After enormous hype and hoopla, the big “Put a Bow On It” “California Done Sir” event is over.
And in typical scientology style, there are a lot of claims of “we ARE doing it” but the fact is, they are NOT DONE still.
All of California has “united” to get the “final” org in California to “ideal” and the demands for money are apparently never-ending.
This is the announcement they sent out to let everyone know that it was a “huge success” — even though it was NOT what was promised. They still didn’t complete it and still haven’t been able to say “Done Sir” though this was what was hyped for months before this event that was billed as a gala celebration to “put a bow on it” and a “huge announcement.” And the end result of this — they are STILL asking for money.
What is amazing is they still manage to get anyone to show up to have their pockets picked once again. I guess these people really desire the momentary adoration that is showered on them by other clapping clubbed seals.
And for what?
They held the event in the empty Valley “ideal” org. These people all come from their own empty “ideal” orgs.
What are they thinking is going to happen when they have another empty building in Ventura? In fact, they already HAVE the empty building. Actually opening it is not going to change a thing. Whatever miniscule delivery of scientology is happening now is just going to shift to the new empty building. Nothing is going to change but they are going to pat themselves on the back and be proud of their “accomplishment” of an “ideal” California.
So “ideal” there has not been a new org in California since Inglewood opened more than a decade ago. Many of the missions in California have shut down. All the BIG missions have shrunk to nothing. There are dozens of cities in California that have neither an org or a mission (but they DO have a Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall and scientology thinks the JW’s are a tiny cult not worth shining their shoes).
It is a sorry state of affairs inside the scientology bubble.
So the ‘Put a Bow On It’ and ‘Done Sir!’ are just more useless ‘statuses’. Could you imagine meeting one of these people in say an interview for a job and asking them “Well tell me a little about yourself and your qualifications” and you hear “Well I’m a 6X Humanitarian with Honors, a New Civilization Builder for 5 different Orgs, and I just got my Done Sir! and Put a Bow On It Status the other night that’s why I really need this job there’s a new pirate game coming up and I want to do at least a Walk The Plank Status”….
I think an interesting thing to do to at least TRY to wake some people up would be a series of billboards in say Clearwater or LA around Big Blue that reference actual LRH Policy Letters. Namely starting with the LRH Policy that Debbie Cook so brilliantly outlined in her New Years E-mail. Something like:
-Attention ALL Scientologists- A Message From LRH. “…don’t engage in ‘fund-raising’ or ‘selling postcards’ or borrowing money. Just make more income with Scientology. It’s a sign of very poor management to seek extraordinary solutions for finance outside Scientology. It has always failed.” LRH HCO PL 24 February 1964, Issue II, Org Programming, (OEC Vol. 7, p. 930)
-Attention ALL Scientologists- Where is the Exec Strata? LRH 339R speaks clearly to the balanced and complex command structure LRH set up so no one person could take over. The Office of ED International, the WatchDog Committee and dozens of International Execs have disappeared. Where are they?
-Attention ALL Scientologists- Stop Donating to anything other than services and Bridge Progress. DEMAND to see an LRH reference that says you are required to make other donations. Stop supporting activities that forward OFF-POLICY fundraising. HCOB 10 June 1960 Issue I, Keeping Scientology Working Series 33, WHAT WE EXPECT OF A SCIENTOLOGIST. Read it and follow it.
This is just a few examples that I gleaned straight from Debbie Cooks email. I think something like this would be more apt to get to people than anything antagonistic which they write of as entheta instantly. Debbie Cooks email sent shock waves through the COS and I would venture that many people left due to that email. She has LRH references for every off-policy thing that Miscavige has done. This is just an idea I’ve had floating around as I try to think of ways to reach those that are inside (many of whom are doubting and just need the right motivation).
Back in 2001, when I was younger and more naive, I showed fellow parishioners the policies you enumerate in your comment but it didn’t do any good. It took 8 more years to leave after that, as I really believed that writing KR’s would help straighten things out. HA! What a joke.
The duck represents them being a bunch of quacks.
Relish zooming in on all those folks faces and scrutinizing their whacked out zombie eyed countenances.
“Done Sir” my ASS. What a ridiculous phrase considering that it refers to that scummy POS himself the king turd L Ron Hubbard. Sick!
Well, good to see Stacy Francis had a night out. Lol. Poor deluded people. Wake up!
Yikes, that picture of Tom & Dave is so creepy.
That silly “salute” and the way they are staring into each other’s eyes with such forced intensity. Two people putting on a show of having immense respect for each other while each secretly believes they are superior to the other. What an odd pair they are!
In my imaginary perfect world they would have to give a financial report to all those who donated for this specific purpose to show them where there donations went.
If they did so, the Donors could see how much was internally written off as “Cost of getting Donations”. Things like commissions, paying the singer and her back-ups, amortizing the cost of the Duck and the Shark costumes, how much was self-charged for renting the facility, cost of frames and flowers, etc.
Then of the 50%(?) left how much got eaten up in management fees and overhead.
It would be interesting to see how much is actually spent on “bricks and mortar” and labor. But we all know that isn’t going to happen.
PS Is the guy in the shark costume sleeping in it?
Good points Phillip. Plus the church charges the Donated building fund for its fees in sending fundraising events, speakers and the support missionairs.
Management charges for all the architect works from the as-builts up to the invisioned organization without HIS changes. My X brags he does 5,000.00 $ worth a week in Engineering at PAC WUS Estates in 2007. I’m sure that’s what the org gets billed.
The PAC furniture shop makes the finest works in the world because it’s run by deluded good persons thinking they are making a difference so they do their finest on little sleep, no routien medical and dental, poor nutrition, bad vibes 24/7 and 50 bucks a week maybe. The Org must pay the going rate for the products.
And for all the libraries of LRH Books and COB course materials.
And and and and and ….
Suckers. We all just need to keep speaking out. There is not much left. I look forward to the twentys to be all about healing as the wounds are all laying wide open in much of our planet.
Any normal non-profit or responsible church would provide audited financials. The CofS exploits its having attained the one tax status that is excluded from any accountability requirements, which in turn is a result of a politically influential strain of belief that religions should be virtually above the law – supported by a lot of relatively larger and influential churches and ministries that don’t want their own finances and leaders’ lifestyles scrutinized.
I think that all but the smallest churches should be required to have externally required financial statements, which if nothing else are an important check against internal fraud and theft, made available for public inspection in exchange for their having privileges including tax exemption. That alone would put an end to a lot of dubious financial practices by exposing them to the scrutiny of members and the public, but it seems as if we have a long way to go before such reasonable measures might be adopted.
I suspect Ventura will actually be emptier than its predecessor in Santa Barbara, as many local members won’t care to make the long drive away from their lovely longstanding home in the seaside community. Plus the Santa Barbara diehards in particular seem to be an aging group from the photos we’ve seen, whose ranks are inevitably going to be thinning.
That points to an interesting question: how many members has Scientology disaffected and lost, in its rapacious push to build these unnecessary facilities?
How much does New Cizilization Builder status cost? A few years ago I walked by the Miami org when it was still in Coral Gables and there was a sign behind the building indicating a designated parking space for a new civilization Builder, next to a table with ashtray filled cigarettes. I remember thinking he probably paid a hell of a lot of money for that parking spot.
Why a duck?
It’s all about status for these people.
They close their eyes at night with a warm fuzzy feeling of being a “HUMANITARIAN”.
What a disgrace to the human race.
They are PREY. That’s what they are.
They can’t even see it they’re so brain washed.
All the more reason we EX-SCIENTOLOGISTS and EX-SEA ORG MEMBERS need to share the truth. I have to believe it will help wake people up that might see the story or hear the podcast or hear a friend at a family gathering that has heard 100 *DIFFERENT* accounts of the truth and facts personally.
They destroy families.
They suck all of the money you will ever have.
They shame you into giving it all to them.
They abuse the elderly.
They abuse children.
HELLO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: they have to be STOPPED
Add to Sarita’s comment that they extort their public by saying if they don’t give money, be at a certain IAS level, etc, that they can’t get on or stay on OT VII and VIII.
Dont people ask to see the LRH policy anymore? That kept me out of countless nasty situations. We had that right back in the 70s and 80s.
Is that right taken since?
Cece,
I used to show THEM LRH policy all the time and I was only ever a public, never staff!
I’d say, “See, LRH says to do such and such. He say’s NOT to do such and such – see? Its here, right here in the Green Vols!”
Fat lot of good that ever did me!
They simply don’t care, or – I dunno!
I had no answer then, and no answer now.
And these people in my org were highly trained, long term staff!
They had trained ME.
But LRH policy? Showing it to them?
No answers, non answers. Flat out accusations that I had OVERTS which was WHY i was being “critical”.
And, here I am. OUT and most likely, unofficially declared.
So much for LRH policy!
This was back in 2010. 2010-2012, thereabouts.
Text me Aqua when ever.
2138803661.
We have this world.
There just is nothing that tops truth.
Hugs 😘
Once California has gone completely ‘Ideal’, the fund raising will continue until Manchester, Edinburgh and Toronto and every other mOrg are built too. And then the International landlord will hold all the deeds and the locals will still pay ‘rent’ to Miscavige.
In the clamyverse, your money is never ‘yours’, it belongs to Lron and the Regs who will take 10% off the top.
Way more than 10%. 10% is a normal religious tithe. Scientology wants all your money, and your marriage(s), and your family, and your life.
Ventura is also an example of how Scientology is squandering much of that money. No subsequent buyer would likely pay more for that dated, ugly pile than what it was purchased for; all the money spent on extravagant and specialized renovations and furnishings is wasted and unlikely to be recovered. Whenever it finally has to be sold, the structure will be that much older, and may just be considered a scrape-off worth only the value of the land it sits on, less the cost to fill dumpsters with everything the clubbed seals paid for.
The almost criminal waste of money comes from asset-stripping members who can’t really afford to give up their retirement savings, or so over-mortgage their own homes that they are at risk of losing them. Even the whales who might seem to have money, often get that through scams, frauds, and boler-room “hard sell” of products and services of dubious or no value, so it comes at the cost of ripping off society as well.
I also just checked the assessor’s records for APN 0760010280 at 2151 Alessandro Drive, and it turns out that as with many of these fitful idle morgue projects, Scientology has been stuck paying property taxes for the vacant commercial building, in this case a further waste of about $70,000 per year. Several that I’ve looked at are more in the ballpark of $100,000 per year, while the orgs are left unable to pay staff or even buy toilet paper.
There are already reports that some of the existing orgs require subsidy or forgiveness of their rent to stay open, and I suspect that increasingly Scientology is actually going to spend international funds to keep many local facilities open and maintain the illusion of “expansion.” I think Miscavige plans not to close any orgs while he is still alive, and will spend down reserves if necessary to maintain the illusion of his reputation, claiming the full (but unrecoverable) cost of the buildings as assets and pulling accounting tricks like classifying subsidies to orgs as loans so that his “stat” of total assets appears to continue to rise.
I always thought the stat for cob was the value paid for the confidential services offered by advanced orgs. RTCVSD we used to call it. I was Chief Officer for awhile so remember the Thursday scrounging.
Then the total square footage stat got added to the event statistic anouncements. It used to just be the stat of the estates officer who could only count it if it was in operational order. Then it became a major stat announcement with the 3 cheers etc. Can’t believe I used to stand up and 3 cheer that man. At the PAC event when the basics came out, I remember remaining seated and no longer caring what anyone thought about it. I’d already shut my business and moved into my GTRV campervan end May. Don’t know when the event was but I then knew DM was a fake. I’m so grateful to have excaped that jungle of evil.
Cece, Miscavige’s current stat is reported to be total assets – conveniently re-defined to be the one thing that could be seen to still be going up – if I remember correctly what Mike has said. Perhaps along with total square footage, as you note.
I still suspect assets are being fudged Enron-style, as I noted, such as with buildings being put on the books at total cost including renovations and furnishings rather than actual market value – and maybe even appreciated for inflation, to boot. I think there have been reports suggesting they may be counting subsidy “loans” to orgs that will never be repaid, as assets, as well.
And, just glad you escaped.
Yes, I agree and seem to remember this asset stat. Guess DM is shooting to be on the fortuant 500 or whatever. Sheeesh. Well… it will all come out in the wash.
The $100,000 per year paid for property taxes isn’t a waste of money. It may be the only thing worthwhile given to the community where the property is located. Someone should be given a bow or a rubber ducky for the contribution.
“Donations To Local Communities” could be a VFP, Valuable Final Product.
The glass is half full.
Richard, the problem is still that money comes from asset-stripping members, many of whom can’t afford it and even end up losing their own homes, being unable to fund college education for their children or retirement, going bankrupt, and so on. If it was just the rich whales, that would be one thing – though even those people are pushed by Scientology to get into cash-generating schemes, which often involving scamming the general public in one way or another if not outright fraud, and thus involve costs to society at large.
About that toilet paper…when I was at the NY Org in the late 60s, there was also generally no toilet paper. So most of us brought our own and kept it locked in our desks! We could leave just about anything else left out or unguarded, but toilet paper was Fair Game! I could never figure out why Estates did not acquire plenty of toilet paper! LOL And virtually every scio I ever met had the same complaint, no matter where they came from. What an odd thing.
Wow, what a scam to have the public donate for the buildings and rennos and then the don’t get the deed in their names. The deed is in DM’s name or the church’s name, and so then these same people who donated money, now have to pay RENT to DM just to stay there. Wow, how can they not see the scam? And all this money is how DM pays to have all his court cases settled. No skin off his nose as it was paid out in other people’s money.
As there are only a couple of months left in this tax year I suspect a lot of the motivation to give more $ to the cult is just an effort to reduce the donor’s 2019 income taxes. Recent promo I’ve been getting is pushing this “button” a lot. The event serves to remind me of the cult’s total diversion from the goals of servicing members with the best results possible to the total concentration on the almighty dollar. This was one of the factors that opened my eyes, wised me up and opened the door to my walking out back then.
As the pool of bubble dwellers empties the pace of regg’ing MUST increase so as to squeeze maximum $ from people before they leave or die, thus leaving that money out of scamology’s hands.
What the duck?!
I see hustler Tony 2 shoes Twomey was there scamming and making big commissions. Even wore his beaver pelt hat!
So “Put A Bow On It” was a bait & switch. Just a new “game” in flimflam world.
Ooooo, look at me, I have “Bow” status .
The shark costume was appropriate.
Very well said, Kristin, LOL! I had to look up Mr. “Two Shoes”, whereupon I found him on the DM website. Those videos of people praising the very buttwipes of C(S)OB are something to listen to.
I just can’t feel any sympathy for the fools who keep attending and keep on digging deeper into their pockets. It’s their time and money to waste. It’s not like they live in a cave with no contact to the outside world. The heck with them. If they lose everything it’s not like the didn’t do it willingly.
I think Mike Rinder nailed it when he said they’re starved for admiration. For a brief time, a few people are going to applaud them. They’re going to get a trophy, or a pin or a plaque. Their picture is going to be taken and circulated within the group as an example for others to follow. I’m thinking that for certain Scientologists, this is heady stuff. When you give them what they want, the cult says WONDERFUL things to you. Whether its money, or volunteering for something, or putting in extra time on course – wonderful things. Its not slavish flattery either. They know how to get thru to each person.
At least in my org, the staff knew how to get thru to me! “Chic…smart!…stunning!…new earrings? They’re lovely!…a TRUE Social Personality…caring…kind…a capable being…perceptive…great outfit!…love your hair!…etc., etc.”
Sounds slavish and obsequious but it wasn’t, the way they did it
They didn’t throw all of this at you at once. No, they’d drip feed it. The love bomb would be appropriate to the moment and the situation. Admiration, attention. A little here, a little there.
The message – the unspoken, underlying, silent message was always, “We are paying attention. We notice things about you. You’re important. You’re SOMEBODY, in our eyes. Out there you may be unappreciated but in here, to us, you are somebody. We KNOW you. We appreciate you. We like you. We admire and respect you. Its GREAT having you around!”
That’s the message. That’s what they do, folks. And they’re good at it. And it works, unfortunately.
Until one day you realize that you’re being played and you’ve been being played all along and its all an act on their part and they could not care less about you beyond what they think they can get out of you at any given time, and then it doesn’t work any more, but until you have this realization, yes, it works. I can attest to that. I’m embarrassed to admit it but for a number of years it worked on me. I frequently felt good about giving them money. Just sharing an embarrassing, anecdotal truth about what a fatuous idiot I was, back in the day!
Aquamarine, if and when those still in find the strength to get out I hope they find someone like you to help them work through it all. They couldn’t have a kinder, more compassionate, understanding, been there done that person by their side.
Peggy, my God, I don’t know how you can say all this; I’m very selfish, I think, actually; I never joined staff, I just wouldn’t…honestly, I don’t know how you would think I have these qualities, but thank you, its probably YOU who have them, by the way, and I don’t usually babble like this but thank you!
Oh my goodness! I don’t know how to respond to this other than to say you really don’t give yourself enough credit for turning your life around, taking back some control. Just like everyone else here who got out you don’t make excuses. And, if someone else had said those things about you I would have been furious. So, I’m just going to send you a big hug.
It’s quite apparent that mass hypnosis is quite effective on this group of people.
I was one of them not to long ago. My term for them is “cultoholics”. The photos tell all. By anyone’s else’s standards giving away hard earned cash to a clear cut scam and celebrating it is pure insanity. And we see the “glee of insanity” in those photos.
It’s a sickness.
And again the posters show the usual tiny crowd of about 30 people tops…including the duck.
The one who is grinning is the diabolical miscavige a, in fact, he did destroy the orgs and their delivery while becoming a millionaire just by using tons of lies. A criminal indeed.
Including the duck! LOL!!
When I first arrived on the ship and ended up in a late-night, mandatory meeting of the IAS with all who were there for OT VIII, I was told by someone who had just finished VIII to just play along, “Do” something, otherwise my stay on the ship was going to be very long. Well, my stay was very long (2months) and that was with me “playing along.” I can only imagine how long it would have seemed if I hadn’t played along.
I know I wasn’t the only one that was in hell. Looking at the pictures above I wonder how many of these people are just “playing along” – how many of them don’t want to be there but are making an appearance so it doesn’t “cost” them in some other way.
What?! Sailing the high seas in, away from the theta noise, wasn’t an awakening experience? The salty sea air, the scrubbing of decks, the constant shouting of orders didn’t give you that spiritual freedom they promised? Hmm, something smells fishy. I guess they forgot to stamp out of existence their misapplied tech.
I wonder the same thing, Mary, when I see photos like these. Scientologists are VERY good at “mocking up” enthusiasm. In some degree or another, how many of them are faking it, for the reasons you suggested?
With all the other idle morgs in California you would think maybe, just maybe they would have had a bigger crowd. My wife laughed and said we have more coming to your birthday later this month. Of course, to be fair we are in the Philippines and a birthday invitation means the entire extended family. At least they could have photoshopped more people to make it look like a success. But as you say, you can tell the condition of scientology just by looking.
@David Bates Who’s to say they didn’t photoshop in more people? Maybe that’s extra people there. Sad.
I like how it says “everyone” was brought to their feet, yet their own pic shows just the singer amongst the (all seated) audience.