Today in Radical Corporate Scientology, the modus operandi is “do what I do, not what I say (or what LRH says)”. “Command Intention” trumps everything — policy, tech, common sense and common decency.
Which is why fundraising has become the primary activity in the Scientology world. Ideal Orgs. Super Power Building. IAS. Library Campaign. Planetary Dissemination. Psychbusting. The list goes on, in the face of specific and repeated policy forbidding it.
As a result, now you see prominent “OT Committee” members following the “Ideal Org” pattern to raise funds for their local “community group.” Not real surprise, after all, the “OT Ambassadors” are Miscavige’s “boots on the ground” in his war on bank accounts. So, he sends them off to get money for “Ideal Orgs” with the threat that he will only release OT IX and X when there is a new multi-million dollar palace for all orgs on earth. And as every stone in sight has been sucked dry seeking even a single drop of blood, the techniques have become increasingly bizarre in inverse proportion to their desperation. You can find the bizarre dress up games and exploits of the Ideal Org fundraisers all over the internet.
But here apparently, the irony of this effort is entirely lost on OT Ambassador Kim Payne.
Lacking the wherewithal for their project, they are charging people to be informed how to “remedy any scarcity” and “handle financial problems.”
It makes one wonder if the secret of the seminar is to “hold seminars and charge others for you to tell them to hold seminars and get others to pay you….” sort of a “seminar Ponzi scheme”? Really, who would want to attend a seminar about remedying any scarcity of funds conducted by people promoting their scarcity of funds?
This pitch is reminiscent of the classic from the IAS — also said with a straight face: “become a patron and your financial problems will be solved because I know someone that became a patron and their income 3Xed.”
Here is the frightfully unironic email:
From: Kim Payne
Sent: March 20, 2013 2:05 PM
To:
Subject: Prosperity & Havingness A Seminar with Drew Johnston – Hosted
by Pat Clouden
Prosperity & Havingness – A Seminar with Drew Johnston – Hosted by Pat
Clouden
Sunday, March 24, 2013
10:00agfm to 2:00pm
at the new Community Learning Center
Lunch will be served
Here’s What You’ll Get
Find out the remedy for any scarcity
Learn how to expand your havingness
Get effective data on how to handle financial problems
Determine your security in the future
Find out the purpose and use of Financial Planning
Help Us Complete the New Building
Your $50 donation for this event goes directly to the renovations!
We are on the brink of completing the new Community Learning Center
and thus ushering in a new, bright and brilliant era in education for
Pinellas County. Through the implementation of the most effective
learning technology on the planet, more children than ever will be
helped to maximize the astounding potential that each one has.
It’s only a $50 donation for lunch and the seminar!
Call or Email
To register by phone or email, contact Kathy Wach at the following:
Phone:
Email:
Location
The New Community Learning Center Building
1411 N. Fort Harrison
Clearwater, Florida
I do not know what the “Community Learning Center” is, but it sounds alarmingly like it might be a “replacement” for the Life Force Arts and Technology Applied Scholastics school that was the subject of a series of articles in the Tampa Bay Times and eventually closed down after ripping off hundreds of thousands and producing terrible results. It was a mile or so away from this new Learning Center.
Perhaps the strategy here is to do as Narconon London has done.
Narconon London filed bankruptcy in part to avoid having to return illegally obtained Advanced Payments for undelivered services (a percentage of which was sent to NN Int, ABLE Int and ultimately the church). They now claim that “Narconon International has limited any liability for Narconon London” — and they are forming a “new corporation” without the “debts and obligations” of the old one. In other words, we are not delivering what we promised, we are just folding our tent and hiding behind legal tricks to avoid our responsibilities.
While the church routinely takes credit for its massive “anti-drug and drug rehabilitation programs” and that there are “millions of students being helped by Mr. Hubbard’s technology of study” — I can almost quote you what Miscavige says at virtually EVERY event and what you see throughout the official church website. But as soon as anything goes wrong in any of these entities, the church suddenly has NOTHING to do with them and absolutely no responsibility or liability. But this too is a pattern of the RCS and of Miscavige personally: take credit for anything good and distance yourself, ignore and/or blame others for anything bad.
This is “living in the bubble” where everything you say is right, no matter what facts or evidence contradicts it. That sort of arrogance never survives for long. As those in the bubble grow more distant from reality, so too their survival potential.
It is such a tragedy that this slow meltdown is happening. There is an attrition, a wasting away of interest and people who want to play. I am not sure how this will play out but it certainly involves fewer and fewer participants.
I’m sure you’re echoing the thoughts of most of us, Greenonwhite. Especially those of us who were involved in Scientology when the orgs were bursting at the seams, and the place was exploding with real life wins all around. To watch it all come to this….is something that’s honestly hard to fathom or describe. Were it not for the fact that the technology is now in the hands of those who truly care for it, the loss would be too profound to communicate.
It’s true that there are fewer and fewer participants, but in light of what the church has become, it’s entirely appropriate, and to be expected. That is, if one has the ability to look with both eyes and see what it’s become. But as you indicated, the numbers of those whose eyes are opening, is growing – which is a very good thing.
There’s no question that the health of the organization is rapidly declining, as witnessed by all of the empty ‘Ideal Orgs’, and the ever-increasing pressures being put upon those still loyal to the church. Every stat of real importance to the sustainability of the organization is chronically down-trending. There’s a point at which even the most loyal parishioners will have to face the truth of the existing scene, as it becomes plain for all to see that a final collapse is imminent.
From all that I’ve read and seen, that point can’t be more than a year or two off, at best. As to what comes next, I’d say the new paradigm has already begun.
Ronnie. I am not sure if you will this as it is a late comment.
“There’s a point at which even the most loyal parishioners will have to face the truth of the existing scene, as it becomes plain for all to see that a final collapse is imminent.”
Looking at the next article on Superpower, it is more reason for them to see the writing on the wall.
As you say, thankfully the tech is alive outside.
I was recently talking to an org ED and his dedication to expanding his org is genuine and deep-felt.
It is such a tragedy that this slow meltdown is happening.
Steve, your comments are spot-on. There is an attrition, a wasting away of interest and people who want to play. I am not sure how this will play out but it certainly involves fewer and fewer participants.
I have not been able to get out openly yet for reasons I believe are critical to my way forward. I have come to know more and more who are doing what I am doing. They all are thoroughly and completely disillusioned with the scene and agree that this management regime is the reason starting with DM. They do not believe it will solve with DM in place and think the rot is so deep, a repair even if he does leave is still a huge challenge.
We have withdrawn our funds, our presence our goodwill.
Mike, this blog is an absolutely vital part of the process we are undergoing. One of the results of this space and each article posted is that another one and then another sees enough and joins this growing group outside the RCS. These numbers need to grow to add to whatever happens thereafter.
Greenonwhite
Well, I am just getting SO confused by these mixed messages from the Church members! Money motivation is lowly degraded and wobbly. PTS to the middle class practically unqualifies for you for the bridge. As PTS’s need to be in ethics. The Sea Org staff are not even allowed casual conversations with public anymore because they are so far beneath the Sea Org people. The public that want to buy are labeled “consumer Scientologists”. The reason the Sea Org can’t deliver Super Power, (now that money is in the bank) is because not enough public are signing Sea Org contracts. But if you are public you can’t get a pass onto the OT levels without huge donations. And the OT committee members are pushing prosperity and havingness! There is a lack of harmony here. How to do the right thing? It would seem the Sea Org Members are getting different memo’s than the public. But surely the public know they CAN’T HAVE SUPER POWER because not enough of them are on staff? It would seem all involved are buried in GPM’s. I get a heavy feeling just trying to figure out which direction Miscavige is herding the flock. It seems like there is no way for anybody to have a win. You are damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Mike and all here,
Here’s some good news. The support for all this insane fundraising is increasingly losing its luster among the more upstat Co$ members, the ones who can pay. The ones’ still attending come for some free inspiration but mostly for the free chicken, they are known by OTC Members as “chicken eaters.”
The OT Committees in PAC and FLAG are dwindling down to an ever increasing few. And the ones leading them, the likes of Clouden and Johnston are only there because they benefit directly, financially from their exposure – Drew because he picks up some selectees and Pat because he picks up some recruits for his company.
While I was on the Freewinds OTC from 97 to 2012, the # of active members went from about 50-60 down to 5-6 and of the 50-60 at peak in 2000 the majority were OT VIIs & VIIIs, and many were quite wealthy. Of the 5-6 when I went inactive in 2012 there were only 2-3 VIIs/VIIIs, and none had any money or credit left.
There is much proof of the ineffectiveness of all these fund raising events in the examples given on this thread, of these buildings and projects not being funded, completed, after years of fundraising events. Here’s another example. The “Ideal Org” building for The Valley in PAC has been sitting there for more than 7 yrs. un-renovated, as they can’t get enough interest from The Largest Scientology Field on the planet to fund the renovations. I predict this great big white elephant will never open, and will continue from here on to sit there unfunded, sucking any funds that are raised just to pay the maintenance and power bills. Most scn in the field are aware of this.
The scn public are avoiding these fund raising event and even the big POB INT Events in ever increasing #s.
The “Field” is becoming INACTIVE! And it’s only a matter of time, with more and more desperation (inforce) and insanity (like any Ponzi Scheme) that it all comes crashing down.
Thanks Steve. INteresting to hear your data. I will be embarking on a series of posts about the proof of contraction soon. Will cover it from a number of angles, including the activities of the field…. Mike
sounds good Mike.
straight down and vertical!
So DM has his Admin Scale:
GOAL – (LRH’s Scientology Destroyed),
PURPOSE – (to feel safe, to prevent others from being helped, to get rich, stuck in an old incident, other case dramatizations, etc.),
POLICY – (squirrelled auditing, punishing upstats and rewarding downstats, Overt Invalidation of Clears and OTs unless they’re very rich in which case be covert, in short whenever and however possible don’t do what LRH said to do as regards auditing, training, admin and ethics, emphasis on cross ordering, new “My Way or the Highway” policy as regards orders.
Plan -( Ideal Org fundraising, IAS Fundraising, Library, Super Power, etc. etc.etc straight donos to eventually phase out delivery of any actual Scientology with emphasis on getting rid of existing auditors and training as few new ones as possible)
PROGRAMS and PROJECTS – need not be enumerated as quite familiar to all of us andcompletely in accordance with PLAN -see POLICY as re “My Way or the Highway”.
ORDERS – Ditto
STATS – Straight down and vertical
IDEAL SCENE – No more auditors, every Scientologist’s case in a snarled confused mess, all Ideal Org buildings all fully paid for and handsomely renovated with parishioner money, everyone everywhere knowing that LRH was a fraud and a con man, Scientology hated, feared and ridiculed by everyone, “unlimited funds in my private account” …
Hey, looks to me like his admin scale lines up very well. My only question is – what is his target date for the Goal?
CORRECTION: on DM’s personal private Admin Scale, stats would have to be as “straight UP and vertical” as possible in order to align with his goal, purpose, policy, plan, ideal scene, etc..
You know, this is situation is so reminiscent of what happened to Apple School in the olden days. It was a school set up to educate our children and did a fine job … right up until there was interference from some outside unit, I believe over using copyrighted material and demanding fees to do so. Perhaps someone here has more information as my recollection is somewhat sketchy.
Yes, Apple School was closed down after they were going to have to pay for the material they were using.
The school was very popular and the move portended of things to come…
I also know, or at least knew, Holly Haggerty quite well at one time. Before the community center in CW, she and her husband Brendan Haggerty put tremendous energy into CATS.
Maybe a bit off topic but you may find some interest in any case.
I am here in LA for auditing with an Independent Auditor. The day before yesterday I decided to go over to the Pac Base to have lunch in the canteen and to see for myself what was happening. The first thing I noticed when arriving was how many available parking spaces there were. Much more than half the parking was still available at noon time.
I made my way to the canteen along LRH Way which was very quite though I did appreciate how clean and well kept the grounds were. I got my lunch and sat down inside. There were probably about 20 people (a mix of staff and public) in the area. I noticed just in general how little communication was occurring-again quiet
I wanted to get on the Wi-Fi so I went over to the cashier (a great guy) and asked for the password. To my surprise he told me he couldn’t give it out ( a change from last November ) and directed me to bring my laptop over and he would type it in for me. I thought this was odd but I just assumed the paranoia had ratcheted up to a new highest ever level so I turn over my computer to him and he kindly did get me on the internet. I guess the paranoia can be somewhat justified because a declared SP had after all made it all the way into the canteen undetected. I paid just like everyone else and didn’t steal or break anything while I was there. I maybe an SP but I don’t see any reason to be uncivilized while being so.
I am leaving LA this morning on a huge wins having completed my major action with my auditor! I have to say I feel really good!
There is a new SP-the kindly, caring granting of beingness SP. Ones who have big wins!-my kind oi SP.
Hysterical! Too funny!
I think the RCS is betwixt wind and water.
Mike, in your first paragraph it should read “Do what I tell you to do, not what LRH says you should do. And, for God sake, do not do what I do because then you will not have money for me to do it.”
The IAS is a money extortion entity.
There is no rhyme or reason why Scientology public are raped of their hard earned money other than sheer greed and thuggery of the head of the Bernie Madoff Scam of all “Religions”
This is while glorifying itself as some kind of “Knights of the Round Table” with the logos of the horse and “Knights of the Round Table.”
A Case History example is Richie Acunto of “Survival Insurance”
OT VIII
Big time donor.
$10 million to IAS alone (on a financial irregularity deal)
Starving his own employees for some 2 years straight by no payroll for them while giving it to the “Church”
who would descend like vultures for more and more money.
Richie has lost it all, including his Beverly Hills Mansion and all other properties.
He is penniless.
An OT VIII who hit the dust and it all went to the “CHURCH” for a few meaningless plaques.
The amount of OT VIIIs who have hit the skids is disturbing.
It has been estimated that life expectancy in the “Church” doing your 20 years “on the level” i.e. SOLO NOTS ( OT VII ) is 57 years…..then dead !
Karen,
Richie has lost it all because clearly he is our ethics. For sure there is some money he hid from the IAS, and that is why he is penniless. Once he gives up whatever he has left to the great and powerful COB. He will be in great shape. He will be rich beyond belief. He will be beautiful. Women will flock to him in droves. His employees will return and pay him for the chance to work for him and serve him. All he has to do is give up the money he has left.
LOL
🙂
Simple Thetan.
Satire is good.
Currently, Richie is out with his beggar bowl asking folk to *LEND* him $$$$.
His partner Sue Mcfarlane, another OT VIII dead at 56 of cancer.
She had gone back on OT VII and was reporting every 6 months to give up her
“crimes.”
Karen,
I get so angry at these criminals that I feel I must pull myself up the scale with humor.
Yes, Karen#1, “dead.” But, it doesn’t end there. After death of the person who helped many staff and public throughout the years — including helping LRH — the vultures continue their actions on the widow. Rachel
Rachel
This is shocking, so appalling that I cannot think of anything appropriate to say.
Thank you very much for sharing your story.
Dr Denk was arguably one of the most loved Scientologist in the Los Angeles area.
I will always remember his unique style.
You may not know this, but I remember you when you were this young babe working
at Los Angeles Day org !
A local OT has just sent me information about this learning center. In the interests of making all relevant information known, I include it below:
I just read your post on the Community Learning Center. Thought I’d share with you what I know. It is actually one of the better groups in the community that keeps exchange in.
They tutor disadvantaged kids. It is run by Holly Haggerty. It is currently run out of a little home that they’ve been in for well over 10 years. It is located at 1611 N. Ft. Harrison Ave in Clearwater.
The county government gives them some money for tutoring disadvantaged kids in the schools each year. There is an actual exchange that occurs. They get x amount of dollars for every hour of tutoring and each kid can have so much tutoring. I know someone that helped out tutoring and it is quite legit. All they do is teach phonics to kids. Teach them how to read and do math. They apply study tech but there are no Church or LRH courses delivered to the students. It has helped a lot of children. They grant the kids lots of beingness and give them lots of love and help.
The problem with this new building is that several years ago the Captain of Flag made Pat Clouden and some other OTs (about 6 of them all together) in the Community (Brian Andrus, Jim Mathers) to co-sign for a bank loan to buy this old restaurant. It needed tons of repairs. It was going to be the “Ideal” blah…blah for Clearwater.
Holly Haggerty has been doing just fine with her little tutoring group in the little house she currently operates in but now they have this albatross of a building that needs a $100,000 or more of work. They’ve had fund raisers and never raised enough to get it done. These OT’s who were made to co-sign for the loan guarantee the mortgage payment each month. Holly doesn’t have the money but they were wanting her to pay a few years back. It is a sad story for Holly, her band of tutors (they make $10 to $15 an hour for tutoring) and the kids.
So, there is another moral to this story. It isn’t just the “Ideal Org” fundraising that is trickling down. It is the insane action of crippling an org with a huge, expensive building as a “solution” to getting them to expand. It achieves the opposite every time.
The learning center was a great little project. It is a pity that the dwarf in his infinite greed had to ruin it.
Of course, he had to, Simple. It was helping. Can’t have that.
The Community Learning Center has been operating in a little house on Ft. Harrison since around 2000 maybe longer. They tutor disadvantaged kids in the area. It is a very in exchange group and they have helped a lot of children. They teach phonics and reading and math to children. They grant them lots of beingness and help them learn to read and do math. The problem is that about 6 or 7 years ago it was decided by someone at Flag (or higher) that they should have an “Ideal Tutoring center.” You got it. that meant a new building. So, arms were twisted to get this new building and fix it up. Pat Clouden and a few other OTs in the community co-signed guaranteeing the loan to buy the new building. Fundraisers have been done for years trying to make enough money to renovate it as it is a wreck. This is not a church organization like Applied Scholastics or NN. it is a tutoring group. The person running it is Holly Haggerty. She is a very nice, dedicated person trying to help kids. It is the idiocy of having to have these huge craze big buildings that aren’t needed and can’t be afforded.
Great article, Mike!
It is quite ironic how the “experts” on financial success are failing at even paying the various expenses it takes to be there…as evidenced by some of the emails I have received over the last year from the local Org. Makes me shake my head in amusement.
Several years ago, in my blinder condition, I invested some $$ with a person who was on OT7 and quite educated in the subject of Ethics, Conditions etc. , thinking that this person is among the most ethical, and therefore my investment would be safe. This turned out to be the WORST, most unprofessional, business experience I have EVER had….which included losing all of my investment to the inept handing and dealings in the cycle. There was not even any paperwork kept, which was required by law, that I could retrieve for info. Somehow, it was all someone else’s fault. Boy, did I learn my lesson. Yet, despite the financial losses to myself and the rest of this person’s clients, they continue to audit on OT7, which means flowing mega bucks to the “Mecca” every year. And to top off the joke, I continue to get email to join in on their latest adventure/investment. I should be insulted, but actually, it makes me laff!
outfow equals inflow a reg told me. I just wonder what life time he was talking about because it sure as hell hasnt happened yet and i have been a patron for years.
Gretchen, if it has not happened to you yet it is is because you have: overts, misunderstood words, and you are putting case on post. Please remember that “The way out is the way through.” Just continue giving Co$ all you have, and you will become rich beyond belief.
LOL
🙂
Somebody on WWP was kind enough to do a Google Street View of The New Community Learning Center Building, 1411 N. Fort Harrison, Clearwater, Florida. I’ve verified the picture is correct.
Photo:
https://static.prtst.net/asset-proxy/9cc09c99c39fada207134d467769fec539d49454/68747470733a2f2f63626b73322e676f6f676c652e636f6d2f63626b3f6f75747075743d7468756d626e61696c2663625f636c69656e743d6d6170735f7376267468756d623d32267468756d62666f763d3630266c6c3d32372e3938303433332c2d38322e373937313534267961773d39322e31267468756d627065676d616e3d3126773d33303026683d313138/https://cbks2.google.com/cbk?output=thumbnail&cb_client=maps_sv&thumb=2&thumbfov=60&ll=27.980433,-82.797154&yaw=92.1&thumbpegman=1&w=300&h=118
Google street view:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=1411+N.+Fort+Harrison,+Clearwater,+Florida&ie=UTF-8&ei=yg1NUeE7gaSKAr_EgKgE&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAg
WWP post: https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/mike-on-narconon-bankruptcy-to-avoid-repayments-the-ideal-org-trickle-down.109910/#post-2287318
.
Well, they’re right about one thing; that building does need some renovation. And if this is anything like the Community Center in Inglewood CA, even after it’s open you won’t know what it’s for because for the most part, the community is not allowed to come in.
I am admiring the respect you have for Tony and the validation you give him, which, in my eyes, means you have risen well above the COS’s easily acquired heavy ridges and are able to see the positives in those who even disagree with the viewpoints you would like others to have and seek the disappearance of the philosophy you love.
That is quite a greatness feat!
Regards,
Luis
Thankyou Luis.
I respect Tony enormously. He is a courageous man who cannot be intimidated. And he has a great deal of compassion for those who have been abused.
While many in the media have been cowed by the church through legal threats and intimidation tactics, nothing has ever scared him. And believe me, there is a lot he has never even reported on that has been done to him, his family and colleagues. I put him in the category of Joe Childs and Tom Tobin, John Sweeney, Janet Reitman, Larry Wright and Bryan Seymour. But unlike everyone else on the list, he has no organization supporting him, he stands alone. And even when he was at the Village Voice, this is not the BBC or Australian national TV or the Tampa Bay Times nor even the New Yorker or Rolling Stone.
Mike ~~
I so echo your thoughts on Tony Ortega.
He started reporting on Scientology 15-17 years ago when main stream media would not even TOUCH the subject.
Of course now, in 2013, bashing Scientology Inc is the blood sport of 2012/2013 and is in vogue but in early days, Tony was alone.
He was publishing essays way before major media would even touch it.
I found it so funny that Scientology Inc and OSA INT expressed “bewilderment” at Tony O. (paraphrased)
“He has never been in Scientology, we have never harmed him…why is he so obsessed?”
🙂
TRANSLATION:
We have never battered, body slammed, punched, assaulted, hammered him, never even ordered one finger broken, never even given him sleep deprivation or made him crawl on knees only, so what is his beef ?
What Luis said!
Mike – what brazen arrogance. Their criminality knows no bounds. Here in Toronto the fundraising for the Idle Org is run by Carol Nolan. The $ target to renovate Toronto org is $13 to $14 million. After 10 years or so of fundraising they have $7 million in the bank. Last year 55 events were held to extort money from the Toronto public.
Halina. Hi 🙂
Yes, these stories are repeated all over the world.
Having to have before you can do is a non existent concept in the world of Miscavige. He runs it constantly — I am going to cover it in an upcoming post about Super Power….
This is terrible! These mother—-ers don’t know what the —- they are doing!
It is the blind leading the blind leading the blind all over again! !
Come on Dave, please step up.
You gave us the Golden Age of Tech because all auditors are squirrels.
I plead with you to now give us a new Golden Age of Fund Raising!
Oh. This is it? OK. Sorry. (gulp) Mmmmm, cool-aid taste good.
Thanks for this post Mike.
You would think the clubbed seals would realize that they have been putting on these same “havingness events” for years now and they evidently are not working. Lol!!
Tony — yes, you would think so. But part of being a clubbed seal is that you have been inculcated into the idea that whatever the the church says IS TRUE. So, if the word goes out that “Star Wars Fundraisers” are a successful action, suddenly they will be being done all over the world. And no matter the result, it IS successful — because they were told by “command” it is. You see this everywhere in the RCS. Miscavige tells them “we are expanding like never before” and despite the evidence in front of their face, they go into broken parrot mode, repeat after me “we are expanding like never before” as the bills arent being paid and the hallways of the org are empty.
This is partly the malady Marty is trying to shake loose.
Despite the slogan, the LAST thing the RCS wants is anyone thinking for themselves.
And these people become totally reliant on being told what to do, what is right and wrong, what is good and bad, what is allowed or forbidden. And they crave it and if they don’t have a pronouncement from “command” they will find a sentence of LRH to tell them how to act, think and “be.”
Its very sad. Because part of the indoctrination is that anyone who doesnt conform is somehow “bad” or even an SP. And every good RCS member “knows” they are absolutely right as they are the ONLY ONES who know.
Maddening. 🙂
Mike, Interesting. This brought me to remember something similar I found out a year, year and a half ago. I’ve had a friend Glenn Balentine that I knew from our SO days since the early 70’s, who is still extremely high on the Kool Aid. He lives in Las Vegas, and is probably out of all the ex-SO members that exist out there, has no concept of how to survive financially. He lives in a skid row type motel converted into a condo just behind the strip in a former motel room (think QI- but worse). Yet there he is at Las Vegas Idle Morgue giving Seminars on managing your Finances.
Mike it is so true.
Fundraising has become the modus operandi of the OT Committees. Locally one Idle org opened and straightaway it became fundraising via special editions to fund the non existence campaign for that org.
Hot on the heels of this was the next org in line fundraising.
Relentless. I think I must get about at least 5 SMS or emails per day. At least.
I saw that if you get your policy and tech mashed together and not applied it is a bit like the mixing of the two colors. Red on white and Green on white. Given the right pigmentation you get brown………..an apt color for what is being currently “applied”.
I would be interested to know from anyone around Clearwater what the attendance was like at this fundraising el-cheepo seminar?
Greenonwhite
Mike, Congrats on the new blog! It’s nice to see that you have addressed Narconon. It felt as if this subject has been taboo amongst the “indies” against a backdrop of increasingly high-profile, alarming deaths, law suits, fraud, etc. of late.
PTBA — I will certainly cover Narconon. Tony O has done a VERY good job of keeping up with all the latest news on the NN front. I do not agree that Narconon is a sham, because I have seen too many results with my own eyes. BUT I agree that the vulture culture has spread throughout Narconon and they have engaged in unethical and perhaps even criminal conduct, misrepresenting themselves, lying about their status (at least in Georgia) and hyperinflating their success rate.
Agreed! So glad to see this website–I think this will be of a bit more of interest to those never-been-ins who are also following the demise of corporate Co$ and want nothing more than people to live tyranny-free.
Narconon became a sham when they stopped using LRH drug handling, and started doing what LRH said not to do with druggies. Such as, endless TRs, and heavy handed ethics.
Mike,
The Community Learning Center is the building that used to be Bill Earls Dinner Theater on North Ft Harrison Ave. somewhat adjacent to what used to be the Bill Earls Restaurant. Quite a lot of renos went into this location to where it came close to almost completion.
Michael, thanks. Yes, I know the building, I just don’t know what they intend to do in there — presuming their seminar is a success!
Mike,
Though it may appear that the Community Learning Center is a replacement for Life Force Arts and Technology Applied Scholastics School, actually, the CLC existed prior to LATA and while both ended up part of Applied Scholastics, neither were formed as such.
In 2009, I published separate articles about LATA’s grand opening and the CLC statewide tutoring program. (see links below) Both of the group’s original founders were well purposed and did not set out to be front groups for the Church. However, I believe they were both targeted by the Church to be used as a PR strategy and front groups.
CLC was founded and ran by Scientologist Holly and Brendan Haggerty, two very hard working individuals who tutored kids for the last 15 years and became part of a state funded tutoring program to improve the literacy of underprivileged kids – who otherwise couldn’t afford to receive much needed after school tutoring.
During an interview with Brendan Haggerty, he told me – which is not mentioned the articles I published – when the CLC started to expand and successfully consult other tutoring centers, he was “pulled in” by the Church regarding his unauthorized use of the Study Tech. I recall him being quite peeved that instead of being thanked for his activities, he suddenly found himself at the risk of a Church justice action unless he agree to become part of Applied Scholastics.
Consequently, he stressed the imperativeness that any articles about the CLC contain credit to LRH and Applied Scholastics, though at the same time he felt that the connection to the Church would only hinder and risk the Center’s ability to work within the Public School System – due to the connection between Applied Scholastics and CoS.
LATA initially the brain child of Jai Hinson, a prominent figure in the Arts of Pinellas and assisted by Community Leader Maurice Mickens of Mount Carmel Baptist Church, did not start out as a front group for Scientology. However, as can be seen in the recent scandal documented in the Tampa Bay Times it turned out to not only be an Applied Scholastic school but a complete sham.
Many bloggers and media outlets have criticized the various Scientology front groups. And, as I’m now older, wiser and “informed” I agree that in many cases the programs are just that – front groups – with the sole purpose (from top management) of flowing money to the Church and/or creating a “positive public image” versus actually doing something effective to improve society. However, I doubt that the initial motives of the individuals that founded and worked at LATA or the CLC had anything to do with those of RCS.
Ironically, since the time Brendan agreed to the Church’s coercion the CLC’s expansion has waned, the renovating of the new building is still not finished (after 5 years of fund raising) and LATA collapsed fast with a scandal.
http://tampabayinformer.com/Community/Pinellas-County/2009/11/09/L.-Ron-Hubbard-Study-Technology-Tutoring-Program-Florida-Community-Learning-Center.html#.UUzylxek-BU
http://tampabayinformer.com/Community/Pinellas-County/Life-Force-Arts-and-Technology-Academy-Cuts-Ribbon-on-August-14-2009.html#.UU0IHRek-BU
Thanks Angela. I posted a comment last nite from another local who said similar things about Holly and how the CLC got into trouble. I appreciate the accurate information.
Mike,
I was doing volunteer work at this center a few years ago. At that time it was run by an OT8 and was giving free tutoring to kids with learning problems from the local school system. Interestingly, the center didnt really do any of the LRH study tech. It was a phonics system. Most of the kids there were the children of illegal mexican immigrants. So the kids really didnt have a learning problem, they just wherent originally educated in english, and the program worked great for them. What they do now, i have no idea, but that was the scene as of a few years ago.
Great article and prose Maestro Mike!
DM’s smoke and mirrors in the paid PR world lately has been moved away from the expected results of Clears and OTs to Anti Drugs, Study tech and Anti Abuse of human rights (which DM is the biggest oppressor). It is quite a travesty that it seems these activities are funded from Kim Payne and company’s fundraisers, not the deep IAS coffers which were intended for that.