Pfizer, the huge drug company, has announced that it will be leaving a large research complex in New London, Connecticut, and moving several hundred jobs to nearby Groton. Such belt-tightening in tough economic times would normally draw little criticism. In this case, however, it deserves attention.
Recall that Pfizer played a central role in getting New London to seize the homes of local residents who lived adjacent to the Pfizer site. Pfizer, according to accounts, wanted that mixed residential area, called the Fort Trumbull section, to be leveled and replaced with an upscale development that would include a five-star luxury hotel, top-tier condos, and private office space for Pfizer's suppliers, workers, and visitors. Now Pfizer is leaving New London "high and dry." How did this happen?
