Why tax dollars for Pimlico’s rich owners?

I am curious as to why the state of Maryland and Baltimore are willing to prop up the billionaires who own Pimlico (“Study calls for demolishing Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, rebuilding at a cost of $424M,” Dec. 12). The Stronachs currently own a rundown property in the midst of misery and squalor. They have stated publicly that they will not invest any more money into Pimlico. But somehow, the Maryland Stadium Authority will find the funding for $424 million, for starters. We all know that these colossal projects always have massive cost overruns. What are the taxpayers getting other than a pearl in the midst of a pigsty?

I have been a horse racing fan and handicapper for 50 years, and I loved Pimlico. However, that is not a neighborhood that I would like to venture into with racetrack cash in my pocket. Last year, I bet on the Triple Crown races at Laurel, and I was more than willing to drive triple the distance to go there rather than to risk setting foot at Pimlico.

George Hammerbacher, Catonsville