Little Pink House_ A True Story of Defiance and Courage - Jeff Benedict [107]
In a carefully crafted statement, Rowland praised Pfizer and lauded the state for its role in bringing the world-class operation to New London. He avoided any mention of the battle being waged by homeowners just one block away. Pfizer officials distanced themselves from the mess too.
For the day, the status quo prevailed. But the governor and Pfizer executives all knew the ticking time bomb next door was about to go off.
July 3, 2001
It was nearly eleven in the morning when Claire Gaudiani sat down in her lawyer’s conference room, took an oath to tell the truth, and faced Dana Berliner and Scott Bullock. The two lawyers had decided Berliner would handle the questioning.
After reviewing the rules of a deposition, Berliner suggested they begin with some background on Claire’s role as president of the NLDC. “What are your day-to-day responsibilities as president?” she asked.
“I don’t have any day-to-day responsibilities,” Claire said. “I am a volunteer president.”
Berliner moved to Claire’s early involvement in the plan to redevelop the Fort Trumbull area. “You were involved in putting together the initial proposal?” Berliner asked.
“You will have to clarify what you mean,” Claire said.
“Were you involved in putting together the proposal for the redevelopment of the Fort Trumbull area that was then presented to the City of New London or to Pfizer or the state?”
“The problem is the wording. ‘Proposal’ is a nonspecific enough word. So you need to focus on what you are asking me so I can answer you.”
Berliner knew she was in for a long day.
Claire explained that when she had taken over as the NLDC’s president, she had made it a top priority to entice a Fortune 500 company to the city. “Pfizer was a wild and crazy possibility that I introduced early,” Claire said, “saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Pfizer would do that?’ And I was told Pfizer needs land, but they have two sites already selected, and they are already under way with the decision between the two, so New London will not be considered … And then the magic happened.”
Claire’s word choice intrigued Berliner. Magic is the practice of attempting to produce supernatural effects or control events in nature through the use of charms, spells, or rituals, or the exercise of sleight of hand or conjuring for entertainment. A bilingual professor who frequently spoke to prestigious groups about language, Claire tended to choose her vocabulary carefully. But Fortune 500 companies typically bowed to money and other financial incentives, not magic, when making decisions as important as where to construct a world headquarters for research and development. Berliner probed further.
Claire confirmed that she had turned her energies toward getting Pfizer to change its mind. “We began to see what would need to be done in order to get a confirmation from Pfizer that they would turn down the other two sites,” Claire said.
“Do you know at approximately what point in the plan it came to the decision that the existing homes and businesses would be moved?”
“I think your question assumes,” said Claire, “that all of the properties would move. And that would be incorrect.”
Claire’s answer surprised Berliner. She asked if Claire interpreted the plan to say that homes and businesses in Fort Trumbull would be incorporated into the development.
Claire chastised Berliner for acting as if she didn’t know that there had been extensive discussions about saving the homes in Fort Trumbull. “I worked very hard to try to raise the money to move them,” she said. “Tried to get the governor to help me, but he wasn’t able to work it out. It is very expensive to move houses.”
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