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[SocialTransparency]

 Just in from my holiday in sunny Florida. It was business as usual down in Clearwater. NOT! Another year has come and gone. Nothing has changed @ either the Fort Harrison or Super power properties. The Fort Harrison, with its multi million dollar renovation was and is a ghost town. The same poor security guard that was standing in the doorway was there once again this year. It is as if time has stood still. The apex of the high season is occurring now in Florida. Not so @ the cults mecca. The Super power building has the very same idle construction equipment and unfinished exterior as this time last year. I think to not bother driving downtown next year. It is depressing.

 YET, all is not lost. The beaches were rockin. The water was great and the rest of the world was out enjoying the holiday's.

[mefree]

Very interesting. I guess you wouldn't want to have a business in downtown Clearwater these days.



 

[mefree]

Cleawater locals voice opinions in St. Pete Times:

Scientologists bring no economic benefit to downtown Clearwater
In Print: Sunday, September 11, 2011

Re: Must be a way to work together | letter by Ralph Rugo, Sept. 4

Scientologists don't help area

It was interesting to read the letters from the "non-Scientologists" defending the Scientologists against the fines handed to them as a result of years of delay in completing their building. Of most interest was Mr. Rugo's comment on downtown Clearwater.

Let me relate a tale. Last New Year's Eve, as is our tradition, my wife and I went out for an early dinner in downtown Dunedin. Along with us was our grandson, also part of the tradition. Dunedin was packed. Couples and families were walking the downtown area. All the establishments in the area were open and bustling with business. We noticed that a nightclub across from our restaurant had a line of people waiting to get in.

After a short walk, we left for home. Entering downtown Clearwater along N Fort Harrison Avenue — nothing. Not a soul. Turning onto Cleveland Street, all we witnessed was about five or six homeless people huddling on the sidewalk and in storefronts to keep warm.

The Scientologists may be good neighbors, but they provide no basis for an economy in downtown Clearwater. If they spent any money, there would be restaurants, bistros, etc. They scurry around during the day, and then they are gone, not to be seen until the sun comes up again. With all those folks in or near downtown Clearwater, where were they that night?

In my opinion, the Scientologists are parasites. Clearwater, particularly downtown, would be far better off without them.

Dave Cordes, Clearwater

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re: Scientologists seem to help city | letter, Sept. 4

Fine reveals power of 'church'

After reading this letter and its companion letter, Must be a way to work together, I have come to the conclusion that both writers of these letters obviously do not frequent the downtown Clearwater area or they would have seen the "eyesore" Scientology building before it was finished. That building sat there for several years with an ugly, gaping hole in its side. It was a blemish on the downtown landscape for years. In the interim, the Scientologists completely gutted and renovated Oak Cove and several other projects.

Had this been any other business or "church," they would have been fined, without all the publicity, and they would have quietly paid what they owed. But we are dealing with a multi-billion dollar entity that will pay far more than the $413,000 fine in lawyer fees to make this fine go away, just like they made the IRS break-ins of the late 1970s and the Clearwater Sun newspaper go away.

They are not your friends, so you should not be fooled by the pretty pictures they paint.

Mike Jones, Clearwater

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/scientologists-bring-no-economic-benefit-to-downtown-clearwater/1190865

[wynot]

Clearwater must be the only American city since the War of 1812 to be invaded by a foreign military force. But apparently they are still not conquered!

Millions for lawyers and lawsuits, or $four hundred thousand for the fine. Even with the pile-o-money many believe the little squirrel is sitting on, that kind of arithmetic has to be hurting them after so many years, don'cha think?

'til next time;
wynot

[ethercat]

Clearwater must be the only American city since the War of 1812 to be invaded by a foreign military force. But apparently they are still not conquered!

Unfortunately, wynot, and you know it as well as I do, this cult is mostly homegrown right here in the US.

Millions for lawyers and lawsuits, or $four hundred thousand for the fine. Even with the pile-o-money many believe the little squirrel is sitting on, that kind of arithmetic has to be hurting them after so many years, don'cha think?

I would hope so, but I spoke to someone at one point who said that with all the money that had been collected for the building gaining interest, it was cheaper for them NOT to finish it, even with all the fines.  They were gaining more from the money than the fines were costing!

As to whether that's actually true or not, I'm not in a position to answer with certainty. 

[wynot]

Clearwater must be the only American city since the War of 1812 to be invaded by a foreign military force. But apparently they are still not conquered!

Unfortunately, wynot, and you know it as well as I do, this cult is mostly homegrown right here in the US.

That is true, but it does not contradict my point; they flew another flag, came on ships with non-American registries, and pledged their allegiance to an entity other than the United States (or any other legitimate entity).

Perhaps a more accurate description would be to say they came as pirates, flying false flags no matter how you looked at them...

Millions for lawyers and lawsuits, or $four hundred thousand for the fine. Even with the pile-o-money many believe the little squirrel is sitting on, that kind of arithmetic has to be hurting them after so many years, don'cha think?

I would hope so, but I spoke to someone at one point who said that with all the money that had been collected for the building gaining interest, it was cheaper for them NOT to finish it, even with all the fines.  They were gaining more from the money than the fines were costing!

As to whether that's actually true or not, I'm not in a position to answer with certainty.

Doesn't matter whether it is true or not, ec. While it may be true in this instance, years of mindlessly following such subtractive policies has to have a negative effect overall, irrespective of how they juggle their numbers! In my humble etc...

'til later;
wynot