Scientology spews out paid ads proclaiming their wondrous contributions to society, most especially to Clearwater.
I see these things on Twitter and when I respond they delete my responses. So, in keeping with the time-honored solution of “doing what Ron says,” I am putting my response on my own channel of communication where it cannot be altered (or deleted).
Their tweet above makes the bold claim that scientology paid $3.1 million in property and tourist taxes in 2018. And that they “generate $1 billion impact into the local economy.”
As for the first claim — this may well be correct. But what it fails to mention is HOW MUCH REVENUE THE CITY IS LOSING. If every property owned by scientology (or now scientologists and nominee buyers in their name that are sitting empty and unutilized) was generating tax revenue, the City of Clearwater would be FLUSH! The MISSING tax revenues are probably more than $50 million per year. This is a shortfall that is subsidized by those who DO pay takes in Clearwater.
Far from being a boon to the Clearwater economy, the tax exempt status of scientology has hurt Clearwater more than any other single community on earth. Clearwater has the greatest incentive to undo scientology’s improperly granted tax exempt status. Of course, it is the IRS that must correct their grave error and revoke scientology’s tax exempt status. It is not within the purview of the City. But it is certainly within the ability of the city to use every available means of communication, call in every possible favor and use every political ally to bring pressure on the IRS to do the right thing. This is what City Officials can and should do. Clearwater has more to gain than anyone from the IRS being forced to do the right thing.
As for their second ridiculous claim that they “generate $1 billion annual impact to the local economy” this is pie-in-the-sky numbers extrapolated from figures GIVEN TO FSU BY SCIENTOLOGY. I wrote an extensive article about this flawed study: Scientology Takes Clearwater for Suckers.
Just as ONE example from this “study” they conclude: Scientologists annually contribute $87,867,000 to charitable endeavors.
Of course, this money does not go anywhere NEAR the community. This is the money scientologists give to scientology organizations. Under normal circumstances, charitable giving would filter its way into the community. After all, this is what normal charities do. But not scientology. They are not building schools or hospitals. Or even feeding the poor. They are taking in the money and stashing it in overseas bank accounts. Period.
Once again, I say:
Elect Mark Bunker to the Clearwater City Council. He is not too afraid of scientology to speak his mind.
Go to markbunker.com.
They don’t care if WE believe them. They write this stuff for the Duggans and the lawyers. Writing this kind of crap is their “proof” that the exes and the media are lying. The brainwashed buy it like it is truly researched data. Not! What a weird bubble they live in. So uptone!!’n Not!
RoseMarie or somebody,
I understand how and why celebrities (both Scn and Non Scn) are sheltered, cocooned, etc. People are depending upon them to perform. Many peoples’ jobs and lives hinge on actors and other entertainers being ready, willing and able to perform well, so their handlers shield them from what they know upsets them greatly. I get that. I don’t agree, necessarily, but its reasonable, its understandable. In Scientologese one would say, “I can think with that.” Ok.
Here’s what I DON’T for the life of me get:
Bob Duggan is a billionaire BUSINESSMAN. On the “comm lines” of the world, with his billions, n’est-ce-pas? His communication lines have to be enormous and highly varied. So how on God’s green earth is it POSSIBLE to shield this guy, to shutter him away from the ACTUAL scene that is Scientology? Forbid him from reading the internet? Are ALL of his employees Scientologists? How is this done – keeping him ignorant and believing? I have to be missing something here!
What can be honestly reported is simple: “Any claims of doing anything to help/benefit any person, group or activity OUTSIDE OF SCIENTOLOGY ITSELF, is a Lie! Hubbard lied. Miscavige lies. Scio stats lie. Scientologists lie to themselves.”
I walked around downtown Clearwater today after not having been there for 5 or 6 years, starting from the Starbucks on Cleveland & Ft. Harrison. I was amazed at how completely dead the whole area is now. There was no one there in the middle of the afternoon on a gorgeous Saturday except a handful of people at Starbucks, a couple of people at the coffee shop across the street, and another smattering at the pizza place next door. Some construction work going on at the Clearwater Builiding and the buses drearily plodding by provided the only breaks from the silence.
Not a soul north of Cleveland near any of the front groups’ offices. No traffic to speak of on the streets at all. No one anywhere around Flag except the minions going straight in and out of the building. No public anywhere to be seen. I walked all over the area but I didn’t stick around long because there’s no reason to. (I was also being watched by security people who probably thought they were not being obvious, but I don’t blame them… probably nothing else to do.)
The deadness of downtown actually makes the Scientology footprint seem small. I know they own half of downtown but the fact that the whole city is empty gives the feeling that they just have a little block or two of activity in a big abandoned place. Even the Flag building seemed smaller than I remembered.
And this was all on a day when traffic was jammed in both directions with many thousands of people going out to the beach. There was no parking out there at all and it was a mob scene in all the restaurants, with such great beach weather on a holiday weekend. The contrast with Clearwater itself was amazing.
This election would make a great subject of a documentary. It is a unique city, dynamic and situation that would be interesting to people all over the world. Hope someone is filming it.
If the feds had the guts to stand up to Demento and cancel the $camology tax free status the whole slowly decaying corpse would collapse into sludge within a year or so. I also expect that if it occurred the homunculus, the cash and just about everything else he could lay his little claws on would disappear very quickly.
Kronomex. It didn’t die without tax exempt status. It’ll die when enough people are educated about the criminal scam. Loosing tax exempt status will slow it in any areas like the empty real estate but not kill it.
Disney World generates over 18 billion annually. Busch Gardens, over 6 billion. Does Scientology seriously expect us to believe that they generate 1/6 as much for the local economy as Busch Gardens, or 1/18 as much as Disney? Locals know better than anyone what a stupid lie this is. Clearwater would be incredibly flush if they got that much income, and the entire Tampa area would lack for nothing if Scientology “charitable donations” went here instead of on empty buildings and scotch for Miscavige.
Lilira – This is an excellent point and framed against actual contributors to FL’s economy, it illustrates how there is no way what they say is true.
Not that we here don’t recognize that fact, but clearly they’ve snowed/influenced certain Clearwater politicians into accepting and re-spouting this nonsense. Because you’ve done the comparative math in contrast, it demonstrates the degree of subterfuge.
Thank you – for people like me, not in the area, that genuinely helps!
“Scientologists annually contribute $87,867,000 to charitable endeavors. ”
Maybe, but it ALL goes into the tiny tyrant’s pocket and stays there.
If that sum was true, and Scientology claims that there are 4.4 million active Scientologists, that is less than $20 each. Cheapos.
With $4.4 million active Scientologists (hah!), that comes out to less than $20 per head. Those cheapos.
Full agreement, Wynski; the impacts of scientology are all negative.
Great picture of Mark Bunker. Who WOULDN’T vote for such an honest-looking face?
“they “generate $1 billion annual impact to the local economy”
Mike I believe this figure is correct. However not the total truth and is a lie of omission The billion dollar impact is negative