Support our state and local businesses, which support our local communities. Mr. Duffy would have the reader believe that all state engineering contracts in California are awarded on the basis of underhanded campaign contributions by the consulting engineers to the state officials. He would also have the reader believe that his fellow engineering professionals in the private sector waste the taxpayers' funds, compromise quality and safety, and then duck responsibility for the work. I reside in and provide consulting engineering services in Maryland. After reading Mr. Duffy's piece, your readers may have the false impression that Maryland uses a low-bidding process for the procurement of engineering and design services as an outgrowth of the Agnew scandals.
Nothing is further from the truth.
This law was subsequently changed because it necessitated a larger bureaucracy to prepare detailed programs for bids, sending costs through the roof and substantially delaying projects. In addition, it was proven that construction change orders increased dramatically during the period that Maryland bid design services. For the old-timers among us, though, I wish you had given an ounce or two of credit to Plastiment retarding densifier for helping in the construction of the pioneering Walnut Lane Bridge, our first major prestressed span, completed some 49 years ago.