Vitali, State Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D., Chester), former state Department of Environmental Protection secretary John Hanger, and national Sierra Club president Robin Mann were among those urging the crowd to prod their state legislators to support the tax - particularly Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs.
"What's going to swing this is the suburban Republican vote," Vitali said. "The ideology of their party doesn't support this, but their constituents do. Suburban voters get this issue."
Recent polling has shown that up to 70 percent of Pennsylvanians support a tax on gas drillers - a tax that all other major gas-producing states have.
"People of all political views support it," said Hanger, who served under Gov. Ed Rendell, "and the numbers seem to be rising."
Indeed, some Republican legislators who had opposed any taxes or fees on Pennsylvania gas drillers have softened their stance. Corbett, elected in November on a platform of no new taxes or fees, has refused to bend, even in the face of widespread public dismay over his call to cut funding to state universities as much as 50 percent.
"I'm beginning to think that Gov. Corbett may be the last person standing in opposition to a gas tax," Hanger said, telling the gathering that "only far-right ideologues" remain so dug in on the issue.
Efforts to reach Corbett's spokesman for comment were unsuccessful.
Dinniman said a rally last week in West Chester protesting the education cuts drew 1,200 people. He emphasized that he was not out to stop the drilling and its economic benefits, but he said that drillers were not sharing in the sacrifices Corbett demands of others.
"They get a free ride," he said. "We're here today to proclaim that that's not right."
Mann said that in light of the budget slashing and environmental concerns raised by drilling, "it defies belief that there haven't been more public officials demanding that the gas-drilling industry pony up. This is simply paying for what you take, especially if you do damage."
Adam Garber, field director with the PennEnvironment public-interest organization, said environmental groups were organizing a bus trip to meet face-to-face with legislators June 7. He urged voters not to settle for some of the minimal drilling-tax bills that have begun to surface in Harrisburg.
"We're going to get one bite at this apple," he said. "We have to make sure that these companies are paying their fair share."
Contact staff writer Larry King at 215-345-0446 or lking@phillynews.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/kinginq
