and a slice of the Helena Valley. Leach's opponent, UPS worker John Swanson, did not attend the session.

Neither did Democratic hopeful Glen Ferren, who faces incumbent Hal Jacobson in House District 82, which covers west Helena out to the Birdseye and Scratchgravel areas.

Jacobson said his voting record reflects what he believes. He tailored his message Friday to seniors, saying he would hold "feet to the fire" to gain money for Meals on Wheels, prescription drug expenses and health care costs.

Democrat Larry Hanson, who is running against Joe Pennington in House District 84, promised to lend constituents his ear. Pennington, of Elliston, wasn't at the Friday session.

"I don't have all the answers. I don't understand all the questions, quite frankly," Hanson said. "I think my phone number is the most important thing I can tell you."

Two-time County Commissioner Mike Murray's Democratic primary opponent James McGowan was also absent Friday. McGowan is a retired iron worker.

Murray said state lawmakers know local officials have to raise property taxes when they hand down tax deductions. Because of that, the county faces a $735,000 shorfall they must contend with this budget season, he said.

"When the Legislature cut property taxes, it put your local government...against the wall," Murray said. The Murray-McGowan winner won't have an adversary on the November ballot.

Tough questions

Some audience members wanted to know how candidates proposed to pay for either spending issues or tax cuts.

When asked whether he supported a proposed pop tax to fund human services, Leach said he was generally against taxes.

Ward said candidates shouldn't dodge the question of cuts or tax increases. The pop tax is just another sales tax, he said, although the tobacco tax differs because of its health effects.

Caferro said taxes are an opportunity to put conscience into policy. A pop tax might help curb diabetes if consumers are faced with higher pop prices, she said.

Many candidates adressed the crowd knowing their day at the polls won't come until Nov. 2.

Democratic incumbents Jill Cohenour (House District 78), Dave Gallik (House District 79), Christine Kaufmann (House District 81) and Ken Toole (Senate District 41) took turns addressing the crowd, as did Republican challengers Lynn Stumberg (House District 79), Lloyd Tiegen (House District 80), Jim McCormick (House District 82) and Kevin DeTienne (Senate District 41).

Republicans Dan Hurwitz and Harry Klock, who are vying for the House District 83 nomination in the Canyon Ferry Reservoir area, weren't part of Friday's session. Neither were Republican incumbent Scott Mendenhall or Democratic challenger Bill Janecke, who are looking to represent Jefferson County's House District 77.