So, the IAS constantly claims that donations made to it “support our 4th dynamic initiatives” — very much including the Foundation for a Drug Free World.
The IAS takes credit for the “accomplishments” of the DFW if there is ever anything to be crowed about. Recently the IAS proudly announced the “distribution” of half a million booklets at the Super Bowl. They routinely claim they are literally saving the world and eradicating the scourges of drugs, crime, immorality and illiteracy.
This is asking for $50,000. Assuming the IAS has accumulated $1.5 billion by now (it was more than a billion back in the early 2000’s), this is chicken feed. About 0.003% of their total funds. But rather than the IAS doing this, they are trying to crowdfund to show their PSAs in LOS ANGELES! This is not darkest Africa or some other remote location…
So, where IS the IAS?
As I have said before — in a bubble built on fraud and scams, the IAS reigns supreme.
It is literally money for nothing, while promising they are saving the world.
Why the sheeple refuse to see the obvious scam is a testament to the level of brainwashing that scientology manages to bring about in its victims.
I am curious if National Cinemedia (NCM) and Screenvision Media are being approached to to try to run it at the LA theatres on their lobby ad screens and preshows If they do, it’s a safe bet that they will try to conceal any link to Scientology, once the complaints roll in they will probably yank it from rotation pretty quick. Neither NCM, nor the exhibitors they handle advertising for would have the stomach to be associated with the toxic brand of Scientology in any way, especially with the public awareness of it’s abuses/corruption, the bad PR alone would be worth them refunding or refusing the money.
They should be made aware who they may really be potentially advertising for:
NCM HEADQUARTERS
6300 South Syracuse Way
Suite 300
Centennial, CO 80111
customerservice@ncm.com
https://www.ncm.com/contact-us
NCM Serves most the US market including Regal Entertainment Group (United Artists, Edwards, Regal Cinemas) which is owned by UK based Cineworld. As well as AMC, Cinemark, and Carmike, and their respective subsidiaries not under contract with Screenvision Media
Screenvision Media (only has 5 locations using their ad network in the city of LA
Janice Myers
VP of Regional Sales
4745 W. 136th Street
Suite A
Leawood, KS 66224
913.717.0259
jmyers@screenvision.com
Scott Johnson
VP of Sales, West Region
429 Santa Monica Blvd
Suite 340
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.395.7849
scjohnson@screenvision.com
I would also recommend contacting the exhibitors customer relations departments if those ads start showing up on their the lobby plasmas, rear screens, or during preshows. 50K may sound like a lot , but putting it in lobbies and accross all screens/ratings in the Los Angeles DMA won’t have the ads running very long at all Unless they target a handful of locations nearest to Scientology properties.the it may stretch their ad dollars more and they can have something to show thier local
members and donors.
Last i was aware of it, NCM also controls the contract for physical lobby advertising as well. This includes things such as one sheet posters, hand-outs, rack cards, table displays ,standees, window clings, even printing on bags and cups.This would be far cheaper and perhaps a more effective route as far as the number of movie goers who would actually see it.
I wonder how many *millions* the cult has drained from Tom Cruise. I wouldnt be surprised if it weren’t a couple of hundred. What an absolutely wierd and utterly fucked up individual he is.
Doesn’t he give a large amount of his box office earnings over to the cult? I think I read that somewhere.
I’m sure Cruise has given ALOT …!!!! They probably have gotten close to a billion out of him .
It says the IAS “sponsored” a grant for the distribution of 500,000 booklets, it didn’t say the IAS paid a grant for the distribution of 500,000 booklets.
They probably just made the public donate the funds to pay the 500,000 booklets cover price, and additional funds to mail and distribute them (which never happened).
I hereby “sponsor” a grant for worldwide healthcare and agricultural development. This also includes flanking promotional activities and childhood-education lectures. OMG I just became the world’s largest charity organization!
Mike,
If you’re reading this, I was just wondering if you felt “reborn” after all those years in Scientology. For example, going on a luxury cruise is something you’d never have been able to do if you were still in the Sea Org (and probably in RPF). I have a ton of respect for you and for what you’re doing and I hope you’re making the most out of finally being “free.” I know it’s already been a few years since being out now, but I bet you have a much greater appreciation for each and every day that you’re able to live your own life, free from the shackles of Scientology. Take care, my friend.
I’d like to echo ST’s sentiments and add to them a rousing ” Welcome Back, Rinder!”
Hope you’re vacay was swell and you all raised hell, Mike. In a good way, of course.
Edit: “Your” not “you’re”.
Off topic: sent some aftermath cards as email attachments to some Sea Org members. Will let you know if I hear back. ?
Jim,
Awesome idea! Where did you get the addresses?
Kat
Kat – have Mike give you my email.
Will do!
The press of Fair Game got them their tax exemption. Maybe someone in government with the authority to implement change will try to take that away, but I don’t see any courageous hard chargers anywhere in the IRS with the authority to re-open the case.
At least I can take comfort in knowing about the NXIVM charges. Without his religious cover, DM might be sharing a cell with Raniere. I wonder who would get on top? The top bunk, I mean…
Where? leads to WHAT is the IAS. Which leads to the answer, A scam designed to fulfill Hubtard’s goal of amassing HUGE sums on money out of reach of government oversight. Hubtard didn’t create the IAS but as it 100% aligned with his goals he would have approved of it.
That is it in a nutshell.
I am not sure how they get away with fund raising in the IAS when they are ‘double dipping’ on fundraising for other branches of the same entity. The money grubbing seems like it should be illegal, as they are the same “organization” with different names. I will try to see if there is a branch of government that looks at fundraising and tax write off auditing…Im sure there is some loophole they are exploiting. They seem to be well aware of every loophole out there and are very slimy at exploiting them all. I was under the assumption that all non-profits had to submit very comprehensive paperwork on their organizations. Im guessing that they are inflating the cost of ‘pamphlets’ and are exaggerating their accomplishments.
That photo, like the one the other day from a march in Clearwater, shows around a dozen adults, and about as many kids – it’s just cunningly shot to be misleading, in this case including a lot of people in the background who are just pedestrians walking by.
Unfortunately, the IAS is rather like a lot of other scam charities that are allowed to operate, which spend most of their money paying the people who do the fundraising, and claim that they are raising awareness while giving little if any money to actually doing anything for the causes they are associated with. Scientology’s front groups may be among the worst, and prime targets for investigation of violations of current laws and regulations, but they couldn’t even begin get away with what they do if the US had the same sorts of checks and balances for groups claiming charitable or religious status, that other countries do.
FDW’s IRS Form 990EZ for 2017 is interesting. Part III, Statement of Program Accomplishments list four “Accomplisments”. The first is an awards dinner for 350 “Drug Free World Heros” in New York at a cost of $32,183.00. I’m surprised the IRS went along with claiming an awards dinner as a tax deductible accomplishmet. It should be noted the expense for this dinners is more than the other three “Accomplishments” combined.
The fourth “Accomplishment”, with an expense of $9,812.00 is a real doozie…
“Foundation for a Drug-Free World accompanied by the Harlem Wizards distributed over 5,000 booklets that gave facts about drugs at the Puerto Rco Day Parade in New York. As a result, we formed partnerships with Police Activities League, Miss New York, and Guatemala Government officials. Drug-Free World trained 400 School Safety Officers who in turn educated an estimated 20,000 youth on the Truth About Drugs with the intention of bringing a halt to the scourge of drugs in New York.”
No grant money is shown from the IAS, or anyone else, as being used to fund these “Accomplishments”. Which tells me it’s way past time for the Feds to look into IAS fund raising. Beating the drums to raise money for a specific purpose, then not using it for that purpose, is against the law.
The complete 2017 990EZ for DFW can be see at:
https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/205812172_201712_990EZ_2018122116033750.pdf
How is an awards dinner an accomplishment??? Does it list these “hero’s”? Are they really involved in the charity? That may be something to look into…
PickAnotherID,
According to their tax forms, they claimed over 59,000 in donations yet poured over 32,000 into a closed dinner for their fund raising “heros”- how is this even approaching a relevant use of donations supposed to go toward keeping the world drug free? And there were 350 people at this dinner. That’s a little over 900.00 a person. I guess if they put on an opulent over the top affair and rented out a ballroom and brought in caviar from Russia, then maybe 900.00 a person could be feasible, but I’ve never been to a charity event that was that over the top, and I can’t imagine the IRS would agree that it was used wisely. Not sure how to bring this to anyone’s attention.
I also find it bizarre that other than this “banquet”, they only held three other events with one being ringing the opening bell at the NYSE which apparently cost over 2600.00.
Curious.
Kat
My gut says that “dinner” was used as a cover to funnel most of that $32K into $cientology’s coffers. But without a detailed breakdown of how the money was spent, there’s no way to prove it.
PickAnotherID,
Can you get more of these? I may be able to find a really good use for them…
Kat
Hey Mike..?
Thanks for being here. Thanks for your blog and for keeping it going.
I come here every day and I am helped every day, it’s so helpful just to have you here and all the commenters.
As a UTR, this place is my safe place and the place I feel most understood and no alone. Even with all the different ideas and opinions, not necessarily mirroring my own… there is comfort and a peace.
I have a few people I can speak with about my experiences and the rocky climb out of the nonsense…
and even one friend who is an Ex Scio…..
But the few Never-Ins I can speak with… it’s generally just a lot of work to explain and explain and explain. …
This place is so valuable for me. It’s a lifeline.
Thanks.
I know, I do tell you this at random times.. but it’s helpful to me to just keep telling you and my friends here.
I appreciate you all so much.
Hey there Rip.
I just want to tell you that I enjoy reading your posts and it made me happy to hear how you feel about this place. I’m glad you feel good about being here.
I’m very close to a “Never In”. I was only in for 3 days and that was about 7 days too many. (I’m not sure how that exactly works but I’m still pissed off at this stupid cult after 40 years). If you or anyone else is interested in my story, I post using the alias “Alishibaz” at the ESMB message board. You can read my story in the New Member Introductions section here:
http://www.forum.exscn.net/threads/hello-from-ali-shibaz.49451
I wanted to tell you that you never have to explain anything to me because I knew it was all bullshit after just two days as I explained why in the above link.
I will look. Thanks. <3
RIP,
I’m sure it is very difficult getting never ins (like me) to understand the issues of leaving a ‘mainstream’ cult. Like a lot of people, I never really paid attention to Scientology- I just thought of it as a ‘holly-weird’ thing that was totally kooky, but never really gave a lot of thought to it.
It wasnt until I started looking at it closely that I came to understand the damage that it has done, and the problems that could occur when someone left. That is completely because of Aftermath. Hopefully it will open other ‘never-in’s’ eyes and make your reintegration into mainstream society much easier than it may have been before.
However, I also understand that many people don’t understand how cult psychology works, and see people who get seduced into believing in something as ‘weak minded’ or somehow responsible for their own state (ironic that Hubbard said something along those lines as a way to get people in, before he twisted it into something sinister). That mind set is their issue- not yours. Those people are making assumptions that are untrue and hurtful. I mentioned once that there is literally a cult out there for every person. People are very lucky if they manage to go through life and don’t ‘meet’ that cult. You were unfortunate enough to ‘meet’ yours. I hope that I never make it uncomfortable with my occasional rant, but I do sometimes get morally outraged about some aspect of it all.
I’m glad that you are recovering, and that you’ve found a place where you feel safe enough to comment and share your insights. Please forgive me if I ever make you uncomfortable- I do not mean to. I very much admire strength in all of its forms, and some of the individuals on this blog (you included) are the strongest people I’ve ever met.
Kat
I want to answer more, but I have to zip away.. so I’ll come back sometime tomorrow to do justice to your reply.
But just as a short snippet……
Basically …. getting out of Scn is like coming from a distant planet… I feel like I’ve just arrived. The depth and scope of IN is so very very very vast…
The whole mindset is alien. I want to do a blog post sometime..to try to capture just how different it is …
there are so many new things… just the idea that it’s OK to admire a tree.. to love the earth, … I have no short way of describing it… hence, my remark about explain and explain.
Thanks…
It’s so bloody helpful.
RIP,
I look forward to that future post.
……….so..just a bit more for you here, Kat, …your understanding and easy mind on how others may have been sucked in is nice to hear and is probably is a peaceful type frame of mind to have, quite good for one.
You know, I really don’t give a flying Eff for what anyone might think of me .. whether they may blame me for getting in, think that I’m dumb or … just any random critical blaming thought.
Oh boy, but that doesn’t come anywhere near me.
EXPERIENCING ..being in for decades, getting out… it’s been …difficult in ways beyond measure. I’ve not made a secret here on the boards of my struggles. It was days…then weeks..then months, and now I can count even more, but ever fearful to give too much specifics… 🙂 … and I’m still hanging in there, REAL highs, and REAL lows.. but keeping on.
In this last week I’ve made a jump, and suddenly have been feeling a new kind of lucky. Lucky to be out. It’s hard to describe.. but… there was shock, numbness…then falling deep…then moving a bit away… then..lately..rising above? There is getting enough distance..- I was listening to some new Shelton and Levin today and suddenly felt really LUCKY. The new Shelton was great, and it helped …it showed me how far I’ve come.
I’m so lucky to be out. I might just…Make it! 😉 🙂 🙂 🙂
None of the nasties bother me. I’ve my own demons in just getting out and letting go. Who cares what the uninformed think!
….
I LOVE being out. I LOVE talking to never ins, and learning more about how to just.. be a regular person. I’m ALWAYS watching and listening…. just to see how people are. I’m practicing lots of things all the time.
<3
RIP,
I’m not sure if you will get this post, but its important to make it so I am going to try. When you are ready, I will be happy to hear your story with absolutely no judgements made. If Mike and others can get out and have a happy and healthy lives, you can do it as well. Always remember that everyone has a history, and nearly everyone has some dark period in their lives that they try to overcome. I have NO DOUBT you will make it and be successful in anything you wish to do.
You overcame something that few people could have and came out the other side. While you may not yet feel whole and healthy, give it time. Never give up. Always face the future instead of looking at the past (I sound like a greeting card, but you get the idea).
Everyone needs a soft place to land, and hopefully you have found yours here. I wish that there was something more I could do – other than give you words of encouragement- and if you can think of anything you need, let me know. Just remember the wonderful words of A.A. Milne: ‘Always remember. You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think’. This is from Winnie the Pooh- I have it framed on my desk at work. And its always true.
Much respect,
Kat
thanks, honey.
I don’t tell specifics of “my story” or how I got out because of identifying things.
…
Not speaking specifics of things in my life has nothing to do with worrying about other people judging me.
Decades of describing every single thing that I’ve ever thought or done, in detail, to auditors…ethics officers…. knowing that dozens of other people have access to my PC folder and read it… having goldenrod on the bulletin board with my “crimes” or “offenses” posted…
Oh jesus… it’s funny, because a scn “ability gained” for grade Zero, “the ability to talk to anyone on any subject” IS an ability I got. Not from Grade zero, but from talking about every innermost thing for decades!
In one of the first Shelton vids I listened to, he was giggling about how he learned early on that he “overshared”. And how in the real world, you don’t just blurt out every single private thing that someone might have asked about. haha! It’s something I’m super “bad” about. I’ll say anything.
Thanks for all of your support.
oh, and I have a LOT of great things going on in my life right now. I have tons of great plans and things I’m working on, and lots is happening to help me get away from Scn, further and further.
I count my blessing all the time, and Mike and his gang and you all are close to top of the list!
Hey Rip, just wanted to let you know that you can read comments and post over at Tony Ortega’s blog too. I follow this place and that place too.
It’s https://tonyortega.org/scientology/
YES. I love ortega. I come here, and then I go there. Tony has done a magnificent service with his reporting.
But I have a real soft spot for Mike, I always liked seeing him on stage with the others. Also, as he is an EX, there is no need to explain anything. 🙂
As a “never in”, I wonder how a person who has been “IN” since birth, early childhood or who “signed up as a young adult”….& then GOT OUT would also need or want to “ask many questions” about how things work on the OUTSIDE OF COS.
After all, if you’ve been so deeply ingrained in COS, & were KEPT from how things really work or what the TRUITH is outside “the bubble” you’d have many many many questions to ask as well….& might need or ask ONE OF US….to give you some tips and advice on how to go about your new daily life on the outside.
Your OWN comment “there are so many new things… just the idea that it’s OK to admire a tree.. to love the earth, … I have no short way of describing it… hence, my remark about explain and explain” says A LOT….even YOU might need US to “explain explain explain”….HOW THINGS WORK ON THE OUTSIDE…and WE are happy to help you in any way we can.
Enjoy yourself, breathe in the fresh air, inhale the FREEDOM you now have to be what you want to be. Yes, it will take hard work, & you will find many new WILLING friends who were NEVER IN but who will be happy to answer any questions your have & help GUIDE you along your way.
BEST WISHES!
There are many former “ins” who have opened their hearts & souls to all who comment on Mike AND Tony’s blog. Yes I admit it must get somewhat tiresome to repeat things to many different people…BUT in you OWN way…YOU my friend are passing along important information & details.
Recently I was at a social event where I was speaking with a surgeon. I asked him, very seriously, whether he ever thought that his patient was “at fault” for having the illness. I asked him, if he ever thought that person who was suffering from cancer, who had a terrible disease, or was ill and dying…if he ever ever had any thought that they, “pulled it in” “caused it” “deserved it” “must have done something to make it happen” or anything along that line.
He said no.
He did acknowledge that those who smoked may have contributed..and I nodded to that concept…and then described more for him.
I told him of my own health issues/(dread disease) and that of others, and told him of what the cult had done to me, and asked him if he felt anything like that ever for his patients. He was emphatic that it was ludicrous and no, never.
I told that man how the cult had embedded in me a deep and shameful responsibility for everything “wrong” with me. I told him of my own issues, and how EVEN THOUGH I was out of the cult and KNEW that every bit of Hubbard was a BS lie, that it was EMBEDDED so that I felt at fault, I was degraded, I was less than, how .. even while shedding and shedding all of SCN, I couldn’t shake the shame and responsibility and knowledge that it was my own damn fault and that if I had been a better person or more aware…
somehow….
it’s me.
It’s always me..because anything else is the road to being a victim and the victim never wins. Victim by definition doesn’t win. So there is nothing but responsible for own condition.
…
I’m glad that in the real world it’s not my fault.
But I look forward to the day I can actually feel it.
…….
(I also, quite often, ask people, “is this a REAL WORD?” “do people say this?”… and I recently learned that saying that such and such, “introverted me” was incorrect. being “introverted into something” or “about something, from something” isn’t the way people speak. I looked it up…. another made-up usage) blech!
Still
Learning
…!
RIP,
Just so you know- you are NOT a victim. YOU are a survivor! You are stronger than a victim. you took your destiny into your own hands and got out.
Kat
Someone well connected to the Miscreant Midget is going to make 10-15% in ‘commissions’ on this deal. Still, the IAS or some other non-profit $cieno group will suck up the money. Oh wait, the IAS doesn’t exist.
I do hope that every pamphlet handed out was torn in 2, so they couldn’t hand them out again.
Can I use my ‘Drug Free World’ Pin to deflate their balloon?
How much money does Davey need? He can probably buy his own country by now (no Trump jokes, please).
Wow. Pathetic
Mafia Boss. It fits him perfectly! I did some business with the Santini Brothers back in ’83. The brothers owned a Bekins franchise. Do you think we should introduce one of the Santini brothers to Corn-On-The COB? It couldn’t hurt… could it?
I know none of the cult stuff should be amusing but really, when these, whatever acronyms they are, phoney bolognas start feeding off of each other, claiming credit and hooking funds from each other, it might be amusing to see them turning on each other. When the big donors suddenly realize that cult is crumbling. When the celebs realize they really are nothing but props. Not even the grand poopah (yea, I know it is usually poobah) will will be able to stop that feeding frenzy. He will have to jump on that private jet and boogie on off to parts unknown. It will sure be a hard pill to swallow when he’s the only big winner.
For many years back to when I was in the SO, the IAS has ticked me off. I was well aware of the fact they would literally steal the accomplishments (term used advisedly) of other units, staff and public and claim credit for them, when in fact they did either little or nothing to contribute to those accomplishments. Of course the ultimate person responsible for allowing this was Miscavige. Miscavige seems to consider himself fully responsible for all accomplishments (again, term used advisedly) of Scientology, so I guess he is just exercising his benevolence and modesty by allowing the IAS to falsely claim credit and use the falsehoods to raise millions. Miscavige/IAS are just a cluster of falsehoods and delusions of grandeur attached to Scientology and sucking the credit, attention and money out of it.
Miscavage is just trying to be a good Mafia boss.
More easy money in shaking down than in building up.