The “Rebels for Freedom” are “riding” — virtually!
You must watch the video — it shows a bunch of unknown bikers rolling down the highway to Steppenwolf ‘s”Born to be wild” and then cuts to various stills of old scientology-people in sunglasses trying to look tough/cool. Like they are bikers…
It says there will be “Breaking news” from the Landlord Office that will “massively accelerate” the ideal org in New Haven.
I can easily translate this: if you give more money, we will “accelerate” the New Haven “ideal org.” But “acceleration” of this ideal org is an oxymoron.
Way back in 2003, New Haven was one of the first locations to purchase a new “ideal org” building. It has sat empty since then.
These are quotes from an article in the Yale Daily News from December 2019. It is a lengthy piece detailing the history of the building and scientology in New Haven (bolding is mine). As a note, Elm City is the local nickname for New Haven.
Ironically, the article concludes by talking about a November 2019 biker oriented fundraiser they dubbed “rebels with a cause.” As with everything in scientology, it’s deja vu all over again…
Since 2003, Scientology has owned the much larger three-story structure across the street at 949 Whalley Ave., where they plan to move. The 949 property opened as a Masonic temple in 1930.
Since the building’s sale to the Church, the property has remained vacant, blighted and tax-exempt.
At the time of the building’s sale for $1.5 million in 2003, the project was shovel-ready. Building permits were filed, blueprints were submitted and Westville anticipated an Ideal Org on its doorstep. Scientology contracted construction firm Foit-Albert Associates to begin work on the site in 2004, according to emails between Foit-Albert and city inspectors. Project manager Gwen Howard wrote New Haven Building Inspector Daniel O’Neill for a preliminary review of the renovations. In her email, Howard included plans for a site that would accommodate up to 1,000 people. The firm’s blueprints for the 18,000-square feet building imagined cavernous course rooms and a massive auditorium.
The Church filed a building permit to work on the building’s interior framing on April 15, 2004, which estimated $150,000 in construction costs. From then on, no substantive renovations have taken place according to city officials. The 2004 permit was voided by the city in 2009.
On Aug. 16, 2010, the City of New Haven filed civil action against the Church of Scientology with the objective of foreclosing the 949 property and taking possession of it.
In its appeal process, the Church of Scientology of Connecticut submitted invoices from contractors it had hired for roof repairs in 2014 and asbestos removal in 2016 as evidence for tax-exempt status. The Church also included 8-by-10 inch photos of fundraisers for the Ideal Org, depicting a group of exuberant parishioners participating in auctions on Scientology holidays such as “Auditors Day 2017.”
In an interview, Chairman of the Board of Assessment Appeals Jeffrey Granoff said that he could not recall any interactions with the Church of Scientology and did not remember approving the appeal. Nonetheless, city records show that Granoff approved the Church’s appeal in March 2018. This renewed the Church’s tax-exempt status until 2021.
In 2018, the 949 property was taxed $66,384.76, but the Church’s exemption voided the taxation. If the New Haven Tax Assessor’s Office had taxed the mercantile zoned property for all of its 16 years in the Church’s ownership, Scientology would owe the Elm City $1,062,156.16 in back taxes at 2019’s mill rate of 42.98 and appraised property value of $2,305,100.
In an effort to combat urban blight and promote “safer, healthier and more attractive communities,” the City of New Haven launched the Livable City Initiative. The LCI monitors neighborhood concerns regarding superficial infractions like overgrown grass, as well as more interpersonal conflicts. In October 2017, the LCI cited Scientology for violating the Elm City’s Anti-Blight and Property Maintenance Ordinance. LCI inspector Jillian Driscoll’s report noted “unreasonable interference,” commenting that “neighbors are continuously reporting [the] building as a nuisance in the neighborhood.” The report also critiqued the “temporary windows and doors,” demanding that the blighted ones in place be replaced with new materials. As for the landscaping, the report said it needed “major work,” citing overgrown vegetation and unmaintained tree belts.
Still, the New Haven branch remains unconcerned. The Church continues to host fundraising events regularly. On Nov. 2, 2019, the Church solicited donations from members at a fundraising event held at the Whitneyville Cultural Commons in Hamden with Harley-Davidson-esque iconography. The fundraiser’s slogan: “Rebels with a cause.”
A couple of final notes.
Scientology could simply pay for the renovations and be done with this train-wreck. They have mountains of tax free cash. If they really believe in “ideal orgs” they would have done so long ago as that would be the only way they could “Clear this community” — but they don’t care about that. They only care about using this to continue to make money. 17 years if fundraising is more cash than an Ideal org being open during that time and they don’t have to provide any service to boot. All those students who have passed through Yale in the last 17 years could have been Cleared. Hell, scientology could have captured future politicians, judges, whales and other assorted bigwigs. But this is just not what the “ideal org” program is all about. It has nothing to do with “clearing” and everything to do with fundraising.
You can bet Steppenwolf would not be enthused about this music being used to promote scientology. And you can bet scientology paid no licensing fee for the music — but look out anyone who uses anything scientology owns without paying their licensing fees! And speaking of music; how is Michael Duff a “World-class performer”? What is the definition of world-class they are using?
How do you do a motorcycle ride on Zoom? Make a bunch of zoom-zoom noises?
Finally, these people look like absolute fools. Apparently scientology not only destroys your sense of humor, it also destroys your sense of style and taste.
Michael Duff, “World-class performer.” Um, which world are they talking about? It can’t be here..wait one…checking…wait one…
Search complete. Origin of world in question: Arseholius in the galaxy Oozlum located…unable to calculate location of galaxy because it seems to have disappeared up its own rectum and left our reality.
“Ideal Media Productions” produced a slide show.
Rad.
A lot of the donors look a little, ahemm, mature. I do hope they get out and claw their money back while reconnecting with everyone they have been forced to disconnect from.
I’m thinking of Steve Mcqueen. To live wild and die young. In purpose to make it they must hit harder.
Heh. Was expecting to see the cringey photo of Tom Cruise with his little buddy Miscavige posing on their motorcycles (so badass, yeah right).
But it was cringey enough.
Oh, and the youtube comments are turned off. I wonder why?
There’s an underrated sentiment in here: If I was in charge of Scientology and I really believed in it, having a real functioning Org in New Haven would be a top priority, to try to convert people at Yale and take the cult into the mainstream. But of course, the people in charge don’t truly believe in any of it.
Correct Moose. But that shows that the people at the top are smarter than the sheep they are fleecing.
Comments for the video are turned off (for a very good reason), but you can still downvote the thing.
I am sorry! I laughed all the way through it. Please tell me when a video, and a soundtrack were so mismatched.
I’m having a hard time figuring out if the credits (at 1.33), where all the credits from dir of photography to executive producer go to “ideal media productions”, is a joke or not. Maybe no one want to take credit or they want to hide who made the video or maybe they don’t find it peculiar that there isn’t one name shown in the credits.
New Haven is a dump anyway. A decaying future ideal org makes it worse.
True. I was surprised when I visited there – it being the home of Yale. I expected something different. But, indeed, a depressing town. And its inhabitants looked and spoke like they’d been inbreeding for way too long. At least the ones I met.
Just . . . Ew
Since when does wearing a gorilla costume help save the planet? I am reposting this on my YT channel and I got a copyright ding for the use of Steppenwolf music. Thanks Scientology!
I watch the video. Just two things to say.
1. The bikers aren’t scientologist for sure. Ready to bet.
2. In my opinion Highway to Hell from ACDC was more appropriated.
“I am on the highway to hell…”. More adequated to their life style.
Embarrassing…humiliating…mortifying…ignominious…cringe-worthy…
Neither I nor my online Thesaurus has the words to convey how deeply, deeply thankful I am to be no longer associated, in any way, shape of form, with the Church of Scientology.
And this reaction comes purely from this article and its accompanying picture.
I haven’t watched the video.
I know my limits.
Aqua. I did it. You didn’t lost anything. As Mike said Steppewolf probably got some harsh freezed smile in their faces in case they see it.
Born to be wild? Rebels for Freedom? Just laughing. They have no clue what does it means.
I can see them looking at DM “hey mom can I act like a wog rebel? Pleaseeee! “
A wog webel and afterwards go squiwwel hunting. I pwomise to be vewwy vewwy quiet?
Laughing. Yes something of this kind.
I made it to 32 seconds. It would have been less if I had the sound switched on.
That video was posted by Battle Creek OT Committee, who has 1 subscriber. That should say something about all the wild and crazy expansion.
Does COB sign off on these videos before they are sent out?
Just curious
Doug. No he doesn’t. OSA has to check. But in the case this creates a mess or a flap heads will fly all over the places. This is the simple working rule everybody knows.
Thanks.
Re : Michael Duff, ” World-class performer “. I googled Michael Duff. Lots of Michael Duffs , but not him, only his website shows up.No pictures of him on google images either. He is then listed as a Michael Duff, musician. So I googlled that, a few photos of him show up, but mostly what shows up are pics of Duff Mcakgan , of Guns and Roses. I’m sure at Flag he is a huge celebrity. But then so is Joy ,what’s her face, with the flower in her hair, (sorry I cant remember her name ).
Here’s the video of “world-class” Michael Duff actually playing for the fund raiser via Zoom meetings:
https://www.facebook.com/deniceduff/videos/10159515571551756/
His wife Denice dancing in the background doesn’t add a lot of value, in my opinion. Of course, everything in scientology these days is about raising money.
My latest research angle into Scientology is that Hubbard had the mind of a twelve year old and those still in are in childhood. This video proves my thesis.
In the cult all kinds of stupid dressing up comes under the heading of “Spirit of Play”.
I’m cynical enough to believe that the real reason the Still Ins are told to dress up as pirates, cowboys, bikers, chickens, etc. is for Miscavige’s benefit – to afford him some amusement.
I have this picture of him together with Lou and a few others who make up their inner circle – this is my picture – a few of them in Miscavige’s private apartments relaxing, sipping that expensive scotch or other cocktails, watching a video of some org’s fundraising event. Public are cavorting in ridiculous get ups, pledging lots of money. Miscavige et al are laughing…”Look at THAT jerk!” I can hear Miscavige say, hooting with laughter as he points out some earnest Spirit of Player dressed up as Big Bird or something, some hapless koolaid drinker who just proudly promised lots of money for Miscavige’s coffers that he doesn’t have…not only does he get ripped off financially but he gets derided and laughed at by his beloved COB…
Yes, I remember listening to tapes where Hubbard talks about kids dressing up and playing cowboy. Also, Hubbard had his picture taken so often in different types of dress. Too bad I fell for it all for seventeen years.
I flash back to my meeting with Miscavige on the Freewinds. He sensed that I had my fists cocked and was ready to pound him if he attacked. Hence he was very very quiet.
Interesting, George. Yes, someone “ready to pound him” is a person the little plug-ugly can “respect”. Animal fear; that’s his sensibility level. (No disrespect to animals intended.)
How very “appropriate”….
Shades of MARK ………..BEING RUN OFF THE ROAD FOR MAKING HIS GRAND ESCAPE…… FROM …….ENSLAVEMENT….
O/T. An update. Letter signed by the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office opposing President Trump on the issue of police reform read by Senator Chuck Schumer and printed in the Congressional Record.
https://twitter.com/civilrightsorg/status/1275801786604019712
The letter:
https://civilrights.org/resource/vote-no-on-the-motion-to-proceed-s-3985-the-justice-act/
/
LOL!
So the Church of Scientology thinks it can run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, eh?
Sorry, cult – not with THIS guy!
For L’Orange, “support” is NEVER “nuanced”
You’re either with him 100% …OR…watch out! 🙂
Don’t buy that expensive Harley, give $cientology the money. You can ride a bicycle to your Biker Club meetings, no one will laugh at you.
LOL! The CoS IS clear. So transparently corrupt that no one need point it out. It speaks for itself in everything it does and says.
There was a time in the 80s when the image of Scientology was upgraded by the Dianetics commercial. It was hip, effective and different. Miscavige was inheriting the work of Jefferson Hawkins and his production team which I was a member. It was a non-SO team except for Jefferson.
From that point on COB tried to mimic that success and maintain a cool and class image. Not. The videos on Scientology TV are slick. 99% of the public see through that.
And the 2 decade of ideal org events reveal the true mental age of scientologists. 5 year olds who think they are cool. And so they reinforce the image of the cult. Brainwashed children making fools of themselves to support brick and mortar delusions. So sad. And Michael Duff is talented and no longer WORLD CLASS. All such a pathetic waste.
I was on lines in the San Diego org in around 04 an they had just announced that they had just bought their new Ideal Org building. Now, 16 years later, I see that they are still in the same building.
When I was a kid, if there were too many cockaroaches around, you called an exterminator. Will someone please tell me what you do these days?
LMAO! Geof, scamology was NEVER “hip, effective and different” in the 80’s. Membership NEVER went up after the 70’s. Hence, in the 80’s it also had a crap image. I was out in the field selling books and it was looked on, if anything, as weird and creepy and/or cultish.
Winsky. I think he is talking about the campaign end of 80’s that increased the numbers of the members for some brief period of time around 90/100.000 people worldwide.
No, TOTAL membership did NOT increase at ANY point past the 70’s. It has decreased every year since about ’77-’78.
Winsky. Understood. That period you said was the highest one. Thank you.
I was basing that on the book sales and how many other commercials starting copying the Dianetics questions format. I don’t disagree with you it’s always been considered weird and cultish. I was on CMU lines and they were getting into more bookstores and getting more interest With the public. As a performer I always thought the military crap and rigidness was creepy.
Do the Org members get told how much money is needed to do the job? How much has been raised so far? Why the building is rotting faster than the contractors are paid to fix it?
Or are the members kept like mushrooms, in the dark, in an excrement enriched soil, and harvested when ripe?
I’m sure you mean this as a rhetorical question. I feel like you knew the answer before you asked but you just wanted to say excrement enriched soil in relation to members. lol
I don’t know, but I have a good hunch. The high control environment seems to result in not enough people asking those awkward questions about where their money is really going. Regular churches have those rising thermometers out the front showing the fund raising status.
The word I was reaching for is shorter …
I watched the video… wish I hadn’t. Mike, you failed to mention the final shot. Sorta captures the delusion. Always loved that Steppenwolf song… now this. Hope you get some insider scoop on this event!
I remember visiting the New Haven org some years back and being amazed at how pathetic it was. It had some office space rented on the second floor of some old building. As I entered the “org” there was a receptionist with her baby behind her, sitting in a swing attached to the door frame of the closet. As I walked further inside I looked into a small room stacked (onto the floor) with PC and Ethics folders. Laying on the folders was a cat that was sleeping. There were only about three “public” in the course room. The place was a dirty, disorganized mess. Just the kind of place that you would want to invest a million dollars in order to keep up with the overwhelming expansion and public demand for Scientology.
In theory the clean, shiny Ideal Orgs are attractive to the public who’ll be happy to come in and learn the secrets of bullbaiting, floating the needle on a whetstone bridge, and alien exorcisms.
In practice the clean shiny Ideal Orgs are soulless morgues that repel the public with their creepiness.
Thanks for the memory, Mat. I haven’t been back to the old burg in years to see the Whalley Avenue eyesore. It must take a huge, huge act of denial to be a clam in New Haven these days. I would imagine the scibots there have to make a supreme effort to keep up the charade with each other when the org is a dilapidated hulk that Elm City wogdom wants gone. I sure hope the city can foreclose on them sooner rather than later, but some more of them will proabably have to go to Track II before that can happen.
@bix,
The Ideal Eyesore 🙂
The org has now moved into a creepy old white wood building up the street, that’s said to look like an old home that had been converted into a funeral home – so maybe a real idle morgue. I can’t readily determine how large their old walk-up space would have been, but the new location is about 5,000 square feet:
> https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/19470199/980-Whalley-Ave-New-Haven-CT/
From what I’ve seen that’s about a typical size rental space for one of the small and failing orgs (SFOs) – it seems to be consistent enough across orgs that I wonder if it isn’t dicated by international management, though it may well still be larger than what the orgs actually need. And obviously a struggling little org like New Haven is least in need of space, much less a massive new building.
Interestingly, real estate records show that the vacant building that they bought in 2003 is 18,000 square feet (and was originally a masonic temple). That was before Miscavige had set the current grandiose standards for “ideal” orgs and like St. Louis (currently in another similarly sized old masonic temple that they are apparently going to keep and try to renovate and expand, giving up on a historic property they’d bought in 2007 and are now trying to sell off) they now face putting a massive addition on it to meet the latest 50,000 square foot requirement for “expansion.”
St. Louis could even be a harbinger that the worst off SFOs remaining including New Haven will now just never get put in totally unneeded enormous “ideal” facilities, and either there will be some sort of compromise – perhaps smaller facilities billed as “temporary,” like the old masonic temples without additions – or else they will just always be “going ideal” like they have for almost 2 decades already (17 years in New Haven’s case) but never getting there, until finally there’s some organizational reckoning.
O/T. The Church of Scientology continues to oppose President Trump on the issue of police reform, joining letter calling for the end of qualified immunity contrary to the position of the President.
The tweet is by the American Association for Justice. See the signatures on the letter.
https://twitter.com/JusticeDotOrg/status/1275895062161956865
/
ISNOI, This is like the 5th or 6th post you’ve made over several days about the same subject, which is a political subject. This blog is not the place for politics. Tony Ortega has a whole separate blog where it is specifically for politics and Trump bashing. I don’t care whether you are for Trump or against Trump, this blog is not the place for politics. So you might get more traction if you post on an appropriate blog such as Tony’s other one which deals with politics.
I don’t think these are “political” comments? They are specifically about official church positions scientology is taking. Nor are they “Trump bashing” — they call to attention that scientology is opposing President Trump. The scientology related Trump bashing typically opines that scientology and Trump are aligned and similar??
I guess I just got my fill of similar links being posted day after day as if the poster had an agenda. I’m not interested and don’t care if Scn opposes Trump. Or if they approve him either. How does whether Scn opposes or supports Trump help the purpose of bringing down the church sooner? It just seems irrelevant.
I agree. I find the ISO posts to be largely irrelevant to this blog, and tend to scroll past them. On Tony Ortega’s blog they would make more sense. Thanks for saying what I have been thinking, Jane Doe 2!
P.S. And if you are THAT Jane Doe 2, HUGE cyber hug and Hang In There, girl!!
Thanks Briget! Nice to have a fan out there. Let’s connect on FB or through Mike or something.
Hi Yerself! I’m not on Facebook anymore (it got too freaky so I closed my account) but if it’s OK with Mike, it’s OK with me if he shares my email with you.
If not, know that I am following the progress of the fight against the disgusting excuse for a man you and others are bringing to justice, cheering you on and hoping/praying/lobbying for him to be put away where he can’t hurt any other women. ****Extra Hugs***
HI Briget, I looked for a “reply” button on your post but there was none, so I had to go one comment up to find a reply button. I think you are confusing me with one of the Jane Doe’s who is suing Danny Donkey Punch Masterson for rape and/or date drug and rape. I’m not that Jane Doe. But still would love to make your acquaintance. I’m also thinking of getting off FB. They do too much censoring and things get hairy there if you express any kind of opinion most times. So maybe you can give your email to Mike and he can give it to me or vice versa?
“How does whether Scn opposes or supports Trump help the purpose of bringing down the church sooner”?
LOL, let me count the ways, Jane!
I would think the answer to this would be obvious but here’s an example:
Let’s say the President becomes informed that Co$ opposes him on some issue. Let’s say this annoys him.
Or possibly infuriates him.
Why? Who knows?
Well, when the President is not happy about something or someone, he doesn’t exactly… hold back!
He spills it out!
At a rally, at a press conference, in tweets…we are all duly informed in no uncertain terms!
And more pertinently, if/when he experiences being slighted, disrespected, betrayed, whatever – using the power of the presidency to hit back at the target of his anger is NOT method of retaliation unknown to him!
Would you object to Co$ being the direct or indirect target of Presidential ire?
A President of the United States and Leader of the Free World upset with the Church of Scientology and publicly saying so?
This would bother you? And Mike shouldn’t mention it, and we here shouldn’t discuss it?
The above is only one example of the relevancy you questioned. And while it doesn’t appear LIKELY to occur, neither is it, by any means IMPOSSIBLE.
55I have three responses.
First, posts here are moderated. If one of my posts appears here, that means that Mike or his chosen moderator have determined it is acceptable.
Second, if you don’t like my posts, please skip them. See my name, ISNOINews? Then skip the post. Easy.
Third, any argument that official positions taken by the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office — including political positions — are *merely* political or relevant *only* to the subject of politics is without merit. They are relevant to the subject of Scientology by their very nature.
More specifically., after years of simultaneously trying to ingratiate itself with President Trump and the MAGA community (e.g., through Trish Duggan, Greg Mitchell and Joy Villa), and with the (mostly liberal) religious and civil rights community (e.g., through the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office), the COS was faced with an issue where it had to choose between the two. The COS chose to side with the (mostly liberal) religious and civil rights community, and against President Trump and the MAGA community. I believe that is an important point relevant to Scientology.
This persona / valence is neithet pro-Trunp nor anti-Trump. All it cares about is news concerning Scientology. My intent us not to bash or support President Trump, but instead to show how the Church of Scientology is trying to have it both ways, to play both sides of the fence.
Thanks for the explanation, ISNOI. You did indeed show “how the Church of Scientology is trying to have it both ways, to play both sides of the fence.” So I get it so let’s move on now.
Youtube is pretty good about detecting unauthorized use of copyright material, and I think they just mute the audio; this will be fun to keep an eye on. And if Steppenwolf’s licensing agents find it, they can actually issue a copyright claim/strike.