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On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro rolled out his 10-year plan for economic development in Pennsylvania.
A day later, Shapiro offered up some details of that plan in Erie at the annual meeting of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership.
More than anything else, though, he pounded home the message that Pennsylvania has been losing the battle of economic development for far too long. He said it’s going to take a financial investment to change the equation that has corporate site selectors largely ignoring the Keystone State.
A competitive nature
Shapiro, who spoke to a packed house at Penn State Behrend, used numbers to make his point. He said that Ohio, our neighbor to the west, has about 1.5 million fewer residents than Pennsylvania, but spends about seven times as much on economic development.
“I am sick and tired of losing to friggin’ Ohio,” Shapiro said to applause from a crowd of about 250 people. “To really compete, we need to put a marker down.”
That marker will take the form of cash. Shapiro talked in general terms Wednesday about millions of dollars worth of planned investments that are part of a 10-year economic plan. He promised more detail when he makes his budget address on Tuesday.