More on the Scientologists

As I drove to the Library tonight I noticed the sign was not up on the Scientology mission.

They have been cited by code: for not meeting off-street parking requirements, changing the use of the property illegally, and not having a buffer between commercial and residential.

There was an article in the St. Pete times about the Scientologists moving in.
Scientology calls out to black community

This prompted this email on the neighborhood email list:

"Earlier I sent out an email regarding an article in the St. Pete Times. Later I had found out that the same writer that had written the story, has written 5 articles about the scientologists...in less than two months, all positive. (I find that odd, because I always hear from the media... "oh, we did a story like that 6 months ago, we aren't interested") Anyway, the link above was sent back to me by someone else that thought it was odd that they would be giving so much positive press to every move the Scientologist make. Could it be the writer is a member??? Hmmm! I also find it very odd that the story would be in a very positive light without interviewing one neighbor. Check out the link, it was actually a piece that helped the times win a Pulitzer Prize."

The link is a purported collection of St. Pete Times articles about the Scientologists that won the St. Petersburg Times a Pulitzer Prize. ""This is a 14-part series by Charles Stafford, originally published in The St. Petersburg Times. Together with two articles by Bette Orsini, it won the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting.""

Here are the 5 articles written by Robery Farley mentioned in the above comment:

Scientologists Branch out
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/19/Tampabay/Scientologists_branch.shtml

Scientology adds Plant City to roster
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/04/12/Hillsborough/Scientology_adds_Plan.shtml

Scientology awards reach out to black community
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/18/Worldandnation/Scientology_awards_re.shtml

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/10/Northpinellas/Still_a_two_man_race_.shtml

Your Own Piece of the Music
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/25/Doors/Your_own_piece_of_mus.shtml

A comment by a friend:

"You know, I grew up in Clearwater, and I watched as they sucked the life out of the town I loved. They almost destroyed it. At the very least it took a very long time for the town to recover and it is still scarred. So I am very wary of them. It isn't, at all, the religious aspect, it is the business aspect. The are not particularly honest, or giving, and their idea of being part of the community is to take it over. 60 min, years ago in the late seventies, did a story on them. How, when they came into Clearwater they started to get people to work in city offices as secretaries, etc. And just work there like any other worker but that they were in fact, placing things in files of people they wanted to get rid of in city government. Things for black mail. And they used their jobs to find out things which they could use as tools. They are very underhanded."

From an article in the Times about the Scientologists:
. . . .who already own more than 200 shops, restaurants, service outlets and small businesses in the area and have proposed building at least 900 condos and townhomes."

From anonymous 6/04/2006 12:46:40 PM www.xenu.net

I also grew up in Clearwater (Clearwater High Class of 77) during the take over by the Scientologists, so I am biased against them.