Gee, what country am I living in, as Jay Hancock's recent column points out ("$9.5 million to Bechtel: O'Malley had no choice," Oct. 25). I had thought, extortion, blackmail, and bribery were illegal in the U.S.
A few years ago, Marriott played Maryland officials for suckers with a handout. Earlier this year, the state and Baltimore County felt it necessary to "loan" a million-plus dollars to Stanley, Black, and Decker which reported $935 million in cash in its 2010 annual report. Now, the state grants $9.5 million to Bechtel Corp., another multi-billion dollar company. Guess I was mistaken.
Barbara Gilmour, Towson