An Appropriate Ending for the Kelo Case

You may remember the infamous Kelo decision in which the Supreme Court ruled that municipalities could take your home and hand it over to a developer if by doing so the city could make more tax money. That decision created tremendous outrage and spurred laws against such behavior all over the country.

The land in the Kelo case was supposed to go to Pfizer to create a research and development site. The houses have long since been torn down and now empty lots sit in their place.

And what about the R&D plant that was going to be built there?

The private homes New London, Conn., took through eminent domain from Suzette Kelo and others, are torn down now, but Pfizer has just announced that it closing up shop at the research facility that led to the condemnation.

Leading drugmakers Pfizer and Wyeth have merged, and as a result, are trimming some jobs. That includes axing the 1,400 jobs at their sparkling new research & development facility in New London.

To lure those jobs to New London a decade ago, the local government promised to demolish the older residential neighborhood adjacent to the land Pfizer was buying for next-to-nothing. Suzette Kelo fought the taking to the Supreme Court, and lost, as five justices said this redvelopment met the constitutional hurdle of "public use."

Ms. Kelo and many others lost their home, but the land is still undeveloped. Now Pfizer is abandoning the city altogether.

I'm sorry for the people who lost their homes, and if there was any justice at all, the city would be required to rebuild them and return the land to the original homeowners.