Governor Corbett Presses For Cracker Plant Tax Credit

by Tony Romeo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Governor Corbett, under pressure from some in his own party to more aggressively sell his agenda, did so this past week with a capitol event urging approval of millions of dollars in annual tax credits for a petrochemical plant to be built in western Pennsylvania.

Governor Corbett presided over a press conference attended by dozens of leaders of both labor and business, and both Republicans and Democrats like Rich Fitzgerald, who argued in favor of tax credits to secure an ethane cracker facility they say will create thousands of jobs and re-ignite manufacturing in Pennsylvania.

"I'm the county executive of Allegheny County, and this plant's going to be located in Beaver County, and that's fine with me. We need to all work together. It's going to generate a tremendous amount of wealth, and a tremendous amount of jobs in western Pennsylvania," says Fitzgerald.

Franklin and Marshall College political analyst Terry Madonna believes the event was perhaps the most successful public event staged by Governor Corbett since taking office.
"It's clear that he got the message about being more forceful in support of his agenda," says Madonna.

Lawmakers are expected to act on the tax credits before summer recess.