GE to state: Give us money or these jobs buy it

Mike the Mad Biologist considers GE's effort to blackmail the state - give us $25 million or else. At first, it sounds kind of similar to Liberty Mutual's successful effort to wring tax breaks out of Boston and the state for its new headquarters building on the edge of the Back Bay. But Liberty Mutual at least is giving the city a new tower that will, ultimately, supposedly mean more tax revenue, while GE's argument seems to be: Give it to us because we want it. Plus, Liberty Mutual never threatened to fire people or shut its Boston operations if it didn't get the breaks.